dumb things

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deltabighat

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I read with interest the recent post about the boat high and dry in the bay at 4AM. I have no idea what led to that and it could happen to anyone but there is always a chance someone did something really dumb. One time several years ago my brother and I were on the hook in Whites Slough down by Helen and Hermans. It was about 2AM and we were fishing and having a lemonade. We had the anchor light out plus a small lantern. All of a sudden we heard, but did not see at first, a high powered boat hauling ass and it sounded like it was coming right at us. We prepared for the worst, as in jumping overboard if it was on a collison course. When we finally saw it, it past us on the other side of a tule berm going about sixty miles an hour. Now do you suppose someone stupid enough to go that fast at that hour could have been drinking down at Tower Park or somewhere. Scared the bejesus out of me. Any of you have similar experiences.

DBH
 
Yes! And it was partly my fault. We too were anchored out behind a berm, on Old River near the San Joaquin Channel. I considered the area behind the berm as an anchorage and did not put on my anchor light.

About 3AM I awoke to hear a boat traveling at a high rate of speed and a voice hollering "watch out for that white boat!" We didn't have time to do anything before feeling a large wake pass closely, rocking the boat. God was protecting us that night, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be in a collision or have a heart attack!

Now I always use my anchor light unless I'm tied to a dock. Assume nothing!
 
Oh yes indeed, on several occassions. One memorable one was in Mildred. We had anchored on the west side just north on a bend. We had been there all day and had dinner and were kicking back with memosas and some shrimp, sitting in the stern looking aft at the Moon overhead. We had all the required lights on. Well, all of a sudden we hear a "go fast" boat, coming right at us from the south. Geees, we were scared that he was going over the levee right into us and at the last moment he turned and continued down the slough. That has happened several times. Hard to believe that they would drive so recklessly. On the other hand we have been dawdling along the San Joaquin in the fog, with the radar on and the horn on automatic signaling, and bass boats have gone by us at high speed just missing us by a boat width. Absolutely nuts.
 
Must be something about high powered boats, testosterone and whiskey that in combination, makes us all, in our foggy minds, better boat operators. Reminds me of what Sir Francis Chichester said about his around the world, solo sailing trip. To the question "when were you at your lowest ebb" The obvious answer seemed to be he said "when the gin gave out"
DBH
 
One year we were on our annual trek back to the delta from wintering in the bay and we decided to venture up into the Petaluma River. I figured we could find a good spot to anchor there somewhere.

I was wrong.

It was getting dark so I settled on a spot that didn't look too bad. Plenty wide, good anchorage.

I had the anchor light on plus a back deck light and we settled in for the night. At about 2:00 AM we awoke to the sound of a motor (slow speed) and voices. Suddenly there was a light "bump" and then "tap tap tap" down the hull. I jump up to see what is happening and dash out the back in time to see a Coast Guard inflatable disappearing into the darkness.

Apparently they bumped into us and then were fending off as they went down the hull. Rubber hull, dead slow speed so no damage, just funny. I don't know how they didn't see me though: white hull, anchor and deck light on.

Rod
 
Rod, maybe they were tapping your hull for signs of hidden compartments for drug smuggling.... ;)
 
maybe the coastie's have a little nip of lemonade after hours when no one will notice.
 
I was at Costco last week and bought a set of 3 high brightness battery lights that I am going to use as extra night lights. They are triangular shaped, about 4" on a side, and have 3 of the new, super-bright led's on each side - they are fantastic! They are made for cabinets and the such, and the nice thing about them is that they have a motion sensor and will stay lit for 30 or 60 seconds and then go off. Also, you can just turn them on manually, and they have an 80 hour life - to use as an extra bridge, stern, or whatever light at night. The nice thing is that they are the new blue-white light, really bright, and I suspect they can be seen 2x furthur than the normal tungsten anchor lights. They are also great for extra light around the boat!
They were $18.00 for the 3 lights, with duracell batteries!
Jim
 
That sounds like a good auxiliary to your required boat lights. But CG will not "count" them as being in compliance, so still use your "official" lights at night to remain compliant.
 
Another funny thing at night. Years ago when I first began to explore the delta up north above Rio Vista and beyond. We went up Cache Slough, hung a left uptowards Shag Slough, wondered around and found a quiet place in the middle of nowhere to spend the night. About two in the morning, I was awakened by the loud sounds of idleing diesels getting louder and louder. I jumped out of the cabin and to my astonishment, I saw an enormous boat, literally and ocean freighter just behing my boat across a levee or tule berm. The trees were tall and all I could see was the superstructure as this vessel past in the night. It felt and sounded like it was about 20 yards to my stern. Scared the **** out of me. The next day brought the revelation that we had wondered around so much the night before that we had anchored on the other side of the levee from the Sacramento Deep Water Channel and we were indeed about40-50 yards from that boat. More alarms and diversions in the old swamp at night.

DBH
 
DBH, something similar happened to me while anchored and fishing at night! Only we knew the shipping channel was on the other side of the levee. But it looked like a ghost going by in the dark....very weird sight, even when you know what it is. That must have been some weird way to wake up!
 
Ditto the bass boats in the fog, really unnerving.
I think I told this story before on the old Chamber of Commerce forum, but the most afraid I have been on the Delta was one time we were anchored towards the south end of Steamboat Slough, where it's wide. We were in an aft cabin trawler I used to rent from Club Nautique in Alameda. EARLY in the morning before dawn, I am awoken by the sounds of "clump clump" in the cockpit behind where I'm sleeping. It stops, then "clump clump clump" Somebody's on board!
I slip around through the salon, grabbing a boat hook of all things, not a flare gun or anything smart like that. Slowly open the pilothouse door, look around, heart racing. Don't see anything. Hear "clump clump". Work my way back towards the cockpit.. nobody! But wait, what's this?! I let out a loud "Whoa!......"

A big momma salmon flopping around! Not thinking of my own appetite, I scoop her up and over the gunnel in one clumsy motion. Talk about dumb things...

George

PS: by the way Liz, unless an area is denoted as "Special Anchorage" on the chart, you must display the proper light.
 
yea, I know....... That is why my story is under the heading "dumb things"!
 
I had a fish jump into my ski boat one time.

It was my daughter's birthday and we had brought a boatload of her friends out for some tubing and other fun stuff. I had just nosed the boat into a little sandy beach and then ran up to the bow to catch the boat so it didn't run aground. As I jumped into the water, a large mouth bass jumped into the boat!

I assume that the fish didn't want to be in the boat. The girls in the boat were not happy it was there. I didn't have a fishing license so I didn't want to have a fish in my boat. If that stupid fish had just held still I could have scooped him up and returned him to the water, but NOooo! He had to jump and struggle to the extent that I got dorsal fins embedded in my hand trying to hold onto him.

Rod
 
Your story reminds me of one of my own that was a bit weird and one that most think I made up. I spent four summers on Catalina Island when I was in my late teens (thats a whole book right there) One night while fishing on a float dock used to tie seaplanes to, we watched as the tourists were out in the flying fish boat. The boat had searchlghts across the water and they would scare the fish who would then fly for the entertainment of those on board. We were fishing when out of the water came about a four pound flying fish and hit me right in the chest. Damn near knocked me over. It then flopped around on the dock but before I could catch it, it jumped back in the water. I actually had a bruise from it. Fun times

DBH
 
Flutterby,

Being 17 years old and my brother being 20 and having no money at all, we were drinking a drink we called Avalon Punch. In a large glass, paper cup actually, you put in a double shot of Popov vodka, 4-5 ounces of Red Mountain wine and top it off with Seven-Up. Proper name was a vodka wine cooler. I wasn't too bad as I remember but it sure did the trick. It also should be noted that we went fishing and diving a lot not just for fun, but to have something to eat occasionally. If it wasn't for the kindness of some pretty girls who appreciated a couple of handsome young men (boys actually) who fed us occasionally, we might have starved. Boy, that was a long time ago.

DBH
 
can't imagine anchoring ANYWHERE without an anchor light, and then some... even in a designated anchorage.

actually, a small boat (under 7m) doens't always have to show an anchor light if they're not anchored in or near a fairway, narrow channel or area where vessels normally navigate...

real dumb rule...

i always use an anchor light, plus a light on the aft deck no matter where i'm anchored. On my boat, I also usually leave the rope lights under the railings on as well...
 
Other than Mildred, not many anchorages (anybody think of one?) in the Delta that don't meet the "in or near a fairway, narrow channel or area where vessels normally navigate" spec. Even the Meadows could be construed as such. Best to be lit up....

oh, and have some lights on too!

George
 
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