Seen in the CA delta

I thought I have seen everything in California in my 18 years here- mountains lakes, ocean, waves, redwoods, urban sprawl, homeless people, artichoke fields. Apparently not. I recently bought a boat in Isleton CA and I had never been out there. On my way out to first look at the boat, I was following my gps (in my car) when all of a sudden I crossed a bridge somewhere east of Benicia and suddenly ended up in Louisiana or Kentucky. All I can say about the delta is "wow." I never new this existed. I'm not saying its good or bad- Its just not California as I know it. There are levies where the water is 40 ft higher than the land on the other side (think Holland). There are reed marshes, there are tons of marinas, trailer parks, farmland, sloughs. It sees like a lot of boats come up here from the ocean to die. I am told the area is 'hopping' during the summer. The whole area that I have been exposed to is really funky to say the least.
I though I would use this thread to post some pictures of the area.

I hope others will post cool and unusual photos if the delta as well.

It is defiantly a fun, strange, place. Always something new...

I took this last year while fishing...like something out of a movie..

I've been all through there in the summer. I don't know about "hopping", but sure is hot. Did you see that marina that's full of old multihull sailboats, and other floating historical piece's? I bet that was a cool place back in the 70s. It's like the Stock Island of the Bay area, but with agriculture and dust thrown in.

Shhhhh....it is myth, just like unicorns, leprechauns and the perfect boat! Obviously you are very good at Photoshop because a place like that could NEVER exist in California.

We apologize for the interruption. We now return you to your original programming.

Lemme guess...

Photo #1: Brannon Island Rd east of Jackson SLough Rd.

Photo #3: Mouth of Seven Mile Slough??

Photo #4: The bridge across seven mile slough near Owl Harbor.

Wait 'til you meet some of the local boaters in the Delta. Talk about funky! They are the very definition of funky. You will really think you are back in Louisiana or Kentucky. (Tennessee is so much more civilized.).

Oops! I just looked back through this thread. It seems that you have already met some. So, there you go.

Moonstruck said:

Wait 'til you meet some of the local boaters in the Delta. Talk about funky! They are the very definition of funky. You will really think you are back in Louisiana or Kentucky. (Tennessee is so much more civilized.).

Oops! I just looked back through this thread. It seems that you have already met some. So, there you go.

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Hey! I resemble that remark!!

Keep it up, Moonman! We have ways of dealing with miscreants like you.

FlyWright said:

Hey! I resemble that remark!!

Keep it up, Moonman! We have ways of dealing with miscreants like you.

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We're coming for you!

markpierce said:

We're coming for you!

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HA! You guys will never catch Moonstruck!

Oops! gotta go. I think I hear banjo music in the distance!

He's got a point, Mark. Even if we added up all out cruise speeds, he'd still outrun is. We need a plan B.

We can catch him at the fuel dock.

I love the Delta. I'm from the Northwest, but we have some good customers in the ag business in that area. Last year, the grandson of one of the pioneer families in the Walnut Grove area took us out for a cruise on grampa's old Uniflite and then to dinner at Giusti's. Very unique area. If I could get enough business to justify spending more time there, I would get one of the old houseboats for my California office.
Lyle

old tug and tree full of nesting herons

What people have to do (sharp, temporary course changes) to deal with large wake-makers (here on the San Joaquin River):

bligh said:

old tug and tree full of nesting herons

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I'm not sure when that tug photo was taken at the Delta but I just saw a similar looking tug being cut into bite size pieces by hydraulic machinery at the Sausalito port authority ramp. Pity as it looked still a good hull.

PS. Here is my Delta photo cruising near Rio Vista 10 feet above the fields. We loved it up there.

lelievre12 said:

I'm not sure when that tug photo was taken at the Delta but I just saw a similar looking tug being cut into bite size pieces by hydraulic machinery at the Sausalito port authority ramp. Pity as it looked still a good hull.

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Here it is the day they raised it off the bottom of the Estuary:

She sure was a pretty tug.

I wonder what it costs to run that wee, itty, bitty crane per hour?

Later,
Dan

My understanding is it was $20K just to bring it down from Seattle.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

But be warned, you must pay the delta troll to enter....

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That reminds me. Now, about my fee

Well come on up to the great Columbia River to collect, or in a few years we will be visiting and I will pay the six-pack of Olympia Beer!!

Fast-I don't think that $20k would begin to get that thing from Seattle to SF. We were involved in a business that whose plant was on a 65' x 200' barge and the tug cost to move it from Seattle to AK was $45K. That thing looks like at least a 250 Ton crane. I would guess something in the neighborhood of $5K per day.

THD said:

Fast-I don't think that $20k would begin to get that thing from Seattle to SF. We were involved in a business that whose plant was on a 65' x 200' barge and the tug cost to move it from Seattle to AK was $45K. That thing looks like at least a 250 Ton crane. I would guess something in the neighborhood of $5K per day.

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Just messaged one of the divers who worked on the job. He says it cost $125K just to bring the barge down from Seattle.

Last summer when we took that boat from Seattle to Stockton, CA I thought the skipper had taken a wrong turn and we'd somehow ended up in the Ozarks. Not only were there some strange looking marinas with strange looking boats, but I kept wondering about the people on them.

OF course that excludes the fine gentlemen who were there to greet us when we arrived at the marina including those who have joined in this thread!

HI GUYS!

GFC said:

Last summer when we took that boat from Seattle to Stockton, CA I thought the skipper had taken a wrong turn and we'd somehow ended up in the Ozarks. Not only were there some strange looking marinas with strange looking boats, but I kept wondering about the people on them.

OF course that excludes the fine gentlemen who were there to greet us when we arrived at the marina including those who have joined in this thread!

HI GUYS!

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OK, now I know I need to go there and spend some time.

I grew up in the Missouri Ozarks, and my family were some of the first non indian settlers of the area.

GFC said:

Last summer when we took that boat from Seattle to Stockton, CA I thought the skipper had taken a wrong turn and we'd somehow ended up in the Ozarks. Not only were there some strange looking marinas with strange looking boats, but I kept wondering about the people on them.

OF course that excludes the fine gentlemen who were there to greet us when we arrived at the marina including those who have joined in this thread!

HI GUYS!

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Hey...we resemble that remark! Hi Mike!! Always enjoy your posts and escapades.

ksanders said:

OK, now I know I need to go there and spend some time.

I grew up in the Missouri Ozarks, and my family were some of the first non indian settlers of the area.

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Sometimes boating in the Delta is like taking a trip back in time. The hard part is coming back to the present when it's time to return to the marina.

It will be a winter destination for us in the future.

From this weekend