Jamming on Lake Pontchartrain

The best part about being stranded in New Orleans at the Municipal Yacht Harbor has been meeting Joel and Anna and their friends.  Joel and Anna own a boat, Ms. B, on the same pier as the White Pepper and are street musicians in New Orleans. They are as new to sailing as we are to their world of playing music for tips on sidewalks and bars.  

Jan showed Anna how to tie a cleat knot much to Anna's delight.  I helped Joel climb his mast for the first time after carefully instructing him on how use a bosun's chair safely. Then they asked us to tag along on some of their gigs. Anna taught me a new word, to busk. Busking is playing music for tips.  What a joy it is to learn short new English word that is so useful!

Anna and Joel at work busking on Royal St.

Joel is so taken with his new passion that he will organize a sailing trip anytime except the weekends--that is when there is work to be done.  He will ask his friends to come and they will bring their instruments.  After I give a lesson in how to reef the mainsail, they all gather in the cockpit and jam.  We have had several magical sails on Lake Pontchartrain.

Jammin' on the Lake

Trip to Delacroix

So I drifted down to New Orleans

Where I's lucky to be employed

Working for while on a fishing boat

Right outside of Delacroix

Tangled up in Blue

Bob Dylan

 Years ago my friend and crewmate on White Pepper, Tom Woods, felt that Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue" was his anthem.  By the time we drifted apart I must have listened to the song one hundred times, at least. I wondered what "tangled up in blue" meant, but more so I always wondered where was Delacroix?

Delacroix is a fishing camp 38 miles south of New Orleans in the heart of the Mississippi River delta.  Just follow state highway 38 to 46, then take 300 until it runs out.

End of state highway 300

Fishing boat right outside of Delacroix

She was working in a topless joint

And I stopped in for a beer

I just kept looking at the sight of her face

In the spotlight so clear

Delacroix is an exotic place in the middle of a watery wilderness.  It consists only of boat docks, fishing charters and fishing camps. There is no topless joint and no bar. There is not even a convenience store.   There were several dorm like structures on huge stilts. 

Note the extreme precaution against storm surge

There is no evidence that Bob Dylan ever visited Delacroix, but Jan and I enjoyed our visit. And is was a pleasant drive. Along the way we drove over the N. Claiborne St. Bridge which was the cause of White Pepper's worse day ever as chronicled in a previous post.

N. Claiborne St. Bridge

In New Orleans who do you meet?  Musicians!  We were so fortunate to meet the crew  of Ms. B., an Islander 36.  Young Capt. Joel and mate Anna are new to sailing. They seemed happy enough to hang out with two grizzled sailors.  Joel with his friend Amin took us sailing on Lake Pontchartrain on a beautiful Sunday.  I made a few suggestions about the Ms. B. In return Joel and Amin took out their instruments and jammed while I steered. It was great!

Amin plays the baritone sax

Joel plays tuba. He gets a few gigs in New Orleans street bands. He also plays guitar and sings.