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hvacmach

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Hi all, Just bought a 1981 21XX Cuddy Cabin. I think it is a Santiago. Have a Garmin 500
with inland water maps on it.

Have been taking the Power Squadron self guided course looking froward to getting on the Delta this weekend. Reading this forum makes me realize just how much I don't know about boating and the Delta.

Thinking a good stater trip would be Sacramento Marina across steamboat and over to Lindsey Slough and back up the Sacramento. Is this the "Sacramento loop" any other ideas or suggestions would really be helpful. As I have no idea where I am going, or what I am doing.

Thanks
 
Welcome,
Don't know much about the route you mentioned, but I am sure someone will pipe in.
By the way HVAC ha, I went to use mine the other day and it wont come on. Maybe you could give me some pointers?
 
There are a lot of must see places to cruise in the delta but the best advice I can give you is make sure you have plenty of gas,a good map, take as much time as you can and head out.....any direction. You will learn very quickly after you have been lost a few times. I still get a little turned around now and then and I have been meandering around this old swamp for fifty years. Keep us posted about where you have been now and then, have fun and know you have found a treasure in the delta.

DBH
 
quote:
Originally posted by dvan

Welcome,
By the way HVAC ha, I went to use mine the other day and it wont come on. Maybe you could give me some pointers?

Click to expand...


Be happy to help, I know a bit about HVAC but almost nothing about boats.
 
Ok I'll ask the really dumb question right off and get it over with.

As your motoring along how do you know a pier belongs to a place to eat or that your even supposed tie up there? I have driven up and down the levee roads and it just doesn't seem that clear?

I am not nearly as afraid of being lost as I am running a ground.

I would like to spend the night on the hook once and a while, can I anchor anywhere out of the way off the main channel??
 
Welcome to the forum, hvacmach.

The essential tool for getting around on the Delta are NOAA charts. These have the latest available mapping info for navigation including depths and some known hazards. That includes the wing dams on the Sacramento. If you need new charts you can purchase the commercial paper versions (called Print on Demand or PODs) of NOAA charts at marine stores. NOAA charts are also available as software for electronic charters.

Another way to get NOAA charts is straight from the government. I buy them here. Just enter in the chart number where it says "product search" and you will get the online shopping cart. When I ordered a year ago there were no shipping charges.
http://naco.faa.gov/ecomp/Catalog.aspx?a=NAUT+NOS+PRODUCTS

You can view NOAA charts here. This link is good for picking out charts and for planning trips. The best place to have a chart in on the boat, though. The Delta charts begin with chart No. 18653.
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/PacificCoastViewerTable.shtml

NOAA chart 18662 covers the areas you mentioned.
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18662.shtml

Keep in mind that the charts don't show all hazards. Always be on the lookout especially in shallow water, where depth sounders are worth their weight in gold. Much of the Delta soundings used on the charts are very old but in practice they are a lot better than no soundings. The charts can be updated in as little as two years or can be unchanged for several years. The Government charts and POD charts are up to date when you purchase them.

Lindsey Slough soundings are from 1934. Be sure to use extra caution in this area. Wide tide swings and many snags. Take plenty of fuel with you in this area.

Usually the restaurants and other waterfront places have docks available close to the facility. Sometimes they have signs visible from the water, sometimes not.

Anchoring: Correct, never anchor in the channel. That includes shipping channels and the cental part of the waterway where everyone travels. Use an anchor light overnight. Watch out for cabled areas or siphons.

Don't try to anchor in weeds, grass or other underwater vegetation. Anchors can be very difficult to set there.
 
Get a "Hal Schell's" delta map. Motor around in the mornings and take shelter from the winds in the afternoon. There are some nice protected anchorages around Mandeville Island and the three river reach. Most good spots have pre existing floats tied to the levee.

Sac_Bayliner_005.sized.jpg


DSC00796.sized.jpg
 
I was in Lindsay Slu about 10 yrs ago. There are absolutely NO gas docks anywhere near there, so locate the closest gas first and fill up before you head over there. The depths are about 15-20 ft with a strong current. It is very beautiful and a wonderful place to anchor overnight. No wakes to worry about! It is very protected from the wind because the levees are about 20 ft above the water on both sides. It has many islands in the middle some with large trees which can provide shade in the hot afternoon.

Have fun!
 
The reply about the NOAA charts is quite important to you. They might be old, but they are the best tool to keep from tearing the gear off the bottom of your boat. Create a float plan before you leave the house. Study the charts, and make notes of the obstructions on your planned trip. Once you are underway, look for the obstructions.
Fill your boat tank before you leave on your journey. Fill it when you get back. Then you will know what to plan for in the future.
Bring cash with you. Not all of the places you visit on the delta take plastic.
Don't drink and drive on the boat. That's not as easy as it sounds, but it really is rule #1. It kills a lot of people, and you only have to die once to ruin your whole life.
Now if you see me out there, pull me over and thank me for the advice. Mine is the big white boat that is pointy in the front, and flat across the back.

FindMe, always trying to help
 
One quick point--the Sacramento/Steamboat Slough route is a "loop" around Grand Island, but don't try to make a "loop" out of the Sacramento Ship Channel. The lock between the West Sacramento turning basin and the Sacramento River hasn't operated for years....

BTG
 
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