California Delta Liveaboards

[Trebek1]

Anyone living aboard in the California Delta? Any liveaboard friendly marinas you can recommend?

[Bash]

-what sort of boat are you talking about? It makes a difference in the Delta, because a lot of the marinas up there specialize in covered berths, with very little room for sailboats.

[Randyonr3]

I'm here.. At OxBow Marina... as for liveaboard marinas.. they are all pretty picky, but all but a few have liveaboards.. they are more interested in what you come in with than the liveaboard issue.. If your boat is clean, looks good, and you have all the required equeptment on board, you wont have a problem.. your appearance is it biggest issue..
And we have the issue of the % of boats compaired to liveaboards here also..
BUT, just last week a couple pulled in with their 60 foot bluewater and now live on an end tie behind me.. it all depends on how you act and what the boat is like..
Insurance is another issue.. a few years ago a propane tank blew at Pirates Lair on the loop.. it took out half the shed it was under, and totaled a good number of boats around it.. many didnt have insurance including a new bayliner which was destroyed..
Most marinas require a minamum of 300k liability..some are even higher..
If you are thinking of moving up her, you need to get a head start on doing it as when the weather gets nice for the summer, boat from the bay migrate up here to escape the cold of San Francisco's summer.. the delta marinas fill up durring the summer..

[Trebek1]

I plan to buy a 25-30 footer in the $15000 range. It will be a blue water boat in excellent condition. I want to spend a year living aboard and perfecting my sailing with the intention of cruising the Pacific. I really do need a home marina, because I plan to work during this year. I was considering gunk holing around Baja but changed my mind in favor working while doing the sea trials. Seems that Delta marinas are much like the others in California. Might try Virginia instead, but that puts the Pacific much harder to get to.

[Randyonr3]

When you buy your 15k blue water boat in excellent condition. Id be interested in seeing it.. Not that it cant be done, but uasally, the re-fit will cost you that much just to get it out-fitted for cruising..

[Trebek1]

Lets save that for another thread Randy, I've seen several older boats already re-fitted, needing little, in the $15,000 range. I was wanting to know about the California liveaboard scene.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Trebek1

I want to spend a year living aboard and perfecting my sailing with the intention of cruising the Pacific.

Maybe you've already considered this, but the Delta is not much of a sailing ground and certainly not a likely choice of place to hone your skills in preparation for a cruise. Most Delta sailing consists of either running before the wind to get to wherever you're going and then motoring back into it to get back to the Bay. There's not a lot of room (or water) to do much else.

[Trebek1]

Thanks for the good advice fast; the delta is where I would be based while working. There would be plenty of times to cruise the SF bay and the ocean, although it might take a day or three to get there.

[fstbttms]

FYI-

LIVE-A-BOARD SLIPS-POWER & SAIL

[Trebek1]

Seems like California is a bit strict. Thanks for the info. This is all I needed to know. I can handle being responsible, but from what I hear about California li^eaboard regulations.... I'm going to switch my plans to the East Coast of America, since many of those states can afford to allow people some modicum of freedom. Damn, I hope your state continues to go broke and maybe your President learns to run your society, a bit more intellengently. EAST COAST BOUND FOR ME......

[Trebek1]

"Your President" means Arnold S. My President is Obama. Let us hope he keeps the regulations down in the rest of the country. Maryland looks like a nice place to cruise.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Maybe you've already considered this, but the Delta is not much of a sailing ground and certainly not a likely choice of place to hone your skills in preparation for a cruise. Most Delta sailing consists of either running before the wind to get to wherever you're going and then motoring back into it to get back to the Bay. There's not a lot of room (or water) to do much else.

Not sure if that statement is correct.. the delta, in areas is small but much of the basin is miles wide and most all is avalable to a draft of more that mine at 8 feet...On all points of sail.. thats what makes the south tower and the ditch run so interesting.. Not sure how much room you need to sail but I only require the width of my boat and its my skills that keep keep me in that width.
I've raced the delta for many years, without a motor on the boat and in boats as large as 50 foot, I've also held the position of Rear Commodore and Race Chair for more than one of the local Yacht Clubs and have run the Franks Tract Regatta when the starting lineup held over 100 boats..
Our Yacht Club also held the Nationals for the Columbia 505s up here in the delta..
If you have to use your motor to get back from where you started, you need to hone your skills a little more..
Because the river, more than a mile wide in areas, winds through the farm lands like a snake, it provides sailing on all points of sail in one single direction, and when the tides change, you have to work the eddys and sholes to make headway..
Yesterday we went out a caught some pretty good wind comming in from the aftermath of the storm, sailed down to the Antioch Bridge and back, 4 tacks in 24 miles down and flew the kite all the way back ..
could have probably made it in three but I wanted to play it safe going around santa clara shole...

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by Trebek1

"Your President" means Arnold S. My President is Obama. Let us hope he keeps the regulations down in the rest of the country. Maryland looks like a nice place to cruise.

For those of us that live here, we dont have to defend it, me for one, all those strict regulations keep our water clean, and the fishing good..
For myself, I live aboard in the California Delta, I'm about an hour from the snow, and about an hour from the coast, I live in a resort, and have a business here, and when I look out my front window of my business.. this is what I see..
Cant be to much wrong with that..
By the way, that stick out there in the center of the picture, Ya, thats R3.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

Not sure if that statement is correct...

Well, let's face it. The only people looking at the Delta as a great sailing ground are windsurfers.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Well, let's face it. The only people looking at the Delta as a great sailing ground are windsurfers.

some of the best racers in California come from the Stockton Sailing Club.
St. Frances has their own island up here.. and one of the biggest races in the bay area, put on by Richmond Yacht Club, is the ditch run.. held in the delta.. The only 24 hour race on the west coast this side of the Gate, is held in the delta...
The wind surfers take up a very small area around decker island, But theres over 1,500 miles of waterways to travel up here.. much of it under sail..
Its probably best if you keep that idea.. we like the wide open water less traveled....