New
Trip
3 Hour Petaluma
Cruise
View
this river from a different perspective. Come enjoy an entertaining
and informative tour of the Petaluma River. Sail this historic waterway
from the turning basin in downtown Petaluma to the mouth of the river
in San Pablo Bay and return. See how Petaluma is preserving its past
while stepping into the 21st century.
Check California Calendar
Directions to the boat:The River House
New
Years Eve Cruise!
December 31, 2007 - January 1, 2008
The New
Years Eve S.F. Bay cruise starts with a meeting on "Delphinus"
at approximately 2100(9PM) on Monday Dec. 31, 2007. Hors d'oeuvres,
drinks, and socializing will occupy the group as we leave the dock
in Berkeley and begin our 4-hour tour and celebration. We will cruise
the San Francisco City front and it will be spectacularly dressed
up for the Christmas and New Years seasons. Fire works traditional
take place either from the Ferry Building area or near the Golden
Gate Bridge at midnight. We will plan to be back at the dock by 1:00am
As this trip is somewhat weather dependent, we encourage people to
call our office (510-527-9622, Box 4) to check on the status of this
trip. Final decision will be made late morning or early afternoon
of Dec. 31st. Non-fancy WARM dress is recommended. Casual dress and
a celebratory attitude are encouraged!
California
Delta
Thanksgiving
Delta Wildlife Cruise
Our Thanksgiving
cruise is planned to give a firsthand experience of the Delta and
a most memorable, relaxing and wonder-filled Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving
Day we will feast on a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, celebrating
the holiday while enjoying the richness and beauty of the Delta.
Throughout
the long weekend we will explore this unique and little-known area
by yacht, skiff, and on foot. Teeming with wildlife, the Delta has
over 1,000 miles of navigable waterways, offering an incredibly enticing
antidote to our urban living.
Fall
in the Delta is the time for the greatest concentration of migrating
ducks and geese in California. We visit Suisun Bay and Collinsville,
trace the top of Frank’s track, and follow the San Joaquin River
and adjoining sloughs - Disappointment Slough, White’s Slough,
and Little Potato Slough - on down the South Fork and then up the
North Fork of the Mokelumne. Our destination the famous Meadows Scenic
Area.
Overnight
accommodations are limited to eight guests in double cabins. One family
could also share a four bed V-berth cabin at a reduced rate. All meals
are professionally prepared.
Come
cruise the Delta on Delphinus!
Directions
to the boat in Antioch
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Delta Birding - Birds of the Delta
Enjoy
a specialized look at the California Delta when bird life is abundant.
On this trip the last few years, participants have sighted six or
more species of hawks in the first hour, including a nesting pair
of peregrine falcons. You can also expect to see Swainson hawks, owls,
and thousands of waterfowl including tundra swans, snow geese, Canada
geese, ducks, and sandhill cranes. A professional bird guide will
be onboard.
Check California Calendar
Directions to the boat (Antioch Marina)
Heart of the Delta
Discover
the Delta, the hidden heart of California, its watering hole and the
source of over 50% of the water used in the state. It's fascinating.
In the midst of the arid Central Valley, there are hundreds of miles
of rivers, sloughs, and canals forming a maze of waterways connecting
the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.
This
is also the richest and rarest terrestrial habitat in the state. Streamside
forests mingle with freshwater marshes creating a wildlife paradise.
River otters, beavers, and muskrats are commonly seen as well as numerous
birds.
Directions
to the boat (Walnut Grove)
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River
Cruises
Petaluma River
Cruise - full day
Rediscover
this once active river artery while treating yourself to an insider’s
view of seldom visited parts of Marin and Sonoma County. Today all
along the River lies marshland, a de facto wilderness area, rich with
wildlife. Don't leave home without your binoculars. Arriving at Petaluma,
enjoy a stroll in Victorian Old Town. Tour can include historic commercial
and or homes plus historic museum located in a Carnegie Library Building.
Tour may also include shore side lunch along side the river or onboard
Delphinus. Lunch is extra. After exploring Petaluma, you relax while
“rollin down the river“. Enjoy the flowing, tranquil experience
of the river and its inhabitants.
Directions
to the boat (Vallejo Marina)
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Napa River
A
cruise along the Napa River is like a voyage into the past. Beginning
at historic Vallejo, the cruise continues along the waterfront of
Vallejo and Mare Island. Vallejo once rivaled or surpassed San Francisco
in importance. Mare Island is a monument to the industry of the US
Navy and began building ships during the civil war. Historic ships
from the Mothball Fleet are often found here. Once beyond Vallejo,
you enter a different world, one of vineyards, agriculture, backwater
homes and marinas. Some of the largest contiguous marshes are located
along the Napa River, with much bird life. The old Leslie salt ponds
as well as former agricultural lands are being returned as well to
marsh land as part of the S.F. Bay National Wildlife refuge. The collection
of historic buildings in Napa contains much of the charm of Old California
and was the site of the last California Mission.
Directions to the boat (Vallejo Marina)
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Mothball
Fleet
Partially hidden in the back waters of Suisun Bay is anchored one
of the most interesting collections of ships anywhere. Much to the
delight of history buffs and others, this collection is an assortment
of ships dating back to World War II. It is a virtual museum of navy
ships from then till now. While ships come and go, recent ones include
sizes from air craft carriers to mine sweepers and such interesting
specialists as submarine rescue vessels and ice breakers.
Directions to the boat (Vallejo Marina)
San
Francisco Bay
Brooks Island
An official
wildlife sanctuary, Brooks Island was home to local natives for two
or three thousand years. Four times the size of Alcatraz, it has been
a quarry, a sheep pasture, an orchard, and a shrimp camp. Today it
preserves the best examples of some of the original habitats of the
Bay--grassland, coastal strand, salt marsh, and intertidal areas.
You will
go ashore with naturalists to learn about the plants, birds, and history
of this island. Climb to the top of the 163-foot peak for a panoramic
view of the Bay.
Then
we will cruise by other less-visited islands including Red Rock, Castro
Rocks, and East and West Brothers while our naturalists discuss their
features.
Lighthouses of
San Francisco Bay
Not only
does the Bay have some of the most interesting lighthouses in the
country, it also has the greatest density of them on the West Coast.
The development of the West Coast began here, depending on water traffic
with the East Coast; hence, several of the first lighthouses on the
West Coast were built here.
On this
cruise, you will see nearly all the historic lighthouses of central
San Francisco Bay and learn their individual histories as well as
the cultural history of the Bay.
Directions
to the boat (Berkeley Marina).
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Opening
Day on the Bay
One
of the oldest traditions on the Bay is Opening Day. It is a time for
celebrating all the bay means and offers to its boating community and
the rest of us. There is a blessing of the fleet in Raccoon Strait and
a large parade of ships lead by the San Francisco and Oakland fireboats.
The Navy and coast guard and a number of historic ships take place.
The yacht club community sponsors a competition for decorated boats
based around a theme. This year’s theme is Mardi Gras. Leaving
at 9 am from the Berkeley, we will make a circle around the central
Bay, passing close to Angel Island, through Raccoon Strait, past Richardson
Bay, the Marine headlands, under the Golden Gate bridge, and close along
the San Francisco shoreline.
Directions
to the boat (Berkeley Marina).
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NOTE:
All itineraries and schedules are subject to change based on weather
conditions, and the captain's discretion.
CALIFORNIA
WINTER 2007/2008 CALENDAR
Call 800-472-9942 for updates (Contact
the sponsoring group to enroll.)
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