Rumor MarAzul Voyage to California

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In the Potato Patch.JPG

Anchored in the Delta, Just off the Stockton Deep Water Canal.
Looks as if we found our way to a Bass pond all the way inland from the Sea. We are about 12 miles from Lodi, maybe 20 from Stockton. Rather peaceful here, all I can hear is the geese flying by. A couple flocks in view in the photo above.

Ship on Stockton Deep Water ChannelJPG.jpg

Just before anchoring, this ship went by in the Deep water channel to Stockton. The photo can't show what caught my eye. The loaded water line of the ship is higher than the tops of the power pole out in the farmland. This place is tenuous And that doesn't convey the story either.
 
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I hauled anchor and headed out of the Potato slough today. Left on a rising tide to help me recovery
from any mishaps, like running aground. We did at the first opportunity! The thing about leaving on the incoming tide is, it's low water then. Probably two feet less water than when we came in last week. Well no harm, we were off the bottom in a few minutes and inched out a few yards away.

The other thing about incoming tide is, your bucking the current running down stream, and that is what we did. The goal today was to get to Rio Vista, for fuel groceries and the Windows XP disc some local help has for me, so I can fix my primary Navigation Computer. Even though MarAzul was bucking the current, until we could get to the Sacramento River, it should have been a 3 hour trip.

We were going to take a short cut via Three Mile Slough from the San Joaquin River to the Sacramento River, but I was worried about getting the Bridge up on the Sacramento side, so
I radioed them as we approached the Slough, using the two channels normal for raising bridges and Channel 16. No answer. Well heck maybe they... So I headed up the slough. The Charts say, 4 to 5 meters of water the whole way but for one spot of 3.5 meter. Heck, it's near High tide now, less than an hour to go, which should give us at least 2 more feet than the charts say.

Made it about 400 yard up the slough and ran a ground where there should be 4.5 meters of water.
The funny thing is, I asked a fisherman anchored if he thought I could get the bridge raised?
He said, I have never seen it up!

Backed off that bar with no trouble, and did a U turn. Now we know why the bridge hasn't be seen up! No boat tall enough to need it up can use that channel. Probably don't even have a crew there any longer. New charts too! Just downloaded all new Delta charts before leaving Bandon. Probably could get the current info in the Notice to Mariners. But dang, I can't cover all those bases singlehanded.

Well headed down the San Joaquin to where it joins the Sacramento just north of Pittsburgh CA,
then we can turn up river to Rio Vista about 9 miles.

Getting late in the day, the goal was a bit too far, so we put the hook down in a quiet spot off the shipping channel across from Pittsburgh CA for the night.

We shall see if we can get to Rio Vista tomorrow, I think it is only about 15kn miles. It was closer this morning, if you can fly.
 
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Way to go! Sounds like a hoot of a time figuring your way through the waterways. I'm near Santa Rosa. If you find yourself within 50 miles, please let me know, I'd love to buy you a beer and talk about everything but politics.
 
MarAzul said:
I hauled anchor and headed out of the Potato slough today. Left on a rising tide to help me recovery
from any mishaps, like running aground. We did at the first opportunity! The thing about leaving on the incoming tide is, it's low water then. Probably two feet less water than when we came in last week. Well no harm, we were off the bottom in a few minutes and inched out a few yards away.

The other thing about incoming tide is, your bucking the current running down stream, and that is what we did. The goal today was to get to Rio Vista, for fuel groceries and the Windows XP disc some local help has for me, so I can fix my primary Navigation Computer. Even though MarAzul was bucking the current, until we could get to the Sacramento River, it should have been a 3 hour trip.

We were going to take a short cut via Three Mile Slough from the San Joaquin River to the Sacramento River, but I was worried about getting the Bridge up on the Sacramento side, so
I radioed them as we approached the Slough, using the two channels normal for raising bridges and Channel 16. No answer. Well heck maybe they... So I headed up the slough. The Charts say, 4 to 5 meters of water the whole way but for one spot of 3.5 meter. Heck, it's near High tide now, less than an hour to go, which should give us at least 2 more feet than the charts say.

Made it about 400 yard up the slough and ran a ground where there should be 4.5 meters of water.
The funny thing is, I asked a fisherman anchored if he thought I could get the bridge raised?
He said, I have never seen it up!

Backed off that bar with no trouble, and did a U turn. Now we know why the bridge hasn't be seen up! No boat tall enough to need it up can use that channel. Probably don't even have a crew there any longer. New charts too! Just downloaded all new Delta charts before leaving Bandon. Probably could get the current info in the Notice to Mariners. But dang, I can't cover all those bases singlehanded.

Well headed down the San Joaquin to where it joins the Sacramento just north of Pittsburgh CA,
then we can turn up river to Rio Vista about 9 miles.

Getting late in the day, the goal was a bit too far, so we put the hook down in a quiet spot off the shipping channel across from Pittsburgh CA for the night.

We shall see if we can get to Rio Vista tomorrow, I think it is only about 15kn miles. It was closer this morning, if you can fly.
Click to expand...

Damn, California is even liberal with their tide charts.
 
I have some free time if you ever need a first mate. I could educate you on sea birds.
 
Does anyone understand the economics of these things? I see hundreds, maybe thousand of them along the Rivers in the Delta. They just stand there, lit up at night but don't seem to do work.
Might be 10 of them turning ever so slowly but most don't.

Windturbines.JPG
 
gotta run te ten to keep them lit up..one of those things that are more symbolic than functional
 
MarAzul said:
Does anyone understand the economics of these things? I see hundreds, maybe thousand of them along the Rivers in the Delta. They just stand there, lit up at night but don't seem to do work.
Might be 10 of them turning ever so slowly but most don't.

View attachment 16960
Click to expand...

There is less demand for electricity this time of year. Power plants have to run year around. Windmills are used during peak demand times during the summer and winter. You know, when people are using heaters or air conditioners. In California this is a time of year where people don't need either. Currently we don't have a way to store large amounts of electricity so when demand is low the windmills don't need to generate electricity.
 
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SlyPokerDog said:
There is less demand for electricity this time of year. Power plants have to run year around. Windmills are used during peak demand times during the summer and winter. You know, when people are using heaters of air conditioners. In California this is a time of year where people don't need either. Currently we don't have a way to store large amounts of electricity so when demand is low the windmills don't need to generate electricity.
Click to expand...
I see. I am running two heater in the boat right now. Probably not a cold as Oregon, but too damn cold for no heat.
 
MarAzul said:
I see. I am running two heater in the boat right now. Probably not a cold as Oregon, but too damn cold for no heat.
Click to expand...

It is funny you asking about the economics of wind power while on a boat powered by... wind.
 
SlyPokerDog said:
There is less demand for electricity this time of year. Power plants have to run year around. Windmills are used during peak demand times during the summer and winter. You know, when people are using heaters or air conditioners. In California this is a time of year where people don't need either. Currently we don't have a way to store large amounts of electricity so when demand is low the windmills don't need to generate electricity.
Click to expand...

I do not believe this is true. This is related to the wind-patterns in these areas - usually May to August is when the wind is strong enough but not too strong to see more of these working. Basically, the grid will absorb whatever the wind-farms produce (unless it is really heavy winds) - the utilities will adjust the production of plants they can control based on need.

I believe that only 5% of California's power production comes from wind.
 
I think Sly has a good idea. You should put a windmill on top your mast.

barfo
 
andalusian said:
So, if I get it right, you travel to a distant land to fight windmills?

Sounds familiar
Click to expand...

Ha! No not really the intent. It is just my nature to observe. And I observe that I ask a question you guys don't really have an answer to.
:cool2:

But if I had to take a guess at what is going on, I would take Sly's and your explanation and change it up a bit.
It don't really make sense the power companies are going to give priority to this windmills and use all the power they can make, slow down their own plants and buy power.
Take the power from them when they can't keep up? For sure! But right now, I would say they don't need it and therefore, the wind power is idle.

But I don't think that is the story being told or sold.
 
On a recent trip around a big chunk of the USA I was utterly blown away (no pun intended) by just how many windmills there are throughout the country. They seemed to be everywhere and were almost always spinning. I’d love to know just how much energy is being generated. They’re not particularly attractive but they sure beat looking at oil derricks. And they produce a much cleaner and less environmentally threatening product. And there must be some money to be made by those who allow them to be erected on their property. In Iowa (for example), the farms who had the windmills usually looked to have the most squared away, well kept and upgraded properties....or at least compared to those who didn’t have the windmills. But then, that was just a passing observation. But again, they were everywhere throughout the West and always seemed to be cranking out the juice......
 
Suisun City directly ahead.jpg


Suisun City directly ahead. This is about 8 miles up the Suisun slough from Suisun Bay.

Neat little town.

One thing I notice about a mile back from when I snapped this shot. An old California ranch, slightly up on the hill side. Big Ranch stile house with a Wind mill pumping water. Really busy like in a high speed spin. The funny thing was the giant wind turbine in view behind the ranch house, perhaps a half mile back. The turbine was in park, the old windmill, working like a beaver.
 
That's great but why aren't you and the Mrs sailing for Fiji or someplace warm and exotic?
 
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