Way off topic: Sailing around Corpus Christi

[Boondocker]

Does anyone know anything about the sailing community around Corpus Christi? I assume there is one.

[slowmover]

The marina is full of boats. Racing every week. Know some folks who live here for that reason (as well as wind-surfing). There are some big wind farms just out of town now because this portion of the Texas coast -- known as the Coastal Bend -- receives such strong winds (except for Aug/Sept, approx). Some of my elderly neighbors hardly leave the house late winter and early spring as the winds seem to rarely fall below 25 mph . . not gusting, that's the constant -- gusts to 40-50 are unremarkable -- we tend to notice the 80 mph ones though.

Corpus Christi Municipal Marina

Corpus Christi Bay is good-sized, but shallow. Average 7-9' in many areas (deeper in others; and the Ship Channel is, I believe, around 26'). This made for some interesting tactics by Union gunboats (and return fire from the Bluff) in the earliest 1860's.

As you go farther up the coast, the resort of Rockport has a good number of sailboats (and don't forget that it is the fishing that is king, so many variations on that type).

There is a yacht club in both locations as I recall.

Corpus Christi Yacht Club > History


Not many blowbote dealers (but tons in Houston which is a VERY easy 200 miles east/north).

Yachting Center of Corpus Christi


There have been some Tall Ship events here:

Sail South Texas 2010 : Corpus Christi Photo Galleries : Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Local Corpus Christi, Texas News Delivered Throughout the Day.

Old Ironsides [USS Constitution] made a stop here on her 1930's 44-port "tour" of the US.

Google Image Result for http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasBridges/Beauchamp/CorpusChristiTXBasculeLiftBridgeOldIronsidesWBeauc hampCtn.jpg

And, in 1846, Corpus Christi was the embarkation point for the Army to invade Mexico via the Mexico City port of Veracruz. (In fact, CC is the highest point on the entire Gulf of Mexico from Veracruz to Key West at over 30-ft for a good portion of the city). If Houston ever gets hit hard by a hurricane you'll see a lot more across this bay than just sailboat races (a new container terminal is underway).

I spent part of the day on North Beach (also, Corpus Christi Beach) the old oyster shell causeway that separates CC Bay from Nueces Bay (and now links to the town of Portland), watching tankers lighter petroleum into the Port refineries from offshore super tankers, and some barges moving men & materials.

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