Delta Cruise 2014  
- Kim Arrivee

On October 8, AYC members Kim & Dale Arrivee aboard C30 Impetuous along with Dave Little and boat partner Jim Arnold aboard C34 Quick Silver left the Estuary in the fog, for our Delta adventure.  


We practiced reduced visibility navigation out the Estuary, under the Bay Bridge almost all the way to Angel Island before the fog abated. Then, due to mechanical difficulties, Dave and Jim had to return for repairs but made arrangements to rejoin us with their wives in a couple of days.  In the meantime Dale and I continued alone.  For the entire cruise we timed our passages to take advantage of favorable tides.  
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We proceeded across San Pablo Bay into the Carquinez Straits then to Benicia Marina (37 mi). Our first day’s goal was to keep our reservations at the Benicia YC Buffet dinner. They have full time restaurant and bar staff.  We were impressed.  The next day we strolled around the town, toured the State’s third Capital (1853-54), and played tourist in the historic area that was located within a block of the marina.  That afternoon the weather was so hot that both Dale & I jumped off the boat’s stern into the harbor to cool off.  What a sweet town!  The next morning was calm so we motored up the San Joaquin River to the Sportsmen YC in Antioch (20 mi).  The Little’s and Arnold’s joined us there.The Arnold’s belong to the Sportsmen YC where they moor their cabin                                                                                              cruiser, Miwok.  
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The Sportsmen YC was quite unique.  Their clubhouse is the 1894 Sausalito Ferry that has been moored there since 1934.  It houses an historic Bar from the 1939 SF Exposition in its upstairs restaurant.  The walls, rooms, halls and floors of the ferry are so lacking in predictable angles that one is in a constant state of vertigo walking through the club house.  We found it very quaint and slightly eerie.  That evening, the six of us enjoyed a beautiful sunset BBQ on the riverfront of the Sportsmen YC.  Next morning, with the Little’s and Arnolds on board the Miwok, we made our way up river through the winding three mile slough short cut to Rio Vista’s Delta Marina (18 mi).  That evening we walked into town for a memorable dinner at the famous Foster’s Big Horn Restaurant and strolled through the annual Bass Derby street fair.  

The next morning, Impetuous sailed down the Sacramento River to Benicia (25 mi) while Miwok headed back to the Sportsmen.  We were again taken by the beauty and charm of Benicia and browsed through more of its antique shops and historic sites.  We had planned to spend the night in Vallejo but dredging operations had been extended and the marina was closed.  The contractor doing the work, Salt River Construction Company (SRCC), is also our contractor.  We passed the Glen Cove Marina near the Carquinez Bridge and made a mental note to stop there next time. Once back in the Bay as we headed for South Beach Harbor along the City Front, we were approached by USCG Security Patrols as they maintained a 500 yard no go zone around the visiting Navy ships. South Beach Harbor is one of our favorite stop overs (29 mi).  We look forward to meals in some of SF’s finest restaurants south of Market St.  On Oct 14, our last day underway, we departed at zero dark thirty, for Aeolian (12 mi). We practiced our night navigation skills on the calm morning Bay and were struck by the beauty of the lights of the Bay Bridge as we departed for home.  What a cruise – 7 days, 141 miles and I followed doctor’s orders to stay out of the sun under our Cabana.

We vowed to do it again, soon but spend more time in each location exploring!