Sailing in Mississippi

Mississippi boating runs on two currents: salt and fresh. Down on the Gulf, the Mississippi Sound lays out protected water for cruising, sailing, and fishing, with barrier islands like Ship Island and Horn Island a short run offshore: sand, surf, and almost nobody on them. The coastal towns anchoring it all, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis, are old maritime places with well-equipped marinas and enough history and food to make a shore day as good as a water day.

What makes this coast fish so well is the mixing. Freshwater deltas pour into the salt of the Gulf of Mexico, and the result is a rich inshore-offshore fishery plus first-rate wildlife watching. The marinas along this stretch see transient boats and charter operations all the time: fuel, provisions, and maintenance are routine business here. Cruise the Sound and you can string together quiet coves, uninhabited-island beaches, and a working-coast rhythm that's entirely its own.