SHASTA, TAKE II

We are currently planning another houseboating/wakeboarding trip to Shasta for later this summer. Does anyone have experience with renting out houseboats at Silverthorn or Jones Valley Marina? What are the conditions on that side of the lake? How are the houseboats, etc?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

There is a place called Ski Island near Silverthorn. That is a nice area to ride. The water level is dropping quickly. A buddy of mine has a boat moored at Shasta Marina. In about two weeks they moved the docks down over 1/4 mile. You can also drive out and park on the island at Bridge Bay now.

I'm looking into buying a houseboat with permit on Shasta. So, if you come across any let me know.

Rene, Kimmy and John have been looking into buying as well. They are meeting with a houseboat sales guy on Friday. We are all headed to Tom's houseboat this weekend. Kimmy and John are bringing their boat. You are 100% welcome to join us. I'm going to try to head up there Friday afternoon and Tom is headed up Friday evening or we might go together. No matter what, we wont pull out of Bridge Bay until Saturday morning. Coming home Sunday afternoon. We'll probably stay in Water's Gulch or Little Backbone. Hope to see you there.

My family has rented out of Silverthorn many times and we love that area of the lake. The Pit and Squaw arms are great, especially when you get way back there.
The houseboats are nice (we haven't rented one in a few years though), but the access road to the marina is HORRIBLE. It's very twisty, windy and narrow, and pretty long. Makes for an interesting trip when you are towing a boat. All this may have changed since the last time I was there, but it's just what I remember.
We have never gone with Jones Valley, so I can't comment there. The boats look nice though.

Ya, Rene....come back to Shasta this weekend. No need to bring your boat, we are bringing ours up. I hope we find a good deal this weekend on our new weekend home. Wish us luck!

Stef....I do not know about that side of the lake, sorry for posting and not having info for you. I am sure someone on the board will have info on that side of the lake.

Matt, Kimmy, I wish I could go this weekend, but I have plans around San Jose both Sat and Sun.

Stef, If you rent from Bridge Bay it's not that far by houseboat to the Squaw Creek and Pit River Arms.

I drove over shasta sunday about 8:00 and saw wakeboards with the lights and stuff. I tink any were on shasta is good.

Silverthorn and Jones Valley Houses Boats are old unless you get the 3 story ones (SilverThorn). ALso Rene if you looking to buy a houseboat there are a few for sale on the BridgeBay Moore that I saw going to mine a few days ago, I could check it out for you.

Jones was selling some of their old ones when we were there over the 4th... not sure you would want to buy one of those, unless you didn't mind renovating it. Jones only rents the big ones from their spot now... they bought out the houseboats from Lakeshore Marina and now have another Marina called Lakeview (but you still rent them from Jones).

I prefer hanging out up the Pit, Stef you might too, because it reminds me of the conditions on the Delta, narrow river style boarding... wakes disapate along the rocks (if you can get up the river far enough).

Silverthorn were a bunch of jerks a couple of years agao... we had a jacked boat, and they did not help at all, but I'm sure there are plenty of people here who had good experiences. I like the Marina at Jones, they are always friendly and helpful... we will see how they are with houseboats this August when we go out.

Oh, yeah, the road isn't great... but it is only like 20 minutes or so off the freeway... it's like Rawhide road (off 108, at the gas station, going to New Melones), but twice as long.

Good luck-Bill

(Message edited by sonicr1 on July 15, 2004)