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Sss raid

A

AlanH

compulsive typist
A RAID is a voyage, "In company", usually in small boats, which are propelled by sail and oar. Distances are usually something in the 50-150 miles range with the R2AK kind of being in another league. In theory, pedal-powered boats should be legit as well, but NO MOTORS...except for maybe the ONE escort boat. "Small" means one or two aboard and the idea really is that the boats are beach-able camp-cruiser-types.

Who would be interested in a RAID type event up the Delta? Figure on maybe a 3-day get-together that could cover 50-70 miles, say from Benicia to Stockton or something like that.
 
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Small boat with no motor... Paul Kamen took his El Toro to the delta... guess my Laser would do the trick too (and make for an easy trip home with trailer in tow). First night Benicia? Second night maybe Owl? Finish at Stockton?
 
JimQuanci said:
Small boat with no motor... Paul Kamen took his El Toro to the delta... guess my Laser would do the trick too (and make for an easy trip home with trailer in tow). First night Benicia? Second night maybe Owl? Finish at Stockton?
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That's the idea.... I figure if we got, say...six people to commit, and one "chase" boat, it'd be worth it.

I'm surreptitiously scanning Craigslist....
 
AlanH said:
That's the idea.... I figure if we got, say...six people to commit, and one "chase" boat, it'd be worth it.

I'm surreptitiously scanning Craigslist....
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Count me in. I have a Holder 14 which would be perfect for a raid. Where would we start?
 
mike cunningham said:
Count me in. I have a Holder 14 which would be perfect for a raid. Where would we start?
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Depends on whether folks want to do a three-day or a four day. I'm thinking three sailing days of about 20-25 miles a day..

Here's an example...just an example.

Day One:Early start from Benicia or Martinez....sail to Big Break.
Driving from Martinez to Big Break is 26 miles according to Bing maps, and the road is more or less parallel to the water route.

Day Two: Big Break to Owl Harbor? Could go right up the river or via Dutch Slough, Bethel Island and Franks Tract, but that would mean a mile to windward at the end..

Day Three: Owl Harbor to Stockton..should be downwind the whole way.
 
It sounds like we have a tentative four...

Ants with one of his flotilla..
Jim Quanci with his laser
Mike Cunningham with his Holder 14
Me with I dunno what, now that I've sold the skerry.....but I'll get something...or build an Oz Goose or something...

Two more?
 
I s'pose I could take the piper! This would provide motivation to get the boat going quicker!
 
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Sept 13-14-15 (Fri-Sat-Sun) would have the right tides... flooding much of the day... though maybe too soon.

Another stray thought is a "test run"... join the Vallejo 1-2 this October - just for the trip to Vallejo. If something goes amiss, plenty of "good company" (though having to lean on a magnanimous singlehanded racer to bail one out might be a bad idea). Or if you want to get real strange... first day Vallejo (sleep on a friendly Vallejo 1-2 boat)... second day Napa (welcome party at my Napa Bungalow a short walk from the Napa Yacht Club :-)). There is a boat ramp right next to the Napa Yacht Club... a significant other wouldn't mind hanging in Napa for our arrival.
 
Jim's idea is similar to one I've been mulling over (2 of my boats were Mulls - "mulling" is something I have a lot of experience with). Begin with a shorter version. Put in at a Marin County location. 1) Loch Lomand where parking might be a issue - although there is on-street parking nearby -- or 2) Buck's Landing on Gallinas Creek in Terra Linda. I'm headed for Terra Linda this weekend by car and plan to check out Buck's for putting in and for parking. It's about a mile north of China Camp. Water depth might be an issue at low tide, although the morning low is 2.9 at the Golden Gate (08:19).
From the Marin County launch site to the VYC day #1. It's a fairly short hop over to the bight between Pt. San Pablo and Pt. Pinole and then up to Carquinez. Or, take the norther route around the top of San Pablo Bay (something you can't do in a convention sloop). Overnight at the VYC. Perhaps "camp out" on the south deck? But Jim's idea offers an alternative - below.
My idea was day #2 up the Napa River to either the Napa Valley Marina or Napa launch ramp further up. Might even be possible to get the Napa YC involved?
Jim's idea about the Vallejo 1-2 weekend has merits. Company on the way up. Since it's singlehanded up, spare bunks on SSS boats overnight at the VYC? And his bungalow is really nice - as it his significant other.
A possible problem is the Sunday morning ebb (1.4 knots). Slack's at about 10:30, so a delayed start could ride the 2.3 knot flood in the afternoon?
 
There's also the Petaluma River. Perhaps a better down-river RAID. Put it at the Petaluma Marina next to the Highway 101 bridge (parking available), sail down to Black Point at the river's mouth. There's not much there anymore, but perhaps small boats could get in and camp out at the remains? (have to be checked out) Good to pick an ebb day. Next day down San Pablo Bay to Loch Lomand and haul out? Sail past China Camp on the way to L.L.
 
Tomales Bay would be nice place to RAID. Put in at Miller park, run down to Marshall for some oysters, camp anywhere on the western shore, come out at Inverness.
 
Like the idea of going somewhere you cannot in a big boat... back to gunkholing as a kid... maybe a smallish inflatable with outboard as a sag wagon... some kid would find to be great fun (as kids we used to circumnavigate Staten Island... that was a long day and quite an adventure).
 
F5A679CD-73FD-47A2-A1B3-EBBBDE60D7F8.jpeg
JimQuanci;2393(as kids we used to circumnavigate Staten Island... that was a long day and quite an adventure).[/QUOTE said:
Jim, you don’t have to fly back east and take the ferry to circle Staten Island! I sailed along its southern border yesterday. Lots of tacking but good wind. You CAN go home again ...
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Jackie's chart of the upper N. Mok and Dead Horse Slough jogged another idea about a RAID. There are many narrow, shallow sloughs in the Delta that wind around, intersect. It might be possible to put together an "Out and Back" RAID where you'd begin and end up at the same launch site. The sloughs might be navigable or larger boats, but I suspect there isn't much traffic (except for fisherfolks) in many of them. Some of the marinas have camping areas and most have some sort of grocery/supply store.

It used to be that a July cruise to the Delta was the thing to do, with several hundred sailboats heading up the first weekend and staying for a week or more. Sort of the Delta Ditch Run, except with boats loaded down with inflatables, awnings, towed dinghies, and the other gear to make it sort of comfortable in the heat. Fireworks at Hilton's. 1st Bedroom, 2nd Bedroom on Potato Slough. A cruise through Georgiana Slough. But I think that's pretty much gone away. And, the South Delta was sort of off the map even then. Old River, Middle River, Connection Slough, Columbia Cut, Five Fingers. If you wanted some privacy the S. Delta was the place to go. Probably still is.
 
Wylieguy said:
Jackie's chart of the upper N. Mok and Dead Horse Slough jogged another idea about a RAID. There are many narrow, shallow sloughs in the Delta that wind around, intersect. It might be possible to put together an "Out and Back" RAID where you'd begin and end up at the same launch site. The sloughs might be navigable or larger boats, but I suspect there isn't much traffic (except for fisherfolks) in many of them. Some of the marinas have camping areas and most have some sort of grocery/supply store.

It used to be that a July cruise to the Delta was the thing to do, with several hundred sailboats heading up the first weekend and staying for a week or more. Sort of the Delta Ditch Run, except with boats loaded down with inflatables, awnings, towed dinghies, and the other gear to make it sort of comfortable in the heat. Fireworks at Hilton's. 1st Bedroom, 2nd Bedroom on Potato Slough. A cruise through Georgiana Slough. But I think that's pretty much gone away. And, the South Delta was sort of off the map even then. Old River, Middle River, Connection Slough, Columbia Cut, Five Fingers. If you wanted some privacy the S. Delta was the place to go. Probably still is.
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I'm seriously keen on this idea. It saves a LOT of driving.
 
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