Matagorda Bay
I have long wondered why Matagorda bay in SE Texas and in particular Palacios (and Tres Palacios bay) is so secluded pleasure boating-wise, compared to any other substantial body of water in the area.
On many occasions when my wife and I have gone for sails we feel like we are the only boat on the bay. Like it is all for just the two of us. Matagorda Bay is larger in sail-able area, deeper and much prettier with more day sail anchorages than the much over crowded and expensive Galveston bay area. Matagorda Bay is an inland waterway connected to several hundred miles of bay-systems that stretch from Galveston to South Padre. It is a 1.5 hour drive from west Houston (hwy 59 to hwy 71 south).
There are only a few small marinas in Palacios (small town at NE corner of the bay). It is much less congested than Port OConnor which is on the same bay system but further to the SW corner (which is a much further drive from Houston).
I highly recommend you truck on down and try out the area. If you do you won't be disappointed as far as the area goes for sailing. What it doesn't have by comparison is the Galveston scene (night life, restaurants, people watching and boat watching, etc.). So if you're more into the shore side scene than the sailing then Palacios is definitely not for you. But by comparison it has much better pure sailing and secluded anchorages to offer. And a few very good affordable resturants.
I keep my boat in a slip at Serendipity in Palacios, TX. It is a marina and RV park. They have overnight slips as well. Lots of room and lots of great sailing in the bay. It's a large bay (Trespalacios & Matagorda bays) with mostly deep water and good fishing.
Here is a link to Serendipity, you can google th other marinas in the area.
http://www.campingfriend.com/serendipitybayresort/
As far as places to overnight of course there is Serendipity in Palacios but also Port O'Connor also has a marina where you can overnight. Or if you want to stay out at an anchorage there is Hotel Point (some call it Palacios Point) which is a half moon bay on the east side of matagorda bay/tres palacios bay before you get to Matagorda Island (the center island).
Hotel Point has a sandy beach on the south side and east side of the half moon bay. It is protected on 3 sides so it's a good place except when a strong west wind is blowing as it is open to that side but usually the wind blows out of the south or east so it's really good then. But there are many other anchorages in the Matagorda bay system, that one is just my favorite.
There is also the Matagorda Islands which are 4 islands (depending on how you count them) all called Matagorda. The islands range in length between 20 and 30 miles long each. They are only accessable by boat (except for east Matagorda island which is a State Park that you can 4-wheel down) and all have good anchorages for a south wind and a few for south and east winds. East Matagorda has a very shallow bay and is 30 miles further east and isn't good for sailing but as I said you can camp there by 4-wheeling down the beach as there is no road, and it is 26 miles long.
The main bay South of Palacios also called Matagorda bay/Tres Palacios bay is the bay I'm refering too and is the center bay. But south of Port O'Connor there is another bay called West Matagorda bay that has an island also called Matagorda with an old WWII air field, some old docks and was once a State Park, but it closed. You can still go there though. It has a Civil War light house on it and you can bike around the island due to the old air field taking up most of the place. You can overnight there as well in one of the old docks or just anchor off the island.
Since the 3 main matagorda islands to the west are only accessable by boat you can anchor at certain points where the island is not as wide like only a 100 yards or so and dingy ashore and walk across to the Gulf of Mexico side and do the secluded beach scene thing. The beaches are quite nice there especially compared to Galveston which has lousy beaches.
Of course you can take the main ship channel out to the Gulf for a little blue water sailing which is clearly marked on all the charts and the channel in Matagorda bay doesn't have the shallow unmarked spoil piles problem just off the channel that you have up and down the ship channel over in Galveston bay.
The fishing is pretty good in Matagorda bay too. And one great thing about the Mac is the shallow draft especially with the water ballasted M & X so you can get into the many shallows in the area and gunk hole and fish with the best of them.
So come on over and give it a try, and explore the place only don't tell too many people about it.
Kind Regards,
JonBill
