IN THE DELTA AGAIN
081218 Today's float plan was to sail up the south fork of the Mokulemne River. Or down the south fork. But before I go there's that nice run along the levee road of Seven Mile Slough, to Channel marker 41. The lizards skitter off the gravel trail into grasses that are so dry they sound like burnt pieces of paper rattling.
What do I see sitting up there on top of the marker but a huge blue heron. It's not blue but grey although it's called a blue heron. In the Delta words can be mysterious. You think you're sailing down river when you're really sailing up river, and the sloughs have so many twists and turns that after awhile you have to keep looking at your compass in order to determine whether you're sailing north or south or east or west.
My garmin handheld is useless here. It doesn't take land into account. Once it wanted to send me straight over a levee except that I saw a freighter plowing forward. Just in time I realized that it was travelling down the Stockton deep water channel. Next thing you know, you see what looks like a sailboat moving through the hayfields. There are illusions in the Delta.
Across the slough the sun is rising, deep orange against the brown fields. There are already fishing boats on the San Joaquin and I can tell the day will be another warm one.
Although my sail plan was to go up (or down) the Mokulemne River to Georgiana Slough, I make an executive decision and turn to starboard as I exit Seven Mile Slough. Dura Mater has a slip at Owl Harbor again this summer. Dave Cowell s/v Mas Tiempo gives DM a shove off the dock and she and I are off, sailing very slowly in a very gentle breeze. It's not ten o'clock yet.
Randy of San Andreas Cove Yacht Club motors past us and I call out, "Where are you going?" He responds with a big smile and a gesture to the great sailing territory beyond, "Out there!"
As I approach the exit of Seven Mile Slough I see the Blue Heron again, waiting for me on top of that sunken houseboat with the orange fender that marks its demise. I sail close to the creature and it turns to look at me. Blinks once and then lifts itself away, flapping huge powerful wings, honking in annoyance. Stupid human.
At the intersection with the San Joaquin River there are whole small islands of water hyacinth floating past in the strong ebb. They remind me of the kelp beds off Half Moon Bay that strangled the entrance down there in big swell two years ago.
It takes me until 12:20 to approach Three Mile Slough, which would be embarrassing if I were racing. But I'm not, and there was a little burst of wind for a couple of minutes just off Bradford Island that was kind of exciting for about five minutes.
As I turn to starboard to enter Three Mile Slough I raise my Secret Weapon, my pretty blue and yellow drifter. I thought we would be on a beam reach so I had it all ready to go, but the wind isn't cooperating and my executive decision to change the day's float plan has messed up my sense of direction. Will we be approaching the Bridge from the north or the south? I want to sound like I know what I'm doing when I hail the Bridge Operator! I call to see whether anyone is there to open the Bridge for us, so I hail Channel 9. Sure enough, there's a person waiting in an air conditioned office, responding in that courteous Delta manner people have up here. Or down here.
I tell him that I'm coming, but that I'm sailing and there isn't much wind. He says, "Well, okay then. I'll be looking for you." So I feel better about things but it's still damned hot. I pour a bottle of water over my head and we slog along until I finally take the drifter down as we approach the Outrigger Marina and Cafe at 1:10.
Last summer Chris Weaver was hopeful about this little cafe, but it looks sad today, all boarded up with its docks sagging.
I overheard someone say to someone else that the bank had taken it. It's hard to make a living in the Delta.
The Outrigger Cafe is at the corner, and once we turn to port 90 degrees I see the boat launches of Brannan Island Recreation Area. It's a busy day today, with half a dozen wave runners in formation opposite the launches, lots of squealing by women who think the fellas are going too fast. Old fashioned feminine behavior and everybody's having a good time.
Just past the boat launches there is a little protected cove with boat slips. They look new and so do the docks, with an accessible aluminum walkway leading down to them. But the entrance to the cove is roped off so I don't know what's going on there. The boat slips look perfect for sailboats. Dura Mater would fit in there nicely.
Well, onward and upward. Or downward. Around another corner, to starboard and there is the Three Mile Slough Bridge, which has to open for us to get to the Sacramento River. So I call the Bridge Operator and he remembers us and raises the bridge. It's like a miracle, picking up the radio, hailing channel 9 and a huge bridge rises and falls for little DM and me. I thank the operator, he says "You're welcome" and hangs out the window to wave. That's the Delta for you.
So now Dura Mater and I are on the wide wide Sacramento River, in a building flood. And the wind is behind us so I raise our Secret Weapon again because I'm too hot to run more lines or go forward to attach the topping lift. This time it's perfect, the huge Blue and Yellow drifter performs its role as jib to my main and we're sailing wing on wing, the only sailboat on that big big river. Whooeee!
All along the Sacramento river to our portside are dozens upon dozens of families, each with its own sandy beach, approximately every 50 feet or so. The parents are passing out food from picnic baskets and everybody is sitting under brightly colored cabanas and umbrellas and even a large parasol, happy as clams as they watch their little kids bobbing around in rubber floaties and inner tubes. It's a hot Sunday in August along the Sacramento and this is a very appealing and free pastime for lots of folks. I know for a fact that the water is fresh and warm and it must feel cool and wonderful. I think seriously about jumping off Dura Mater but the flood is just too strong and that wing on wing business is working mighty fine.
Lickety split we're at Delta Marina, where I tie up at the Point Restaurant and stagger into the air conditioning. Iced tea! My kingdom for an iced tea! So they bring it, and a crab louie salad, too.
So here we are, Dura Mater and I, tied up for the night in this very protected marina with electricity and excellent wifi, after a hot shower. $27 for the night @ $1/foot, thank you very much. I have done my best to contribute to the Rio Vista economy. Tomorrow night it will be noodles and cheese to average out the extravagance.