short trips in the Sacramento Delta area

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colobear

New member
We will be visiting our daughter (who lives in Walnut Creek) in mid October and want to take a short cruise with her. Looking at maps it appears that we could launch at Pittsburg, Antioch, or Benicia. We are thinking of heading toward Sausalito/SF Bay. This will have to be no more than a one day trip. We've never boated there and would appreciate advice.

Thanks
 
The waters of the Delta are much different than up north, typically shallow and therefore very subject to afternoon winds and this really kicks up the water. I have never launched at any of thise ramps, however my understanding is they are all good. The benetia ramp is near the Benetia bridge which is adjacent to the mothball if your interested in lookiing at all the ships.

Take a look at the pics and info from the delta c-brat cruises, I am sure some of the bay area people will chime in here. I have used the Suisun City ramp and the brannan Island state park.
 
Hi Patti & Barry,

You didnt mention if you would launch early morning or mid morning, but from the marinas you listed, it would take a few hrs to get to Sausalito/SF. Don & Brenda are correct about the winds, but with this yr's strange summer pattern, its difficult to tell what will happen in Oct.

McAvoy in Baypoint/Pittsburg area is a tricky ramp....esp during low tide. Launch fee is good for 24 hrs. I think Martinez also has a ramp if you really want to launch from the delta area. That way, you dont have to pay the bridge toll in order to cross over to Benecia. I dont have any experience with the other places you mentioned.

Have you considered launching from Berkeley or Richmond? Its a shorter boat ride to Sausalito/SF.

Hope this helps.
 
You did not mention Martinez Marina which is on the WC side and skips a $20 (That's right $20) toll for dual axle. Martinez is a nice safe place to leave a tow vehicle, Pittsburg and Antioch more iffy. Agreed, you could pssibly hit stiff west winds in the afternoons. Also available are Marinas with ramps in Richmond and Berkeley Pretty much across the bay from Sausolito. Richmond would be a bit kinder wavewise, passing through the Racoon Straits between Sausolito and Angel Island. I think all 3 of those Marinas are in the $10-15 launch range. Richmond has wash downs if you have a hose. I think Berkeley too. There is a free launch at the end of the Emeryville spit, but its shallow and unprotected for overnight parking.

Woops Albie covered a lot of this!
 
colobear":28k0k63k said:
We will be visiting our daughter (who lives in Walnut Creek) in mid October and want to take a short cruise with her. Looking at maps it appears that we could launch at Pittsburg, Antioch, or Benicia. We are thinking of heading toward Sausalito/SF Bay. This will have to be no more than a one day trip. We've never boated there and would appreciate advice.

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you want to visit S.F. Bay, there's really no point slugging through the chop, going the extra distance, and wasting the gas and time to come in by boat from Suisun Bay (Pittsburg, Antioch, or Benicia).

Jump on Highway 24 with the C-Dory, and come over to Berkley, Oakland, or Alameda* and launch there.

From there, go out across the Bay, around the back of Treasure Island, and cruise the magnificent San Francisco City Front.

Cruise up to and across the Golden Gate Bridge. You can turn out into the Pacific Ocean if it's relatively calm a short ways, then cross over to the Marin Peninsula, passing all the Forts and Fortifications on the way.

Cruise past the beautiful City of Saulalito, then across Richardson Bay to (Old Money) Belvedere and (Noveau Riche) Tiburon, passing through Raccoon Straights as you go, and passing Angel Island on the East. Stop for lunch at Hospital Cove as you lay quietly in the wind protection of Angle island.

Now head out around Angel Island and cross over to pass around Alcatraz, then back toward the San Rafael Bridge (don't pick up any hitchhikers as you pass by San Quentin), and back down the East Bay and homeward.

Best tour the Bay Area has to offer, and without the Delta Chop and Slop, either!

Miss the place! (We raced sailboats there for 33 years!)

Joe. :teeth :thup

*Alameda would offer a nice ride out the Oakland Estuary, launching at Grand Avenue, but be sure you map it out carefully beforehand, as it's a little hard to find for one unfamiliar with it (at least before the Era Of The GPS!)
 
If you decide to launch from the Delta, Martinez is the closest ramp to Walnut Creek and it’s also closer in to SF Bay than the others. It’s an outstanding facility with $10 launch fee. The ride from there to Sausalito is about 1hr 40 min in good conditions. I find it an enjoyable way to go sometimes, and it takes you passed some interesting sites. Otherwise, I launch from Emeryville (free) or Berkeley ($10) for closer boat access to the bay. You can launch right at Sausalito, too, and the towing time to get there is about 1 hr.
 
Just curious, I used to launch at San Leandro but haven't heard it mentioned. Has that changed? I kind of enjoyed that place.
 
lloyds - if youre referring to Marina Park off Marina Bvld, Yes its still there. Beautiful city park with launch ramp but too far south from Walnut Creek.

Adding to Chris' comment about wash downs. The machines take quaters and there are no change machines.
 
You know, one of the nicest things about the Frisco-Sacramento area are the sloughs. If one launched at Suisun City (which has a great launch ramp) one can go down the slough to Suisun Bay and visit Benicia another great town.

The thought behind this is that you start with a protected launch ramp and can go down through Suisun Bay and San Pablo Bay before the winds come up. Moor at Angel Isl, go up to Sausilito, and you can do that in 3 days. If one wants to see Frisco, you can get a slip at the SF Marina near the Golden Gate.

For more detail:Journey On and Frisco Bay.

Suisun City also is across the road from the train to Frisco, in Fairfield, in case anybody needs to get there quickly.

Boris
 
colobear":1mas0qla said:
We will be visiting our daughter (who lives in Walnut Creek) in mid October and want to take a short cruise with her. Looking at maps it appears that we could launch at Pittsburg, Antioch, or Benicia. We are thinking of heading toward Sausalito/SF Bay. This will have to be no more than a one day trip. We've never boated there and would appreciate advice.

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
I'll offer a strong second to Joe's recommendations. I'm floating on the Oakland Estuary as I write this, and it is a beautiful evening. One of the benefits of Joe's suggestion for launching in Alameda for the type of trip you are planning is not only do you bypass a potentially sloppy trip, but if the Bay is too rough for comfort you can still enjoy a great day by staying in the Estuary. If the Bay is nice all of Joe's suggestions are great. The ramp at the end of Grand is very nice with a very good dock and good parking -- and it's all free. A city maintenance garage opens onto the lot so there are always police cars, etc., sitting around. I think it is very safe and access from your location is very convenient.

Greg
 
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