Great Views

David went up the mast a few days back to install boom lifts for the foresail. Here are a couple pictures he took. The first is looking East at the farmland with the sloughs running through it and a boat anchored at almost each bend, the second view is to the West. In both you can see the rock walls of the levy around the slough. These levies used to be tree covered–which must have been quite lovely–but farmers have taken to using ugly rocks instead. I imagine that 30 years ago visiting the Delta was much prettier than it is today. It also probably provided much more shelter for wildlife and birds.

slougheast

sloughwest

Each morning we have a lovely sunrise over the water.

sloughsunrise

Entertainment

We’ve been spending time in the Potato Slough. Lots of little projects getting done, oh so nice. Fixing chairs, making boom lifts, finishing up my foresail cover, varnishing things. Nice, nice, nice.

After the power boat anchored “atop us” we actually ended up enjoying their company. Funny people with New Jersey accents, they were exactly Archie and Edith of “All in the Family.” from attitudes to things they talked about. We had a blast since we could hear everything they talked about and it was all very cute. Their daughter, a gorgeous blond, and her hubby came up on their sailboat to raft up with their parents. Turns out it was “Archie’s” birthday.

One day, David pulled out the bit and brace to screw in some large #20 screws for two padeyes on the rubrail. Immediately, Archie says to Edith and a visiting friend of theirs: “Say, do you remember what a bit and brace is? No? Well, look at that sailboat fella using a bit and brace! He thinks when you got a’ 80 year old boat, you gotta use a’ 80 year old tool!”

potatoe3

Archie and Edith left yesterday. We actually miss them. Go figure.

Day before yesterday, a lovely little cutter, Misty, sailed into the slough and dropped the hook nearby. She’s a pretty boat and we were really happy to have the lovely view with Misty in it. We had drinks aboard Misty that evening and learned much about her owners and their sailing. The owners, experienced cruisers Bob and Jane, were spending a Delta vacation with their lovely teenage granddaughter, Lacy. We invited them for dinner aboard Mahdee yesterday and we enjoyed more of their stories and company. We brought “Musk Ox” the mascot up to the charthouse where he could also be part of the evening’s fun. We and they depart the slough on Friday morning–they go back down towards the Bay to drop of their granddaughter to her father and we go up further into the Delta to see a bit more before our trip back down into the Bay.

The Anchoring of Others, Part II and Misc. Living on the Hook in the Delta

Ah, it goes on. After the tide changed and the currents swung us back the other way…we seem to be “OK.” Not hunky dory, but OK. On the GPS our anchor track looks normal but in a different location than it had been. The heavy anchor chain hasn’t pulled back so we’re a little closer to shore in front of us. We figured that was good: No one would be temped to motor over our bow rode or chain with so little room between us and shore.

No such luck. A hefty power boat “Ladies Choice of San Rafael CA” decided to anchor right there. On top the Norhill. Really. Their bow is 3 feet from shore, their stern 30 feet from our bowsprit. In a line, right on top of the smaller of our two bow anchors. The other one, the CQR is, luckily 40 to 60 feet away in a slightly different direction.

The place is empty. Not a soul in sight. A couple empty houseboats that people come to on the weekends lie across the cove. Space, space, everywhere space. And, this fellow decides to anchor right on top of us. I went forward and talked to the fellow as he was doing it. He’d already set a stern anchor a ways off up-current from us and it would make sense for him to anchor, tucked into shore if that’s his desire, ummm closer to the stern anchor. Nope, he says “I’m not on top your anchor.” and “don’t worry when we’re done we won’t be on top your anchor.”

Well, he’s atop the anchor and I suppose I’ve done enough complaining about it and will move on to other topics. The epoxy glue on the new dingy seat will be dry tomorrow. If David and I want to, we can pull up anchor and move somewhere else at that time. It’s a little difficult to set an anchor without being able to row out the stern anchor if needed so we’ll have to wait…

After I got everything sufficiently varnished this morning, David and I installed the new seat in the Tinker and then David canoed over to the blackberry patch to bring back another load of berries. Man, I really wish I had all my canning stuff here. Alas, I don’t! I left jars and lids in a storage unit in San Diego–never dreamed that I’d need them before we get back down there this winter. Each day that we’ve gone there, in one spot we can pick 2 quarts of berries in about 1/2 hour. If we were willing to wear long sleeves/gloves and reach further into the bushes, we’d get at least 8 quarts of berries in that location, daily. Alas, no canning gear so no reason to do so. After getting tired of fresh berries alone, on Wednesday I made a cobbler and we had lots of cobbler for two days. No berry picking yesterday–too many berries. Today, with the two quarts David picked, I made a blackberry crumble cake which made a wonderful dessert and will do quite nicely as breakfast and dessert tomorrow as well. We’re going to be tired of blackberries shortly, but at the moment, this is great! After David returned with the berries, we swam for a while–need to work off all those blackberry calories! This is such a nice spot for swimming, too.

More later…

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