Open that Bridge!
02 September 2014 | 38 14.61'N:121 30.80'W, Walnut Grove, Sacramento River
Mark
After several days of most enjoyable inactivity we pulled up our bow and stern anchors and headed off . Originally, yesterday, we headed towards the Tiki Lagun Marina close to Stockton since they seemed to be in a very nice picturesque area and said that they had room for us. However, we are finding that ocean going catamarans are not usual up here in the delta and marina owners really don't have room for us, even when they think they do. I always tell them that I have a 21' beam, but in thise case I think that the marina operator turned it around in his head and thought that I was 21' long. A ski boat was about the biggest thing that would fit in his marina...
So, we turned around and spent one more night in Potato Slough before heading North this morning. While our anchorage had about 10 boats over the long weekend - along with innumerable jet ski's and wake board boats - last night we were absolutely alone as everyone else had gone back to work. There was no wind and it was stinking hot (no complaints) so it took many swims to get our body temperature where we wanted it to be as enjoyed a very quiet anchorage on our own.
We spent all of our time today winding northwards through Georgina Slough - which is nothing like any waterway that I have experienced back home. This slough is a channel that has been enhanced by dredging. Orignally, it was for paddle wheelers, but now it is just for pleasure boating. It is virtually all about 15-20' deep and about 100' wide. Of that 100', about 60' is usuable while along the edge there numerous abandoned pilings, docks, trees that have fallen, etc. There is plenty of width except when being passed by a big powerboat. FYI, the powerboaters down here understand their wake even less than those back home!!! Also along the edge there will be clusters home homes and cottages. Sometimes these are gorgeous homes, but just as often they are the perfect definition of a back water house on a swamp. If I wasn't so afraid of the toothless, cousin-marrying owners pulling out their shotguns, I would have taken some photos of the "special" homes.
The most interesting thing today was passing through our first drawbridges! Today, we had 2 swing bridges and one double bascule bridge - like two of our Johnson Street bridges facing each other. As we approached the bridge we called the bridge operator on VHF channel 9 to request an opening. No matter how busy the road, within a few minutes the bridge is up and we passed through. We felt very powerful, and quite guilty at the same time for holding up so much traffic. As we get close to Sacramento tomorrow we have some very big and very busy bridges to deal with - I think five in total. Maybe I will pass through them exceptionally slowly.
Tonight we are in Walnut Grove on the Sacramento River and are at the town's public dock. There seems to be nowhere to anchor in these narrow channels so we will take a dock when we can find it! I'm not sure yet, but it may even be free to stay here.