Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

We have decided to bite the big salt bullet and head down to the Gulf
coast (Houston/Galveston) come August 1 (end of this lease).

We are concentrating on the Seabrook - Clear Lake - Kemah area - maybe
as far as Webster.

I can deal with an apartment for a year to have a chance to look around
for a house. I've found dozens of links and have started calling them
for availability and details. Looks goo so far.

But I'm having a hard time turning up good information on marinas.

I'm (obviously) taking my 18 with me. But we looked at a gorgeous
1984 Ericson 30 plus last night. The price is certainly within
reason, and did I mention the boat is immaculate? It's the best
kept boat I've seen since I started looking at bigger boats.

Now I can park the 18 on the trailer just about anywhere.
But not a 30!

So...

Thought I'd ask here and see of anyone in that area can offer some
advice. Where is good - or more importantly - where is bad!

Richard

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

Check out www.activecaptain.com. Has reviews written by locals about
marinas all over the world. Just search for "Clear Lake, TX" or
navigate there using the graphical interface. www.marinas.com has lots
of pictures of the marinas, but no local input.
Here's a phone/address only list: http://photohome.com/clearlake/marinas.html
I stay at South Shore Harbour marina and love it. There are lots of
good ones around... you might tell more what you're looking for. Close
to the bay, cheaper, amenities, Liveaboard?

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

Keith wrote:
Check out www.activecaptain.com. Has reviews written by locals about
marinas all over the world. Just search for "Clear Lake, TX" or
navigate there using the graphical interface. www.marinas.com has lots
of pictures of the marinas, but no local input.
Here's a phone/address only list: http://photohome.com/clearlake/marinas.html
I stay at South Shore Harbour marina and love it. There are lots of
good ones around... you might tell more what you're looking for. Close
to the bay, cheaper, amenities, Liveaboard?


Thanks, Keith,

That's exactly what I'm looking for.

Richard

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

We purchased our Beneteau 461 in the area you are looking at. The
previous owner had it in a private marine "Waterford Yact Club". The
marina is surronded by apartments on one side and very expensive homes
on the other. I think our slip rate was something like $360 per
month. The are is very protected from any type of storm, short of a
Huricane. We lived on the boat for about 3 months before we had is
shipped out.

You have acess to pools, yacht club, showers......

I was never in one of the Waterford apartments, but from the outside
they looked very nice. 24 hour security, gated, etc.

I recommend the area and the marina. Excellent boatyard there also if
you need any work done.

-Mark Read
http://GoReads.com

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

On Jun 18, 4:10 pm, cavelamb himself wrote:
We have decided to bite the big salt bullet and head down to the Gulf
coast (Houston/Galveston) come August 1 (end of this lease).

We are concentrating on the Seabrook - Clear Lake - Kemah area - maybe
as far as Webster.

I can deal with an apartment for a year to have a chance to look around
for a house. I've found dozens of links and have started calling them
for availability and details. Looks goo so far.

But I'm having a hard time turning up good information on marinas.

I'm (obviously) taking my 18 with me. But we looked at a gorgeous
1984 Ericson 30 plus last night. The price is certainly within
reason, and did I mention the boat is immaculate? It's the best
kept boat I've seen since I started looking at bigger boats.

Now I can park the 18 on the trailer just about anywhere.
But not a 30!

So...

Thought I'd ask here and see of anyone in that area can offer some
advice. Where is good - or more importantly - where is bad!

Richard

I've lived in the area aboard for 13 years. Waterford is nice, South
Shores nice bit more expensive, houston yacht club is cheaper, Baytown
marina is cheaper but a bit out of the way, Seabrook Shipyard has to
many assholes IMO, Kemah boardwalk is nice, but crowded and expensive,
Clearlake marine center is the best but doubt they have an empty slip,
the Hilton has a marina, and there are another 3-4 marinas that are OK
but a bit shallow. Oh and Watergate is nice too.

Tell me more about your boat, draft, are you living aboard? What you
like, and I can give you a better suggestions.

You can see my boat here
http://marinas.com/view/marina/4117

Joe

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

FYI, Joe... the Hilton demolished their marina. New owners of the
hotel decided they weren't in the marina business. It was pretty ratty
anyway.

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

Mark R. wrote:
We purchased our Beneteau 461 in the area you are looking at. The
previous owner had it in a private marine "Waterford Yact Club". The
marina is surronded by apartments on one side and very expensive homes
on the other. I think our slip rate was something like $360 per
month. The are is very protected from any type of storm, short of a
Huricane. We lived on the boat for about 3 months before we had is
shipped out.

You have acess to pools, yacht club, showers......

I was never in one of the Waterford apartments, but from the outside
they looked very nice. 24 hour security, gated, etc.

I recommend the area and the marina. Excellent boatyard there also if
you need any work done.

-Mark Read
http://GoReads.com


Hi Mark,

Thanks for the lead.
I'll look then up.

Beneteau 461, huh?
Man, you and I are at opposite ends of the bragging spectrum.
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cavel...rit.htm#spirit

I've located an older apartment complex in Seabrook - on Clear Lake.
They were receintly renovated. Looks pretty good.

that one provides a slip for $40 per month and 25 feet from my front
door.

Only down side is the tiny "stackable" washer and dryer set up.
Maybe I need to upgrade my wardrobe to shorts and sandals?

I've been sailing fresh water exclusively.
Going into salt (I assume Clear Lake is salty) I think the boat will
need the bottom redone with very good anti-fowling paint.
Otherwise she's in pretty good shape now.

Well, this is what dreams are made of...

Richard

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

Joe wrote:

On Jun 18, 4:10 pm, cavelamb himself wrote:

We have decided to bite the big salt bullet and head down to the Gulf
coast (Houston/Galveston) come August 1 (end of this lease).

We are concentrating on the Seabrook - Clear Lake - Kemah area - maybe
as far as Webster.

I can deal with an apartment for a year to have a chance to look around
for a house. I've found dozens of links and have started calling them
for availability and details. Looks goo so far.

But I'm having a hard time turning up good information on marinas.

I'm (obviously) taking my 18 with me. But we looked at a gorgeous
1984 Ericson 30 plus last night. The price is certainly within
reason, and did I mention the boat is immaculate? It's the best
kept boat I've seen since I started looking at bigger boats.

Now I can park the 18 on the trailer just about anywhere.
But not a 30!

So...

Thought I'd ask here and see of anyone in that area can offer some
advice. Where is good - or more importantly - where is bad!

Richard


I've lived in the area aboard for 13 years. Waterford is nice, South
Shores nice bit more expensive, houston yacht club is cheaper, Baytown
marina is cheaper but a bit out of the way, Seabrook Shipyard has to
many assholes IMO, Kemah boardwalk is nice, but crowded and expensive,
Clearlake marine center is the best but doubt they have an empty slip,
the Hilton has a marina, and there are another 3-4 marinas that are OK
but a bit shallow. Oh and Watergate is nice too.

Tell me more about your boat, draft, are you living aboard? What you
like, and I can give you a better suggestions.

You can see my boat here
http://marinas.com/view/marina/4117

Joe


Tiny little Catalina Capri 18.
Ballasted fin keel less than 3 feet deep.
1500 pounds displacement.
Crew of one - sometimes two.

And no -LOL- not living aboard this one.
Although we do camp out occasionally.

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cavel...rit.htm#spirit


At the moment I'm just looking forward to getting my bottom
salted. That's mostly the reason for looking at this particular
area - good protected water with access to the bay.

I just want to get some sea going experience - in moderate steps.
Not jump in over my head first time out.

Thanks, Joe.

Richard

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

My experience was that Clear Lake (really just a backed up creek that
did not exist too many years ago) was too shalow to do any sailing.
They dredge very defined channels for the boats to navigate through.
When there is a strong North wind for several days, it literally blows
most of the water out of Clear Lake.

I think you will spend most of your sailing time in Galveston Bay.
Buy a navigation chart of the Bay and I think you will be shocked to
see so much water, and almost all of it is 8 feet deep or less. They
dredge a hugh channel down the middle of it for very large cargo
ships, and yet on either side of the channel, 8 feet. The tide is
about 1 1/2 feet.

We had a lot of work done in a boat yard called South Texas Yacht
Services. You can do as much work their on your own as you want.
Friendly, knowledgeable, and fair in respect to price.

Click here for a posting on our site about our experience there
http://goreads.com/blog/2005/03/hot_...n_houston.html

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

On Jun 21, 12:47 am, "Mark R." wrote:
My experience was that Clear Lake (really just a backed up creek that
did not exist too many years ago) was too shalow to do any sailing.
They dredge very defined channels for the boats to navigate through.
When there is a strong North wind for several days, it literally blows
most of the water out of Clear Lake.

I think you will spend most of your sailing time in Galveston Bay.
Buy a navigation chart of the Bay and I think you will be shocked to
see so much water, and almost all of it is 8 feet deep or less. They
dredge a hugh channel down the middle of it for very large cargo
ships, and yet on either side of the channel, 8 feet. The tide is
about 1 1/2 feet.

We had a lot of work done in a boat yard called South Texas Yacht
Services. You can do as much work their on your own as you want.
Friendly, knowledgeable, and fair in respect to price.

Click here for a posting on our site about our experience therehttp://goreads.com/blog/2005/03/hot_days_in_houston.html

It is not a backed up creek! Sorry, I have a chart of the Galveston
Bay area from the 1800's, before the Civil War that shows Clear Lake.
Now the word "Clear" must have been thought up by a marketing person
trying to sell land, because it's anything but. The tidal range is
almost nothing here, but the North winds in winter literally do blow a
lot of water out of the lake. OTOH, the South winds blow it into the
lake in the Summer, so you can sail all over then. Just have to watch
the winds more than the tide. The Houston Ship channel goes through
Galveston bay, and is around 50' deep. As with any cruising area, get
a chart of the area so you know where to go and avoid.

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

Mark R. wrote:
My experience was that Clear Lake (really just a backed up creek that
did not exist too many years ago) was too shalow to do any sailing.
They dredge very defined channels for the boats to navigate through.
When there is a strong North wind for several days, it literally blows
most of the water out of Clear Lake.

I think you will spend most of your sailing time in Galveston Bay.
Buy a navigation chart of the Bay and I think you will be shocked to
see so much water, and almost all of it is 8 feet deep or less. They
dredge a hugh channel down the middle of it for very large cargo
ships, and yet on either side of the channel, 8 feet. The tide is
about 1 1/2 feet.

We had a lot of work done in a boat yard called South Texas Yacht
Services. You can do as much work their on your own as you want.
Friendly, knowledgeable, and fair in respect to price.

Click here for a posting on our site about our experience there
http://goreads.com/blog/2005/03/hot_...n_houston.html


I was born and raised in Houston.
Already knew about the depth of the water in the bay.

With our shoal draft we will have a lot of sailing area -
where the big ships won't be able to chase us.

I was looking at the chart - at that channel between Clear Lake
and the bay. That ought to make for some interesting navigation!

We don't see much tide on the lakes, so I'm just guessing here...
It seems like that tiny restriction would cause the tides in the
lake to follow the tides in the bay - maybe by a couple of hours
or so? (but that's just a wild guess...)


BTW, Georgous boat, Mark.
You and your family have been lucky to have such adventures.
Most people dream of something like that - few get to go.

Thanks again.

Richard

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

Keith wrote:


It is not a backed up creek! Sorry, I have a chart of the Galveston
Bay area from the 1800's, before the Civil War that shows Clear Lake.
Now the word "Clear" must have been thought up by a marketing person
trying to sell land, because it's anything but. The tidal range is
almost nothing here, but the North winds in winter literally do blow a
lot of water out of the lake. OTOH, the South winds blow it into the
lake in the Summer, so you can sail all over then. Just have to watch
the winds more than the tide. The Houston Ship channel goes through
Galveston bay, and is around 50' deep. As with any cruising area, get
a chart of the area so you know where to go and avoid.


Ah HA! the tides
I kinda guessed that one.

I've been studying the electronic charts but will get a current paper
one as soon as possible. I don't have much 'lectrics aboard.

I think I'll add a small GPS because I suspect that on a hazy day
we can be pretty well out of site of shore on the bay.
We sit pretty low in the water :)

As I recall, "Clear" Lake was indeed a marketing scheme by Mr Sharps(?)
developer of Sharpstown. He really got the place going by offering
special deals for houses to the Mercury astronauts. Looks like it
paid off in the long run.

So (back on the subject of sailing) what does the bottom of the bay like
- anchoring wise?

We've seem a lot of achors drag on the lakes up here because the
bottoms are sometimes really hard mud. Not much of anything can bite
into it - so it's weight that really matters there.

I have two Danforth style anchors - a 10 and a 12 - on 100 foot lines
with 6 and 10 ft of chain respectively.
(Rememeber it's a 1500 pound 18 footer...)

Richard

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

On Jun 20, 7:46 am, Keith wrote:
FYI, Joe... the Hilton demolished their marina. New owners of the
hotel decided they weren't in the marina business. It was pretty ratty
anyway.

I rarely never go there. They did have a nice clubhouse.
I was sailing my dink and saw lots of cop cars there one night. Sailed
over and it was the night that lady ran over her cheating husband
(several times) with her mercedes.

Joe

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

On Jun 21, 6:56 am, Keith wrote:
On Jun 21, 12:47 am, "Mark R." wrote:





My experience was that Clear Lake (really just a backed up creek that
did not exist too many years ago) was too shalow to do any sailing.
They dredge very defined channels for the boats to navigate through.
When there is a strong North wind for several days, it literally blows
most of the water out of Clear Lake.

I think you will spend most of your sailing time in Galveston Bay.
Buy a navigation chart of the Bay and I think you will be shocked to
see so much water, and almost all of it is 8 feet deep or less. They
dredge a hugh channel down the middle of it for very large cargo
ships, and yet on either side of the channel, 8 feet. The tide is
about 1 1/2 feet.

We had a lot of work done in a boat yard called South Texas Yacht
Services. You can do as much work their on your own as you want.
Friendly, knowledgeable, and fair in respect to price.

Click here for a posting on our site about our experience therehttp://goreads.com/blog/2005/03/hot_days_in_houston.html

It is not a backed up creek! Sorry, I have a chart of the Galveston
Bay area from the 1800's, before the Civil War that shows Clear Lake.
Now the word "Clear" must have been thought up by a marketing person
trying to sell land, because it's anything but. The tidal range is
almost nothing here, but the North winds in winter literally do blow a
lot of water out of the lake. OTOH, the South winds blow it into the
lake in the Summer, so you can sail all over then. Just have to watch
the winds more than the tide. The Houston Ship channel goes through
Galveston bay, and is around 50' deep. As with any cruising area, get
a chart of the area so you know where to go and avoid.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Indeed, Clearlake has been the same shape for thousands of years I'd
guess. It's rumored Jean Lafitte use to sail his captured ships up
into clearlake then taylor lake to hide them among the pine trees.

Hurricane Rita sure did blow all the water out. First it barely
flooded then within 3 hrs I was sitting on the hard...about a 9 ft
drop. Dropped so fast it caused parts of the bulkheads to cave in due
to heavy soaked land next to a dry lake.

Joe

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

On Jun 21, 10:40 am, Joe wrote:
On Jun 21, 6:56 am, Keith wrote:





On Jun 21, 12:47 am, "Mark R." wrote:

My experience was that Clear Lake (really just a backed up creek that
did not exist too many years ago) was too shalow to do any sailing.
They dredge very defined channels for the boats to navigate through.
When there is a strong North wind for several days, it literally blows
most of the water out of Clear Lake.

I think you will spend most of your sailing time in Galveston Bay.
Buy a navigation chart of the Bay and I think you will be shocked to
see so much water, and almost all of it is 8 feet deep or less. They
dredge a hugh channel down the middle of it for very large cargo
ships, and yet on either side of the channel, 8 feet. The tide is
about 1 1/2 feet.

We had a lot of work done in a boat yard called South Texas Yacht
Services. You can do as much work their on your own as you want.
Friendly, knowledgeable, and fair in respect to price.

Click here for a posting on our site about our experience therehttp://goreads.com/blog/2005/03/hot_days_in_houston.html

It is not a backed up creek! Sorry, I have a chart of the Galveston
Bay area from the 1800's, before the Civil War that shows Clear Lake.
Now the word "Clear" must have been thought up by a marketing person
trying to sell land, because it's anything but. The tidal range is
almost nothing here, but the North winds in winter literally do blow a
lot of water out of the lake. OTOH, the South winds blow it into the
lake in the Summer, so you can sail all over then. Just have to watch
the winds more than the tide. The Houston Ship channel goes through
Galveston bay, and is around 50' deep. As with any cruising area, get
a chart of the area so you know where to go and avoid.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Indeed, Clearlake has been the same shape for thousands of years I'd
guess. It's rumored Jean Lafitte use to sail his captured ships up
into clearlake then taylor lake to hide them among the pine trees.

Hurricane Rita sure did blow all the water out. First it barely
flooded then within 3 hrs I was sitting on the hard...about a 9 ft
drop. Dropped so fast it caused parts of the bulkheads to cave in due
to heavy soaked land next to a dry lake.

Joe- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yea, I stayed aboard during Rita... turned out to be a big nothing
around the lake, although the evacuation was a disaster in itself.
Everybody told me I was crazy... I mentioned that I had my diesel
generator going (marina turned the power off two days earlier) with
enough fuel for a month, 360 gallons of fresh water and a watermaker,
lots of food, beer, rum... sat there watching all the poor folks on
the freeways. Now who's crazy? ;-)

Oh yea, the week after Clara Harris ran over her husband (3 times by
the way), one boater killed another one in the Hilton marina over a
bounced check. We were wondering what they were smoking over there???

Danforth's (and Fortress') are the perfect anchors for Clear Lake,
Galveston bay and most of the coast around here. Mud bottom.

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

In article . com,
Keith wrote:
On Jun 21, 10:40 am, Joe wrote:
On Jun 21, 6:56 am, Keith wrote:
[snip]
Yea, I stayed aboard during Rita... turned out to be a big nothing
around the lake, although the evacuation was a disaster in itself.

I evacuated because the old lady insisted. We don't have a
generator, so I was not excited about staying onboard without
electricity.

BTW: Could anyone recommend a diesel mechanic in the Clear Lake
Area. [I think Ben Miller died.]

ron
--
Ron Roberts or Phone (512) 219-0043
Usenet invented "no controlling legal authority."

Houston-Seabrook area - need marina info
 

On Jun 22, 6:37 am, Keith wrote:
On Jun 21, 10:40 am, Joe wrote:





On Jun 21, 6:56 am, Keith wrote:

On Jun 21, 12:47 am, "Mark R." wrote:

My experience was that Clear Lake (really just a backed up creek that
did not exist too many years ago) was too shalow to do any sailing.
They dredge very defined channels for the boats to navigate through.
When there is a strong North wind for several days, it literally blows
most of the water out of Clear Lake.

I think you will spend most of your sailing time in Galveston Bay.
Buy a navigation chart of the Bay and I think you will be shocked to
see so much water, and almost all of it is 8 feet deep or less. They
dredge a hugh channel down the middle of it for very large cargo
ships, and yet on either side of the channel, 8 feet. The tide is
about 1 1/2 feet.

We had a lot of work done in a boat yard called South Texas Yacht
Services. You can do as much work their on your own as you want.
Friendly, knowledgeable, and fair in respect to price.

Click here for a posting on our site about our experience therehttp://goreads.com/blog/2005/03/hot_days_in_houston.html

It is not a backed up creek! Sorry, I have a chart of the Galveston
Bay area from the 1800's, before the Civil War that shows Clear Lake.
Now the word "Clear" must have been thought up by a marketing person
trying to sell land, because it's anything but. The tidal range is
almost nothing here, but the North winds in winter literally do blow a
lot of water out of the lake. OTOH, the South winds blow it into the
lake in the Summer, so you can sail all over then. Just have to watch
the winds more than the tide. The Houston Ship channel goes through
Galveston bay, and is around 50' deep. As with any cruising area, get
a chart of the area so you know where to go and avoid.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Indeed, Clearlake has been the same shape for thousands of years I'd
guess. It's rumored Jean Lafitte use to sail his captured ships up
into clearlake then taylor lake to hide them among the pine trees.

Hurricane Rita sure did blow all the water out. First it barely
flooded then within 3 hrs I was sitting on the hard...about a 9 ft
drop. Dropped so fast it caused parts of the bulkheads to cave in due
to heavy soaked land next to a dry lake.

Joe- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yea, I stayed aboard during Rita... turned out to be a big nothing
around the lake, although the evacuation was a disaster in itself.
Everybody told me I was crazy... I mentioned that I had my diesel
generator going (marina turned the power off two days earlier) with
enough fuel for a month, 360 gallons of fresh water and a watermaker,
lots of food, beer, rum... sat there watching all the poor folks on
the freeways. Now who's crazy? ;-)

Yeah..I know the safest place on the lake during a hurricane is my
boat. We had to run the gen-set for 3-4 days. We got lucky...I almost
decided to run up the Sabine.

Yeah I'm glad I did not have to deal with that nightmare. It was kind
of errie having the whole town to myself.


Oh yea, the week after Clara Harris ran over her husband (3 times by
the way), one boater killed another one in the Hilton marina over a
bounced check. We were wondering what they were smoking over there???

Wasen't the one killed the harbor master? If so I've meet the shooter
once...said the guy forced entry onto his boat so he killed him.. I
guess so, if I woke up to someone breaking thru the door I'm going to
kill him and ask questions later too.

I guessed the law felt the same too, since he was walking the streets
and the harbor master was dead.

Joe


Danforth's (and Fortress') are the perfect anchors for Clear Lake,
Galveston bay and most of the coast around here. Mud bottom.- Hide quoted text -



- Show quoted text -