CA Bay/Delta Cruising Guide

[Pineapple Girl]

I just saw this today, sorry (I've been out of town and not on TF). Looks like you have gotten much more info than I could possibly have given you as a Delta newbie. We use Hal Schell's book extensively though it is not 100% reliable after all these years (e.g. five fingers). We've had the boat up there since the beginning of April and plan to keep it there through the fall. We spent last weekend on White Slough and had a fatastic time.

[Pineapple Girl]

Originally Posted by Vyndance

I realize my original post was for the Delta only but would also like to hear about the Bay.

you mention you have reciprical priveleges. I would highly recommend a visit to Oakland and / or Encinal YCs on Alameda (Island). They are walking distance from one another so you can stay at one and visit both. These are two fun clubs with good dining options. Encinal has a nice pool. We've spent many an enjoyable weekend there.

South Beach Marina in SF is nice and there is lots to do in walking distance.

Definitely check out Sausalito. Schoonmaker's usually has transient space, or you can anchor out in Richardson Bay. There is tons to do and see and it is a smallish town so most everything is walking distance...

Angel Island is a great stop. It is a really neat State Park with lots of history.

[caltexflanc]

Great thread which saves me a lot of typing! I'm adding this to fill it out for more permanent use rather than tag it on the new thread.

Just want to add a few notes about anchorages and pretty routes. Most of our serious Delta cruising was done on a Mainship 430 out of Alameda. So we had to mind a lot of the bridge clearances and opening schedules. My family goes back in the Delta since the very beginnings of its present conformation, so I'm fourth generation. One branch still owns a farm on Ryer Island where we used to go pheasant and goose hunting back in the day. Another great great uncle had a place on Sherman Island for many years where my father spent a lot of time back in the 20's and 30's.

Cache and Prospect sloughs were mentioned in passing.
These have many pretty places to drop the hook and chill out, starting with the little cove just past the ship canal. Since they are not "through streets" so to speak, there is a little more leeway to anchor.

I'll add Sutter Slough and parts of Miner slough to the list.

As a matter of practice, we liked to anchor bow and stern parallel to the levees on one side of the slough, bow pointed up stream. This keeps the boat from swinging into the shore from passing wakes and tide shifts. Being pretty protected wind is usually less of an issue.

More in the tules, but enjoyable, especially with a dinghy, are Potato Slough and White's Slough with varous places to tuck in. An issue that I understand has worsened since our last trips in many of these sloughs can be the water hyacinths. You don't want to be near these at all, no matter what sort of strainer system you have they can clog it pronto. As the saying goes, don't ask me how I know this!

We liked Walnut Grove as a "town" stop, we used Deckhands Marina right across the river near the bridge, not sure if it is still there and under same ownership, but they were very friendly and helpful. It's a pretty easy walk to Locke. I would add Tony's Place right there in WG as a great bar, restaurant and dive to hang out in; we actually preferred it to Al's and Giustis (not in any way saying anything bad about them) as more of a locals kind of place.

Down in Suisun Bay we used to anchor up of Snag Island at the east end of the Suisun Cutoff, across from some lodges on Dutton Island. Picturesque and protected, and a nice stopover if you leave the bay area late, or a nice place for lunch on a day trip. I've taken a Mainship 30 Pilot up to Suisun City, kind of just to say we've done it, something to do once, a winding trip in the ditch, watch the depths. Better to take Montezuma to Hunter's Cut rather than the official entrance channel to Suisun Slough. Speaking of Montezuma, that's another interesting one-timer if your boat fits under the bridge. Plus you get to go through a lock of sorts (actually a salinity barrier).

Petaluma and Napa have been covered; have they finished the new day dock in downtown Napa yet? That was one of our favorite day trips (never took the 430 up there, just a 30 and 34 Pilot and a 390) but you need a designated captain! A flying bridge is great because you go through the Carneros.

I should add, that in my opinion, a flying bridge is great for the entire Delta region, definitely cuts down the "driving in a ditch" syndrome. The 430 and 390 were great boats for that, the only limitation being some fixed or seldom opened bridges.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by caltexflanc

...have they finished the new day dock in downtown Napa yet? That was one of our favorite day trips (never took the 430 up there, just a 30 and 34 Pilot and a 390) but you need a designated captain! ...

There is a day-use dock now with room for about two pleasure boats. Much of the dock is reserved for other vessels.

[bayview]

Nobody has mentioned Foster Big horn restaurant in Rio Vista. The most unusual place in the delta.


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[CPseudonym]

Originally Posted by bayview

Nobody has mentioned Foster Big horn restaurant in Rio Vista. The most unusual place in the delta.


Home

FlyWright took me to lunch there a few weeks ago and it was definitely a unique experience. I highly recommend a visit.

[Delta Dog]

But wait a minute! Although Scary has covered the majority of the delta, he hasn't talked about going south to Discovery Bay etc. Seriously, it would take years and years to cover the entire delta and bay in a boat, it's one of the reasons we love it here. I would add: Most of the marinas on the delta loop have guest slips available during the summer but reserve in advance for the weekend. Latitude 38 (local sailing mag) puts on the Delta Do Da all summer long and the marinas all participate. Owl harbor just had a big BBQ for Do daers, it's a lot of fun.

[dirtdoc1]

Originally Posted by Vyndance

We were going back to Mexico next year. But I was thinking(along with the wallet) we have never spent any time in the delta. I can't find any information on where to go or what to do etc etc. I've been in the Bay but not in the Delta. If you had 4 months to explore, say June through September, where would you go and what would you do?

I bought several books on cruising the San Joaquin Delta a couple of years ago on Amazon. Now there is nothing. Try this website to get you started:

https://www.deltaboating.com/about.htm

I used to run from Redwood City up to Petaluma (San Pablo Bay to the Petaluma River), Suisun (Suisun Slough), Montezuma Slough to the Sacramento River to Rio Vista, Isleton and Sacramento. You can tie up right next to the Old Sacramento Bridge. There are many hundreds of miles of sloughs. You can run up the Napa River to do some wine tasting. I haven't done that yet. I've only been to a small part of the delta. It goes up to Stockton and on.

I'm surprised that all the books about cruising the delta seem to be out of print. When I come back down the coast from BC back to Redwood City Im going to start cruising the delta again. Try to get to all of the places that I haven't seen yet. I started in my teens and I'm now in my 60's. There's a lot to see!

Good Luck!

[FlyWright]

I just reread this thread and wanted to post that much of the info is dated and obsolete. Be sure to check websites or call ahead when making plans.

For example, Spindrift restaurant and store have closed and Giuisti's burned down this month. Many other restaurants cited here have also closed or changed ownership/names.

Cruiser caveat...

[Cold Duck]

Wow! Reading this is like a time capsule going back just 10 years. Since then, Gusti's in Locke has burned down, Riverboat on Brannon Island has burned down, Lost Isle never reopened and has burned down, Spindrift restaurant has closed, Outrigger on 3 Mile Slough is closed probably for good. Five fingers has never recovered. That said, the Delta is still as great as ever. Korth's Pirate Lair has B'fast and Lunch, King Island has the Gusti's chef and is a great new restaurant in the Marina. Tiki Lagoon has a restaurant run by the same people who ran the Riverboat restaurant before it burned down. Rio Vista "The Point" a great restaurant on the water. Still some good boat in restaurants on Bethel Island, Sugar Barge and Rusty Porthole. Tower Park and Village West are great destinations and restaurants.

As far as the Meadows, we travel from Discovery Bay (30 miles) up at least once a year ( drawing 4'). Never hit anything. Like Railroad Sl (first left past the locks) behind Locke so we can walk over to Al the Wop's. This is still old Delta. Dingy to Wimpy's for all feedings, and dingy thru the Locks to Walnut Grove for supplies and good restaurants. We try to go for a week and just take B'fast supplies. Eating out always provides leftovers for lunch and a few dinners. Definitely still tidal action in the Meadows, easily 2-3 ft tidal range at times. Don't be afraid, just cautious. Going all the way into the Meadows proper, try to time rising tide. This year took our Mainship 350 in at lower tide and had no problem. That said, the Delta is constantly changing. Places that were 5ft depth a few years ago might be 20 ft today. Just up at Wimpy's yesterday and registered 3' where i use to be 10' ( this is small boat area due to fixed bridge). Channel Islands that use to be there 10 years ago are gone. One thing nice, most of the sloughs are soft mud ( like a thick milk shake) so many times rubbing bottom just cleans off the barnicles LOL!

[Delta Riverat]

Here she is in her new home;



View from the stern;



Mt. Diablo to the west, the landmark point of reference especially when you can't see over the levees - Yeah, that was me! Especially in my little rubber boat.

All is well in her new home, plenty of friendly marina folk and friendly marina dogs. Life is good.

[wfleenor]

Thought those interested in Bay/Delta cruising might be interested in this recent article on how the Delta poses great risk to the CA water system. It is a reasonably well-presented article.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispa...-united-states

[Giggitoni]

The great risk to California’s water systems is politicians that refuse to construct additional water storage reservoirs. The last reservoir was built when California had a population of 18 million. Today we have close to 40 million people.

[wfleenor]

Love to discuss that thought with you at some point, but this type of forum isn't suitable. Maybe we can anchor up some weekend in the Delta.

[Giggitoni]

Thanks for the invite. You’re correct. Don’t know what got into me!

[Cold Duck]

Just a thought about the levees in the Delta. Been here since’58. No levee has ever failed from earthquakes and we have weathered a lot. Once my car was jumping up and down so bad it was going airborne. The soil is very elastic here. The levees failed in the winter with high run off. The pressure on the levees caused all the breaks since the 40s. But once one levee fails and the Island fills with water it relieves the pressure on all the others. A massive levee failure is extremely unlikely. There have even been ideas floated ( no pun intended) to fill some of the islands during winter run off then use them as a reservoir for summer demand. It’s a unique environment just dying to be explored by adventurous boaters.