Real McCoy II has arrived in Rio Vista

"Has anyone taken a ride on the new ferry yet?"

Nope and I probably won't anytime soon.

I much prefer to recall the many times that I crossed the various rivers on our beloved old cable-drawn Delta ferries...

The sound of their engine firing up and the toot of their whistle.

That was good, classic Delta stuff right there... [:-thumbu]
 
Pretty neat. Especially that there are even car ferry'e around anymore.

I have vague remembrances of riding on the Berkeley to SF Ferry. They left me in the car and it was foggy and cold. That was about 60 years ago. It brings up many fond memories of spending all day fishing on the old wooden roadway after it was closed down to traffic. It was 3 miles long with many nice holes to drop a fishing line.:)
 
I was on the old Real McCoy and the J-Mack ferries a few months ago. The ride is free but some people want the state to charge a toll. Real McCoy II hauls 8 cars or something like that.

Caltrans also operates the cable-drawn J-Mack on Ryer Island. This ferry crosses Steamboat Slough.

There is a cable-drawn ferry in operation across Little Connection Slough at Herman & Helen's. I've had to wait in the boat several times for that one to pass.

Another ferry crosses Old River to Webb Tract and Bradford Island, but I've never seen that one moving.
 
"Another ferry crosses Old River to Webb Tract and Bradford Island, but I've never seen that one moving."

That one, which is owned/operated by the County [after the State dropped it a few years ago] operates on all school days. Many residents have to travel by boat to a car parked on land to travel off the island one weekends and holidays.
 
I saw your post this morning and, since I had a free hour this afternoon, I decided to jump on the new ferry for a recon ride and a report here.

When I got there, I thought the new ferry looked a lot like the old ferry. It turns out that Real McCoy II is having some mechanical problems and is being repaired, so ol’ Real McCoy, CalTrans Serial Number 0001 (1964-65 vintage, according to a CalTrans worker), is still in operation. I decided to take a ride and document the trip before she was gone for good.

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On the way across to Ryer Island, I had the chance to speak with one of the guys operating the ferry. He explained that the new hydraulic steering and shifting systems were causing problems that prevented the RM II from being put in service. He did not have an estimate for when it would be operational, but was in no hurry for the change. Based upon his choice of words, his personal preference for the old ferry was unmistakable.

As the ferry operator spoke of the new ferry, he kept pointing south, indicating to me that it was somewhere nearby in maintenance. Finding the Real McCoy II now became my new mission. As I passed the Dutra Equipment Division, I noticed the tell-tale upright bridge of the new ferry, so I drove in to scope it out. I started walking around like I owned the place, taking lots of pics from shore.

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As I returned to the car preparing to leave, I noticed a worker on the deck and decided to return to ask for permission to board and take more pics. He gave his approval, saying their day was just ending and they were wrapping up their work.

Before the visit was over, I had seen the ER, the helm, the prop-drive system and the deck.

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When I asked about the hydraulic problems, the CT worker denied them, stating that they were beefing up the drawbridges with rub strips to prevent damage from repeated use. The manufacturer did not install these. (I’ll leave the editorial comments out of this one.)

The engines are twin Caterpillar D12s, inline 6 cylinder, 300 HP each.

The helm is equipped with dual helms for driving in each direction. This rig has dual radars and GPS Chartplotter.

The props are on pylons that can be hydraulically tilted up to facilitate repair or clearing the prop of debris.

It was interesting to see a side-by-side comparison of the two ferries and fun to be one of the first civilians allowed on for a tour. Great idea, yzer!!
 
Thanks for the pictures Al.
By the way hows the back after playing with those batteries?
 
Great pictures. My son went on a field trip a few years ago that included a trip on the Real McCoy. The captain did a few 360s on the way back and forth across the river to amuse the kids. Fun trip.
 
dvan, the back's fine. I pulled the 8D start battery and will get the replacement Monday. I will hopefully get the T105s on Mon or Tues when they get them in stock. To keep 12V available for the bilge pumps, I'll leave the house batts in until the new ones show up.

I enjoyed the breakfast with you and Mary yesterday. Thanks a million for those battery cables. Then I enjoyed a Happy Harbor dinner with Comfortably Numb. He knows someone who's coming out to visit today who might be interested in your Sea Ray. I gave Jim your ph numbers.

Sorry for the hijack!
 
Excellent shots Al! I was planning on doing a dashcam video of a crossing. Maybe that will have to wait a few days.

At any rate, I've never stepped out of the car while riding Real McCoy and I never would have thought about taking shots of the bridge and engine. It would be just my luck to run into some sort of Homeland Defense snag and getting my camera taken away.
 
The wood trim on the helm of Real McCoy II is a nice touch. On a more practical note, I wonder if the additional navigation and communications gear improves the usefulness of this boat in the event of an emergency. Could this ferry be used at other Delta landings should a need arise?
 
Al, great pics! Nice to compare the two Real McCoys at once!!!! Thanks so much. I hope Jim is doing fine these days. He seems to have lost interest in this forum.....

yzer, You bring up an interesting point. I know that for Bethel Island, their emergency evacuation plan encourages folks to head to the nearest commercial Marina to be evacuated by boat. They know that everyone can't get off the island across the one bridge via car at the same time!!!!! I figured, I'd just unplug my boat and back her out of the slip if I needed to evacuate!
 
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