Sailing - Delta 2001


Revised: July 11, 2001

How to get to the boat

Yacht "Impetuous" is located at Embarcadero Cove, Central Basin, Oakland

This is next to "Motel 6", which is at 1801 Embarcadero, Oakland. CA.

A local detailed map is at Local Map .

Or you can use a web map service (like Mapquest or Yahoo) and type in the above motel address for a good map.


How to contact the boat

Call the boat cell phone at 415-370-6136.


How to get to the delta

Once we sail to the delta, our main pickup/dropoff point is Herman and Helen's Marina. Their web page has a lot of information:

Map/directions/phone #s for Herman & Helen's Marina

Their phone number is: 800-676-4841.

For Wednesday's dinner, will will be at the Riverboat II

Riverboat II

Their phone number is: 916-777-4884


What to bring

Here's what you should bring to make your time very enjoyable:

Things not to bring....


The latest schedule

 THU  2 AUG         "Spot"/deliver cars, towable boats to Herman & Helens

 FRI  3 AUG          Stock Impetuous.  Overnighters arrive to stay on boat

 SAT  4 AUG  6:00A?? Non-overnighters arrive and we depart
             6:00P?? Arrive Herman & Helen's

 SUN  5 AUG          Motor from Herman & Helen's to Three Mile Reach
                     (2 miles), bringing "Phil" and the Laser.  Anchor
                     with other EYC boats.  Happy hour, dinner on board.

 MON  6 AUG          Use "Phil" to deliver returning crew to H&H, so they
                     can drive home.  Pick up any others??

 TUE  7 AUG          At anchorage all day.  Side trips by power boat

 WED  8 AUG          Power boat "bus" to "Riverboat II" for dinner and
                     dancing with the EYC club.  (A good time for others
                     to meet us by car, for the fun.) (See web link below.)

 THU  9 AUG          Take Impetuous bak to Herman & Helens Marina
                     Various crew arrival and departures.
                     Hopefully drive to Isleton for dinner

 FRI 10 AUG          More hanging out at H&H.  "Phil" and Laser go
                     exploring
                     ?? Water ski ???
                     ?? Isleton for dinner
                     ** Fill fuel tank on Impetuous

 SAT 11 AUG          Expedition to Lost Isle.  See the web links below.
                     This is worth a trip!

 SUN 12 AUG   5:00A  EARLY departure of Impetuous to return home.
                     Basically motor all the way home, with help from
                     "Otto" the autopilot (usually just a little late
                     afternoon sailing between Point Pinole and Treasure
                     Island)
                     Late arrival (9PM?) to Oakland Marina

 MON 13 AUG          (R&R) Recovery and Recuperation.  Crew recovers.
                     And we drive back to H&H to retrieve the various
                     boats left there.


Web page references


Delta work day -THU 2 AUG


Bring from home
  - Poles for boom tent
  - Hammock 

Need
  - 1 electric fan - put on plug
  - beanbag chair?
*** Waterproof the forward hatch
  * Be prepared to waterproof the main hatch
--- Dormat for boat
--- Fix port spreader light
  - Small line for boom tent
  - Plastic screen
  ! More wesson oil
  ? Jerry can (empty) for gas
  - Anything needed for "Phil", the runabout boat
  - 2 cases of small water bottles
  - Extra dishpan
  - Windscoop
  - Bring LOTSof ziploc bags
  - Bring lots of paper towels, TP, napkins, * paper plates
  - Mosquito repellent
 ** Fill water tank
 ** Fill gas tank
  - Saran wrap (x2)


Fix
 ** Port spreader light is burned out.
*** Fix pump in head basin


Notes from our 2001 trip

Our trip to the delta was outstanding and memorable!

Thanks to everyone's contributions, we had a great monster "dinghy" (see attached picture file), Laser sailboat, sailboard, much very fine food and drinks, the company of about 20 yachts from Encinal YC with their continuing parties, a wonderful dinner and party at Riverboat II, and much warm and cool time, just sittin' in the delta. The usual mix of delta weather -- hot, cool, windy, calm -- and the right weather going there and coming back. The reliable rebuilt motor, new GPS antenna, hammock, new autopilot, new semi-rigid windscoop, and "look-ahead" depthmeter all contributed a great deal as well. We ate very well, too; the various smoked fish and sausages were outstanding (even the totally fake blueberry pancakes tasted great).

But mainly it was having such a great mix of friendly, interesting and capable people that made the trip such a wonderful time.

And a special note: How great to be in the delta and have another boat hail "Hi, Mike", and we then get together to renew old acquaintances. This time it was (again) Sue and Franco Robba. What fun.

Let's "do the delta" again next year, including the JUL 4 fireworks, exploring other delta areas, going water-skiing, more restaurants, and crawdads. Hope you can be there.

SAT

Good currents and following winds...used the 150% genoa rather than the spinnaker, as the winds were just a bit too strong and there were too many needed jibes. A 7AM start got us to the anchorage around 5:30PM, where we set a single anchor.

SUN

Left small dinghy ("Bob") tied to a tree while we took Impetuous about 2 miles to Herman & Helen's marina to get the Laser and larger dinghy ("Phil") which had been delivered there by Ted. Also picked up Jeffrey and Lynn. Jeff Riley sailed the laser two miles upwind back to our anchorage, while we motored back to the anchorage, where Lynn swam about 150 feet of anchor line over to the tree and then took advantage of the hammock and her book. Dropped off Lynn later that afternoon so she could return home.

During happy hour, a small boat comes by and the blonde calls "Hi, Mike". Sue and Franco Robba join us for drinks, and Sue is brave enough to go sailing on the laser....mostly a good sail, though a final dunk.

Late that afternoon, a houseboat arrived, and guided by an EYC person, they dropped an anchor about 6 feet from our anchor and then tied to a tree, like we did, though much to close. (Reminded me of the many Germans who anchored too close last year in the Med.) Just to be sure, we put out a second anchor, so that the currents would not cause us to drift into them. See "WED" below for a continuation of this story.

For dinner, we BBQ'ed the many great sausages that Jeffrey brought.

MON

We were hoping that Tina could motor over from her home on Discovery Bay, but her current project (third trimester pregnancy) slowed her down a bit and she was not able to get there; maybe next year.

Ted, David and Jeff depart mid-afternoon, after a lazy morning.

Just now getting into "delta time" mode....

TUE

My main note is that it was HOT that day, so it was a mix of sitting, swimming, sitting, swimming, etc.

WED

Another hot day.

Encinal YC organized a dinner at the well-known "Riverboat". We left around 4PM, via the "party barge" (a large pontoon boat with an outhouse!). Upwind through a very smoky evening, due to farmers burning their fields, I think. Due to a kitchen fire, the Riverboat has been completely rebuilt, looking new and nice, not the funky tilted-dance-floor and the ladies-panties-hanging-over-the-bar that some of us remember. Marylyn remembers our last dinner there, with Sue and Franco and his mother from Italy, as we watched their "anchored" yacht drift away, starting down the river.

Had a wonderful dinner there....prime rib, which us three large guys could not finish. (Anastasia recommends the crab, and Sue Robba recommends the halibut with the pistachio crust, but we did not have the opportunitity to sample these.) Then on to the dance floor, with our active crowd and a few locals dancing up a storm to the live band. Steve did a very fine blues harmonica number with the band. Back to our party barge which (after a wrong turn) got us home around midnight.

Didn't notice it at the time, but our houseboat neighbor was no longer there, as their anchor had not held in the cross-currents, and they drifted down onto our boat and then moved further away. No damage done, but I kinda had a feeling that they were not well anchored. (Got used to that last year, with the several poorly-anchored German-skippered boats giving us fits while we were in the Med.)

THU

A VERY slow start that morning, as we recovered from the party the previous night. A windy day. Picked up Fiona (late), so had "dinner" of smoked salmon on the boat.

FRI

Great weather. Jeffrey used the Laser a lot, and Fiona did some too. Again to Lost Isle....this time open but not serving food. To H&H to drop off Fiona, Phil, and the Laser (not quite in that order). Then back to the anchorage. Dinner of macaroni & cheese & hot dogs.... running low on food, so time to head for home.

SAT

Early 4:30AM start, clear skies, 15K wind. Suisun Bay not too bad. Got to Martinez pridge at 1100 and to Carquinez bridge at 1150. ROUGH there, due to the wakes of three large power boats. San Pablo Bay very nice....shirtsleeves and sunshine and light winds. Windier (20K) past Angel Island as we dodged through a large number of racing sailboats, then then usual nice cruise down the estuary, arriving at the dock around 5PM. Good speed and a fun day.