Birth values/cost along the Delta

My Father kept a 25' cruiser at Beacon Harbor. Simple, clean and basic. Lots of dry storage users. His berth was quite tricky to enter/exit with a good current...
 
All the marinas on Piper Slu can have difficult with the current and/or wind! Even after 15 yrs on Piper Slu, I get into trouble sometimes. No bow thruster and a single drive, single prop drive doesn't help any! My harbormaster doesn't understand why I have trouble sometimes. His boats are all twins!!! I'm not sure he has ever docked a single prop I/O........
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

I'm not sure he has ever docked a single prop I/O........

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With an I/O you at least have some steerage in reverse.....

I used to own a 25' Stephens, a 1956 wooden hulled cruiser with a single inboard. I berthed at Woods Harbor, which is just down a ways from the Bethel Island Bridge. There could easily be a two knot current through there.

If the current was flowing out I could approach the dock with the slip on my starboard bow. The prevailing wind would tend to push the bow towards the dock. The "prop walk" on the boat would kick the stern to port in reverse, so I could ease the boat up, jog it around and slide it into the slip as pretty as you please.

If the current was flowing in I had to approach the slip on the port bow. Now it was more of a controlled crash. Once I got within a boat's length of the dock there was no way I could get away from it. Going forward the stern would swing and hit. Going into reverse would just kick the stern closer to the dock. Not doing anyything and the wind pushed me into the dock. The best I could do is get the bow railing up to the post at the corner of my slip with a gentle bump and then leverage off it to get into the slip.

I have had well intentioned "help" fend me off of that post which resulted in me ending up broadside to the docks, pinned by the wind and scraping along due to the current. Not fun.

I liked Bethel Island, it was nice to be able to run into the town to eat, there is a marine store right there, a fair amount to do. Depending on where you are you can be a long ways from fast water. 30 foot slips are the norm, some 40s, not many 50s.

Rod
 
Rod One of my berthmates had a Stevens until about 4 yrs ago. What a beautiful boat!!! He's getting up in years and sold it 'cause he couldn't continue to keep up the maintenance. Now he has a nice Uniflite, but it sure doesn't compare to that Stephans!!!

You ought to come back to BI and check things out. Lots of changes are happening and will continue. A new marina and housing development [ala Disco Bay] is going in. The SJYC may move into Delta Coves when it is completed. Anybody want to buy The Sutter?????

http://www.sjyc.org/index_Page349.htm
 
my houseboat is 55+ feet long. Not many places I can put it.

Rod
 
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