Another great cruise to the Delta - Pictures

A

Arnold

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Oct 14, 2003
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12330
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Last week we took another five-day cruise to the Delta. We left early on Monday morning from Alameda and we arrived at the Delta Yacht Club on Tule Island around 2:00 PM. The trip is about 75 miles and we run, as an average, at 2,000 RPM, corresponding to about 16 knots. San Francisco bay and the San Pablo bay were like a pond with no wind at all. We ended up having the entire island for ourselves with the only boat at the dock.
This time we had the opportunity to visit the nearby Tinsley Island. This island was bought in 1959 by the Saint Francis Yacht Club who paid, at that time $10,500. In 1961 the Lighthouse that used to be on South Hampton shoal was moved to the island where now is used to accommodate visitors. This island is well hidden with its entrance difficult to find and I was surprise by the number of big yachts docked there (several over 80'). I found out also the there is a shuttle service from King Island marina to the island for people who come by car to get their boat.
The Delta is really a wonderful place to spend a few days in full harmony with nature. Also, being during the week, there was very little traffic with only a few boats fishing.
It is amazing to me that only a few miles away from two big cities we can still find places like this. I think that my blood pressure went down twenty points while there.
The total cruise round trip from Alameda was about 160 miles not including about 40 miles by dinghy. We used 280 gallons of diesel, which comes out to be about 0.6 MPG. I think that's pretty good considering that it was a 60' boat with two big Volvo 600 HP diesel engines.

Tinsley Island
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The Lighthouse
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Yachts at Tinsley Island
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The only boat at the dock of Delta Yacht Club
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Sunrise on the Delta
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Sunset at the Delta Yacht Club
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Paradise Point
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Lost Isle
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Someone is having fun
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Old Ferry
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Nice pictures Arnold, thank you for sharing them. I had to pull up the Google map and find Tinsley island, that's a nice secluded location.

My flex fuel boat gets 10 mpg gasoline or 12 miles per 2 kilowatt-hour charge thats 25 cents off the 2 batteries.
 
Great pictures, very well done. They bring back memories of over 30 years in the delta. We used to boat thru the late November early December boat parades, and then it just got too foggy to enjoy until sometime in late January. But... we still went down to the boat and cuddled up in it on the dock and had some great parties. Keep up the pictures shows.
 
Great pictures of one of my favorite areas of the delta. Many folks don't realize the absolute beauty of the old swamp this time of year. October the most beautiful month of the year on the delta, no wind, warm but not scorching days, beautiful sunsets and no water skiers and jet skis. Makes me feel lazy just thinking about it.

DBH
 
Ditto on the great pictures!

Do you know the name of that old ferry? Where is it located? Was it at a minus tide or is the ferry sinking into the mud????

Inquiring minds want to know........ [?] [?] [?]
 
That ferry has been sitting there for over a year now I think. It's the same one that was briefly moored near downtown Stockton before it was evicted. It has been listing like that for quite awhile. I keep expecting to see it sitting on the bottom, but it hasn't happened yet.
 
Oh, you mean the one which Duraflame Co was using as office space? Why did they get evicted?

I need to get and around more. I used to count on Hal Schell to inform me of these kind of things via B&D Yachtsman. I guess the new writers don't have the same network of reporters......
 
The Duraflame HQ is still there. This thing was towed in from somewhere in Contra Costa county (I think) and moored to a plot of land right where I5 goes over the water at downtown Stockton. The ferry owner claimed he had permission from the landowner to moor it there, but the landowner had other ideas. It was towed then out behind Spud Island and has sat there ever since.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

I used to count on Hal Schell to inform me of these kind of things via B&D Yachtsman. I guess the new writers don't have the same network of reporters......
Click to expand...


Ain't that the truth!! I miss Hal's stories and news. No one will ever be able to do it like Hal Schell.

BTW, Hal's last Delta Dawdler boat, the 44 Nova, is in a slip near my buddy's in Delta Bay Club. It's looking great these days with TLC from a family that loves her.

Al
 
Glad to hear that Delta Dawdler is being well cared for. I'll have to look for her next time I'm in that area.

I haven't been to Stockton by boat ever since they closed up the marina for "remodeling". Are things starting to happen there again? Any docking near to restaurants in the basin now?
 
They just started construction of the new downtown marina in the last couple of weeks. The docks that were formerly in front of the waterfront warehouse, which had a couple of restaurants and served as brokerage docks for Bay Yachts are now on the other side of the channel while construction is underway, so I don't think it is currently possible to dock and dine. Based on the drawings, once all the work is done, it should be really nice. I believe docks at the baseball stadium are part of the project, so you will be able to boat to a Ports game next summer.
 
Eric, thanks for the update! Please post when important updates/events warrant.
 
Fantastic photos. With such weather that you shall not easily soon forget.

Thanks for sharing your trip...

I need to get out more.
 
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