TSCA Wingo Row, 3/19/2011

Tom Kremer of the Sac-SF TSCA hosted a row in the Sonoma/Napa sloughs. We launched at Hudeman Slough Regional Park, rowed up Third Napa Slough to a narrow gutter going connecting to Sonoma Creek, then down to Second Napa Slough and then back to the ramp. It had been raining heavily before the row, and on-and-off during the day, so only three boats showed up. Estimated distance was around 8 miles but Tom's GPS showed 10.9 at the end of the trip. Much of the rowing was against the wind, tide or currents, or sometimes both.

L to R - Tom's new Herreshoff Rowboat, my Cosine Wherry, Rick's Walkabout.

Wherry and Walkabout.

Tom removing the light bar from his HR.

Rick's Walkabout is a pure pulling boat, and he has no intention of rigging it for sailing.

Herreshoff Rowboat in the rain.

We took a break when we reached 3rd Napa Slough, where for the only time on this row both wind and current were in our favor.

Rick posted this to the Chapter's Yahoo Group: "We launched into an opposing flood on Hudeman, but after a mile of hard rowing had the wind and current in our favor turning into Third Napa Slough. The guzzle entrance soon showed up, and with the high spring tide there was enough water for three shallow draft boats to pass single file. Tom was best prepared with his double kayak paddle, while Dave and I struggled through parts narrower than our oars needed. The bridge proved just passable, with the bigger Walkabout clearing by a few inches."

I had a hard time in the narrow guzzle between 3rd Napa Slough and Sonoma Creek. My oars were too long, paddle not powerful enough against wind and current, so I struggled through with shortened oars toward the low bridge at Wingo. Next three photos by Rick.

Tom's kayak paddle worked very well in the narrow channel. Here he comes into Sonoma Creek, with Wingo just upstream.

Once under the bridge, we rowed up Sonoma Creek to see scenic Wingo in the rain

Wingo up Sonoma Creek.

The docks at Wingo were interesting.

Tom and Rick admiring the town center.

Tom pulling south as we left Wingo heading for 2nd Napa Slough.

The cross-winds, currents and eddies kept pushing me into one bank or the other. Rowing up to our lunch spot in a downpour. Photo by Rick.

Me rowing very slowly back to the ramp at Hudeman Slough Regional Park. Photo by Rick.

Here is the tide chart for Sonoma Creek showing what we expected to encounter. But instead we hit a strong ebb when launching into Hudeman, and a rising flood returning through same.

Rick's post on what we experienced:

"We launched into an opposing flood on Hudeman, but after a mile of hard rowing had the wind and current in our favor turning into Third Napa Slough.
The guzzle entrance soon showed up, and with the high spring tide there was enough water for three shallow draft boats to pass single file. Tom was best prepared with his double kayak paddle, while Dave and I struggled through parts narrower than our oars needed. The bridge proved just passable, with the bigger Walkabout clearing by a few inches.

The wind was howling from the SE, so we paused briefly at Wingo then turned downstream against the wind on Sonoma Creek. This part felt like a pinball game, as we bounced from side to side in the gusts. Luckily, the rain had swollen Sonoma Creek so we were with the river current. Normal flow this time of year is about 50 cfs, but the USGS reported flows to 2000 cfs that day (and 5000 cfs overnight).

The wind eased as we made it to Second Napa Slough, finally almost calm as we turned into a gentle ebb on Hudeman and arrived back at the launch recording 9.4 nm that day."