Texas coast sailing

[LP]

I'm looking at hauling my 16' sailboat down to down to the Texas coast over spring break. Somewhere between Galveston and Corpus Cristi or there about. I'm looking for some input as good places to put in and maybe locales where the body count will hopefully be less than critical mass.

I'm curious about the areas around Rockport, Port Lavaca and Port O'Connor.

[Corpus Skipper]

I'm curious about the areas around Rockport, Port Lavaca and Port O'Connor

These areas are all great for coastal (inland) sailing, especially Copano Bay. The smaller bays in this area are all pretty shallow. Corpus Christi Bay is perfect for sailing. It is large, relatively deep at 8 to 12 feet for the most part, and spring time brings an abundance of wind, some times too much. Expect 20-30 knot winds and choppy water as a rule. An excellent place to sail a small boat in windy conditions is the Bird Island Basin at the Padre Island National Seashore. The water is a pretty consistent 4 to 5 feet deep for miles along the back (lee) side of the island, so the waves will be small. It's a magnet for wind surfers and kite boarders, and if you go a mile or so south of the Bird Island boat ramp, you'll have the place virtually to yourself, save for a few fishermen. About 5 miles south of the ramp, there's a perfect white sand beach, and a clean sandy bottom spreading out from it, a perfect spot to beach and play for a while. Great snorkeling there. Wherever you choose, get a good local chart. All the bays have shoals and reefs, and lots of shallow flats. Shoot me an e-mail if you want to know anything else.