05/14 - 05/18 - 6th Annual Delta/Bay Extravaganza

Yer critter is welcome aboard our boat.... Sue loves Sadie...

With all the $#@%$ that we are giving the factory folks I bet they try their hardest to get your boat finished in time.....you don't need any of that fancy add on stuff to go with us... it just would not be the same without you.....

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Roger,

You missed boating 4 A--always have a dog. Only two dogs on a CD 25 is a luxary. I will be traveling with "miss priss"--who is a 20 lb Palmarian, Papillon mix and gets along well with other dogs. We have crossed oceans with two labs, and have had 4 labs (2 were guests dogs, aboard our Cal 46 --two were over 100 lbs.) Recently we lost a 70 lb chow, shepard mix and a boarder collie--all of whom boated with Miss Priss....So dogs are no problem, if you don't have a boat. So dogs and all you are welcome!

Bob
 
Looks like we don't have any excuses now.
Thanks, Bob, we will take you up on the offer if we are still boatless.


Roger & PJ
(Boat Ho's R Us)
 
Dear All Delta and Bay Extravaganza Attendees:

Time to get ready! This event kicks off in only 12 days. This may be our last update before we begin the event.

First an update on attendees. We started with 12 boats and 22 attendees. We are now down to 9 boats and 16 attendees (Islander had to cancel because of work commitments, C-Hawk still does not have his vessel, and Sea Queen had a change in plans.) We are very pleased with the remaining turnout and we are looking forward to having a great time.

Tee Ten, Dora Jean, and Frequent Sea have volunteered for selected food assignments. We still would like to have two (2) more food volunteers, one to bring the orange juice and one to bring a fresh fruit bowl. Please sign up for one of these assignments.

John and Robbin are all set to meet us at the Duck Club. John volunteered this year to bring a special meat roast, and to try a new barbecue technique for Wednesday night.

Kath and I plan to launch Wednesday, mid-morning, at Rio Vista Delta Marina. We will be leaving the dock at 12 noon sharp, headed down-river to Wheeler Island.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday. If you need any thing, or have any problems, please call me on my cell telephone (916) 799-0286.

Sincerely,
 
I'll wait and see what shape the boat is in before making a final decision.
If the boat is not ready, we will see you guys next year on the Delta.

Roger
 
Hi guys,

I will be able to make the first part of this trip. I plan on going to Rio Vista Tuesday or possibly Monday to see if anyone arrives. I can go as far as the Duck club but need to head home Thursday.

Currently the weather predictions are looking good for the trip. I am looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new ones.

I will bring the fruit for Thursday morning.

Steve
 
Steve

I plan to leave Northshore Tahoe early Tuesday morning. It is a 3-4 hour trip if I know where I'm going. I think :? I'm going to drive I-80 to 113 at Dixon....113 to HWY 12 ....turn left and and arrive at Rio Vista. Am I right in thinking the harbor is near Sandy Beach County Park :?: That would be about 1/2 mile west on the north side of the Rio Vista Bridge HWY 12 :idea
 
We won't be able to make the trip. C-Hawk will not be ready in time and my daughter and her hubby are coming out from Texas on Sunday.
Ya'll have fun now, ya hear.

Roger
 
Hi Steve,

I would suggest going hy80 to hy5 south at Sac. Take 5 to hy12 west to Rio Vista. Probably a little closer.

You can go the Dixon way but 113 is narrow and bumpy and the two 5 mph turns are real - Don not go into them too fast! I have towed my boat this way and will again so it is not terrible.

Once you get to Rio Vista you want to get to 2nd st.

If you come from hy5 on 12 you will go across the rio Vista bridge. Take the 1st right and loop back around under the bridge. This is Front st. Follow it south, 2nd st is one block west so turn right and then left on to 2nd st. Follow 2nd to Marina Dr and turn left - this is the marina.

If you come from Dixon as you get into Rio Vista take the Main street exit on your right. Follow it to 2nd st and turn right.

Hope this helps. I will se you Tuesday.

Steve
 
Roger and PJ

Sorry you cannot make it. We understand the situation.

Hope to see you at Catalina in August. Good luck on your boat commissioning.
 
OK you'all...Only four days to get ready :) Tee Ten will be there on Tuesday.
We are bringing coffee, cream and sugar :) and fuel :shock: anything else please let me know. So looking forward to this cruise...It's spring :!:
The weather forecast is as good as it can get for the BAY AREA. See you soon. :cocktail
 
Hi fellow Delta Extravaganza attendees. Well, I've had a 'whole year' to ponder our series of fiasco landings at the dock of Wheeler Island -- and thought maybe a little 'chalk talk' might be helpful to all of us. Although no one's boat was dinged, it took a whole group of people on the dock to "catch" each of the boats as they came speeding in (mine might have been the fastest and heaviest!).

All attempted to slow down, but if they weren't within reach of the "landing crew" on the dock, many of them floated by in the current and even turned sideways nearly drifting into the breakwater (soft dirt/mud), which also just happens to be lined by weeds and tules to foul your prop. All recovered, but I'd say with heroric efforts to gain control.

I drew this diagram to show the typical wind/current and layout situation, especially for those that will be coming here for the first time. It reminds me of a very tight river cruise run at Disneyland!
WheelerDock_080509.sized.jpg
I welcome others to chime in with their ideas (even if you're not part of this Delta group). My idea is that if these are the conditions again this year, I plan on putting my engines in reverse well before the position of the boat in the diagram (yes, that's my rendition of a boat...). I plan to nearly stop the forward motion of the boat while it's still 5-10 ft from the end of the dock by applying sufficient reverse thrust. Then slowly creep forward by 'reducing' the amount of reverse slightly while 'steering' the engines to position the boat laterally. Essentially driving the boat forward by applying more or less reverse engine thrust. This will not be a natural method [for me], maybe there's a better way?

The boat should stay oriented downwind fine and remain stable due to the way these boats react to wind -- they like to line up pointed downwind.

So what'dya all think? Hey, at least it's a plan...:shock:
 
Steve-

Having never been there myself and limited by the knowledge provided in your diagram (which is fine, it just doesn't provide as much detail and scale as a photo), I'd say your plan sounds very reasonable, particularly in light of the boat's tendencies to line up pointed down wind.

My first instinct would be to come in from the left just to windward of the dock's end, then turn up wind, and back slowly down to the dock, but there might not be enough space to turn the boat around between the end of the dock and the breakwater.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Steve

This is a really challenging place to dock. Especially for the boat that comes in first, that has no one to help catch them. Last year that was us on Discovery. We got the bow to the dock, but the wind and current took us against the breakwater with the motors. There are rocks on the breakwater.

What I don't understand is why we always come in from the west? There was some talk of shallow water in front of the Duck Club, but we never have a problem leaving the dock. The Duck Club boat, a Farallon, is much larger than even the TomCat, and it docks from the east. We have to pass it to the outside when we leave, so width of the channel is no problem. Seems to me it would be easier to approach from the east, into the wind and current. Come along side the Farallon, let the first mate off on the Farallon,with the bow line. then walk the boat into position on the dock.

Just my two cents worth, but I have docked there for the past three years,and messed it up every time.
 
That's a good idea Brent. But actually, I'd rather enter from the downwind, downcurrent end like we do, at least for the 22's and 25's, maybe the Tom Cat is different. I would have trouble maintaining a slow speed going up current, up wind, especially if a gust occurred, the bow could blow off course then quickly out of control with less than a boat length of channel width. But it might work like you said for the short distance to the large boat docked there and just manhandle from that point.

Joe, thanks for the observation, yes, my diagram leaves A LOT to be desired, but then again, I'm proud it came out reasonably clear. I used PowerPoint and saved the page as a .jpg file. The boat position I've shown is the ONLY position you can approach. That area is at the end of a 'lined' natural, narrow, winding channel about 200+ feet long. To add to the 'challenge' there are usually twigs and debris floating along with you!

Another thought on doing this, is to only put it in gear when necessary towards the end to maintain steady headway and position. Then near the dock, give it a good thrust in reverse to position at the end of the dock (if you have 'catchers', or alongside. This minimizes the propeller time and risk of getting fouled with any random debris -- but also adds risk of speed should debris foul your prop or some other reason it doesn't reverse at the worst possible moment. Definitely a dicey situation.
 
How about backing the boat down to the dock? You have more control of the boat when in forward gear rather than reverse, and you are in a better position to abort if need be.

Warren
 
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