A favoite destination: Petaluma

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

...
Petaluma is a LOOONG way up the river and you have to work way in advance to get the bridge up. Nice place, I was there just last weekend, but... 2 1/2 hours from the River Entrance but another two hours to even get there from The Brothers. It's a loong trip. Plus it's $24 a night.
...

It's more a slough than a river. It hasn't been dredged for some time and depths in its upper stretches are overstated in the charts. It's best to transit within a couple hours of high tide and stay in the middle of the channel.

Still, there's a lot of bucolic charm and the destination is very enjoyable with interesting shops and fine restaurants.

The northern end of San Pablo Bay is shallow, so one needs to keep in the narrow approach channel.



The railroad swing bridge (first of two on the river) marks the outlet.



One of many scenes along the river:



Be prepared to meet occasional commercial traffic.



Be sure to make an appointment for raising the D Street bridge (just google it!).



Docked in the turning basin, immediately downtown old Petaluma with it's shops and restaurants within short walking distance.

[fungod]

Petaluma is nice but the Napa is better. You can sail the whole way to downtown.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by fungod

Petaluma is nice but the Napa is better. You can sail the whole way to downtown.

You can do the same in Petaluma but in addition stay overnight unlike Napa. Also, Napa has room for only about two boats at its dock because half its length is reserved for commercial vessels. Nevertheless, it is a nice trip to Napa and one can anchor down river far from downtown, but not better.

[Stu Jackson]

Mark's right. Napa got it ALL wrong. And those "funky" looking storefronts in the picture are all of 4 years old. They raised the Maxwell highway bridge so you could finally get under it in a sailboat (42 foot Catalinas can make it if the tide is right) but once you're there: not much as far as docking is concerned. The Napa Valley Yacht Club is close by and friendly, but it's a hoof into town from there. Anchoring on the river is very nice, but fore & aft anchors are needed.

[Nicholson58]

We are 58 feet LOA; 80 mast clearance; 6'-8" draft. Can we make it?

[markpierce]

You will have a problem with the 70-foot clearance of fixed Hwy 37 bridge near the mouth of the river (seen in the second photo of post #1.)