Cruising with Larry and Melinda

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sabine Basin Yatch Club, Orange, TX

Sabine Basin Yatch Club, AKA Orange Basin Yatch Club, Orange TX.
Cruisers stay away from this marina!
We were totally exhausted after crusing from Stingaree's Resturant and Marina to Orange, TX. A distance of 68 nm. We had tremendous tug and barge traffic, two thunderstorms and head current to deal with for 10 hours. The "Cruising Guide" said that this yatch club is a nice place to stop. We pulled into the entrance and all that was left from Hurrican Rita was a 7 foot piece of a pier. All around us was partially demolished buildings, sunken boats and this little piece of a pier. We tied up to the pier glad to stop and rest for the night. We knew we had to run the generator for the A/C.

At about 7 o'clock a woman name Angie Carpenter knocked on the boat and said we owed her $30.00. We both said "for what". She said docking. No electricity, no water and we couldn't even get off the pier without walking through tall grass. Not something you want to do in a swamp. Ms. Carpenter said she was a representative of the owners and the owners demanded $30.00 from anyone tieing up to the pier. Ms. Carpernter said she would give us a receipt with the owners phone number on it.

We called the owners and asked what the $30.00 was for. They said docking. They said if we didn't want to pay it we could "move on down the road". That is what we did. We both were exhausted but we moved to the bayou near a bridge and found two pilings. We tied a stern line and dropped the anchor. We had two points to hold the boat. Still, we did not sleep good because of the anger we had with the owners and were glad to leave Orange, TX in the morning.

So cruisers beware. This marina is located on Adams Bayou off the ICW at about marker 267 past the Dupont barge dock. Skipper Bobs calls the marina Adam's Bayou Marina. The pictures show what a mess the marina is.

Bow Tie Marina, Lake Charles, LA

Bow Tie Marina, Lake Charles, LA. What a wonderful place for cruisers. This marina is located east of the new casin

os on a typical

Louisiana bayou. The bayou is named Contraband Bayou because Pirate Jean Lafitte was rumored to have hidden treasure here. He was also comfortable enough here to defend the area from the Spanish.

Captain Doug Shearman started this marina from plans drawn on his kitchen table. It had been a ship yard for years through several owners. When he purchased the property, it had run down to being a dump site. He had the idea of a valet marina and that idea has been quite successful for the boaters of Lake Charles. He has covered storage for roughly a hundred boats. The boat owner calls him in advance and tell him when they plan on arriving. Dougs crew gets the boat from storage, checks the waterpump operation, hoses the boat off and fills up with gas. The boat is launched, tied to the pier for the owner to step in. The crew will even ice up the beverages in the ice chest. When the boat owner returns to the marina, they step off and Doug's crew puts the boat on its trailer and returns it back to covered storage. All of this for a very reasonable monthly price.

For transient cruisers like us, this is a fantastic place to spend a few days. Doug and his crew will do anything to make your stay more comfortable. Bow Tie Marina has gas, diesel, and water along with a pump out station. Minor boat repairs can be done on site.

The casinos and major shopping areas are only a short cab ride away. The Coast Guard keeps several boats at the marina so security is no problem.

There is a covered pavilion with BBQ grill, picnic tables and ceiling fans and a replica of a alligator in a pirate suit.

The convience store sells some marine products, beer and other beverages and some food items.

Doug has showers and restrooms inside the office area. The restrooms are squeeky clean.

If your cruising takes you to Lake Charles, there is no better place to stay to enjoy Capt. Doug Shearman's southern hospitality at Bow Tie Marina. The phone number is (337)-478-0130