Delta Doo Dah Goes Out with a Bang
A weekend jam-packed with activities wrapped up the official events of the 11th Delta Doo Dah cruising rally. Both Owl Harbor Marina and Bay View Boat Club kindly invited Delta Doo Dah sailors to join in various festivities.
Eleven Delta Doo Dah 11 entries, plus some vets from years past, were represented at Owl Harbor over the weekend. Owl Harbor is located on Sevenmile Slough, not far off the San Joaquin River. By land, it’s on the Delta Loop in Isleton. Ten years ago, the Stockon family acquired the marina and have been working their magic there ever since. On August 16-18 they threw a big 10-year celebration with a ‘Happy Campers’ theme. On Friday evening, they greeted arrivals with swag bags, do-it-yourself craft name-tags, a BBQ buffet, and dancing to the classic rock tunes of Mere Mortals. Friday marked the last day of a three-digit heat wave in the Delta. Owl Harbor enjoyed ideal weather for the rest of the weekend.
Saturday was game day, with a scavenger hunt, egg game, three-legged race, tug-o-war, dinghy poker run, potato-sack race and balloon walk. Having arrived in time to join in the fun, the Johnsons on the 1979 34-ft Wharram catamaran Tolfea threw themselves into the competitions. They had sailed down the coast from Port Townsend, intending to winter in the Sea of Cortez, but they stopped in Owl Harbor and decided to stay.
Saturday evening activities included a catered dinner followed by a Movie on the Green, The Great Outdoors with John Candy and Dan Ackroyd. Breakfast, featuring fresh eggs from Owl Harbor’s own hens, and an awards ceremony wrapped up the weekend on Sunday morning.
Coincidentally on Saturday, Bay View Boat Club threw their annual Delta Party on their Bradford Island property a few miles down the San Joaquin. With a copious BBQ and live music from two alternating live bands, the club’s own ‘Third Thursday’ band and the Tumblers, the party lasted into the wee hours. Although the Delta Breezes whipped up whitecaps on the San Joaquin, the the levee and groves of willow trees sheltered the party.
Although the Delta Doo Dah is winding down for this season, there’s still time to enter (free and easy to do online) and enjoy the best of what the region has to offer. Registration will close automatically at midnight on August 30.