Fall is just around the corner ...

Where, oh where, has the summer gone?  With this heat we sure can’t call it fall yet; 111 degrees at the marina last week!

Because of the heat there is a lot of stuff in the water.  Please call to our attention any weed removal needs you may have around your berth.  We are doing our best, but they seem to grow faster than we can remove them.

We have a new BBQ on the patio for your use and enjoyment! (For safety, please be sure to turn the gas tank off, underneath the BBQ, when you finish using it.)   We encourage you to have friends up and use the patio for a small gathering. 

And speaking of gatherings, our Annual Berther Appreciation event is scheduled for September 30^th from 12 to 3 pm.  As always, we will show our appreciation to you -- our berthers! -- for being loyal members of our “family” with food and prizes.  Please join us for a fun afternoon.  We have several slips open and ready to rent, so if you have a friend who is looking for a new home for their boat, this would be a good event to bring them to, so they can see what an awesome place Driftwood Marina is.

A quick update - please keep in mind the new California Boater Cards are being phased in soon.  In just 3 short months,  on January 1, 2018, all watercraft operators, 20 years of age or younger will be required to take the boating safety class and exam and have their card on their person (just like a motor vehicle license) when operating any motorized watercraft.  Each year the age goes up to legally operate motorized watercraft as follows:

January 1, 2018	20 years of age or younger
January 1, 2019	25 years of age or younger
January 1, 2020	35 years of age or younger
January 1, 2021	40 years of age or younger
January 1, 2022	45 years of age or younger
January 1, 2023	50 years of age or younger
January 1, 2024	60 years of age or younger
January 1, 2025	All persons regardless of age

More information is available at www.CaliforniaBoaterCard.com.  The DBW Boating Safety Course and exam is being offered, at no charge, at this time.

The warm (not hot!) days and calm waters of fall are almost here.  We hope to see you on the water and enjoying your boat Don’t forget to stop in the office and say hi!

Happy Boating, Mike

Harbormaster

Happy Spring, Folks!

Winter is behind us and things are getting back to normal around the marina! You know what they say, "April showers bring May Flowers"...after the deluge of the last few months we're seeing some amazing wildflowers out there.

On March 26^th we held our 2^nd Annual Sunday Soup Social.  What a great turnout!  A special thanks to Maria Salomides for her amazing Avgolemono soup (Greek chicken lemon soup).  It was a great addition to our selection, which also included Manhattan clam chowder and Italian sausage gnocchi soups.  Kathy out did herself by also including homemade Italian bread to round out the menu. Everyone went home with full stomachs!

Our 1^st Annual Spring Cleaning and Nautical Swap Meet will be here before you know it.  Please come out on Saturday, April 29^th from 8-12 to see what treasures you just have to have!  A huge pat on the back goes to our tenant, Terry Leavitt, for spearheading this event for us. 

Save the date for our next planned social for our berthers which will be the 3^rd Annual Wine Tasting Event on July 23^rd.  Mark your calendars…  More info will come out in June. 

Good news! The storm damage repairs are completed and everyone is back in their berths.  As a reminder, please be sure you power down well before the opening to the marina.  Wakes cause erosion to the shore and entering our marina, the no wake zone begins 100 yards before the harbormaster’s house.

The bathroom repair project is moving along.  It is taking a little longer than planned, but we are in the home stretch.  We will be notifying you when they are open again and there will be a new entry system you will need to be aware of.  (The doors will need to be opened with a combination code which we will send out with your statements each time they are changed.)

Spring fishing is underway and our brand new berther, Paul Estrada, caught a huge sturgeon on his first day as a tenant.  

Don't forget to tell your friends....Driftwood has a few slips (and many amenities!) available, so if you know of anyone who would like to be a part of our marina family, have them contact me.

Happy Boating,

Mike

January 2017 Greetings

Happy New Year to all at Driftwood Marina!

In current news, the big storm of January, 2017 is finally behind us! Phew! Although all are safe, we did sustain major damage.  As of Sunday, January 22^nd, we have already had two engineers out for damage/repair estimates and are actively working to get repairs started as soon as possible.  Our first and most important objective is to make everything safe. We are working on restoring power to J shed and getting everyone who was displaced in A and B sheds back into their slips. We would like to thank all of you for your understanding and cooperation.

The bathroom repair project is going ahead as planned; please remember the bathrooms will be closed on February 4^th for about 6 weeks.  Portable toilets with hand washing stations will be brought in, however, there will be no shower facilities during the repair project. Thank you for your patience!

Now, to the good stuff…We are eagerly planning the 2^nd annual Soup Social for our berthers on Sunday, March 26^th! Kathy will have several homemade soups for you to enjoy. The event will be from noon to 3pm, weather permitting (like and watch our Facebook page for updates).  We look forward to seeing you!

Looking ahead, we will be having a spring clean-up and Nautical Swap Meet, planned for the end of April.  Look around and gather your unwanted boating paraphernalia.  It’s bound to be a treasure to someone else!   

Happy Boating,

Mike

Harbormaster, Driftwood Marina

Summer is here!

Summer has arrived!  Isn’t it a glorious place, our Delta? 

Driftwood is a darn glorious place too!  It’s the perfect place to keep your boat for trips either upstream or down river, or to just hang out for a while.  I encourage you to stop by the office for complimentary coffee, water or a soda…and a visit with me (complimentary as well!).

Speaking of hanging out, the next social for our berthers will be Sunday, July 31.  It is our much anticipated wine tasting event!  Check out our Facebook Page and the flyer included with your monthly statement for the latest information.

This month, I want to talk a little about boating safety.  California state law requires all children under 13 years old to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while on board a vessel that is 26 ft or less while underway. Also, anyone being towed behind a vessel (such as skiing) and anyone riding a personal watercraft must wear a life jacket.  It is the law!  Here at Driftwood, we request all children wear a life jacket any time they walk down a ramp, are on the docks or in and around the boats.  This includes vessels larger than 26 ft. 

The speed limit exiting the harbor is No Wake until you have cleared the harbormaster house.  Returning to the marina, the No Wake begins 100 yards (the length of a football field) before the entrance to the harbor, to prevent wake damage and help limit erosion to the banks.  

Should you encounter an on the water emergency, it’s important to know what to do.  # 1 Stay calm. #2 make sure everyone onboard has on a life jacket. #3 Know the name of your boat, registration number, your location, how many people are on board, the type of emergency and if anyone requires medical help. #4 if you have a ship to shore radio, tune to channel 16 (the US Coast Guard) and clearly say “MAYDAY” for life threatening emergencies or SECURITE (pronounced-secure-i-tay) for safety emergencies that are non-life threating. Our nearest Coast Guard Station is the USCG Station Rio Vista (707) 374-2871.  Their emergency number is (707) 374-2655. An example of an emergency call would be:

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY,MAYDAY” This is “Delta Floater, Delta Floater, Delta Floater” CF1234AZ.  We are in Mayberry Slough on the San Joaquin River.  Struck a submerged object.  Need pumps, tow and medical assistance. 2 Adults and 2 children on board.  1 adult has fractured leg.  Estimate can stay afloat 2 hours. Delta Floater is a 32’ Cabin Cruiser, white hull with brown stripe, beige canvas. While I hope no one needs to use this protocol, please review it and keep it handy. 

Get out there and enjoy your boat…use it…love it!  See you on July 31st, if not before.

Happy Boating,

Mike, Harbormaster

February Fun & Sun

We are being teased with beautiful spring-like days out here at Driftwood! Warm, sunny days with little wind are ideal for getting out in your boat for a little ride.  Be sure to take advantage of the break in the winter rains and come on out for some boating fun. While you are here, it's a good time to do a little spring cleaning around your berth so everything is ready to go next time you'd like to use your boat.

Speaking of spring cleaning, I want to send a shout-out to our very talented and creative gardener, Miss Bonnie.  She really keeps the marina looking great and creates a place to be proud to bring your boating friends to. By the way, we have slips up to 42’ available for immediate move-in. 

The next major marina improvement will be our bathrooms.  There will be some interruptions in service but we will keep you updated as the project progresses. 

I hope you are planning on attending the Sunday Soup Social next week, February 21st.  It will be held on the patio (between the office and the bathrooms) from noon to 3 pm.  The forecast is for dry weather. We love being able to thank you for your patronage and want you to take this opportunity to meet and socialize with your fellow Drifties. 

More social events are planned for the year.  Let us know if there is something you would like to see us do for you.  Next up is Opening Day, the first or second weekend in April.  Please watch out for flyers as we finalize the plans.  We will be hosting a continental breakfast and a boat-decorating contest just for Drifties. The local yacht clubs will be having a parade and we want to encourage you to get in on the fun as well.

Until next time, Happy Boating…

Mike

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!

It’s been a busy month getting ready and enjoying all the festivities of the holiday season. The Marina is decked out and we’ve all been enjoying some holiday cheer.  This year’s Lited Boat Parade was quite a treat – I hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did!

You may have noticed a lot of activity at the building that was the former Yacht Club.  Renovations are being made so we can welcome our new tenants, Strategic Security Technologies, on January 1^st.  We are excited to welcome them and know they will be a great addition to the marina.

Best of luck staying dry these next few weeks… They’re expecting some increased wave activity from the various storms, so please stay vigilant and safe!

Lastly,  a reminder that we will be closing the office at noon December 24^th and all day December 25^th, so our staff can enjoy the holiday with their families.

Merry Christmas to all of you and Happy Boating! See you in the New Year!

Santa Mike

The Holidays are around the corner...

We think it’s safe to say that the Holiday Season has officially begun as the “elves” are already busy getting your Marina all spruced up and ready for Christmas and we’re down to counting the days 'till Turkey Time.

We’ve been busy enjoying our lovely fall and all its beautiful days - so beautiful it’s been a little while since I sat down behind the computer so update our blog, so here goes:

• The fishing report is good.  Lots of tournaments and great catches are being reported.  The fish are loving these cooler water temps! Be sure to follow our tenant, Dan’s Delta Outdoors, on Facebook for weekly fishing reports.  
• Timely news that I’m sure you will all join me in giving Thanks for….The False River barrier is finally completely down!  A much welcomed feat as that is one of our great waterways.
• With the weather changing, please be vigilant about tying up your boats and having them buttoned down.  We don’t want you to have any surprises with the expected storms.

A few dates for your calendars:

• Be sure to put December 5th down for the Lited Boat Parade, hosted this year by Sportsmen Yacht Club.  Entry form and dinner reservations (reservations a must) can be found on their website www.sportsmenyc.org The boats will line up at the Antioch Bridge (in front of our marina) at 4:45 pm.  What a great sight!
• As we see other holiday events pop up we’ll be sure and update them via facebook - so make sure you’re continuing to check our site!

That’s about it for now so we’ll end with this:  Not to discount the importance of food and football, but Thanksgiving is a at it’s core about giving thanks for all the goodness we have in our lives, and here at Driftwood we’re so Thankful for all of you who make this Marina such a special place. So from our proverbial table to yours', a very Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Happy Boating,

Mike