DELTA QUESTION

not sure where this would go but... does anyone know how long the delta is from stocken or in that area to the san. fran. bay? and can it be made on an express cruser?
my family is thinking about buying and express cruser(that would be like a smaller yacht for you who dont know)and how long it would take?
thank you
-alex-

From Tiki Lagun (near Stocton) it is about 70 miles to Alameda (East side of the bay, across from San Francisco).

You can encounter a significant tide so depending on if the tide is in your favor or against you it can add or subtract to your traveling time. I had a 36' Carver and would cruise at about 18 MPH and the trip would normally take around 6 hours. A typical express cruiser would move along considerably faster so the cruise time would be shorter.

Keep an eye on the weather, especially in the spring. There are some sections that can develope a really nasty chop when the winds blows from certain directions.

Rod McInnis

I lived a nine iron distance from a yacht club and could not answer this question. Although these people could.

http://www.stocktonyachtclub.com/

http://www.boatingupdate.com/sfbaymarinas.html


(Message edited by gw_mark on October 20, 2004)

There is also a delta forum at BoaterEd

http://www.boatered.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=68

I dont think I would take that crusie. Because you would have to travel back to the dock. It's a long trip. Hell it's a 45minute ride from Rivers End Marina to Lost Isle...Now that may not seem much, but put winds at 35-40 mph and white caps and that make for a long ride. Even in a Queen Mary Vessel.

Plus, Sand Bars are all over the place. Along with Branch and debris. Not saying that the Delta is trashy, but if you havent traveled much on the delta or know your way around. It's a treat.

Best of Luck

The trip from Stockton to SF is all in the navigable deep water channel, with lighted, numbered buoys. Get a good delta map and with decent knowledge of the tides and buoy light system you could do this trip day or night. Hell, I've seen 165' grain ships come in under high tide at 3am and pass right by our campsite, 200' away. Very cool and eery at the same time!
It's a very common trip with the big boaters! 6 hours seems about right! STAY IN THE DEEP WATER CHANNEL ALWAYS!!!

Ric:

The mindset of a cruiser is a lot different than that of a waterskier/wakeboarder. If you aren't riding behind the boat then you are likely to be on your way some place and the trip is a nusiance. To a cruiser, the trip is often the reason for having the boat!

The bigger the boat, the more important it is to keep track of the depth. From Stockton to Antioch it is pretty easy to stay in deep enough water, basically staying somewhere in the middle of the two banks. Once you get close to the Antioch bridge and all the way through Suisan Bay you had better be paying VERY close attention to the charts else you will run aground.

I wouldn't recommend going to SF and back in one day, and I would not recommend doing it if the winds were over 15 MPH. There are lots of sheltered areas to anchor for the night, and plenty of marinas where you can get a guest berth for a night or two. The fall is my favorite time for boating on the bay.

Rod