Three Spring Days on Lake O.!

Written for the Chico Yacht Club 'ANCHORLINE' ...

When I arrived at Spillway Launch, all the preparation that Lee Ann and I had done for (only) three days on Lake Oroville with the Chico Yacht Club suddenly seemed worth it. It was gorgeous, the water was flat (good for power boats!) and reflected  the green shores, random floral carpets and the blue sky.

I got Kokomo prep’d and launched  (a sight equivalent to an ant moving a large piece of bread; usually draws a small crowd ... thank goodness for roller trailers!) in about an hour and, after raising the radar tower, affixing the main VHF antenna, releasing the anchor’s safety line and hoisting Old Glory on the stern flag pole and the CYC burgie on the forward pole (and the obligatory late offer of help from a guy who stood nearby for an hour and watched me get the boat launched!), I was ready for the sea ... or, in this case, the lake.

Spike sets a course for the Bidwell Bridge

Almost ‘on a lark’ (Herb Clark NEVER has his radio on!) I turned my VHF ‘on’ and tuned to channel 16 (I was ‘counseled’ later by past-Commodore Clark that VHF’s are seldom used on Lake Oroville; his is kept ‘off’ because of a circuit issue that sends a pulse to his VHF from his depth sounder; I’m looking in my stereo store storage unit for a circuit isolator than I can give him and I’ll keep my stories of 30-years of VHF usage on the lake to myself). I settled in for a leisurely cruise to the spot off Bidwell Marina where I’d drift and read for 3+ hours while I waited for the boat(s) that I was looking for around noon. Sure enough, around 3 p.m., three sailboats came out and headed for a tack that would line them up for the Bidwell Bridge.

The first boat was evidently crewed by Rick Stuelpnagel and Dennis Kaiser who sailed out with the boats crewed by Herb and Carolyn (Hotel Charlie) and the one single-handed by Spike (Varuna), but returned to the marina instead of making their way under the bridge to Sycamore Cove. They’d apparently been most helpful to Herb in installing his outboard back on his boat after a shop found a twisted water intake hose that nearly stranded him in his slip during our McCabe Cove trip a few weeks earlier. Spike had a worn pulley in the rigging of Varuna that an enterprising marina employee was able to inspect from the second-story bar at Bidwell Marina (with crew standing on the dock side gunnels of the boat to ‘tip’ her towards the inspector!), and the two projects apparently took three to four hours to complete. No problem, I was busy enjoying Stuart Woods’ “Blue Waters, Green Sailor”.

Lee Ann, Spike & Carolyn in Kokomo!

I greeted Herb and Carolyn as they sailed by, exchanged a wave with Spike a few minutes later, and as Hotel Charlie hoisted her signature spinnaker as she was clearing the bridge, I started up Kokomo and set course back to the Spillway ramp, where I’d be happy to pick up my “better half’ and then join them at their destination. Hotel Charlie had nice anchor and stern-tie arrangement when Lee Ann and I got to the cove just before dark (I waited another two hours for Lee Ann, taking in the ready entertainment of the ‘boat retrieval antics’ at the ramp) and we rafted up on the opposite side that Spike was tied to. The crew of the three boats talked for awhile, and Herb announced he was turning in, so we made sure the only fenders we used had “kozies’ (squeak control) and we called it a night early.

Morning was glorious on Saturday. The cove we were in was still covered in green grass and Lupine, the ducks and birds were abundant, and it was an ideal start to the weekend. We’d heard Herb say to Spike the night before that they’d “start to Feather Falls at 6 or 6:30 AM”, so, though that seemed awful early, we were up and ready at 6. Turns out I had forgotten that approximately half of everything Herb says is a joke, and it was hours later that Herb and Carolyn emerged. In the meantime, Lee Ann made a yummy breakfast of fruit parfaits, and we enjoyed the time talking and sighting birds.

Varuna, Hotel Charlie & Kokomo at rest at Sycamore Cove

The morning was calm, and, after enjoying some photos of their trip to the PNW (do you know that Hotel Charlie was once named Freudian Sloop? Her dinghy was Jung Love!) the guys commented that sailing up the river wouldn’t be possible, and motoring at 5kts. didn’t thrill them either, so I invited them to go up to the falls on Kokomo, and a half-hour later we set out for “the quickest trip to Feather Falls ever”, according to Herb. The look on Spike’s face as I put the two 150hp outboards through their paces and took off at 25 kts (not full throttle) was priceless, according to Herb. We took lunch, and enjoyed it at the final navigable turn in the river, where we had a great view of Feather Falls and enjoyed hearing/telling stories about the Sausalito CYC outing, and the McCabe Cove event (you’d have liked this, Leo!).

We took a photo or two and, when Spike pointed out a large driftwood gathering (which I had been watching, as well) that had begun to shift with the changing wind and threatened to close off the river downstream, we pulled anchor and headed back for Sycamore Cove (none too soon; one boat width remained passable as the increasing wind dragged the considerable wood barge across the narrow river channel). I was both surprised and pleased to find out that this was Spike’s ‘fastest’ and first ever trip to where he could see Feather Falls from the water!

'Hotel Charlie' reflected in a mirror!

I got to sit back with everyone while Herb drove Kokomo for awhile, and enjoyed chatting with Spike about the trip to the Delta on the fourth of July. Kokomo is no stranger to the Delta! We were back at Sycamore Cove before you knew it (especially for the people that were used to sailing, which was everyone but us) and we settled into our cove for visiting, reading, bird watching and kayaking.

Sometime in the afternoon, Spike left and, as he put it, “headed for the barn”. The evening fell, and after BBQ’ing some hot dogs, we invited Herb and Carolyn over to play ‘Farkle’. Herb said warily that he didn’t play games, but he gave it a try (he was in the lead for awhile!) and we had fun and lots of laughter before he wanted to turn in. We pulled Kokomo about 100’ away and dropped the anchor so we could watch a movie without bothering our friends on Hotel Charlie.

'Kokomo' is leaving on Sunday

Sunday morning was another beautiful one, and this time I’d had a full night’s sleep (no phony 6AM departure call!). It was a special morning (Lee Ann’s birthday!) and I made espresso for her and we spent some time chatting. Then, from 100’ away, we saw Carolyn posting a paper plate in Hotel Charlie’s rigging. It was hard to read from where we were, so I asked if they wanted company and rafted up. It read, “Happy Birthday Lee Ann ... to the Farkle Fairy Queen!” (Lee Ann was far ahead in the game last night when we quit!). Nice!

We had Herb and Carolyn over for breakfast and Lee Ann made her double cinnamon french toast (Yum!), Carolyn contributed a yummy fruit cocktail, and we enjoyed ourselves. Not long after, we said our goodbyes and headed up the South Fork as Hotel Charlie sailed back to the marina. I had a great experience as we cruised away ... a radio call on the VHF from HERB, pointing out an Osprey nest on our route. Lee enjoyed the sighting, and I enjoyed the second radio call I had ever received from Herb!

Herb and Carolyn ... in Hotel Charlie

Later in the afternoon, as we were crossing the main lake, we were flagged down by a MacGregor 26 that was drifting in the sunshine. It was Donnie and Marilyn Howard, and we rafted up and enjoyed visiting for a while (and met their precious dogs Rosie and Lillie!) . We’d gotten to know and like Donnie on the McCabe Cove trip, and it was nice to meet Marilyn.

We ended the Earth Day protest cruise without anyone ever once speaking of Earth Day (to my knowledge). Like so many creative names, this one turned out to be just another wonderful opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of our diverse home lake and the comraderie of CYC mates!

Herb took this great photo of the Spring flowers!

The Prodigal Screen

Some two years ago, I wrote in our ship's log that we lost Kokomo's port side window screen overboard while trying to put it on while on the water and after dark (lesson learned!). After some research, we ended up contacting the Canadian company who manufactured the custom screens for Rosborough boats, and found it was $80 + international shipping, or about $115 total. I was hesitant to pay that, though I knew that before we went back to the PNW, we'd have to do something about the screen. The bugs are plentiful there!

Thus my wife and I went back to that cove at Craig's Saddle regularly, slowing down to a 'putt' and searching for the missing screen. We knew the chances that we'd find it were slim, but I'd estimate 7 or 8 searches, in our 21' ski boat and on Kokomo, were spent with hopes that the lake (Lake Oroville, Oroville, CA) would receed to the point that we'd be able to see and retrieve our screen.

Then, in August, we were escorting a group of sailboats and kayaks from Chico Yacht Club, which we've since joined, and were passing by the cove where we'd lost the screen. Almost as an afterthought, I switched the autopilot off and steered into the cove for another search.

We got down to idle speed and trained our eyes on the rocky coastline. About 5 minutes into the search, I said to Lee, "Look, is that it?", and pointed to an item just above the waterline. Sure enough, it was Kokomo's long lost (and expensive) screen, exposed only the night before as the lake (a reservoir) let another 2' of water flow through the dam and down the Feather River. Lee Ann went for swim and I kept the boat close and before we knew it, we had the screen back aboard.

You'd think that two years of submersion would at least require re-screening, if not having ruined the screen frame completely. But the custom screen was probably worth what they charge for it, because with a little washing away of sand and wiping the mesh down, the screen (finish included!) was in the same condition it was when we'd inadvertently dropped it in the lake! Boy, we're happy to have it back.

8 Days On The Lake for the 4th!

Lake Oroville is diverse along it's 167 miles of shoreline. One can find what feels like a different lake by simply changing locations. In eight nights, I spent my days wandering the lake (and meeting new folks), and each night in a different anchorage "out there".

During the July 4, 2012 season, I met several new friends on Lake Oroville. Neil and Sandy Mitchel from Yuba City are houseboaters ("Full Moon"), great musicians and wonderful hosts. Herb Clark and Carolyn Paul are (married) sailors who are involved with Chico Yacht Club's July 4th raft up (we took several of these folks out to the fireworks on the 4th) and friendly fellow yachtsmen with whom I enjoyed several conversations and comparisons of special places in the Pacific North West we've cruised/sailed.

I briefly met Don way up at Feather Falls, when he putted by to say that he was following and liked this blog. That revelation thrilled me and I wished I had gotten his last name or had more time to speak with him. Don't forget to visit compactyachts.com, Don, as I think you'll like the boating info there, too.

On this second 4th of July with the boat, it has found it's way into my heart and Kokomo's comfort, steadfastness and dependability have become a bit of legend in our family. I feel so fortunate to spend time with and on this particular yacht, and am so grateful to call her ours!

Memorial Day on the Rivers

We launched at the Centimudi Launch facility near the Shasta Dam near sundown on Friday, May 25, 2012, and after prep'ing the boat, found a nearby cove to call home for the night. Saturday morning was a beautiful mix of rain clouds and sunshine, and we made our way up the McLeod River, enjoying the sites along the way.

We stopped near the Mcleod Bridge to feed a hungry bunch of Canadians (Geese and precious Goslings), navigated beneath the bridge and then headed back downstream. KOKOMO found her way up the Sacramento River before the day was through,  and we settled in a nice cove well before sundown for a nice evening on the river.

The next morning found us headed for the Pitt River, with a stop at Silverthorn Resort and really close observation of wild life (students on houseboat rental), and an espresso drink for Lee. We opted not to do the pizza and pub (clean and friendly but unremarkable pizza made on crust that was store-bought) and returned to the boat for Thai salad and had a nice lunch before heading up the river and all the way to the navigable end before reversing course. We spent the night on the Squaw Creek Arm of the lake and found a nice cove, and a mother Merganser and her 14 chicks to watch. We also spotted Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles during the day.

Monday (Memorial Day) we explored Squaw Creek and then made our way back toward civilization. Lee Ann swam (66F!) and suntanned on this, the sunniest of the three days, and the trip was topped off by a chance encounter of Bill & Jo Truby at Bridge Bay Resort. We sat in the cockpit and caught up on the last, tumultuous two years of our lives.

The ramp was a zoo on Memorial Day and so it took some time (and patience) to get the boat out and readied for the trip home. We stopped in Anderson at Mary's Pizza Shack for dinner with Ray and Donella Underwood (beloved 2nd cousins) which split the trip up a bit.

Independence Day Weekend - Lake Oroville, CA (July 3, 2011)

It had been an eventful few months (another story) since I'd been out on Kokomo, and I was excited to be trailering the yacht to Spillway Launch Ramp on the Oroville Dam on July 3, 2011. I'd just completed a fill-up of her tanks - ouch! -and left the station headed for the ramp, when the truck was smashed into by another pick up that failed to stop for a red light.

If you know me, you know how I take care of my things, and the truck is no exception. It was heartbreaking to see the extent of the damage to the bed, rear door and passenger door. The other (elderly and unwell) driver said he "hit the wrong brake pedal", had no insurance, couldn't "remember" his address or phone number, etc. It was 103F on the pavement in Oroville, and we struggled with what to do. We decided to call the police to get a report, were grateful that no one was hurt and that we had good insurance. We were also thankful to note that, if everything had happened a split second earlier, the damage to my truck could  have been much worse (cab and engine compartment), and if it had happened a second or two later, the boat (with a fresh filling of 120 gallons of gasoline) would have taken the brunt. The truck, damaged cosmetically as it was, proved the tough friend it had always been, and took us on to the ramp, and later home, safely.

The Sunday before the 4th at the launch ramp was busy and crowded, but the launch went smoothly (while fascinated onlookers watched) and before long we found ourselves leaving the crowds behind and heading up the Middle Fork of the Feather River and into the wilderness. We found a quiet cove for the night and dropped anchor. The temperatures were mild (Lee Ann even got cold during the night) and we slept well.

The next morning (after getting her coffee in bed) I enjoyed Lee Ann's breakfast, a delight I don't usually get when on board (because Lee usually isn't present), on deck and was ready to go by the time the sun was peaking over the mountain to our south. We motored up the river and marveled at how beautiful everything was. The lake was full after our rainy winter and the river and waterfalls were at their most gorgeous. We passed several waterfalls on our way upriver, and just before the waterway proved unpassable (great log jams of driftwood, from whole trees to stove-sized chunks, littered the river and blocked it completely far upstream) we arrived at the distant foot of Feather Falls, the third tallest waterfall in the country. We watched the falls a long time before turning and heading downstream.

A distance downstream, we discovered an older boat, full of people that looked like they'd been camping out (their gear was everywhere in the boat) who had their engine cover off but weren't doing anything. We stopped to ask them if they needed assistance and they said they'd run out of gas ... and that the gas gauge in the boat didn't work. I couldn't help but wonder (1) why they didn't fill-up their fuel tank before heading out, and (2) what were they doing 20+ miles up the river with women and children (no one in life vests) when they didn't know how much fuel they had. Nevertheless, we discussed their problem and I resolved to carry fuel for situations that might arise like this one in the future. Though I wasn't going to tow them in the opposite direction we were headed - except as a last resort - I told them I had about 1/3 gallon of gas as a last possibility, and that we'd take it upon ourselves to seek out the few boats we'd seen on the river and ask if they had gas cans (our gas fill is a no-siphon type, or we might have had another option) and get back to them. We found two other boats in the early morning on the river, but neither had gas. One of them, however, took a line from the disabled boat and began the slow tow downstream ... around 30 miles to the Spillway Launch Ramp. I was glad we could assist them and that the folks in the Crestliner could tow them, but I couldn't help thinking that some elementary planning would have avoided the inconvenience for all. I saw them after the fireworks that evening, so I guess all ended well. I hope the tow-er was reimbursed, or at least offered reimbursement, by the tow-ee.

We headed south once we got back to the lake, after stopping at a particularly beautiful waterfall, and put into a busy Bidwell Marina for a couple items the boat needed from the store, and an al-fresco lunch at the grill. Then we set our course for the South Fork of the Feather River, where we swam (water was 81F!) and then followed the river all the way to its navigable limits before turning around and making our way back to the lake.

Lee Ann made a yummy fruit salad and we had some baguette and spread and relaxed on the afterdeck. Then, another quick dip and off to pick up the Stewarts, who were meeting us at the Bidwell Marina launch ramp in time for fireworks. Tom & Kim have been friends for many years now, and we thoroughly enjoyed their company. The girls wanted to swim, so we went back to the confluence of the Middle and South Forks, where Tom and I chatted onboard and Lee and Kim swam and visited. They climbed aboard just in time for us to set off to see the fireworks, arriving as the first salvo of Oroville's annual fireworks show lit up the night sky.

Following a spectacular fireworks show, we joined the 900+ boats shlogging towards the ramp at Bidwell. Boy was that an adventure with the Rosborough. Between several curious 'examiners' who'd discovered us after the fireworks and wanted a close look (enroute), and boaters who were an accident waiting to happen, we were lucky to get Tom and Kim safely on the dock and get out of there without colliding with another boat. But we successfully motored to the other end of the lake, under the Bidwell Bar Bridge, and to a spot near the confluence of the Middle and South forks of the river, where I wearily dropped anchor and (before double-checking that it had set properly) fell into bed and was soon asleep.

I'm not sure what woke me. Probably the wind or beam waves we were taking, but I remember looking out the v-berth window and seeing the north tower of the Bidwell Bar Bridge looming above the boat. It took a minute, in my sleepy fog, for it to register on me how wrong that was, but I sprang up in time (just!) to start the boat and avoid the rocky shoreline on the Berry Creek end of the bridge. It was foggy (boy was I thankful for the MFD!) but I retraced what was probably the float route the boat had taken (in the past 4.5 hours) and found a different place to anchor, double-checking (then triple-checking) that the anchor had set before drifting off to sleep once again.

Morning found the anchor still set and the fog cleared. Lee Ann and I enjoyed her home-made granola and dried fruit for breakfast, and set course for the Spillway Launch Ramp, where I'd drop her off and spend the day alone on the lake. Once she'd departed for her work day (I missed her immediately) I engaged the autopilot for a long trip north, determined to go all the way up the North Fork of the Feather River in the same weekend (or trip) that we'd done so on the Middle and South Forks. The hours passed and the boat motored on flawlessly, and before you knew it, I was further up the North Fork than I'd ever come (in the 21' lake boat we love) and looking down at a string of bouys that blocked me from going any further. I could see the powerhouse breakwater in Yankee Hill about 150 yards ahead, so I had reached the navigable limits. I knew of the treacherous rocks that, on this day, lay under some 63' of water beneath me. This  was possible due to the high water ... who knows if or when we'll see the treeline and waterline kiss this way again.

I spent some time in a sort of grotto at a waterfall (fading fast, but still flowing) on the way downstream, then couldn't resist a swim in a side bay when the MFD told me the water temp had risen to 84.5F an hour later. By the time that was done, it was time to again head for the dam to pick up my sweetheart for dinner (which she'd picked up) and a swim as the sun went down, then to pull the boat out and head home.

I had resisted putting the boat in at Lake Oroville since that's where we've enjoyed the smaller boat for 11 years now, but we had a wonderful time and realized quickly that you do very different things with the Rosborough than on a 21' open boat. We felt like we were on a different lake because we were aboard a decidedly different boat. We won't hesitate to visit Lake Oroville and it's three feeder forks of the Feather River again.

San Francisco Bay (January 27, 2011)

My third visit to the Bay found new sites and experiences. On Thursday, I arrived after 4.5 hours of driving and put the boat in (without incident) and met an old schoolmate (classmate from the class of '77 at Rio Lindo) for a few hours. Kent Griswold and I enjoyed catching up while cruising to San Francisco from Berkeley. While there, I got to 'mix pleasures' ... my love of being on the new boat with my 25-year career with passenger ships. The vessel CARNIVAL SPLENDOR was in dry dock in S. San Francisco undergoing repairs and refurbishments (see photo). NOTE: Carnival announced that she'll be returning to sail the classic Mexican Riviera itinerary on February 20th. This was in some doubt since many of the ships serving LA ports have moved to Galveston and elsewhere due to concerns about the safety of passengers in Mexico. Looks like Carnival Cruise Lines is going to stick to their commitment to sail the 7-day Mexico route and to their investment in the Long Beach cruise terminal they've built to serve that market.

Lee Ann joined me on Friday and we set out for Tiburon for breakfast at 'A New Day', a cafe on the main drag that proved top-notch. MARINER's NOTE: You can put in at the docks behind Sam's, tie up and walk into town. If you're not a shallow draft boat, watch the tides. We saw two sailboats aground there in one weekend; low tide does not leave enough water beneath the docks for a deep keel boat or a heavy vessel with more than 3' of draft.

We then set a course NE out of Racoon Straight for Richmond, and proceeded to explore the areas beyond Point Richmond and Brickyard Cove. There were three more marinas back in there, and about a mile of boats at the end before a turning basin. It was in the last of these marinas that I found my first on-water RF-246 (since we became owners), the Island Gypsy of Port Ludlow, WA (see photo). I'm not sure what brought it to Richmond, but there it was, in excellent repair with Delta Cab, a single Yamaha outboard and a kicker engine. I let Lee Ann ashore and she put a card on the windshield. We're hopeful the owner will contact us.

That Saturday was the '3 Bridges Fiasco' on the Bay. Some 400+ sailboats (shorthanded; only one or two people allowed on board) sailed a non-specific route around marker buoys at the Golden Gate, Richmond-San Rafael and Bay Bridges in a chase race that concluded back in San Francisco at the St. Francis Yacht Club. The commotion and colors on the Bay were both considerable as this event played out, but alas the wind was not sufficient for speed sailing and many boats cruised the day away (into the night) and then did not finish. We waited anxiously as a new friend from "our dock" in Berkeley made his way in about 9PM (having left at 7AM!), having tried but not succeeded in finishing the race alone.

As usual, Kokomo made cruising the Bay - even in cold weather - a joy!

Trintec: Front & Center

I've known since Kokomo became ours that I wanted to put a nautical clock in the boat, but I was unprepared for the vast number of choices I'd be faced with when I began looking at models within the size range that would fit in/on her center overhead panel. I knew that we could accommodate only about a 5.5" overall size, and that I could just fit three instruments on this panel.

I looked at every imaginable configuration of clocks ... including those which have a barometer and thermometer built in. Those with all of the instruments on a single plank of wood were interesting, and I thought I'd found one that looked nice until I got a close look at it and learned a portion of the bezel on the clock was plastic (vs. brass). Wanting something that was low-maintenance and rugged in construction (like the boat!), I waited and looked.

In a West Marine store in Oakland, I saw a line of Weems & Plath clocks that looked like they were well built. In handling the model, I found a Canadian maple leaf on the rear of the box, and thought to myself that it would be kind-of-nice to honor the lineage of the vessel (she's built in Nova Scotia) with a clock that was also Canadian.

So I came home and did some online research and found the company that built the Weems & Plath models I'd seen. And I visited their website, which featured a nice selection of nautical clocks ... built right ... with five year warranties. I found an online dealer (OK, it was on eBay!) that offered the models I wanted, and ordered one each of the Coast Line tidal clock, thermometer and barometer. These were to be my Christmas gift from my wife ... perfect!

I installed them this week and couldn't be happier with the Trintec instruments. They seem to fit the boat perfectly (you decide, there are two photos to the right...) and the price - which included all four of the instruments I want on the boat (the clock has a tidal clock built in) - was less than one of the fancy brass clocks I was looking at before.