Delta Doo Dah Dozen Open for Business

By the time you read this, we will have opened registration for Delta Doo Dah Dozen. We held off a bit on taking entries while we adapted to the shelter-in-place situation. But we’re hopeful that the sailors who sign up for this inland rally will actually be able to cast off their docklines and cruise the Delta.

As far as large gatherings go, the Delta Doo Dah has been a DIY rally since 2013 anyway. This spreads out the fleet’s impact on the region over three or four months and over a vast network of waterways. Anchoring in a bucolic backwater or taking a slip in a marina not your own is already happening, even though it’s perhaps not strictly in the spirit of the shelter-in-place orders. We don’t know what the near future holds, but we’re guessing that the powers that be will condone this type of recreation before allowing big gatherings.

Official Doo Dah Events

Speaking of big gatherings, we do have some official events on our 2020 itinerary. The first is our Kickoff Party and Seminar. Richmond Yacht Club has scheduled this for the evening of Saturday, May 16. If we had to lay odds, we’d bet 9 to 1 that Contra Costa County won’t let RYC open the doors to 40 or 50 folks by then. If that proves to be the case, we’ll take this event online and make it a Zoom meeting. Either way, Delta vets Craig and Ann Perez, Doodette Christine Weaver, and Delta Rat Bill Wells will be the presenters. Bill is the commodore of the Delta Chambers and writes the Delta Rat column for Yachtsman. We’ll invite attendees to introduce themselves, ask questions, and share their own tips. And we’ll have ‘door’ prizes! (If your business is interested in donating an emailable gift certificate, please contact Doodette Chris.)

The Delta Ditch Run, scheduled for June 6, is the next event on the list. The Delta Doo Dah has helped to grow the Cruising Division of this all-day race from RYC to Stockton Sailing Club. All of SSC’s races and socials are on hold for now. We’ll keep you posted.

The odds improve for our events later in the summer. Delta Bay Marina will host us for the second year in a row at their resort on Isleton’s Delta Loop, just off the San Joaquin River, on Sunday, August 9, starting at noon. Bill Wells will speak at this event too. Then, the following Saturday, Owl Harbor on Sevenmile Slough (also in Isleton) invites Delta Doo Dah sailors to join them for their tenants’ BBQ and Dinghy Poker Run on August 15.

Sign up for the Doo Dah at www.deltadoodah.com/register.html.