California Delta area

[Hardcrab]

We are considering some trailering options for a trip this summer.
The Delta might do fine for a week long trip with the Mac.
Has anyone sailed/motored there?
Have any good gouge as to launch ramps/vehicle-trailer parking, places not to miss, anchorages, marinas, etc.?

Some stories I've seen have mentioned Antioch as a place to start an adventure from.

Thanks for the info or experiences you can pass along.

[delevi]

Hardcrab,

I have been several times since it is right here, part of my playground. Running off to a meeting right now, but will chime in later tonight. Feel free to PM me too.

Leon

[delevi]

The Delta is an interesting place to sail. Parts of it are quite beautiful while other parts are quite crude. You will find yourself sailing past factories, oil refineries, rusty cars sticking half way out of the water (I’m not kidding,) a ship graveyard, etc. Other parts are quite picturesque and serene with plenty of vegetation, quaint nooks and crannies, ample little coves for gunkholing, along with several marinas, restaurants, marine services, etc. There are many motor boats, jet skis and water skiers zooming around all over the place. I don’t fish, but I hear the fishing is good.

A few things to keep in mind. The wind is almost always from the west, so if you want to sail, launching from Antioch is not a good idea. The best way to enjoy the delta, in my opinion is to enter from SF Bay (technically San Pablo Bay.) Set the spinnaker if you have one or whisker out your genoa and enjoy the downwind run for about 20-50 miles. A good starting point might be Vallejo. Vallejo Marina is full service, but I don’t know if they have a ramp. If not, I would go for San Rafael (Loch Lomond Marina.) They have a ramp, parking and guest slips. If you do this, you will be about 15 miles from the Carquinez Strait, entrance to the Delta.

If you have a full week, the above game-plan would allow you to enjoy SF Bay as well as the Delta. Remember, you have to motor all the way back (west) since it is directly upwind and not very wide. This opens up two new venues (3 if you count the bay.) Napa River & Petaluma River. It is a good amount of distance to cover, so it depends on how much sailing you actually want to do. From Vallejo or San Rafael, one can sail all the way to the end of Petaluma River in about 6-8 hours. Napa River is much shorter since Vallejo Marina is right at the River’s mouth.

I strongly recommend good electronic charts. If you use paper charts, I hope you are really good at it. The Delta is deep water as long as you stay in the main channel. It is well marked, but the markers are far apart. Venturing out of the channel, which you will most definitely want to do, you will need good charts. By the time you see it on the depth sounder, it is usually too late. These are marshlands and you can get into 1-2 foot water very fast. Speaking of marshlands, be sure to pack insect repellant and use plenty of it, especially at night. There are various open areas which look like little lakes and appear to be plenty deep. In reality, many are about 6 feet deep max and about 2 feet or less in other parts. The deep parts aren’t always in the middle. Carrying a spare prop is a very good idea. First time I went, I chewed up a prop. Didn’t have charts on my GPS at the time. The place is like a maze, so you may find it useful to run the track feature of your GPS (leaving a trail of breadcrumbs.)
If you sail up the Napa River, the charting is even more important. You have to be very careful to stay in the channel or you will end up on the rocks or mud if you’re lucky. You can only go up about 10 miles. After that, it is unsafe for boats due to shallow waters, narrow river and rocks.
If you go to Petaluma River, be sure to stay on the eastern side of San Pablo Bay until you enter the channel. The northern half of San Pablo Bay is all Marsh. The channel is about 10 feet at low tide so you will be fine, but again, use the charts. The markers are very far apart and it is too easy to veer out of the channel when you would see your depth drop rapidly. You will snake around through the channel and it will open up to the Petaluma River. Take the first right (North.) The other opening is a creek which goes on quite a ways but is not the river you’re looking for. Yes, I went up it by mistake. It’s quite lovely, actually with vineyards all around. Once in Petaluma… you guessed, it, keep a close watch on that screen. The water is plenty deep as long as you stay in the channel. Starting to sound like a broken record here.
One last thing. You will need a VHF radio for the draw bridges. I don’t believe the Delta has any bridges that you can’t go under, but both Napa and Petaluma do. You can radio the bridge dude who will raise it for you. Just keep in mind that he goes home around 5 or 6 p.m. so plan accordingly.

Enjoy!
Leon

[rwmiller56]

One thing I'd like to add to Leon's excellent post:
If you sail through the Carquinez Strait, try to do it when the tide is slack or flood. Avoid the ebb tide, which is counter to the prevailing winds, and can produce some very steep waves. The Strait is very narrow, and on ebb tide there is a lot of Delta water moving through a very narrow passage headed to the sea.

I'm also considering a Delta trip this summer. Since my home port is in the South Bay (Redwood City), and being limited on time, I will probably opt to trailer to Antioch, or one of the other quaint little marinas that are farther inland.

http://www.sacdelta.com/ is a good website, which lists all the marinas and the services offered.

Have fun,
Roger

[Hardcrab]

Valuable local gouge. Can't beat it.
Thanks to each of you.
I'll need to print and merge your info along with some charts/maps to put it all together.

I'm sure some follow up questions will pop up once I get my head around the info so far.

Thanks again.

[c130king]

There was this article recently in Sail Magazine

Running the Ditch

Not sure if this is the same place.

Cheers,
Jim

[Hardcrab]

Thanks.
Yeah, that's the place.
Seems like a good place to explore for a week or so after a 400 mile trailer ride.
Nothing set yet, but looking at it hard.

[rwmiller56]

The shallow draft of the Mac will be a real advantage if you decide to do some gunkholing in the Delta. I know a fellow with a 50' powerboat, that draws 5 ft, and he is severely limited as to where he can go in the Delta.

[mgg4]

Some of the long time posters here will remember me. I was quite active on the forum a few years back. Have gotten busy, but still enjoying my Mac 26X.

I keep my boat at Lauritzen's Yacht Harbor in Oakley. This is just up river from Antioch. The Antioch Marina doesn't have a launch ramp, so if you want to launch from Antioch, you'd have to use the municipal ramp (which is free, but has limited and unsecured parking). I recommend you start your travels from Lauritzen's.

There are over 1000 miles of waterways in the California Delta. You can find everything from deep-water shipping channels, to places so remote and quiet, you'll wonder where civilization went.

As previously suggested, you will want bug repellant for the ever-present mosquitos and other critters. Bug screens for your hatchways are also a good investement. I have a set that are made for the Mac 26X, but I can't remember the brand/model information. I'll find that and post it here.

Previous posters have given you some good suggestions for down-bay venues. If you would like some suggestions on places to visit up in the Delta, I can probably help you. Drop me a line here, or by email: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

!	Moderator Note:
	Mungged email address deleted. Please contact poster via the board email, or PM functions. ~Rich---Hamin' X~