Relax by Houseboating on the California Delta

When my husband Danny and I first thought of houseboating on the California Delta we decided we’d go alone, our preference for vacations as we are still working full time and it usually takes two full weeks for us to unwind.

A call to the S&H; Boatyard in Antioch confirmed that two senior citizens (male and female or two females) could manage the boat alone. According to Don and Ted Sanderson, owners of the boat yard for 20 years, active people in their golden years have no more trouble learning to steer, dock and undock the boat than people 30 or 40 years their junior.

The key word is “active.” Add the words agile, alert and physically fit, as they are important attributes for houseboating.

We were all of the above until the week before our departure, when my back let me know who was boss. So we persuaded our friends Virginia and Gerry Klomp of Burbank to join us. Throwing out the anchor wasn’t to be my job after all.

Twin Outboards

Our tuorquoise-and-white houseboat was a 15-ton catamaran 14 feet wide and 36 feet long with twin outboard motors, designed for comfort and safety on the Delta. The wheelhouse, which other houseboats don’t have, was a bonus, as it enabled us to see over the levees while steering.

The interior was not luxurious but cozy and comfortable, able to accommodate nine people. It had one bedroom with a double bed and two bunk beds; a bathroom with shower. The main room, which sleeps three, also contained a Pullman kitchen; the wheelhouse sleeps two. This would be our home for five marvelous, lazy days.

Before anyone is allowed to take a houseboat onto the Delta they must go through a checkout procedure. Our instructor first showed us how to turn the water on and off (the tank held 100 gallons), light the pilot for hot water in case the wind blows it out, light the burners on the stove, where to stow our gear and how to measure the water and gas.

Then the fun began. Because both men had served in the Navy in the ‘40s, it was only fitting that they should take turns as captain of the ship. They went up into the wheelhouse and the instructor explained the depth gauge, how to read the navigation maps, where they could go on the Delta, and more importantly where they could not go. He stressed the importance of anchoring far enough from shore so you don’t end up on the rocks when the tide goes out twice each day.

Patient and Understanding

Then he took the boat onto the river. He was patient and understanding every step of the way. After docking, he handed the boat over to Danny and talked him through the steps. Then it was Gerry’s turn. Not until he was totally satisfied that the two men could handle the boat, did he leave us to begin our journey. Be prepared to spend at least an hour of checkout before you start cruising down the river.

We left Antioch about noon and motored east on the San Joaquin River at about 8 m.p.h. (our maximum was 10 m.p.h.) to False River. From there we went past Frank’s Track on Old River to the lower Mokelumne River, ending up at Moore’s Landing. This sounds easy, but for their first time out the men found it was a nerve-wracking experience to watch the depth gauge and the map every foot of the way to make sure we didn’t get lost or grounded on a sand bank.

Our brave captains didn’t have much time to look at the farms beyond the levees that could only be seen from the wheelhouse. The first mates did most of the sightseeing that first day, busily walking from bow to stern taking pictures and relaying what they saw along the banks to the men.

And what marvelous sights! Miles of bulrushes, pampas grass and all sorts of vegetation. The levees vary from 8 to 30 feet high and are made of huge rocks and dirt; we now understood the warning about docking too close to them.

The abundance of wildlife thrilled us--muskrats, male mallard ducks with their brilliant iridescent colors alongside their less colorful mates, Canada geese, domestic ducks, (all quacking their heads off), little black mud hens keeping their distance from the larger fowl, and flocks of birds winging from tree to tree.

First Docking Test

Our first docking test began at John Moore’s, formerly a grubby old 156-foot river freighter that has been renovated and turned into a first-class restaurant. Could we dock the houseboat skillfully or would we do some dumb thing and embarrass ourselves? The first mates held their breath; houseboats are notoriously slow to respond to any action from the steering wheel.

Cautiously and carefully, Capt. Danny steered toward the dock while Capt. Gerry went outside, took the line from the boat, and jumped to the pier and tied up the boat. We had passed our first test with flying colors. Until you’ve done your first docking, you won’t realize how exhilarated we felt.

The Moore’s Landing docking fee was only $9 for the night, and it would give the men a chance to chart the course for the next day. And maybe we’d all catch some fish.

Delta waters are inhabited by a variety of fish including the mighty sturgeon, catfish, striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, shad, salmon and others. Fall and winter are excellent times for striped bass; a special striped bass sticker has to go on your fishing license.

Gerry was the first lucky fisherman but was disappointed that the bass was under the legal length. Back it went into the river. We ate at Moore’s restaurant that night and the food was superb. We were glad that the restaurant was open, as it closes from November till March.

Opportunity to Exercise

There isn’t enough room to exercise on a houseboat, so every time we docked we got off and walked, not only to loosen up the old bones but to see some of the countryside. Moore’s Landing has a lunch room and mini-market, bait shop and 30 or 40 mobile homes. We enjoyed the interlude.

One of the biggest thrills was watching our first swing bridge open, just for us. We were sailing down Middle River on our second day when we saw the bridge. Knowing we were too tall to go under it, we gave one long toot and one short one, the signal to open the bridge. It took about 15 minutes to stop traffic and swing it open. Between the time it started opening until it closed I was so excited that I shot nearly two rolls of film.

Our course from Moore’s Landing took us from the Mokelumne River north to the Meadows and then to Walnut Grove. We stopped just before the Walnut Grove bascule bridge, as our rented house boat was not allowed to go under it. We were too tall, and because of insurance purposes, we (and most rentals) are not allowed beyond the bridge onto the Sacramento River.

We had no trouble docking along the shore for the first time. In record time, out came the smelly anchovies from the freezer and down went our lines. Gerry caught one striped bass and I caught three. All four were too small and went back into the river but we didn’t care. It was fun just sitting on the boat and fishing in the sunshine.

While we were fishing at the stern, the unthinkable happened: low tide had come and we found we were barely floating above a dead tree and had come dangerously close to the rocks. You never saw two senior citizens move a boat so fast.

We needed a brisk walk after that episode. This meant scrambling (cautiously on my part) up 30 feet of big slippery rocks, and climbing up an additional 20 feet of levee banks among the brambles and weeds.

Still Delicious

The brambles turned out to be the remains of wild berries (we sampled them and they were still delicious) that bloom profusely from Memorial Day through August, and were full of thorns.

We reached the top of the levee and walked to Walnut Grove, anxious for a nice supper.

In the morning the tide, which drops 3 1/2 feet, was still out. We blessed our foresight in moving farther onto the river. A neighboring houseboat was high and dry on the rocks and would have to wait until high tide to float off.

As we sailed back downriver we saw another houseboat in real trouble: It was tipped nearly on its side, high on the rocks. We wondered if it could get off when the high tide came in. We would have stopped to offer assistance, but we could see a truck and people on the levee talking to the boaters, so went on our way.

We sailed to Little Potato Slough and the town of Terminous, but not before learning a valuable lesson. The men felt the boat could easily go under the bridge before Terminous so they kept sailing. After we had gone under, the bridge tender shouted at us through a loudspeaker saying, “Well, I see you made it. How close was it?”

Danny made a signal that showed about one foot. If another boat had come through at the same time, its wake would have raised us enough to hit the bridge. Don’t be foolish and take chances. When in doubt, have them open the bridge.

Ducks and Docks

Dozens of noisy ducks tried to convince us they were hungry when we docked at Tower Park Marina in the ghost town of Terminous. Once the largest produce terminal in the west, this marina is open all year.

After a delicious lunch in the restaurant in one of the rugged old produce sheds that line Little Potato Slough, we walked through the RV park and campground shaded by dozens of mulberry trees, saw the playground, picnic and beach area, visited the grocery store and ship shop, and took pictures of the old produce conveyor.

There is an immense amount of history in this area: In the late 1800s asparagus, celery, tomatoes, potatoes and many other crops were floated by barge from the islands, which were inaccessible by road, to the water site of the huge warehouses, now used as dry docks for boats.

That slough will remain indelibly on our minds because of the amount of fish we finally caught; no sooner did we drop our lines than we had a bite. Few experiences can beat sitting on a houseboat with the windows and doors open to crisp, fresh breezes, eating striped and largemouth bass you’ve patiently caught hour after hour.

You never know what you’re going to see on the Delta; every bend in the river brings a different surprise. Looking behind us on the San Joaquin River the next day, we saw a huge freighter from Austria making its way toward Stockton at the required 5 m.p.h. We slowed down so it could catch up to us, feeling insignificant alongside it. Waving at the friendly crew, we paced the ship for a long time, enjoying an experience we’d probably never have again.

A Memorable Night

We hoped our last night on the water would be memorable, and it was. We found five little coves and anchored in the middle of one of them. Surrounded by huge bulrushes and pampas grass, we felt protected in our own little world; trees and clouds were reflected in the mirror-like water, and it was beautifully warm and sunny.

A chicken hawk circled in the clear blue sky; small gray birds that looked like hummingbirds flew in and out of the bulrushes; formations of birds at sunset swarmed out of the numerous trees that lined the river, and hundreds of fish jumped all around us in our private pond as night began to fall.

About 2 a.m. a loud thump awakened us. Looking out the wheelhouse window, we saw an owl with a wingspan of about four feet that had landed on the roof.

We sailed slowly toward Antioch on our final day, stopping to fish along the way. It took us more than half an hour to go through the privately owned, decrepit old swing bridge on Old Connection Slough as everything seemed to work in slow motion.

After our obligatory toots, we heard a dog bark; he ran to get his master, who ambled slowly onto the bridge from the top of the levee with another dog. The bridge tender trudged from one end of the bridge to the other putting up stop signs while his dogs raced back and forth.

Then the bridge was slowly cranked open. The river postman in his runabout delivered the mail in a bucket lowered by a rope from the top of the bridge as we went by. This will always remain a special memory of the unhurried life on the Delta.

Nearing the Antioch bridge in late afternoon, we saw a spectacular Delta sunset; the deep-blue water, highlighted by gold, was being whipped by the wind. We sailed under the bridge on the choppy water, turned around and came back just to savor the moment and take some spectacular pictures. We docked for the night at the S&H; Boatyard.

Explosion of Beauty

Our vacation ended with a breathtaking explosion of beauty as thousands and thousands of starlings erupted into the sky from the trees lining the levee. They flew in waves into the sunset for more than an hour. The whirring of their wings and chirping was deafening, but the show they put on was spectacular.

Living on the river for five days brought us closer to nature. We forgot the ordinary, petty things that make up our everyday world and tuned in with all living things around us. This was the Delta we learned to love and will visit again.

Everything is provided except linens, bedding (pillows) and food. No pets are allowed. I suggest taking fishing gear, portable radio and ice chest (refrigerator is very small and ice chest is helpful).

Houseboat contains three-burner propane stove, small propane refrigerator with freezer (freezer will hold two large packages of bait or two trays of ice cubes or a couple of frozen vegetable packages); bathroom has basins with hot and cold water, shower and toilet.

There is no heat on the boat. We wore warm clothes and were comfortable except for one night when the wind was blowing heavily. The pressure water system puts hot and cold water in the kitchen and bathroom. The tank holds 100 gallons and we refilled it every day.

Our fuel bill for the five days was $103.20 (64.5 gallons at $1.60 per gallon).

Our rental was $400 for five days for four people. Rentals for four people: summer, $100/day, Monday through Friday; $152/day, Saturday, Sunday, holidays.

Oct. 15-May 14: $70/day, Monday through Friday, $97.50/day Saturday and Sunday.

Off-season: Memorial Day-June 30, and after Labor Day to Oct. 14: $80/day, Monday through Friday; $120/day, Saturday, Sunday and holidays. There is a charge of $5 per person for more than four people.

A $200 security deposit is refunded if the boat is returned clean and undamaged. The phone number for S&H; Boatyards at Antioch is (415) 757-3621.

For literature on many Delta houseboat companies, write to Houseboat Rental Assn., 6332 Pacific Ave., Suite 152, Stockton, Calif. 95207 or phone (209) 477-1840.