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Cruise to Napa

John H. King

New Member
Does anyone in the SF Bay area know if the bridges on the Napa river can be opened easily?

Can you sail up to Napa?
John King
E-35 - "Nuage"
Monterey
 

Howard Keiper

Moderator
John...

No, you can't sail there, but you can motor; and I don't know about the bridges.

But I do notice that you're from Monterey? We brought Sea Quest, also an E-35, up from Moss Landing a year ago, and keep her in Berkeley

Howard Keiper
 
John:

I sailed to Napa about 10 years ago and didn't run aground once - a record for me, as I love to gunk-hole. There are maintained channel markers all the way up.

I'm looking at a chart rigor now that is about 8 years old, and it shows good deep water. The thing is, you really can't get all the way into town, you can get as near as a little housing settlement on the south outskirts of Napa.

There is a harbor and boat yard almost to Napa called Napa Valley Marina (707 252-8011). They would be good to call regarding this trip, especially in regards to the phone number for the draw bridge at Mare Island (town of Vallejo), as you have to call first and it probably only will raise during certain hours.

You definitely need a chart, and a good one to have is the "Bay and Delta Yachtsman Chart Book" (510 865-7500). It is good for SF bay and all the adjoining navagatable rivers and sloughs. it even goes as far south as Monterey!

The Napa River is kind of a cool trip, but the Petaluma River may be more interesting. There is a funky Greek restaurant part way up the river, and the tie-up is right downtown. Again, the same chart is important.

For both rivers, skills for sailing long narrow channels with a cross currents is accessory, as well as getting unstuck from accidental grounding on mud. And using the tide is good to, especially while going up, as its much faster and if you do go aground, the tide will soon set you free.

That's my advice - from a guy that has lived in all of those towns just mentioned for many, many years.

Question: How is it that you want to do the Napa River (Wine Country?) and how are your "aground on mud" skills?

Rich Seals
 

John H. King

New Member
Hi Rich
Thanks for the info on the Napa River. I have been wanting to go up both the Napa and the Petaluma Rivers but have not really wanted to put forth the effort to arrange for opening the bridges. Lazy I guess.

Though born and raised in Southern California, I live for a number of years in the Charleston, SC area, had Nuage back there, and sailed the Inter Coastal Waterway and the inlets and rivers a lot. Great gunk holing.

I got used to bridge tenders on continuous duty whom you could call on the radio to get the bridge open. So I guess I'm spoiled with that. Needless to say, I got plenty of grounding experience back there. Spent most of the night, a couple of times, totally stuck waiting for the tide to come back up. I lived in the Palo Alto area for a number of years also and kept Nuage's predecessor at the YC there.

Getting in and out was always very iffy and I spent at least one night on the mud. I finally got a little smarter and moved the boat up to Redwood City. So you might say that I am experienced at being stuck. I prefer sailing in Monterey waters. It's quite unlikely that you will go ground around here but if you do, it will probably be on a rock or the beach and you will have bigger trouble than just being stuck.

Thanks again.

John
E-35 - "Nuage"
Monterey
 

Moses Gingerich

New Member
John:
Am interested in the Charleston, SC area and would love to have you give me some advice on good dockage there.

Could you email or if I pay for the call would you call me on the phone?

Pressing On

Moses Gingerich
KA8FJC
Psalm 139
 
John, You are welcome.

I was in the Cape Fear area of NC for a short while and really yerned for some Inter-Coastal sailing.

Maybe some day!

Rich Seals
 

John H. King

New Member
Moses,

Regarding your message, I left Charleston in 1991 and sailed Nuage through the Bahamas and around the Fla keys, checked out the Dry Trotugas, went through New Orleans and stopped in Galveston to ship the boat to San Diego from where I sailed it up here to Monterey. So things have probably changed a lot since then.

I berthed for about a year and a half at the Wild Dunes Marina on the north end of Isle of Palms. It was a very nice marina and reasonably priced in 1988. It got wiped out by hurricane Hugo in '89, fortunately I had moved Nuage to some nearby dock pilings and tied her down pretty well so she didn't go on the night time cruise to Goat Island with the 200 some odd other boats that were in the
marina.

I am sure they have rebuilt the marina by now and it would be worth looking into. I later berthed at the marina located in the creek entrance between Sullivans Is. and Isle of Palms, can't remember the name of it. It was lousy. Overpriced and had vicious currents. Made docking a controlled crash and chaffed dock lines quickly.

After that I parked at the marina down by the Ben Sawyer bridge, can't remember the name of that one either. It was very good but I had to sub lease a berth which was expensive. The City Marina had no vacancies when I was here but I understand that it was reasonably priced and easy to maneuver in.

The Charleston YC is there and is where the Charleston Ocean Racing Assn. is located which had a really good racing program. You didn't have to be a CYC member to race in CORA. The marina, in those days, was rather rickety and got worse due to Hugo. I expect they have probably rebuilt it by now.

There were a couple other marinas south of Charleston but I really don't know anything about them. Nine years old, incomplete information probably isn't worth much but it's all I have to go on. Good luck.

Incidentally, your e-mail address looks like a HAM call sign. If it is,I'm W6UWZ.

John
Nuage - E35
Monterey
 

David Ballard

New Member
Try City marina again, but I'm sure that there will be a waiting list. Also Ashley Marina Is better, from what I hear.

Depending on what you need in way of commendations, Try Hobcall Marina, up the wandoo river. No bath/toilet but easy access to Charleston Harbor.

David
s/v Ladydot E26
 
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