Petaluma River, from Black Point
to the Turning Basin
Coordinates
38.11°N, 122.5°W
Crew
David
The idea for this mission came from the Sacramento chapter of the
Traditional Small Craft Association, who do a row from Petaluma and
Lakeville or down all the way to the ramp at Black Point.
The whole of the river is a tidal estuary, and the tide swings nearly
as far in Petaluma as at the rivers mouth. So, basically, the
river runs backwards and forwards with the tide. It is 13 river
miles each way.
By good fortune, the tide was such that if I left first thing in the
morning, the tide would be with me until about 1:00PM (at the turning
basin) and then would go out again. I didn't know if I could make
it all the way, and thought that I should just row as far as I could
until the tide turned, and then turn with it so as to be back before
dark.
I hit the water a bit before 9:00AM. A beautiful warm
morning. This is the highway bridge over the river at Black
Point. The ramp is on the W. bank just past the bridge.
Sonoma vinyards. Rowing past all this scenery I was doing better
than 5kts with lots of help from the flooding tide.
This house with a private dock can clearly bee seen on Google
Earth. It's quite a getaway for somebody.
The town/marina of Lakeville.
Papa's Taverna. I had lunch here a few weeks later, it is quite
good. By this time, it was about 11:30AM, and I was wondering how
far I could make it.
Weekend (?) shacks along the river just N. of Lakeville.
Someone's abandoned boat-building project.
A Victorian inn fronting the Petaluma Turning Basin. I arrived
about 1:00PM, contrary to my plan to turn around sooner. Being so
close, I just couldn't break off.
Boats line the Turning Basin.
The Petaluma Yacht Club. FYI, there are no public bathrooms
anywhere near here.
I started back down-river about 1:30PM, and knew I had a hard job to
make it home before dark. No time for photos on the way.
The worst of it was the wind really picked up, and I was right into it
from Lakeville south. I made it back to the ramp about 6:40 PM,
and had Searaven on the
trailer just as the moon was rising.
