Delta FAQs
Aircraft (Private)
There are numerous small airports around the fringes of the California Delta, but none quite close enough to allow you to fly in and walk a couple hundred yards to your boat berth. In several, boaters keep a second car so they can use it to get to their boat after flying in. Some of the airports located in area cities are: Baumann Field in Rio Vista, Lodi, Byron, Galt, Stockton Metropolitan, Sacramento Executive Airport, and Sacramento International Airport.
Numerous seaplanes land and take-off in the Delta, including a number of pontoon-equipped ultra-light aircraft.
Helicopters are favorites in the Delta and a few are pontoon equipped. Officially designated helipads are few.
A considerable amount of cropdusting is done in the Delta, and there are numerous private landing strips for these aircraft.
Anchoring & Anchorages
There are almost no restrictions on anchoring out, although it would be unwise to anchor in the middle of a narrow channel or in the middle of a heavily trafficked waterway. Use anchor lights at night. Although boaters routinely tie a bow line off a shoreside tree or bush, most of this property is private. If you go ashore on agricultural islands, you would normally be trespassing. If you drop a bow anchor and “swing” on it, be sure you have plenty of room for the swing.
Beaches
Sandy beaches are not numerous in the California Delta. Some exist only at low tides and are covered at high tides. Some resorts have private beaches (B & W Resort, Snug Harbor, Lost Isle, and Orwood Resort) and a few have swimming pools (Delta Bay Marina, Sugar Barge Marina, Tower Park Marina). Most boaters swim or float on their toys off the stern of the anchored boat — never when the engine is running. Anchorages with sandy beaches are considered premium. Waterskiers often will rise very early in the morning to go out and stake a sandy beach to use as their ski-beach for the day.
Climate
Boating and RVing is a year-round activity in the California Delta, although the prime season is from about April through October. Some of the balmiest weather is Sept. 1 through Oct. 15. Tule fog can occur some days from late Oct. through part of the winter. Often it will burn off by mid-mornings. Even in midsummer, hot days will cool off for comfortable sleeping in the evening. Average high and low temperatures for some months (in Stockton) are:
Jan. = Hi 52.8, Lo 36.3 deg.;
Apr. = Hi 72.4, Lo 44.8 deg.;
June = Hi 88.1, Lo 55.4 deg.;
Jul. = Hi 94.7, Lo 58.7 deg.;
Oct. = Hi 78.1, Lo 48.9 deg.
It usually is a few degrees cooler out on the water. Sacramento usually is a few degrees warmer than Stockton.
Clubs
There are several dozen yacht clubs, boat clubs and waterskiing clubs in the Delta area. Some of them have clubhouses. A few lucky ones have facilities on the smaller (berm) islands that dot the Delta. Membership is available in most of the clubs, and probably is less expensive than you would believe. Several clubs are listed under “Yacht & Boat Clubs” on this Website. You can purchase a copy of Yachting Yearbook to find the names of all of the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association (PICYA) members (there are over two-dozen in the Delta area). Water skiing clubs may have slalom and ski jump facilities and stage some competitive events.
Drawbridges
Owners of vessels over six feet in height will need to be cognizant of the bridges along their intended cruising routes. Some open, some don’t. You need to know the clearance of each bridge (this will vary with tide) and the hours of operation for drawbridges (this may vary with the season). Some or all of this information may be found on the Delta maps or charts, or in a free bridge booklet available from the U.S. Coast Guard in Alameda. The signal for asking a drawbridge to open is one long and one short toot of the boat horn. Most Delta drawbridges also are equipped with marine-band VHF radios and may be contacted on channel 9.
Droughts & Floods
The occasional droughts have almost no negative effect on California Delta recreation. Water depths in much of the Delta are controlled by the pressure from the ocean’s tidal action. Except in the higher reaches of some area rivers and sloughs, water depths in the Delta are just about as deep during a drought year as they are during a normal year.
Floods can be devastating. During heavy flood times, it might be wise just to stay away until things settle. But the actual period of danger or inconvenience usually is more brief than the public believes. The high water caused by El Niño in early 1998 curtailed boating in the Delta for less than a couple of weeks, and almost all facilities were open during it. In the event of future floods or droughts, you can look to this website for current information on the status of recreation on the Delta. (www.lauritzens.com is another good informational site in the event of floods.)
Freighters
You may encounter freighters transiting to or from the deepwater ports of Sacramento or Stockton. There is plenty of room for both of you. Freighters don’t have much maneuverability. Generally, they have the right of way. Give them plenty of room. Don’t get in their way. Enjoy them.
Guest Docks
Most marinas and waterside resorts that offer public facilities have guest docks. With only a handful of exceptions, there is no charge to use the dock for a few hours during the day while you visit the marina facilities. Most marinas charge a fee for overnighting, which usually includes connection to electrical power if it is available. Reservations usually are not required, except for groups or especially large craft.
Handicap Access
Virtually all shoreside buildings, restaurants and other structures at Delta resorts have handicap access. However, because of the considerable tidal action in the Delta, the angle of rampways at some guest docks and berthing areas at times may be steeper than comfortable for easy handicap access. We suggest you inquire in advance, and you may have to plan your arrival or exit at such places with the tides working in your favor.
Launching
Excellent launching facilities are abundant in the Delta, including many that are operated by cities, counties or parks at modest fees. Many boaters prefer to launch at private facilities, where security for their tow vehicle and trailer might be better, especially if they are to be left for long stays. Locations of launching facilities are indicated at this website for member marinas under “Marinas” and on the official Delta Chambers Delta Map available online.
Leveed Islands
Most major islands in the Delta are protected by levees. The levees usually are lined with rock (called riprap) on the water side, to protect them from damage from wave or wake action. Some of the smaller islands in the Delta (there are hundreds) often called berm islands or in-channel islands, are lush with growth and unprotected by levees. Portions of them may be under water or swampy, especially at high tides and during the rainy season. Shoreside facilities at most marinas and resorts, are constructed on the levee, behind the levee, or in front of the levee in buildings that either are on pilings or are floating structures. A few resorts have campgrounds or structures at grade level in front of the levee, offering an improved view but less protection during high water times.
Liveaboards
There are people who live aboard their boats full-time in the Delta, some of them commuting a considerable distance each weekday to work, figuring the good life is worth the commute. Most marinas (but not all of them) accommodate a few liveaboards. Generally, liveaboards are considered an asset to a marina because their eyes and ears give it better security. Usually there is an extra fee. It may be considerably more difficult to find a marina berth for a floating home, however.
Mosquitoes
Naturally, there is mosquito activity some evenings in the summer — although most of the regulars do not consider it a problem. If mosquitoes bother you, bring bug repellent when you come to the Delta.
Nude Beaches
There are none that we know of. We can’t say that there aren’t Delta boaters who prefer to swim in the buff, or perhaps even cook the evening meal onboard meal sans clothes; and we do know that nudist groups on occasion rent houseboats here, but we do not know of any Delta place formally or informally designated for nudists. There is a spirit of live and let live in the Delta. What you do in your space, as long it does not intrude on the rest of us, probably will be deemed acceptable. Be sure to bring your sun screen.
Sailboats
Yes, there are sailboats in the Delta. Some 300 are berthed at Buckley Cove in Stockton, home of the Stockton Sailing Club. Other marinas have predominantly sailboats in their slips, including Boyd’s Harbor, Bruno’s Island, and Owl Harbor. Most marina’s have at least a few open slips or “end ties” that accommodate sailboats, and you find these craft sprinkled around the Delta. Since most Delta waterways are relatively narrow, Delta sailboaters to a lot of tacking, or running under power. Some excellent broadwater sailing is in the San Joaquin River below the Mokelumne, and on the Sacramento River downstream of Rio Vista. Since sailboats are tall, their skippers have to be apprised of the operating hours of the drawbridges. Some sailboats draw a lot of water, and the skippers have to be a bit more careful about the waters they cruise. Sailboaters by the hundreds in the Bay Area head up to the Delta to gunkhole and enjoy the balmy summers. Some stay a few weeks, others stay all summer. Not a bad life.
Tides & Water
Tidal action from the Pacific Ocean extends to the Delta, to above Sacramento on the Sacramento River and to above Mossdale on the San Joaquin River. The variation between high and low tides can be as much as 8 feet, but more typically is 4 to 6 feet. Tide tables indicating the times and amounts of change are available for around $1. The Delta is comprised of fresh water. As you cruise toward the Delta from San Francisco, the salt content of the water gradually decreases. Depending on the rainfall for a given year, you will leave the salt water somewhere downstream of Pittsburg.
Water Depths
Tens of thousands of boats cruise Delta waterways, without great difficulty. So we’d assume that many of the waterways have water depths of 3 feet to 10 feet and will accommodate a variety of craft. Shipping channels to the Port of Stockton and the Port of Sacramento are deep and are marked by colored and lighted buoys. Owners of deep-draft vessels will want to use the appropriate NOAA charts, available in most marine stores or in Chart Book form from Bay & Delta Yachtsman.