We'll be anchored in the Laguna Madre... watch the sun go down, grill some steaks, then watch the fireworks display off South Padre Island to ring in the New Year. The Wallas won't be necessary - the high today is supposed to be 77º with a sunny sky. A cold front is due to move in overnight, so the Wallas might be called into duty by morning.
Unlike many places with fireworks displays over the water, we rarely see a lot of boat traffic congestion. The bigger excursion boats will be full of partiers, but they will be in the channel. Most people will be watching from the shore. We've had a variety of interesting experiences ringing in the New Year at anchor - from hot and muggy to crystal clear, to cold and breezy, to fog so thick we could barely see the bow of the sailboat.
One of the most amazing times was in our trimaran: it was warm and I left the companionway open for some flow-through. During the night, I felt the breeze come in through the companionway and relished the cool... until I sat upright and said to myself, "Why is the wind coming from the stern???" The tide shift was stronger than the slight breeze, and turned us. Everything was still fine when I went to the cockpit... and it looked like a dream sequence surrounding us: there was a slight fog, a nearly full moon, and several dolphins were slowly swimming around us. I sat out there for about a half hour, taking it all in. We've had some wonderful times at anchor, but nothing that has eclipsed that particular experience.
I call New Year's Eve "amateur night": too many people having too much to drink at too many parties. No crowds or crazies where we choose to anchor... rarely another boat in sight. A nice way to ring in the New Year. We'll raise a glass to our C-Brat friends.
Happy New Year,
Jim & Joan