Friday, 20 June, 2003

Taking advantage of the fact that Julie and Eleanor are visiting family back east for a long weekend I put Ellie in the water for a row. I originally intended to set out from the launching ramp at Hudeman Slough and made my way there by way of Duhig Road. However, upon arrival I found that, at low tide, the very long ramp was covered in dead Tule reeds (piled more than a foot deep) and silty mud. I decided that my tires wouldn't be up to the task of driving back up the ramp with all that slippery mud to fight. Given the remote nature of this ramp I didn't want to chance spending hours sitting there feeling foolish while waiting for a tow up the ramp (and worse yet, the tide coming in and submerging half of my truck). So, off I went in search of another launching spot.

The ramp at Cuttings Wharf is within a mile or two so, driving back out Duhig Road to Las Amigas Road, I took the turn and was at Cuttings Wharf (or Moore's Landing as the actual ramp is known) within fifteen minutes. Here I stopped to chat with a fellow just pulling his aluminum john boat out and loading it into the back of his pickup truck. Seems he and his wife were fishing when a large pleasure boat heading north to Napa passed at something more than the posted 3MPH. The wake swamped them entirely and they spent a good hour bailing to make it back to the ramp. Unfortunately, they were too busy to get the boat's name - an all-too-often occurance I'm afraid. I later witnessed one fishing boat pass down river at full planing speed (my boat is better able to ride the wakes fortunately) and three large yachts (Delta Destroyers we call 'em) passing the launching ramp at a good five to seven knots.

In any event, I launched into a strong ebb tide fighting a good stiff southwesterly breeze which makes for good waves and even a few small whitecaps. I rowed across to the far shore of the river where a back eddy worked with the breeze to carry my quickly along towards the Highway 37 overpass. Rowing along in about a foot of water (my oars occasionally touching bottom on the shore-side) I made good progress until I decided it was time for lunch. Dropping the hook I let the boat fall off to about ten feet of scope and laid back for a rest and some cheese, crackers, and our de rigeur hard salami.

After a short while, I felt that it might be in my best, lazy interest to start rowing back downstream. When the ebb decided to slow and the afternoon wind increased even more, my work would increase considerably. And at low tide short-tacking back and forth all the way back to the launching ramp would be more hassle than fun. So I pulled in the hook, rowed across to the other shore, and began working back to base. On this opposite shoreline there was no back-eddy of the current so, though the wind was strong enough to make rowing some work if I didn't feather the oars on the back stroke, the remaining ebb carried me right along. Avoiding a few snags and entire trees laying in the water I soon came up with the wreck of the large barge just north of Moore's Landing.

This barge is interesting. The rudder quadrant is still attached to the rudder post and sits quite high above what I imagine the deck height was. Perhaps designed to clear deck cargo stacked high like the old scow schooners carrying loads of hay down to the City? Forward, the anchor windlass and whatnot are still in place (though terribly rusted). She looks to be a good 120 feet long or so and sits entirely up out of the water - even at high tide. A number of smaller wrecks sit nearby and I'll guess that, once upon a time, someone had collected a number of derelict boats in this spot - similar to the current situation in Benecia near the foot of the main street.

Pulling a bit further, and watching the folks sitting outdoors at Moore's Landing having lunch (you'll find a good picture and description of the river from the Mare Island Straights north to Napa here: DeltaCalifornia.com) I just about rowed into a fellows fishing line. Apologizing, I drifted back and pulled further out into the river for the approach to the dock. By this time the wind had risen considerably and, after stepping onto the dock, the chop was kicking my stern up a good eighteen inches out of the water! Pulling the boat out and stowing the gear was but a matter of minutes and off for home I went.

Next time, I think I'll explore south towards the Brazos bridge and more open, sailing-friendly water.