I'm planning a trip from San Francisco up to the Sacramento River Delta area for a couple weeks and am looking for suggestions of places to anchor out and sailboat accessible marinas to stay at in the Delta. Anyone made this trip and have suggestions? Thanks! Bob
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Delta
Bob Depends on which river you are going to take, the Sacramento or San Joaquin The Sacramento has Rio Vista and Hidden Harbor for sailboats. I don't know of any harbors further up because I haven't been there. Steamboat Slough is a sailboat hangout for anchoring. The San Joaquin goes all the way to Stockton. Not a whole lot of marinas I know of because I don't stay in them, but Antioch and Pittsburgh are before the actual delta. Anchorages on the SJ include Potato Slough for sailboats. Three River Reach and Five Fingers are nice, too, as is Mandelville Tip. I've cruised further east, but have come back to those. Hal Schell's map is helpful, and bring a chart of the rivers. Also bring a bimini or an umbrella. Lost Slough is way up at Locke and you can only get there via the North Fork of the Moke. Nice sailboat hangout. If you need marinas for power, you'll need to be inventive. If you're self sufficient with good electrical charging systems, and you can go for weeks at a time without plugging in, you should have no trouble. Or rent a generator. Just that I try to avoid marinas. Benecia is a nice spot, coming and going. Play the currents or else you'll double your time getting there AND back.
Bob Depends on which river you are going to take, the Sacramento or San Joaquin The Sacramento has Rio Vista and Hidden Harbor for sailboats. I don't know of any harbors further up because I haven't been there. Steamboat Slough is a sailboat hangout for anchoring. The San Joaquin goes all the way to Stockton. Not a whole lot of marinas I know of because I don't stay in them, but Antioch and Pittsburgh are before the actual delta. Anchorages on the SJ include Potato Slough for sailboats. Three River Reach and Five Fingers are nice, too, as is Mandelville Tip. I've cruised further east, but have come back to those. Hal Schell's map is helpful, and bring a chart of the rivers. Also bring a bimini or an umbrella. Lost Slough is way up at Locke and you can only get there via the North Fork of the Moke. Nice sailboat hangout. If you need marinas for power, you'll need to be inventive. If you're self sufficient with good electrical charging systems, and you can go for weeks at a time without plugging in, you should have no trouble. Or rent a generator. Just that I try to avoid marinas. Benecia is a nice spot, coming and going. Play the currents or else you'll double your time getting there AND back.
in addition to Stu's remarks.
Bob: Benecia & Martinez are both nice spots for food, drink and a little shopping if you have the little lady aboard. Martinez is fairly silted in so you need to schedule any arrivals and departures. Pittsburg has new docks and is suppose to be very nice, but there are not any showers at this time. There is the Meca Mexican restaurant and the Liberty Hotel (fancy place with excellent food) and several other little places to dine. Antioch has Humphery's Restaurant which is good. They have very nice docks, but the slips are cross wind, so it is not the easiest place to dock. There is also a railroad track just behind the marina (not good for the light sleeper). If you head up the Sacramento River the first marina is Delta Marina. There is an okay (fair) restaurant there. They also have guest dock, fuel etc. This is about 1-1.5 miles from the Hwy 12 bridge. If you pass thru the bridge (use Ch. 9 to call all the bridges) you will come to the spilt of the Sacramento River and the deep water channel. About 1/4 mile beyond this is Steamboat Slough and Hidden Harbor (sailboats only marina). There are only basic facilities there (fuel, ice, electric, water), no food or drink. If you continue up the deep water channel there are plenty of places to anchor for nights, days, weeks or months. There is only one marina north of Hidden Harbor and probably not suitable for most sailboats. If you go up the Sacramento there are several places to tie up for food, drinks, ice and some restaurants that may be of interest to you. You can go up the Sacramento to Georgiana Slough. This will connect back to the Mokolume River which will get you back around to the San Joaquin. You can check out Potato Slough and the "bedrooms", good anchorages and just a dingy ride back to the marinas on the Mokolume river where you can get some provisions. Heading further up towards Stockton there are a few places to anchor off the main river and if you head south there are many places to anchor out South/East of Franks Tract. You really should get a Delta map before you go. It will show you the facilities and many possible anchorages. If you are heading to the Delta for the 4th there is a very good fireworks show at the Hilton resort at Mandeville Point. (http://www.californiadelta.org/) So just let us know what you want to do and when and we can give you some more advise. WARNING: Sun Screen, Bug Spray, Bimini or Awning (these are a must).
Bob: Benecia & Martinez are both nice spots for food, drink and a little shopping if you have the little lady aboard. Martinez is fairly silted in so you need to schedule any arrivals and departures. Pittsburg has new docks and is suppose to be very nice, but there are not any showers at this time. There is the Meca Mexican restaurant and the Liberty Hotel (fancy place with excellent food) and several other little places to dine. Antioch has Humphery's Restaurant which is good. They have very nice docks, but the slips are cross wind, so it is not the easiest place to dock. There is also a railroad track just behind the marina (not good for the light sleeper). If you head up the Sacramento River the first marina is Delta Marina. There is an okay (fair) restaurant there. They also have guest dock, fuel etc. This is about 1-1.5 miles from the Hwy 12 bridge. If you pass thru the bridge (use Ch. 9 to call all the bridges) you will come to the spilt of the Sacramento River and the deep water channel. About 1/4 mile beyond this is Steamboat Slough and Hidden Harbor (sailboats only marina). There are only basic facilities there (fuel, ice, electric, water), no food or drink. If you continue up the deep water channel there are plenty of places to anchor for nights, days, weeks or months. There is only one marina north of Hidden Harbor and probably not suitable for most sailboats. If you go up the Sacramento there are several places to tie up for food, drinks, ice and some restaurants that may be of interest to you. You can go up the Sacramento to Georgiana Slough. This will connect back to the Mokolume River which will get you back around to the San Joaquin. You can check out Potato Slough and the "bedrooms", good anchorages and just a dingy ride back to the marinas on the Mokolume river where you can get some provisions. Heading further up towards Stockton there are a few places to anchor off the main river and if you head south there are many places to anchor out South/East of Franks Tract. You really should get a Delta map before you go. It will show you the facilities and many possible anchorages. If you are heading to the Delta for the 4th there is a very good fireworks show at the Hilton resort at Mandeville Point. (http://www.californiadelta.org/) So just let us know what you want to do and when and we can give you some more advise. WARNING: Sun Screen, Bug Spray, Bimini or Awning (these are a must).
4th of July Weekend
Thanks for the recommendations. I will be heading up there over 4th of July weekend so the Mandeville Islnad fireworks sounds fun. I tried to look online and couldn't really tell where on the island they have the fireworks. The hope was to anchor out about half of the time. The admiral wants to be able to have a "real" shower every now and then so that's why we wanted to stay at a few marinas. I did make a sun shade out of a big nylon tarp I got at REI and I've been making bug screens for all the windows! That seems to be the consistent advice about the Delta everywhere you look!!
Thanks for the recommendations. I will be heading up there over 4th of July weekend so the Mandeville Islnad fireworks sounds fun. I tried to look online and couldn't really tell where on the island they have the fireworks. The hope was to anchor out about half of the time. The admiral wants to be able to have a "real" shower every now and then so that's why we wanted to stay at a few marinas. I did make a sun shade out of a big nylon tarp I got at REI and I've been making bug screens for all the windows! That seems to be the consistent advice about the Delta everywhere you look!!
Stockton Sailing Club.
Bob: You can head up to Stockton Sailing Club or Ladds Marina. There are facilities there. This is not too far from Mandeville. There will be about 5000 boats for the fireworks show (really 5000 boats). There are plenty of marinas along the way, so you can just be creative. You will probably want to have a dingy too, just in case you want to explore.
Bob: You can head up to Stockton Sailing Club or Ladds Marina. There are facilities there. This is not too far from Mandeville. There will be about 5000 boats for the fireworks show (really 5000 boats). There are plenty of marinas along the way, so you can just be creative. You will probably want to have a dingy too, just in case you want to explore.
I second Steve/Stu
I concur with Steve and Stu recommending Patatoe Slough for gunkholing. I just spent the night there last night.... it was glorious. If you can find the April 2006 edition of Sail Magazine..... there is an article of someone's cruise for the SF Bay to the Delta and Potatoe Slough.... good luck!!
I concur with Steve and Stu recommending Patatoe Slough for gunkholing. I just spent the night there last night.... it was glorious. If you can find the April 2006 edition of Sail Magazine..... there is an article of someone's cruise for the SF Bay to the Delta and Potatoe Slough.... good luck!!
And a fwew others
Being from Stockton, and sailing mostly in the Delta, maybe I can help. (Don't know much about the Delta up Sacramento way, though.) The Mandeville/July 4 fireworks are lit from a barge anchored on the east side of Mandeville Tip. Most of the boats will be on that east side. There are normally fewer (but still A LOT) on the west side of Mandeville tip. Personally I try to avoid any place near the Mandeville or anywhere close to the main Stockton Deepwater channel on July 4th weekend, due to the hundreds (thousands?) of PWCs, ski boats amping out, drunks and boat wakes. Not much fun for a sailor if you're trying to move the boat, and a definite no-no for sailing. To still be close to the Mandeville fireworks, but off the channel, Potato Slough is good, along with 3 River Reach. Five Fingers has silted in too much to get a sailboat in, but SW of that area is Mildred Island, a 3000 acre island that flooded in the '80s. Access to Mildred is in the NE corner of the island, about 1/4 mile from Five Fingers. The anchorage area in Mildred that most sailors go to is in the SW corner of the island (that's where I'll be that weekend.) It's nice because it's comparatively quiet, few bugs, more sailors than elsewhere (lots of open water to sail if you want), and you can usually see fireworks displays going off in all directions. Oh, and the bridge over Turner Cut (one way to get to Mildred from the main channel) is closed for repairs, so a sailboat can't get through. Best sailboat accessible harbor in the area is Stockton Sailing Club, with about 325 sailboat-only berths, lots of guest dock, and good head facilities. Most other harbors can accomodate sailors, but you'll feel like an outsider. No groceries or other stores are in walking distance, but Stockton Sailing Club members are very accomodating in acting as chauffers to visitors. There will be lots of club members around that weekend. Fuel, pumpout and limited chandlery supplies are available at Ladds, right next to SSC. The only place in the Delta that has a harbor with a grocery store within walking distance is in Walnut Grove, on the way to Sacramento. Oh, and a sunshade is a must. I can tell you more if you e-mail me at selkied@earthlink.net. (When earthlink's spam filter rejects you, just ask to be added to the e-mail list.) Hope to see you over the 4th!
Being from Stockton, and sailing mostly in the Delta, maybe I can help. (Don't know much about the Delta up Sacramento way, though.) The Mandeville/July 4 fireworks are lit from a barge anchored on the east side of Mandeville Tip. Most of the boats will be on that east side. There are normally fewer (but still A LOT) on the west side of Mandeville tip. Personally I try to avoid any place near the Mandeville or anywhere close to the main Stockton Deepwater channel on July 4th weekend, due to the hundreds (thousands?) of PWCs, ski boats amping out, drunks and boat wakes. Not much fun for a sailor if you're trying to move the boat, and a definite no-no for sailing. To still be close to the Mandeville fireworks, but off the channel, Potato Slough is good, along with 3 River Reach. Five Fingers has silted in too much to get a sailboat in, but SW of that area is Mildred Island, a 3000 acre island that flooded in the '80s. Access to Mildred is in the NE corner of the island, about 1/4 mile from Five Fingers. The anchorage area in Mildred that most sailors go to is in the SW corner of the island (that's where I'll be that weekend.) It's nice because it's comparatively quiet, few bugs, more sailors than elsewhere (lots of open water to sail if you want), and you can usually see fireworks displays going off in all directions. Oh, and the bridge over Turner Cut (one way to get to Mildred from the main channel) is closed for repairs, so a sailboat can't get through. Best sailboat accessible harbor in the area is Stockton Sailing Club, with about 325 sailboat-only berths, lots of guest dock, and good head facilities. Most other harbors can accomodate sailors, but you'll feel like an outsider. No groceries or other stores are in walking distance, but Stockton Sailing Club members are very accomodating in acting as chauffers to visitors. There will be lots of club members around that weekend. Fuel, pumpout and limited chandlery supplies are available at Ladds, right next to SSC. The only place in the Delta that has a harbor with a grocery store within walking distance is in Walnut Grove, on the way to Sacramento. Oh, and a sunshade is a must. I can tell you more if you e-mail me at selkied@earthlink.net. (When earthlink's spam filter rejects you, just ask to be added to the e-mail list.) Hope to see you over the 4th!
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