Overnight in Sonoma Creek

I often cross the Sonoma Creek bridge on Highway 37 on my way to work. It is a calm and beautiful setting and a high point of a long commute, and I have long wanted to make a visit.

 

The creek entrance is quite a long way from the North Bay, through San Pablo Strait and right across San Pablo Bay. We left late early in the evening and had a marvelous sail in the dark across San Pablo Bay. The wind was 10 knots on a close reach and the sea was mild with a following tide. 

 

Morning calm in Sonoma Creek

It is very shallow approaching the mouth of the Sonoma Creek and I slowed to take soundings with the lead line. We covered a mile or so with only a couple of feet under the keels.

It was difficult to see the boundaries of the creek in the dark, but we managed to work our way into the creek and drop the anchor. I put up the boat tent and settled in. I soon realized that it was a clear and very cold night and that I forgotten my sleeping bag. I got dressed up in all of my foul weather gear and wrapped myself in the mainsail in an attempt to keep warm. I woke in the early hours and was very cold, so gave up and lit the stove. I sat for quite some time over the stove before I was able to have another go at sleeping.

I got up early and took the dinghy for a row under the Highway 37 bridge. It was completely still and very beautiful. I rowed past the early morning fisherman and took a short turn up Napa Slough before returning to the creek. I went a little way up the Sonoma Creek before turning back.

The Creek approach and dingy trip under the bridge

Back at the boat, I had breakfast and then started to head back. It was a completely calm morning so had to motor all of the way. I wasn't ready to go home right yet, So pulled into the Marin Islands in late morning and settled in for a lazy afternoon.

Napa Slough

I expect to repeat this trip because the creek is a very sheltered anchorage and is a great destination on an incoming tide in the bay. The trip was 34 nautical miles return from the North Bay.

Sonoma Creek

Rowing back towards the boat and the Bay