MacGregorSailors.com

10 days and counting.

So, How many of "us" are going?
I will try and get my wife there on thursday.

Rob

We're planning to launch on Friday, retrieve Sunday morning.

I'm planning to get there Thursday. No idea where I'm going or what's there, but it will be fun!

Hope this is not a dumb question but Brannan Island Marina does alow
over night camping on the boats while tied up to the dock right?


Rob

Oh yes, you can boat camp at the marina. They put in new restrooms too last year.

Sorry for my absence. I've been away from my computer for a few days.

Yes, Brannan Is allows "Camping" in boats docked. The fee for overnight is $15 per night. There are additional fees for launching, and parking your car and trailer. These fees are under $5 each. More information is available at the payment kiosk near the launch ramps.

For those joining us at Brannan Is this weekend, I'd like to suggest we plan a potluck dinner on Saturday evening. To ensure everyone has enough to eat, I thought we'd make it a "Bring your own meat (or main course), and a side dish to share" type of arrangement. The side dishes can be vegetables, potatoes, rice, salads, or anything else you and your crew would like to share with the rest of us.

There is a picnic area at the top of the hill above the marina, and a BBQ grill should be available. I'll bring some charcoal briquets. Of course, if you'd prefer to cook aboard your boats, please feel free.

I'm intending this to be a laid-back, no pressure weekend; so relax and enjoy.

If you need to reach me with questions, email me at [email protected], or call me at 925-924-8110.

We will be using VHF channel 71 for coordination of our flotilla. I will also have my FRS radio on channel 2, privacy code 2. Remember, you should only use marine VHF when you are on the water.

--Mark

Wife's questions....her first boat outing over 3 hours.

1.Showers and AC for the blow dryer in the rest room?

2. TV reception/AM Radio for the Red Socks vs Giants game?
(transplanted Bostonian)

3. How swift is the Sacramento river current ? If you can sail
up stream then a 9hp motor will be ok.

Any other Marine frequency (Channel) that I should program into my radio?

Rob H.

I'll try to answer all of your questions, but there are some that I'm just not sure about. So here goes.

1. There are showers at the park. I would also expect there to be A/C power in the restrooms, but I'm just not sure. The website doesn't say, and they're not answering their phone right now now. I'll keep checking on this.

On a related note, I don't think there is any shore power at the docks, so don't count on A/C aboard, unless you are self-contained in this regard. They do have a pump-out facility at one of the docks, and I believe there is no charge for using this facility, if your head is rigged for pump-out.

2. Radio reception should be no problem. KNBR (AM 680 kHz) is the local radio station for Giants games. Television may be a bit more difficult. Giants games are normally broadcast on KTVU (Channel 2), but that station is in the SF Bay area. You would be more likely to get reception on a Sacramento station (antennas are only about 25 miles away, and visible from Brannon Island), but as far as I know, no Sacramento station picks up the Giants games. Further, not all games are televised on broadcast channels. Many of them are on Fox Sports Net, which is only available on cable or satellite. So, radio for sure, television is a maybe.

3. Current in the Sacramento normally runs less than 2-2.5 knots. Occasionally there are stronger flows, but your 9hp should have no problem.

4. You should always have 16 and 9 programmed for any trips in the delta. Channel 16, of course, is the hailing and distress frequency. Channel 9 is the channel to use when requesting a bridge opening on any of the draw bridges in the Delta. You call the bridges by name. The bridge just west of the Brannan Island ramp is the "Three-mile Slough Bridge".

Although there is not a lot of shipping that comes up the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, another channel that is handy is the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) channel (channel 12). This will allow you to keep track of large ships approaching your area. And finally, the Bridge-to-bridge frequency (channel 13) for talking to commercial ships that may be in the area. I've not had to use channel 13 for anything during my time in the Delta, so it's a "Just-in-case" kind of thing.

Anyway, I hope this answers your questions. Looking forward to seeing you there.

--Mark

I've been listening to the long-range weather outlook, and although it's still a few days away, the outlook for this weekend appears to be hot. Temperatures are expected to stay about the same through early next week. Temperature yesterday in the area ranged from the mid-90's to about 100 degrees. Wind yesterday was 5-15 MPH, and fairly steady from the North-West.

If you are interested in tracking the weather as the weekend appoaches, try the weather page at Lauritzen's Yacht Harbor (my home marina). You can also get trend information at Antioch and Rio Vista which are two of the local sensor station maintained by the California Department of Water Resources.

I think it's going to be a great weekend for us. A bit warm, but it should be a good gathering. I hope you can make it.

--Mark

It cooled off last night, and the high temperatures today are going to be about 85-deg, vs near 100 two days ago. Outlook for the weekend looks good, and wind is expected to stay strong through the weekend. Current forcasts are for 10-20 MPH with gusts to 35 MPH in the Carquinez Straits (Further down river than we will be).

All in all, it looks like it's going to be a great weekend.

--Mark

Fellas, unfortunately, unforseen complications have come up with my crew and it is doubtfull we will be attending this years Delta Flotilla tomorrow as we had planned. Happy sails to all of you! Norm, "Friendship".

Norm wrote:Fellas, unfortunately, unforseen complications have come up with my crew and it is doubtfull we will be attending this years Delta Flotilla tomorrow as we had planned. Happy sails to all of you! Norm, "Friendship".

We'll miss you. But maybe next year. I'd like to make a rendezvous in California an annual event. Not necessarily in the Delta each time. It would give us a chance to explore other bodies of water our fellow sailors inhabit.

If it turns out you can make it after all, we'll see you there. Otherwise, fair winds until we see you.

--Mark