Anyone interested in getting together for a California cruise/rendezvous this year. We did one a couple years ago, and I met a few new Mac owners.
Some ideas have been tossed around recently include:
San Francisco Bay tour
Delta cruise to Sacramento
Lake Shasta
There are many lakes around California, and SF Bay offers a vast array of sights to see.
I have no plans set in stone at this time. I'm basically trying to guage the interest. If you think you would be interested, let's collect the ideas and see if there is a concensus.
I'm way more interested in either the Delta cruise or San Francisco bay, but if the happening place is Lake Shasta, the Dwen is gonna be there.
I put the Dwen in a slip at Bruno's Island, Rio Vista last month. Just in time for the island to flood. The Dwen if fine but the trailer spent a few days under water. I'm not sure of the effect of river silt on a sunken trailer, hence my reluctance to do the big trailer thing real soon.
I would be interested in that. Shasta, the Bay, Delta, their all good. lake Don Pedro is a huge lake that would also be good.
Would a Mastless Mac be welcome?
Ok. Let me start looking at what we can pull together.
As to the when, does anyone have any suggestions as to a good date? And on that same subject, how long a cruise do we want. Just a weekend? A week? Or for those retired folks among us, a month?
Actually, the amount of time we allow for the cruise could have an effect on location, so probably need to plan that first. Personally, I think if we plan a week long itinerary, ending with a weekend cruise/rendezvous, we might satisfy everyone's needs.
California MacGregor/Venture Cruise 2006 (Tentative)
This cruise is a preliminary design of a 9-day cruise (A week, plus the weekends on either side) around the West Delta, San Pablo Bay (North San Francisco Bay), and the Central San Francisco Bay. It includes a variety of waterways, landscapes, and scenery.
Ive tentatively selected 7/21/2006 through 7/30/2006 as the dates for this cruise. I know not all of you would be able to do the entire cruise, so I tried to design it so that people can come and go as the need arises. It should be noted that this is just an idea of what might happen. Im open to suggestions, improvements, and criticisms.
So, without any further delay, here is the first draft of the California Mac/Ven Cruise 2006.
Friday, 7/21/2006
Gather at the Launch Point. Offline is stored at Lauritzens Yacht Harbor, and that is where I will launch from. From Lauritzens, it is a long days cruise to get to the San Francisco Bay, so I will be breaking it up into two 25-mile days. Friday is the day I do the preliminary packing of the boat. I usually plan for an early departure on Saturday (but frequently dont get out as early as I would like), so if youd like to join me, you might want to plan to arrive at Lauritzens on Friday afternoon.
Launching at Lauritzens is easy. The cost to launch a Mac 26x is $12, and this includes one day of trailer parking. Additional days are available but I don't know the rate off-hand.
Saturday, 7/22/2006
This part of the cruise will likely be under power most of the way. The prevailing wind will be against us most of the way. Sailing is possible, but it will involve a lot of tacking, and you would probably be much happier if you use the iron headsail.
We will travel from Lauritzens Yacht Harbor, via the San Joaquin River, Suisun Bay, and the Carquinez Straits, to Vallejo. Vallejo has a newly modernized marina which includes fuel, pump out, laundry, showers, and restaurants. The cost for a 26 boat is $20 per night. Reservations are highly recommended. This marina fills up every night during the summer, so youd better call in for reservations.
Sunday, 7/23/2006
Another long day, mostly under power, but the scenery today will be quite unusual for most boaters. The biggest part of this day will be a cruise up the Petaluma River to the beautiful old town of Petaluma. We will be staying at the docks at the Petaluma Turning Basin, adjacent to the main street through town. [[ N.B., I will be contacting the Petaluma Visitors Program, 707-769-0429, to find out more information about the requirements and rates for this area. If we are not able to stay in the Turning Basin, we can fall back to the Petaluma Marina. ]]
Petaluma is a charming, historic California town. There are lots of sites to see, and shops to visit. Weve been here with Offline before, and we had a fantastic time. If we are staying at the Turning Basin, we will need to schedule our arrival and departure to allow the bridge tender to open the D Street bridge for us. This requires an appointment made 4-24 hours in advance, so we will need to keep to a schedule for these days.
There are no facilities at the Turning Basin, but the Petaluma Marina has fuel, pump out, laundry, and showers. The benefit of the Turning Basin is that downtown is right there, where you have a 1.25 mile walk to get to downtown from the Petaluma Marina.
Monday, 7/24/2006
This is our last long day, until we head back towards home. The good news is that once we get out of the Petaluma River, you can probably count on being able to sail a good part of the way to our next destination, the Loch Lomond Marina. Loch Lomond is the home of Arena Yacht Sales, the local MacGregor dealer. If you have any questions, or need any parts, this is the place to get them. Dan Arena and Jeff Mott are almost always happy to meet Mac Owners, and have lots of experience with solving problems and answering questions about the MacGregor line.
There are restaurants in San Rafael, but they are a bit out of walking distance. There is a snack bar at the marina that serves the best fish and chips in the area. Bobbys Focsle Caf�is scheduled to be closed to make way for a marina redevelopment project, but theyve been threatening that for about 3 years now. One of these days they will be gone, and I will be very sad; but lets hope that the axe doesnt fall before we get there in July. Ill keep you posted.
There is a grocery store available at Loch Lomond, so if you need to put supplies aboard, this might be a good place to plan to do that. Loch Lomond also has fuel, pump out, and showers.
Tuesday, 7/25/2006
A 15-mile day, at last. This trip is only a few hours, but almost all of it can be done under sail. There are no schedule requirements for this day, so enjoy a lazy sail down the bay, under two bridges (The Richmond-San Rafael and San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridges), and up the Oakland-Alameda Estuary to one of the hot destinations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Jack London Square.
There are lots of activities at Jack London Square. The Presidential Yacht used by Franklin D. Roosevelt is permanently moored here, and is open for tours. There are numerous shops and restaurants along the waterfront, and easy access to public transportation for those who want to wander farther afield.
Wednesday, 7/26/2006
After the hustle and bustle of the marinas weve visited so far, its time for a change of pace. Our next destination is Ayala Cove, part of Angel Island State Park. This is a popular destination on weekends, but our schedule puts us here in the middle of the week, and we shouldnt have any problem getting in. There are mooring balls available on a first-come-first-served basis, and space for anchoring if you dont get a mooring.
Our days voyage is only 10.8 miles, so it wont take us long to get there. You can take your time, but we recommend arriving early and staking out your spot. This ensures you will have a place to sleep, and also gives you more time to explore the hiking trails on Angel Island. You will need a dinghy or tender to get ashore, if you wish to leave your boat on its mooring. You can also move your boat to the docks, but these are only accessible from 0800 to sunset. Rangers patrol these docks on a regular basis in order to ensure compliance. Rangers will be around in the morning to collect the mooring fees.
Be sure to bring some long lines for tying up in Ayala Cove. Some of the mooring balls can be 150 feet apart. There are some creative ways we can tie up here, including rafting up or tying up several boats bow to stern in a line between the buoys.
There are no facilities on Angel Island, so be prepared to be self-sufficient for this part of the voyage.
Thursday, 7/27/2006
From Angel Island, we have the first of our short days. Our destination, Horseshoe Bay, has great views, but not a lot of services, so we suggest that this day be a sailing day. Enjoy a fun day sailing the bay waters, and gather in the mid-afternoon to get settled in for the night.
Depending on how the weather is cooperating, winds should be moderate, probably 15-25 knots. Plan on shortening your sail plan early, and you probably wont need your Gennys. Advection fog (Fog that forms elsewhere and move is) will likely begin rolling in around 1600, so plan accordingly. As you approach Horseshoe Bay, you will encounter turbulent winds, sometimes exceeding 25 knots. You should plan to lower your sails in a calmer area and motor in. Trust me, you will be happier.
Horseshoe Bay is part of a military base, so we will need permission from the Presidio Yacht Club to anchor or tie up here. The Yacht Club offers reciprocal privileges to members of other Yacht Clubs. This includes restrooms and showers, but there are no other facilities available at this location. As long as its not too foggy, this is one of the most picturesque spots on San Francisco Bay. [[ N.B., I will be contacting the harbormaster at Presidio Yacht Club to get more information, and/or permission to visit this cove. ]]
Friday, 7/28/2006
Here is the highlight of the trip. San Francsico. Our destination is the Pier 39 Marina in the heart of the Fishermans Wharf area. There is a lot to do here, so plan to arrive early and spend the rest of your day exploring the City by the Bay. Fortunately, we only have to go 3.7 nautical miles, so we can spend a full day exploring.
The Pier 39 Marina has showers, laundry, groceries, restaurants, and shops. In addition to the things to do within walking distance, the cable car and public bus system have stops near the marina. You will have access to the entire Bay Area through the public transportation system.
This is a popular destination, so reservations are required.
Saturday, 7/29/2006
We are now starting our homeward voyage, and we are back to long days. The good news is we will no longer be fighting the prevailing winds, so we can use the sails to get us home. We will be on a beam reach to a run for most of the trip, so practice up on your gybe technique.
Our next destination is the Benicia Marina. We passed this location on our way to Vallejo. The Benicia Marina has fuel, pump out, grocery, and showers. There are great restaurants within walking distance, including one of our favorites, Captain Blythers. We plan to dine there, and you are welcome to join us. Great views, great food, and fantastic service. We always try to have a great dinner on our last night out, and this place definitely qualifies. In addition to the restaurants, there are lots of craft and antique shops along Second Street in downtown Benicia. At the top of Second street (quite a walk uphill), there is a fully stocked Safeway, for those that might need supplies for their last day. Not likely, but hey, its available.
Winds can be a problem in the mid to late afternoon. So be prepared to deal with 15-30 knot winds that funnel down the Carquinez Straits. Wind can also be a problem in the marina, so be prepared to help your fellow skippers get their boats in safely.
Sunday, 7/30/2006
Our last day. We will be traveling from Benicia back to our launch point at Lauritzens. The last time we made this trip, we used our motor for less than 10 minutes all day. We sailed the entire trip, at an average speed of 5.5 knots. At times, we hit 8 knots under sail on a beam to broad reach. Wind speeds were 15-25 knots, and we had a blast.
One of the diversions you can make is to sail up past the Naval Reserve Fleet (a.k.a., the Mothball Fleet). These ships are held in reserve until they are needed, or ultimately scrapped. Among the ships anchored here is the U.S.S. Iowa, one of the battleships from World War II. For those that dont remember their history, Japan signed the formal surrender documents, ending the war, on the decks of the Iowa. As you sail past these relics of maritime history, remember all the young men that walked their decks. Im sure youll get as choked up as I did (and still do).
Lauritzen's has lots of space for you to unstep the mast and rig for road mode. If you don't want to get on the road right away, you can spend the night in your boat "On the hard," or there is a motel nearby where you can get a good night's sleep in preparation for your drive home.
Summary
Well, thats it. Nine days, and about 160 nautical miles; lots of scenery and other activities. We have a lot of things packed into our long-week cruise. But I think it will keep you all interested.
For those that want to join us in progress, I recommend launching at the Berkeley Marina. This gives a good location in the central bay, and is convenient to the entire cruising area, with the exception of the run up the river to and from Lauritzens. The launch ramp at Berkeley is two-wide, and has a large staging and washdown area. Remember, you need to wash down your vessel when pulling it out of salt-water. Otherwise you might find corrosion and other salt-caused problems.
As I stated in the opening, Im open to suggestions, comments, and criticism on this cruise plan. Let me know what you think. I can be reached on this forum, as well as by private message here. I will be updating this message as more information is available, so check back for updates.
Wow Mark....lots of thought into the itinerary...sure looks interesting. Right now, in 8" of new snow, July seems like a dream. As we get closer, I hope to be able to confirm joining you...that work thing you know.
Jack
Thanks for the work, Mark. I got a tuesday commitment but like the idea of joining up wed thru the weekend and back to Oxnard on Sunday or Monday. WIll get a chart and plot this out. Is it contained all on one chart?
You can't see Mark's entire cruise on a single chart. I believe there are 3 options.
1. Yachtsman publishes a Chartbook for Northern California (~$50) that includes everything. I have it and it's just as comprehensive as you'd expect. (maybe on Craig's list for half-price).
2. I suppose you can download the charts, but I've never tried that, and I don't have any software for using them.
3. Alternatively, for $30 you can buy Cruising Guide to San Francisco Bay, by Bob & Caroline Mehaffy (or buy it used for $20). IMO, this book has good enough charts for a week-long cruise, plus it includes lots of other interesting and useful info about cruising in the area.
As an alternate to Mark's itinerary, I'd suggest an option that begins the cruise in the Bay itself. Alameda Marina is "just a fishing cast" from Jack London Square, then cruising northward from there. This marina is adjacent to a free launch ramp, and last I checked, they'd permit parking rigs in a fenced yard for $10 per day. This option could easily include everything on the original itinerary after Vallejo - just skipping the two, day-long cruises to Antioch and the Moth-ball Fleet. I'll try to contribute by mapping out some options.
Mark, you did a great job on the itinary. Thank you. Sign "Salty Dog" up in a number four pencil. I'll try to get hold of the necessary charts.
Question so I can have a reference point, Where is Lauritzen's Yacht Harbor?
Roy
