Where to windsurf near Davis/Sacramento during Winter?

[Yakkster]

I was a member of the Lake Washington Sailing Club ... a loooong time ago ... mainly to windsurf tho I did have a couple sailboats. I just found the club's website http://www.lwsailing.org/info/ and recognized a few people's names from their member list. I lived in South Sacramento then and it was GREAT to have a sailing spot 15 minutes from home. I had some good sailing times out there. Most memorable was when a freaky summer storm quickly blew through. The water was near flat when I water started and got in the straps. I FLEW across. Don't remember jibing. I probably fell as usual. But what sticks in my mind vividly is when I was up and going on my way back with gap closed at full bore I look west and see a full rainbow. I thought, "It doesn't get any better than THIS!"



Reason I looked for windsurf info today is that I've got a BUNCH of stuff to sell. Old, but GOOD stuff. Couple carbon booms for big sails, Mistral boards, a custom Maui made race board, quality fins, harness, NICE shorty wet suit, etc. Too much to list here. I'm hoping someone here could help since you all seem local to Sacramento area.

Me in my HEY! day trying a jibe at Rancho Seco ... I fell!

[carl]

You could try the "buy/sell" tab at the top of the website.
Older stuff doesn't fetch much value these days though, not like in the "heyday". The sport has lost alot of sailors to kiting or other things.
Why did you quit? Get back out there, you're never too old!

[Yakkster]

When I first found the buy/sell tab something glitched out and nothing came up when I clicked it. Later I got in and browsed around a bit. Not many post from this area though.

I'm over the hill. A bunch of health issues even took me outta my kayak.

It was lessons at the CSUS Aquatic Center that got me started. Very fluky wind out there with the bluffs. Shiver COLD water too. I know because as a beginner I spent a LOT of time in it.

Yeah, I see boards with sails on them has really gone downhill in popularity. I've been out of touch for a long time, but the sport was my passion for about 12 years. Now folks just wanna stand on 'em and paddle or mess with stringy kites. Sheesh if it's like my fishing line I'd be on the beach most of the time un-tangling things!

I live about a 1/2 hour from Ranch Seco and wonder if there is much sailboarding going on there ... whether it'd be worth loading up some of my gear and going. Anyone here know much about sailing activity at Seco? I liked the nice park setting, clean (glowing) water, and no powerboats. Frequently took a cambered race 8.0 sail to eck out some good rides though. GREAT long board teaching spot.

Hummm ... I understand board and sail "fashion" but you wouldn't think carbon booms would go out of style. I saw on BigWinds website Fiberspar booms are going for over $500 .... I'd like only $50. I also wonder what a raspberry red and aqua blue beach towel with a near full sized Robby Naish sailing on it would be worth? ... and it's autographed like this photo I took of him at Ho'okipa.


Any info on the current sailing "scene" in the Sacramento area would be much appreciated.

[coachg]

[Yakkster]

Hey Ron! AWRITE! I was just looking at your former self last week while going thru my old photos. "SUP" boards? Like I said I'm outta touch. Galt, no, the other direction ... I'm at Lake Amador near Ione.

So gimme some ideas on how to find a good home for all my old stuff. Best of the bunch is my Explosion bought new from Windcraft.

Hey, remember this guy? Wonder whatever happened to him? Shot at
Folsom using a special effect smear filter ... supposed to exagerate feeling of speed!


How about Art? Wonder where he's at? Bet he'd appreciate a good deal on classic Mistral's.

I gotta go list my shorty wetsuit on Craigslist. Good to hear from you and will catch ya later.

[Yakkster]

coachg - Just saw your post after responding to Ron's. Old Lake Washington now with a large portion of it dredged deep is the Port of Sacramento's ship turning basin. Think one thing that ought to be mentioned about it, especially for a beginner considering sailing there, is water quality. Unless things have changed since my time ... it's AWFUL! Make sure your mouth is closed tight when you fall and hose off when you get out! As far as I know there is no water flow from the Sacramento River down the ship channel. I was told the old lock to the river was silted closed. Tides move it a bit, but don't do much to flush it out.

Oh, couple other things I remember is that the Davis rowing crews used to train there. Kinda fun watching them. Also, I caught my best ever striped bass off the LWSC dock next to the boat ramp. I liked the place ... just not the taste of the water.

[dogjohn]

Regarding Lake Washington, you can launch from levee on the south side of the lake if you don't want to join the Lake Washington Sailing Club. Access to the gravel levee rd. is off of Lake Washington Blvd.

Also, I haven't found the water quality in the lake to be bad. Although the lock connecting the lake to the Sacramento River is closed, I think quite a bit of water still comes through. Probably not much worse than Sherman Island.

[Yakkster]

Yeah Ron I do have a few. The best I think I shot on the water from my board using a Nikonos waterproof camera. You were planning at Seco coming toward me doing a hand drag as I recall. I'm pretty sure I saved that one. Most of my old windsurf shots are now in a near full grocery bag headed for a clorine water bath treatment (like shredding for photos) then the dumpster. I've saved a bunch tho to shoot quick digital copies of, like Dwayne's and the others I've posted.

Just noticed your signature line ... recall the brass plaque you gave me with that quote as it was stuck in a place of honor on the paneling of my long gone Chevy van. I wanna cash-in those 12 years NOW!

My old, but looking near new, O'Neill shorty has got to go. I shrunk vertical and expanded horizontal ... it'd NEVER fit me now. Hopefully it will fit someone on Craigslist.

Good deal on you losing 25lbs. I lost 40 a couple times. Once after my long term relationship broke up and then again when the muscle on the valve to my stomach locked-up and I couldn't swallow! When that was cut loose I gained it all back!

Exercise now is typing on the keyboard! I've got bad arthritis problems. I post a lot of photos I shoot here at Lake Amador in a fishing forum called the "Fish Sniffer."

So Gary's in Texas ... on the coast? ... what's that sailing area called down there? Had once dreamed of a road trip there. Is he close to that? Geeze I forget that stuff. Guess it was about 8 years ago I shipped off my collection of "Windsurfer" magazines to a big named sailor in the gorge ... forget his name too!

So where are you living now? My photos are at my Mom's in So. Sac if you wanna come by sometime when I'm there ... usually at least once a week. Lemme know via private message with your phone number.

Found another print I'd taken a copy snapshot of with my digital point 'n shoot. It's a aerial view of old Lake Washington (going off toward the upper right), the port, and at the bottom the channel leading to the stuck lock gate. I can only guess at the date of the photo ... maybe early 80's? Note the bands of brightness on the turning basin water are NOT in the pic ... they are from reflections from the corrigated fiberglas roof I shot the copy under.

[beallmd]

Rancho Seco used to NUKE, but not so much anymore.

Most Sacramento sailors do some time at Folsom, sooner or later.

Windy Cove isn't.

I've sailed very late into the fall at Sherman, but it can get under your skin sometimes.

[Yakkster]

I sailed Rancho Seco back when the NUKE power plant was still in operation and yeah, it did seem more windy .... wonder if heat coming from the cooling towers created a sort of thermal suction drawing wind toward the lake?

Back on topic of sailing spots during the winter season I liked Seco for it's small lake SAFETY ... not being a very practiced high wind sailor. I almost lost it one evening on Folsom when I got out OK ... but could NOT make it back. Well, I finally did, but conditions were more than I could handle and it scared me. It was also real DUMB of me being the only one out there too.