Small Craft Home : Cruising : Memorial Day
Memorial Day Row
Taking the opportunity to get away from it all for a few hours on this Memorial Day, I pulled the boat and trailer out of the yard, hooked up to the truck and went off in search of some quiet water. Within a short drive from home I have two immediate options: putting in at Brinkman's here in Vallejo or at the public ramp at Cuttings Wharf. I chose Cuttings Wharf feeling Brinkman's would be too crowded with noisy bass boats on a day like this. In the event, Cuttings Wharf was fairly crowded as well - but the location is much more bucolic and condusive to relaxation. The tide was nearing the high point about mid-morning and a small tide it was too - so I wasn't worried about any strenuous exercise from that quarter. As is usual in this area at this time of the year, there was little morning wind with the promise of a fine breeze as the day wore on - a chance to try out my new sailing rig!
After stopping for coffee and a bagel I headed north towards Napa and Cuttings Wharf - a short drive of only 15 minutes. On arrival I began with a short scout of the ramp and dock - many trucks and trailers in the lot but only one boat putting in at the ramp. A few folks fishing though. I'd have to keep clear of their lines. Back to the truck to prepare Ellie for launch. After a few trailering experiences I've learned that the trip to and from the water is where the boat suffers the most (cosmetic) damage. Things tend to bounce and chafe so I'm learning to secure things enough to weather a hurricane. That means a few extra minutes in preparation before launch and a few more prior to heading home but it is time well spent. So, I proceeded to unlash spars and oars, clear away dock lines and running rigging, and - inadvertently - make sure my anchor rode was thoroughly fouled (I didn't discover this until later).
Once prepared I quickly backed down the ramp and slid Ellie into the water and tied off to the dock cleats. I parked the truck, hit the port-a-potty, and climbed in - pleased with myself for such a flawless, effortless launch. Of course at this point I discovered that my oarlocks, leashed to the stringers supporting the thwarts with itty-bitty knots, were sitting in the wrong position! Ellie rows best with one person when using the middle (moveable) thwart. The locks were in the forward-most position to be used when rowing from the centerboard thwart position. And I'd used fairly fine string for the leash. So I was stuck picking apart the knots to move them - all while the next boat was waiting to put in. There went my slick launch...
This minor trauma past I pulled out into the Napa River and headed north to an inlet I'd seen on the maps (but couldn't see from the dock). According to the maps and lore this channel runs around Bull Island and is sometimes difficult to spot (see John Cavano's Bull Island Kayaking Report and Second Bull Island Kayaking Report pages for a description of his searches and for some good pictures of Cuttings Wharf itself). The tide was moving with me and I made good progress along the shore - stopping to inspect an old landing-craft wreck (war surplus used for hauling who knows what?) on the eastern shore. After pulling for fifteen minutes or so I came upon a narrow entrance amidst the tule reeds and ducked in. Once within this channel all was quiet except for the occasional plane taking off from nearby Napa airport. There was enough breeze to keep things from being too hot and I ghosted in among the tules for a few hundred yards before the channel narrowed to the point where I'd have to fight to keep rowing. Not being interested in that much work I shipped my oars, pulled out my book (Roger Pilkington's Small Boat Through Belgium in honor of his recent passing at 88 years), lay down and let Ellie drift as she would.
There was something of a back-eddy within this channel so the very slight current began to carry me slowly back the way I'd come which was fine with me. The water was no more than a couple feet deep here and it wouldn't do to dry out until the next flood tide with no more than a bottle of water - I was already hungry again. I read for fifteen or twenty minutes and grew restless. Out came the oars and back I went towards the river - stopping short just within the channel entrance where I decided to drop my hook and read some more. Now the fouled anchor line came to light! After a few minutes worth of cursing to myself my overly large hunk of iron was over the side with far more of a splash than I had intended. I was now good and wet from the waist up. I use an old Neenah Foundry Co. anchor that must weight at least ten or fifteen pounds - far more than Ellie requires. Someday I'll cast one in bronze instead. Meanwhile, my good ol' Neenah reminds me of Wisconsin and manhole covers.
After another hour of reading - during which time Julie called me on the cell phone (!) - I decided there was enough breeze to warrant raising the sail. This would be the first time sailing Ellie since I made the sail and rig last year. I was curious to see how she'd handle with the centerboard down. Would she have too much leeway while climbing into the wind? How would that kick-up rudder work when it was too light to stay put in the down position (there's a small lead-casting project - though Bill Doll says I should just rig up a running loop to raise or lower the rudder - he likes pulling on strings)? In any event, I raised the sail, pulled in the hook, and out of the channel I went. I pointed downwind first - heading north towards Napa. However the wind was a bit tentative in this stretch of water so I came about and started to tack back towards the dock (I was really hungry by now).
I'm glad to say that Ellie sailed like a dream. She tacks well, and with a good puff of wind really takes off. She points nicely, makes little apparent leeway (at least in this sheltered water) and there's a fine sound of water clinking along the side when she heels over.
Four or five short boards later I was back to the vicinity of the dock. All those fishing lines made me wary of sailing right up to the dock - and a few jet ski's added to the distraction - so I dropped sail on the far side of the river and slowly rowed back over and tied up. I then dropped the mast and went for the truck. Pulling out was as easy as launching. The only thing I missed was having a few fenders. Ellie tends to sit low enough in the water that her sheer will slip under the dock when a boat wake rocks her too much. I suffered a bit of scratched paint this time. After pulling out I spent a bit of time making all fast again prior to heading home for lunch. A few passers-by stopped to chat about the boat which is always nice.
All in all, it was a good dry run for my proposed mini-gunkhole expedition in July - a trip I propose to start from Cuttings Wharf. We won't be able to leave cars or trailers in the lot beyond launching day but the facilities are great for putting in and pulling out. Here's a map of the Memorial day events.
