Delta Here We Come 19 Hours & Counting

I can't wait, leave at 3 AM tomorrow morning. Up to our annual Delta trip. I am soooooo stoked. Boat and truck are packed "30 cases of beer and a bag of hot dogs". We are meeting our buddies from Oakhurst there, it's going to be a 6 boat regatta, sick.....

To the locals... we promise not to power turn, drive drunk, and in general do our best not to annoy you. So please pull back your snakes, Delta sharks, coyotes, oh and the infamous Delta Chupacabra.

If you see the Lime Green Tige' 22I out there, wave us down and give us SoCal, Wakeworld members a shout out. We would love to meet some of you!

19 hours to heaven on water,

Cheers

Cool Jonathan,

Hope you guys have a fun and safe time. Where, on the delta, are you going. Quite a few of the locals on this board are going camping. I have not decided where I am going. I am in Disco Bay, so, I may head out for a morning run if I do not go camping.

(Message edited by deltahoosier on August 28, 2003)

We are staying at Vieira's. in Isleton, but normally we are not in that area for long, We usually head out to Tower Park, Locke, Lost Isle, Outrigger, etc. depending on what day. I wish I had my map with me, to give you a better idea. I know we run up to the Disco Bay area too. Usually I follow the leader who has been going every Labor Day for 15 years. This is our 5th year up there. Then we split off at different times to get some Boarding in. With the exception of one other boat load, our friends are not boarders/skiers anymore, they just go to cruise and party. They are in there 50s now and have given it up. LOL

Hey Rod I was checking out your profile, we are the same age, ride the same board and have the same bindings. LOL Nice boat by the way!

We will be in the Tower Park/Lost Isle are all weekend as well. Keep you eyes out for a black and purple Sanger and/or a green Sanger and I'll show you a "secret spot" to ride with butter all day and hardly any boats. You might catch us tied up to the back of my houseboat at H&H marina. Stop in. We will be sure to keep an eye out for your rig, shouldn't be hard to miss!

Shawn cool, I am writing notes for boats to look out for, I would love to get in on a secret spot. Like I mentioned my buddies don't really ride in the other boats, so we would love to split off with your crew. I will keep a look out, you do the same.

Cheers!!

Hey Jonathan,

Thanks for the props on the boat. Sounds like you guys are way up there. The closest you guys are coming to Disco is around a 20 minute full speed boat ride to Disco. I think we may pull the boat up to B&W for a day if we do not do the camping thing. The is up near Rio Vista on highway 12.

On the setup, I love my setup. I have to look, but, I just turned 33 at the end of July. Age is starting to creep up on me. Only in my back, but, not in my mind. If we happen to cross paths, I will say hey.

Secret Spot sounds like Whiskey Slough there Shawn.......

Ok 15 hours now, I am cutting out early to finish packing, so I won't have access to this thread until I get back. Shawn and Rod I have your info written down, I will look for you guys this weekend.

Everybody have a safe Labor Day weekend, and to anyone else if you see the Lime Green Tige' give us a shout out!!

Cheers, and I am out!

ummmmmmmmmm, NOPE!

Where is Whiskey Slough anyway?

Whiskey Slough is just before Tiki Lagoon (the side opposite the lost isle side). Actually, as you exit Tiki, you go under the bridge and take a left. It is a dead end slough, but, I have directed people there in the past and they loved it.

Rod, Where you'll going camping?

Shawn, There's no such thing as a "secret" slough. Just a little less traveled slough.

Hey Rene,

Sorry, I just read your response this morning. I camped in my Living room all weekend for the most part. I just needed some down time and not deal with the crowds.

Labor Day is over and I declare it true boarders season (to be followed by hard core boarder season in a couple of months)

Game ON!!!

Jonathon, we were 1 row over from your boat. I noticed you hauled out each night. I kept my boat in the overnite slips all weekend. Monday and Tuesday were better than earlier in the week. I noticed your boat and remembered the green boat from your profile wondering how many were around with that color. One less than I thought. We have been going to Vieira's for years on long weekends as it is not as crowded as the southern areas. It is a nice place and only 20 minutes from home. Maybe I will see you next time.

Wow, were you in the purple Sanger? I bet you that was you, wow that is a trip LOL Yeah we had a little sand bar trouble, my buddy was pulling me and swung a little wide by Devils island to pick me up after a fall. Was only going 5 mph, but hit at a strange angle and bent the prop. From all the vibration you would have thought the damage was much worse, had to go under 8 mph all the way back to Vieiras uggghhhh. We pulled it out, ran down a prop on Sunday AM and got out by noon on Sunday, had to drive 8 hours on Monday so we didn't get out that day. Kinda a downer but still a great trip. The water seemed great all weekend, like it wasn't real crowded, we got some great sets on Friday afternoon and Sunday. I plan on going at least twice if not three times next season. Probably starting with Mem. weekend, let's hook up next time.

Cheers

Jonathan

Did you ever find out what happened to the guys in the Malibu, did the sheriff nail them? I saw they didn't get back until probably pretty late on Sunday night. I remember you saying they had run into some problems, but I did see them cruising arond the camp sites on Monday AM.

Yeah we left the boat slipped Friday night and planned to do it the whole weekend if not for our little misfortune LOL

That was me! Small world isn't. I spoke to the guys that evening back at camp. They had a designated driver all day, he was asked to blow a test all was OK. They then checked them for jackets and max capacity on the boat. Those guys had it together 13 people & jackets. When we went buy they saluted us with beers waving and then the Sherrif was on them. I thought they were toast. Did you see the old nautique that hit the sand bar by Wimpey's? I was told one of the lady's went through the windshield. I live here and have been fortunate to never hit bottom. Rule of thumb "if you see reeds stay wide".

Yep sure did, they were my friends and there was no reads. It was between whimpey's and Tower Park, but closer to Tower Park. Devils Island, there is a bar on the Tower Park side of the island, I guess it has been there many years, but this year during the winter it shifted into an area that put it much farther out than before. The guy who sold us our prop said they are getting two houseboats a week on it and the week before 6 people were ejected out of a boat on the same spot.

When I had fallen, and my buddy came up on the sand bar in our boat probably 70 feet from the island, more in the fork at the end of it. We pushed the boat off I jumped on the swim step and we floated into the channel. About that time our buddy came around in his old Nautique, they were probably going about 25 mph, his wife was sitting on the front of the engine cover "not good" kinda up high, especially in that old boat. Anyway, he turned left to avoid our rope, and was just letting off the gas to stop near us. We tried to warn them but it was to late. They hit way deeper than us, probably 40 feet from the bank but only 10 inches of water and came to a stop. Probably going 15 to 20 mph by then. Well she went up and over hitting the wind shield with her arm on the way out. Flipped her up and over in front of the bow. She had a 4 inch gash on her arm, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep and 4 inches long. But really no bleeding luckly.

What can I say, after we towed there boat out, we got out of the area, but could still see it. We saw many boats go right over the bar, not close enough to hit but within 10 feet of grounding. The ones that didn't hit were in 3 feet of water maybe.

I know the Delta is huge, and kinda like the wild west and you really need to be responsible for yourself. But one hazard sign at the end of that sand bar in this case, in such a heavy traveled area, would not be the worst idea in my opinion. Especially with all the incidents I heard about that area from the locals, it was interesting when the guys at H&H Marina who we bought our prop from asked where it happened. I said well we were on our way to Tower Park, they imediately go "oh you hit the sand bar at Devil's Island", yep.

You would think that they would have signs every where. Two years back my buddy took his boat across Franks Track. He followed directions and tour all 3 fins off the boat plus damaged the shaft. $5000 later he was in the water again. I keep my boat on Bethal Island and have found out quickly where not to go. There are plenty of great spots that I do not have to explore much anymore. If there are too many boats in our area I head up to the Sac River and head for Miners slough. Sunday we went up there and hardly saw a boat with glass all day. It takes a little more fuel & guess that is why not that many people head that way.

After growing up in So Cal and boating at the River I sure feel lucky being 10 minutes from the water. This is the best area for boating and am looking forward to many years on the water with my kids. I laugh when my wife wanted to remodel the kitchen instead of getting a boat. I told her my kids will have more great memories of days on the boat than thinking Mom had great Granite tops! She has agreed but still wants the tops. I guess my V230 will have to wait for a few years.

I forgot to ask. Were you on the North or South Fork of the Mokelumne river when you hit the sand bar?

Must have been the North I believe, I would have to look at a map to know for sure. I think we went past Whimpy's heading towards Tower Park and at a fork we headed to the left, I think, followed that a couple of miles and that is where the island was, we went to the right side of it. On the Tower Park side is where the very large sand bar is. Normally I wouldn't board in that area, but we were waiting for another boat to show up, so to kill time we decided to get a set in. If I would have fallen another 100 feet down the slough, nothing would have happened. One of those only if things LOL funny thing is I threw a Tantrum and came sooooooooo close to pulling it for the first time. I landed perfect, but kinda buckled my knee, I don't think I absorbed it very well with the legs, and went down.

Yes we hit Miners Slough on Sunday for the first time. That is a great slough, only ran into one other boat the whole time there. Feels like your in Viet Namh or something, like the river in Apocalypse Now. LOL Perfect glass, trees and bushes hanging in the water, really cool.

I agree, you are lucky, the Delta is awesome!

Mike,

Where do you store on Bethel Island? I'm shacked up at Russo's Marina w/ Billy Glenn. I also drove across Franks Tract my first time out and I was sweating it a bit....but I made it through but chopped up some cabbage on the way for sure!

Jonathan, we had a scare on Steamboat last Sunday on our way to Miners. Being a skier all my life I finally wakeboarded this weekend and got hooked. We were on Steamboat and I started getting frisky trying to jump the wakes and crashed right after we went around a bend. As my boat started to turn around a jerk in a large power boat took the inside of the turn probally at 60 plus and darn near ran into us. What amazed us was he came around a blind turn at that speed in a narrow spot and fliped us off. You always need to be careful out there. I agree about feeling so remote out at miners. We went up there on a tuesday evening last month and did not see a boat untill we got to Snug Harbor. One evening a friend of mine broke down and spent the night before he got help. That is why I carry a hand held radio with me. It has come in handy helping others for assistance.

Levi, I store at the Sugar Barge. It is a clean place and very friendly people. $105 month including launches. They have very good security after hours. I am thinking about changing to Bethal Harbor next season because they are more flexible on launch hours and have a very good repair shop on site. I have used the mechanics and they were very friendly and did clean work. I need to ride over there one day and see how long it will take to get over to Old River. I will avoid Frank's any way I can. The first time I crossed I was a wreck. My gauge read as low as 4' and you could feel the weeds pretty good. Early in the season we launched and were headed up to the River boat another boat was starting to cut across. We went south in the NO Wake Zone then took the fast water route around Frank's. I beat the bout by about 2 minutes so I have never gone through Frank'sgain.

That is crazy, anybody going 60 in those back sloughs is an a**. Glad to hear nobody got hurt, that could have been a very bad one!