Greatest Tips

[admin]

Here at the office, we brainstormed on a tip list for cruising the Delta. Here's the bare-bones version:

Screens or nets for opening hatches and ports
Fan or AC
Swim toys
Water guns
Spare anchor
Pump-out your holding tank BEFORE the trip
Dry ice
Depth-sounder
Solar shower
Vessel Assist Delta, Bethel Island, Phone: (925) 382-4422
US Coast Guard Station Rio Vista: (707) 374-6674

Some notes: Pump-outs are available at a lot of marinas, but if you're planning to spend three nights on the hook in the middle of nowhere, make sure your holding tank/porta-potti isn't going to fill up!

If you are not a Vessel Assist/Tow Boat U.S. member, prepare to give a credit card # before they'll come out, and be prepared a for a big bill. The good news is that if you just run aground in Delta mud, you can usually get yourself out of it without assistance. If you haven't run aground, you haven't been around!

While in the Delta between Antioch and Bethel Island, I've had better luck calling Coast Guard Rio Vista by cell phone than by calling the Coast Guard on VHF 16. Coast Guard San Francisco tried to help on the VHF and they couldn't hear us very well.

Dry ice will freeze anything it touches, so put regular water ice between the dry ice and your food or drinks. The water ice will stay frozen and keep everything nice and cold. Otherwise we find that we have to get fresh ice every other day. Most marinas do have ice.

What tips do you experienced Delta cruisers have for the newbies? What questions do you novices have for the old hands?

Christine Weaver, Doodette
Stink Eye, Laser 28

[iliohale]

Great tips, thanks. Last year, because we were lazy and had a small holding tank at the time (since then we have installed a bigger tank), we used a mobile service to come by and pump while on the hook. The guy was great and not very expensive. I forgot the name of the service but I believe I have it on the boat and will share later. We did run aground off of Hog Island, but we had a nice cross breeze so I just raised the main to heel the boat over and we took off with no hassle.

Heading up to Boyd's Harbor last year, we picked up a lot of grass on our rudder. So we had to back down a couple of times to clear it, no big deal.
Last year we tried using these:

http://www.off.com/clip-on-mosquito-repellent/

and they seemed to work pretty well.

[admin]

Here are some tips from the Old Farmer's Almanac on deterring mosquitoes:

Burn a little sage or rosemary over coals to repel mosquitoes.

Plant basil to deter flies and mosquitoes.

Rubbing the skin with baby oil or imitation vanilla extract repels biting insects such as mosquitoes and blackflies.

Some people swear garlic works and swallow slivered garlic to ward off these summer pests. Others take garlic tablets or rub garlic juice directly on their skin.

If you do get bitten or stung, a paste of mashed garlic can help take the sting and itch away. Some people apply garlic, onion, or radish juice for the same purpose.

It is thought that certain plants repel a broad spectrum of insects. Marigolds, chrysanthemums, asters, and pyrethrum daisies, as well as herbs such as basil, anise, and coriander, are all thought to repel insects.

Some people have luck with high doses of vitamin B1 (100 milligrams, two or three times a day), but it doesn't work for everybody.

And, here's an interesting fact: That annoying, high-pitched sound of a mosquito hovering around your head at night is most likely made by a female in search of a mate. Mosquitoes mate in midair, then the female goes off to search for blood (your blood) to nourish her eggs.

See http://www.almanac.com/content/how-deter-mosquitoes-and-other-bugs?utm_source=Almanac+Companion&utm_campaign=be97b1ee27-Companion_JULY_27_2010&utm_medium=email

[LaDonna]

Not specific to the Delta but last summer Rob got stung by a yellow jacket. Having just read a great tip on treating stings of all kinds in our favorite sailing magazine (heh hem), I heated up some water to scalding, dipped a washcloth into it and applied to the sting. (It needs to be as hot as the person can stand without burning the skin.) I did that twice & within 7-10 mins, he said it didn't hurt anymore and it stopped swelling up. It didn't itch, hurt or show any symptoms other than a tiny dot.

Whaddya know?!

[admin]

Here's a tip about charts.

One of the fleet just emailed me to ask about which charts I recommend, so I thought I'd share my answer with everyone:

We have two main charts onboard that we use. One is of San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait. It goes about as far as the Antioch Bridge. This is #18652. You may already have this chart for SF Bay sailing.
See http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18652.shtml

Then we have another big chart that covers the Delta from the Antioch Bridge to past Stockton on the San Joaquin and past Rio Vista on the Sacramento, just barely as far as Walnut Grove. That is #18661. See http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18661.shtml

One more that you might want if you want to go further north is #18662, which goes all the way to Sacramento. See http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18662.shtml

See http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/catalogs/viewer.php?cat=Pacific&side=Chart

We also have a chart book, which is published by Yachtsman and is in a big spiral bound tabloid format. West Marine sells these and the big paper charts too. I highly recommend getting the book or the individual paper charts and not relying on printouts from the Internet or electronic charts. (Double-check me on the chart numbers when you buy them.)

For more on charts, see http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/chartspubs.html

Christine Weaver, Doodette
Stink Eye, Laser 28

[LaDonna]

To add to Chris's suggestions, I'd also highly recommend keeping the map each of you'll be getting in your swag bags near your charts. While you DEFINITELY don't want to use it for navigation, I find it handy to get an idea of the lay of the land.

[scwideman]

I was just planning on spraying myself with bug spray.  I take it that this does not work??!!  Maybe I can find those new repellents that hook onto your clothes.  I was also thinking of just plain old citranella candle's, with perhaps a drop of eucalyptus oil, but will try rosemary also.   Burning in proper containers, of course.

Shawn, C&C 40 Bumpy

[admin]

I think that bug spray does work, but some people are concerned about its toxicity and/or don't like the smell. Avon still sells Skin so Soft and it works as a bug repellent, although it makes me sneeze. I have a little bottle of natural stuff I got in Hawaii that the surfers there swear by, but I don't remember the name or know if it's sold here. Citronella works, but it's toxic too, so don't burn those candles inside! I will bring a citronella candle in a hurricane jar for burning in the cockpit while we sit outside and watch the swallows and bats at twilight.

[admin]

I did not encounter one mosquito this year. Zero, zip. There's more mosquitoes in Tiburon than there were in the Delta.

[iliohale]

Same with us, not a single bite.

[HapaDad]

Apple iPhone with the iNavx Application.  I don't have a chartplotter - and had the chart on the cockpit table at all times, but was nice to see the realtime plot right next to it.

[admin]

We don't have a chartplotter, but Jonathan used the track-back feature on a handheld GPS to find our way back through the shallow part returning from the Mokelumne to the San Joaquin. It worked great - no bumps in the mud.

[LaDonna]

I did not encounter one mosquito this year. Zero, zip. There's more mosquitoes in Tiburon than there were in the Delta.

No bites, so I guess no mosquitoes, but we did get a bunch of mosquito-sounding bugs that were more orange and BIG. They found no mercy aboard Silent Sun. We also got swarmed by tiny little gnats that latched on to our mizzen and promptly began mating. Combine that with the 'fornicating dragonflies' and plenty of creatures were seeing action during the Doo Dah!

[erikdj]

Ditto.  Didn't really see any mosquitoes and the only thing that sounded like a mosquito didn't appear to be (saw it in Potato Slough).  I was happy to have the bug screen in Potato tho.. there were tons of other little bugs that I would rather not invite inside, even if they were just going to camp out like us. :-) 

Did manage to get one or two bites at some point, but not too bad considering I'm a magnet for mosquitoes. 

[TBLG]

Well,  the bad news is we are stuck down here in Australia for a couple of years and missing my Delta terribly.  The good news is that we are getting into summer where as the Delta is freezing to death!

My essential equipment:  A water proof folder/bag for your wallet and a spare prop!  Both have come in very useful on a number of occasions.

From sunny, warm and summery Melbourne, Australia.