markpierce
Master and Commander
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2010
- Messages
- 12,557
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Carquinez Coot
- Vessel Make
- penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
This last Sunday we went up the Napa River; for the second time.* We started at the slack tide just before the flood.
The first bridge, Mare Island Causeway Bridge*is near the northern end of Mare Island Strait.
The second time making the prolonged-and-short horn signal, the lifting bridge rose.* When passing, the bridge tender asked if we had a radio.* We answered "yes" and the tender asked why we hadn't used it.* We said "because we didn't want to."
About a half-mile further, is the fixed bridge for State Highway 37.
Nearby we passed the local rowing club participants.
The lower reaches of the Napa River, but one must remain in the natural channel as most of the river is one or two feet deep.* The bend of our wake gives an indication where the river turns shallow.* (Mt. Diablo is in the distance.)
The broad part of the river makes a couple of gentle "S" curves, so one must be very attentive to avoid going aground.* Here are electrical tranmission wires/tower crossing the river.
Heading north here, having made the last "S" curve of the broad portion of the river.
Here we're entering the narrower/upper portion of the river.* An eclectic collection of homes and boats are located on the western shore (eastern side of Edgerley Island.
Here the trawler Ark is docked a short distance down river the railroad lift bridge.* The railroad line is inactive here so it remains open.**(About sixty years ago the engine crew drove*three six-axle Baldwin diesel-electric locomotives*into the river while the bridge was raised, requiring*the locomotives to*be scrapped.* This railroad line once carried tens of thousands of railroad car loads of lumber a year*from northwestern California until strict government forest regulations and landslides.)
Immediately upriver of the railroad bridge was this boy showing off his large fish.
Low tide is hard on some boats.
Moore's Landing, a short distance upriver of the Napa River Marina, has docks popular with fishermen.* On the return trip downriver, both docks were filled with them.* Docking here would seem to anger the fishermen.
Up the lazy river.
Here is the Highways 22/29 fixed bridge.
A short distance further is Rocktram, where the Kaiser pipe factory was located.* We turned around here.* The tide was still low and local knowledge was lacking.* There was a lift bridge, now replaced by a 60-foot-high fixed bridge in downtown Napa.* A bit further upriver in town the low 3rd Street bridge blocks navigation.
Going downriver we pass the entrance to the Napa River Marina.* When we passed it earlier the entrance was about a third as wide, and I doubt there was two-feet depth there.
We radioed the Mare Island*Strait Causeway bridge tender to request raising of the bridge.* He thanked us for using the radio.
A*good time was had by all.
-- Edited by markpierce on Thursday 1st of March 2012 01:03:58 AM
The first bridge, Mare Island Causeway Bridge*is near the northern end of Mare Island Strait.
The second time making the prolonged-and-short horn signal, the lifting bridge rose.* When passing, the bridge tender asked if we had a radio.* We answered "yes" and the tender asked why we hadn't used it.* We said "because we didn't want to."
About a half-mile further, is the fixed bridge for State Highway 37.
Nearby we passed the local rowing club participants.
The lower reaches of the Napa River, but one must remain in the natural channel as most of the river is one or two feet deep.* The bend of our wake gives an indication where the river turns shallow.* (Mt. Diablo is in the distance.)
The broad part of the river makes a couple of gentle "S" curves, so one must be very attentive to avoid going aground.* Here are electrical tranmission wires/tower crossing the river.
Heading north here, having made the last "S" curve of the broad portion of the river.
Here we're entering the narrower/upper portion of the river.* An eclectic collection of homes and boats are located on the western shore (eastern side of Edgerley Island.
Here the trawler Ark is docked a short distance down river the railroad lift bridge.* The railroad line is inactive here so it remains open.**(About sixty years ago the engine crew drove*three six-axle Baldwin diesel-electric locomotives*into the river while the bridge was raised, requiring*the locomotives to*be scrapped.* This railroad line once carried tens of thousands of railroad car loads of lumber a year*from northwestern California until strict government forest regulations and landslides.)
Immediately upriver of the railroad bridge was this boy showing off his large fish.
Low tide is hard on some boats.
Moore's Landing, a short distance upriver of the Napa River Marina, has docks popular with fishermen.* On the return trip downriver, both docks were filled with them.* Docking here would seem to anger the fishermen.
Up the lazy river.
Here is the Highways 22/29 fixed bridge.
A short distance further is Rocktram, where the Kaiser pipe factory was located.* We turned around here.* The tide was still low and local knowledge was lacking.* There was a lift bridge, now replaced by a 60-foot-high fixed bridge in downtown Napa.* A bit further upriver in town the low 3rd Street bridge blocks navigation.
Going downriver we pass the entrance to the Napa River Marina.* When we passed it earlier the entrance was about a third as wide, and I doubt there was two-feet depth there.
We radioed the Mare Island*Strait Causeway bridge tender to request raising of the bridge.* He thanked us for using the radio.
A*good time was had by all.
-- Edited by markpierce on Thursday 1st of March 2012 01:03:58 AM
