We got up at 5:15 am by mistake this morning, rather than 6:15.  I had accidentally switched the time zone on the alarm clock.  It gave us plenty of time to be on our way close to daylight.  Today the temperature will approach a record high for Corpus Christi - 84 degrees.  Still, it was cool out on the water. 

As we readied Seas the Day to leave the marina, one of the marina people came by the tell us to be sure to stop back.  I think we were probably one of the few transient visitors recently, as we have seen almost no pleasure craft going east,  at least not on the Intracoastal or the parts of the Gulf we were occasionally on.  The Rockport Marina is undergoing a huge renovation and looks like it will be a great place to stop on our way back.

Finally, we had good winds today.  We had to go through Port Aransas on our way to Corpus Christi.   The first photo above is a lighthouse close to the entry to Port Aransas.   It looks like the lighthouse keeper lives in a mansion, but actually the lighthouse looks new and the buildings are in disrepair, probably not livable.  As we entered Port Aransas we saw some interesting ferry traffic across the shipping channel.  There were at least five car ferries, going back and forth constantly.  It appeared that a very busy road stopped at each side of the channel.  Three lanes of cars and trucks, even cars with boat trailers, pulled up and loaded the ferries.  It was a short distance across the channel.  Apparently this was easier to do than build a tall bridge over it.

We arrived at the Corpus Christi Marina at 1 pm.  We thought there would be a slip for us, but the widest available is 29 ft and our beam is 24’7”.  We would fit, but it’s windy today, and perhaps always, so we decided to stay tied up to a dock with the “big” boats. 

So, this journey is over:  13 days to Mobile and 23 days to Corpus Christi.  We’ve tried not to second guess ourselves, but perhaps we should have left Ft. Lauderdale and headed straight from Key West to Corpus Christi.  However, then we

would have missed all those good times with the Rottweilers on our walks with Daisy.  Speaking of Daisy, I don’t have a picture of her getting sick and sticking like glue to the feet of the helmsman when we crossed the Gulf on our way to Mobile for three straight days.  However, here is a photo of her eating breakfast in the cockpit this morning as we left Rockport. Quite a change, as I don’t believe she ate a thing on that three day leg. 

I actually think she is going to miss sailing every day.  She willingly steps into her life jacket when we are preparing to leave in the morning.  Then, she takes her position on the forward deck to help guide is out of our anchorage or marina.  If we were anchored, she joins me as we raise the anchor.  If we were at a marina, she walks around as I put away fenders and lines.  Then, she checks out any wildlife on shore and eventually settles down under then feet of the helmsman.  First Mate Daisy is a true boat dog now.   She’ll love walking around Corpus Christi and will strain to catch the attention of every man or beast she encounters. 

The marina is right at the end of the channel coming  into the city, so it will be a very easy in and out for day sails to Padre Island or in the Bay.  We walk across the street and we’re downtown.  There are trolleys and buses and lots of things within walking distance.  Unfortunately, being downtown, there are no grocery stores close by, and alas, the nearest Starbucks is 5 miles away.  We’ll probably have to rent a car for a few days to stock up on groceries and find our way around the city, but it appears that the buses and trolleys ($1 for a day) should be sufficient to get us around.

I have pictures to upload, but will do that later.  Right now, it’s great to just sit back, relax, and not have to think about getting up early to move on to the next stop. Below is the view from the boat to the city.  It’s about 1/2 block away.