Check this out.   On Thursday I emailed Ed Campbell, the guy that writes
the "Campbell's Guide to Cruising Texas."  I wanted to know what he
thought about me trying to take my sailboat up Bastrop Bayou.
Surprisingly, he replied almost immediately with a long, fairly helpful
email.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Campbell [mailto:eden@pyramid3.net]
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 6:06 AM
To: Marc Stewart
Subject: Re: Bastrop Bayou


Marc:

My explorations of Bastrop Bayou have been done on "skinny water" craft.
However, I have been there during very low winter water, where the deep
channel was very clear. It does wind through shallower areas,
particularly
just north of the ICW. If you take it really slow and read the channel
with
a depth sounder or (more dependably) with a cane pole about 10-12 feet
long,
finding the deep water shouldn't be a problem. However, for parts of the
trip, I suspect carrying a six foot draft could be interesting (not your
problem, fortunately). I hope the FM road bridge is upstream from your
friend's house; it looks like a 45 footer (marginal for your 32, I'll
bet).

Maybe your friend has a boat, or a neighbor with a boat, and you can
arrange
to go for a "look see" ride armed with your cane pole. Just from casual
observation, I've often seen shallow spots crop up near waterfront
housing
from yard runoff, etc. that might cause more problems for you than the
bayou
itself.

I'd guess that the biggest problems for you will be at the ICW
intersection
(it's sometimes difficult to find the deep entrance there: just keep
poking
your nose in, slowly...it's there...) and at the upstream end of your
trip.
Of course, it's always fun to "divine" the navigational meaning attached
to
a particular piece of PVC stuck in the mud here and there.

Short of a prior "look see", you might consider what I often do. The
dinghy
is in the water. towed on a short painter and available for instant use.
If
I see a shoaling trend or lose my "feel" of where deep water lies ahead,
I'll anchor (short scope) where I am (although not in the ICW!) and
explore
in the dink using a sounding pole or lead line. Cindy and I worked our
way
across the flats on the Bahama Bank side of the Berry Islands using that
technique several years ago. Out there, they say you can tell depth by
the
water color - well, yes, but on the banks water that is 4 feet looks the
same shade of white as 2 feet...or 6 inches for that matter...problem is
that you can see where you left bottom paint... Ya' jus' gotta go slo'

Sounds like a fun trip. I'd like to hear more.

Regards,

Ed Campbell


-----Original Message-----
From: Marc Stewart <Stewart@Mallia.com>
To: 'campbell@waltereden.com' <campbell@waltereden.com>
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2001 17:28
Subject: Bastrop Bayou


>I have a 32' Endeavour sailboat with a 4'2" draft that I would like to
>try to take up Bastrop Bayou from the ICW.  I have a friend with a
>bayhouse near the bridge at Demi-John Island.   Your cruising guide
>seems to suggest I could make the trip, but I was wondering if you have
>ever personally taken your sailboat up the bayou and, if so, how
>difficult was it?
>