OP
OP
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- California Delta
- Vessel Name
- FlyWright
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- 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Isleton Bridge:
2019 CA Delta Bridge Boat Tour
- Thread starter FlyWright
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
OP
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2008
- Messages
- 13,731
- Location
- California Delta
- Vessel Name
- FlyWright
- Vessel Make
- 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Threemile Slough Bridge:
Last edited:
markpierce
Master and Commander
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- penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Al, you've omitted your next-door bridge.
https://www.cityofvallejo.net/city_...ntenance_division/mare_island_causeway_bridge
https://www.cityofvallejo.net/city_...ntenance_division/mare_island_causeway_bridge
OP
OP
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- Apr 15, 2008
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- Location
- California Delta
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- FlyWright
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- 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Not my 'next-door bridge' any longer, Mark. I moved back into the Delta permanently in June. My new home is back at Riverboat Marina again. I absolutely LOVE it there!! Not so urban and troubled and no National Guard deployed for riot control compared to Vallejo this past June.
Besides, in 2019 I was focusing on Delta Bridges more than SF-Oakland Bay Area Bridges.
mvweebles
Guru
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- Weebles
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- 1970 Willard 36 Trawler
FlyWright - one of my most treasured books is the Hal Schell Delta Cruising Guide - the one with the sunset in the jacket cover. Despite advent of Active Captain and such, I'm surprised there has not been an updated release. Around 2000 I called him and chatted for a while about updating the book (I was writing for World Publications at the time, and also working with a publisher of cruising guides along the Pacific Coast) and while he wasn't averse, he simply had nothing to add.
For this unaware, cruising the Delta is a stark contrast to San Francisco Bay. Cabernet gives way to Bud Light. Cold wind gives way to intense heat. Sailboat gives way to speedboat. Hipster gives way to redneck (and I mean that in an affectionate way).
The Delta is some of the most unremarkable scenery imaginable, yet it has a strong heartbeat that drew us in during our many cruises there. I credit Hal Schell for being the connective tissue highlighting the beauty of The Delta.
Peter
For this unaware, cruising the Delta is a stark contrast to San Francisco Bay. Cabernet gives way to Bud Light. Cold wind gives way to intense heat. Sailboat gives way to speedboat. Hipster gives way to redneck (and I mean that in an affectionate way).
The Delta is some of the most unremarkable scenery imaginable, yet it has a strong heartbeat that drew us in during our many cruises there. I credit Hal Schell for being the connective tissue highlighting the beauty of The Delta.
Peter
OP
OP
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2008
- Messages
- 13,731
- Location
- California Delta
- Vessel Name
- FlyWright
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- 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
I think the Delta's freshwater beauty is stunning and varied but MUCH different as you pointed out to most other places, including the saltiness of the SF Bay. Wildlife, people, local character and charm and a true sense of community are what draws me and keeps me here.
Like you, I love the Hal Schell books and own Dawdling on the Delta and Cruising the Delta. I love the historical look-back and am often amazed that not much seems to have changed in the past 50 years.
Hal also published the annual tide table books that we all used for many years on the California Delta. When he announced that he was stopping the publication, I called him to discuss carrying on the tradition. He explained the cumbersome logistics involved in distributing these books annually to the many Delta shops, restaurants and bars. The advent of the new "World Wide Web" was beginning to provide this info to interested parties in the comfort of their own home to print, save and use from their home desktop computer, rendering the original small "tide tables" redundant and unnecessary. Needless to say, Hal was successful in talking me out of my moment of insanity.
Hal passed away a few years later. I came very close to putting an offer on his Delta Dawdler III, a 44 Nova Aft Cabin Sundeck model. Onboard was one of his quintessential green California Delta maps that I think we all used to discover the delta before the advent of GPS and his Heineken beer tap on the sundeck. (I still carry a laminated version of his green map aboard.) I saved myself from that moment of insanity which led me to FlyWright.
I think the Delta's freshwater beauty is stunning and varied but MUCH different as you pointed out to most other places, including the saltiness of the SF Bay. Wildlife, people, local character and charm and a true sense of community are what draws me and keeps me here.
Like you, I love the Hal Schell books and own Dawdling on the Delta and Cruising the Delta. I love the historical look-back and am often amazed that not much seems to have changed in the past 50 years.
Hal also published the annual tide table books that we all used for many years on the California Delta. When he announced that he was stopping the publication, I called him to discuss carrying on the tradition. He explained the cumbersome logistics involved in distributing these books annually to the many Delta shops, restaurants and bars. The advent of the new "World Wide Web" was beginning to provide this info to interested parties in the comfort of their own home to print, save and use from their home desktop computer, rendering the original small "tide tables" redundant and unnecessary. Needless to say, Hal was successful in talking me out of my moment of insanity.
Hal passed away a few years later. I came very close to putting an offer on his Delta Dawdler III, a 44 Nova Aft Cabin Sundeck model. Onboard was one of his quintessential green California Delta maps that I think we all used to discover the delta before the advent of GPS and his Heineken beer tap on the sundeck. (I still carry a laminated version of his green map aboard.) I saved myself from that moment of insanity
which led me to FlyWright.
mvweebles
Guru
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2019
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- 7,218
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- United States
- Vessel Name
- Weebles
- Vessel Make
- 1970 Willard 36 Trawler
"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
I think the Delta's freshwater beauty is stunning and varied but MUCH different as you pointed out to most other places, including the saltiness of the SF Bay. Wildlife, people, local character and charm and a true sense of community are what draws me and keeps me here.
Like you, I love the Hal Schell books and own Dawdling on the Delta and Cruising the Delta. I love the historical look-back and am often amazed that not much seems to have changed in the past 50 years.
Hal also published the annual tide table books that we all used for many years on the California Delta. When he announced that he was stopping the publication, I called him to discuss carrying on the tradition. He explained the cumbersome logistics involved in distributing these books annually to the many Delta shops, restaurants and bars. The advent of the new "World Wide Web" was beginning to provide this info to interested parties in the comfort of their own home to print, save and use from their home desktop computer, rendering the original small "tide tables" redundant and unnecessary. Needless to say, Hal was successful in talking me out of my moment of insanity.
Hal passed away a few years later. I came very close to putting an offer on his Delta Dawdler III, a 44 Nova Aft Cabin Sundeck model. Onboard was one of his quintessential green California Delta maps that I think we all used to discover the delta before the advent of GPS and his Heineken beer tap on the sundeck. (I still carry a laminated version of his green map aboard.) I saved myself from that moment of insanity
I too still have a laminated green Delta map. It's a bit dog-eared but I wouldn't trade it for any GPS/Chart chip. Over the years, I have developed an instinctive allergy to chart plotters and Google Maps: amazingly, they can tell you exactly where you are, but tell you nothing about where you've been or where you're headed to - that green map was perfect for doing just that - situational awareness.
We perfected trawlering by boating on the Delta, first on our Willard 30, then our current Willard 36. I'm fond of saying we enjoy life at jogging speed. The sloughs of the Delta are perfect for that. We found a lot of beauty in much of the Delta too, but it's a subtle beauty. We have so many memories from our time in the Delta.
Few transit the Pacific Coast, and fewer still stop into San Francisco let alone the outer reaches. The Delta is worthy of a several week stopover and cruising destination. No need to go all the way to Sacramento (we've only been once via boat).
Thanks Flyright for keeping alive some of the history of the Delta. It's an important part of California history.
Peter
