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Once DM and I turned from the Suisun Bay into the New York Slough we entered a different world. What’s a slough? Lots of definitions for that word, including “an area of soft muddy ground; swamp or swamplike region”. Huh. Whatever it is, DM and I were in it, and it was flooding. To our starboard side everything was industrial while on the portside everything was … Delta. Every color green you can imagine, lush and low to the water, leaning with the wind against a cobalt blue sky. It was stunningly beautiful. Except for the occasional low hum of some kind of generators along the shoreline, the only sounds were, increasingly, of birds and more birds and the whooshing of water against DM’s hull. It was very calming.
The channel markers were easy to see in the daytime. They started on port side with G.R.”N.Y”. (1+2) G6s. What does this mean? Well, I looked it up. It is the first channel marker for New York Slough, the waterway that leads south east off the Suisun Bay. It is green and red, hence the GR. Shortly after we turn off there is the Pittsburg Yacht Club on your starboard side, and beyond that a wide stretch of water all the way to the Antioch Bridge off in the distance.
There are channel markers all along the way, each within sight as we pass the next. Remember “Red right returning” and it’s a cakewalk. Or, if you’re sailing on the Fourth of July weekend, you just follow the other boats. The unlucky sailors are the ones trying to sail back home against the flood. There seem to be miserable sailors, with their sails battened down as they motor along hugging the side of the channel, and miserable but determined sailors who are short tacking up the channel. How many tacks? I guestimate 452.
Once in the New York Slough we travel through The West Reach and then through The East Reach, passing Middle Slough to port. My chart tells me we could go up there, it’s deep enough for DM’s 4.5 draft, but we’re on a mission to arrive in early afternoon. Time enough for exploring later. This is our first time in the delta and we need to establish a base camp. So onward we go.
When G “13” shows up on portside we continue east, following the channel markers and the chart toward the Antioch Bridge. Once New York Slough merges with the San Joachin River the numbers start over, with G “1” leading inexorably to the Antioch Bridge. After the Antioch Bridge, bear to port following the numbers. Along the way there are signs ashore: “Danger! Do not anchor here”. So don’t anchor there. Keep going. #2,#3, you can count. If you are going to Owl Harbor, keep going until you see G 41, then turn left at the decrepit dredger. Voila! And here is the view from Dura Mater's companionway on J Dock.
