Potter-Yachters Stop Traffic

Twenty boats attended the annual 6-Bridges cruise in the Delta at the end of October. We also celebrated the 80th birthday of Bud Kerner, who, along with several other octogenarians, meandered on a winding but windless river excursion.

Our armada of trailer-sailers weaved through dozens of boats trolling for salmon heading upriver to spawn, though not one hook-up was seen all weekend. We hailed bridgetenders and massed through bridges in choreographed style perfected by decades of pottering together. We feasted at Oxbow Marina and putted up beautiful Georgiana Slough on Sunday morning, headed back to Rio Vista.

I left the flock at Rio to blast home to Benicia in ReGale, my foiling Potter 18, which powers at 20 mph. At the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers (approaching Pittsburg), the wind machine suddenly turned on, turning the glassy ebbing escalator ride into a tooth-rattling bash in wind blowing 18-20 knots on the nose.

Not wanting to turn a one-hour joyride into a four-hour bash, I headed for the nearest refuge, which, other than a nearby tule island, was McAvoy Marina. While it was sad to see a once-proud facility in such decrepit shape, I was thankful to be there. The only person I saw, who happened to watch me crossing Honker Bay (similar to San Pablo Bay in a nasty ebb), gave me the gate code so I could walk my hound. It was a taste of the heart and soul of cruising — micro/geriatric style. Monday morning I scooted home before the forecast storm arrived and all was good.