TUESDAY 25 JUNE; OX BOW MARINA TO WILLOW BERM

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY

ROB

BELLA

DARLENE

HERMINA

We took our time with our coffee and then prepared the boat for departure.  Rob wants to drive the boat all day, do a big loop; check out the “bedrooms” and the place where everyone goes to watch the fireworks.

So.. Off we went.

But first, I must tell you…it rained during the night.  I work up in the wee hours with light rain falling on me.  The port windows over our bed were open and we were both getting rained on.  

So today’s journey was through out the sloughs.  It is overcast. Which is a little bit cooler.

Before we left we chatted with this nice couple, Sarah and Ed, who were parked there at the marina behind us.  Super friendly.  They live on Bethel Island and have a lovely boat to buzz around in.  I think it would be fun to hang out with them and get to know them better.

We left the marina about 9:30 and cruised.  There are some pretty awesome homes along the water

I think it would be fun to live in one of these houses right on the river.  Especially with all the water toys and your own dock right there.

When we got to the Mokelumne River we had to get them to open the bridge for us.  They are always so friendly when you call them and ask for a bridge opening.  We are never sure when we arrive at a bridge how it is going to open.  Is it going to raise in one piece or split and lift or swing.  This one was a swing bridge.  It was pretty cool.

We passed by the Willow Berm which is where we are going to stay tonight and 

Past Pirates Lair and then

continued on through the river to the San Joaquin River.

Nice shot of Mt. Diablo and then turned in to Little Potato Slough

There we checked out the “three bedrooms” which are around the three little islands that are out there in the river.  They are supposed to be favorite places for people to anchor and raft up for a couple days of fun in the sun; but again, we didn’t see any place that would be suitable to take Bella to shore.  We continued through the slough to an area that seems to be quite abandoned.  Things are literally sinking into the water.

Next we went by the Aurora Restoration Project.

The Aurora is actually the renamed 1955 Wappen Von Hamburg cruise ship.  She was the first cruise ship that Germany was permitted to build post WWII. It was intended to be used for day-long cruises from Hamburg to Helgoland.  Her maiden cruise in the North Sea carried a full complement of 1600 passengers.

Currently she is a hot mess.  She was purchased off of Craig’s List in 2008 by Chris Wilson.  It is a 293-foot pocket cruise ship.  Under previous owners she has been kicked out of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Solano, Sacramento and Alameda Counties.  She has now retreated to Stockton and sits with the Fir and Chaleur 

Wappen Von Hamburg in its heyday!  Chris Wilson has been working with a group of friends and others to restore her.  They have made a lot of progress, but have a long way to go.  There is rumor that since May it has been sinking, but I have not found much information on that.  

We continued on through Little Potato Slough and re entered the San Joaquin River.  We next went by Mandeville Island.  And Hilton’s Hunting Lodge.

Hilton loved 4th of July and fireworks and every year he set up a huge barge of fireworks and boats would come from all around to anchor out to watch the show.  He has since passed away, but he set up a trust to continue the fireworks barge for something like 40 years after his death.  We were told that this is where we need to be for the 4th.  We had planned on arriving on the 2nd to find our spot. However; in looking at the upcoming weather, we discovered it was going to be 106 degrees on the second (it has now been dropped to 100, but on anchor, without electricity, that is way to hot.

Boats  are already anchoring and rafting up in anticipation for it.

 

The loop was fun and we continued on back to Willow Berm where we docked for the next two nights. It’s a really big place, but we are on the river side of  dock.  That means that every time a boat goes by we get hit by their wake.  That makes us rock and roll and slay against the dock and the waves slap against us.  Bella hates it and I must admit Im not to crazy about it either.

We have new dock mates here.

Difficult to see, but this snowy white egret has a fish in its bill.  Just after we took the picture it swallowed the fish.  There was a blue heron there with it later.

It is a really long walk from out boat to the office.  We pretty much have to go around the entire marina.  but we get to go by the club house and the pretty waterfall at the entrance, so I guess that makes it worth it.