Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

rokrau

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Oct 28, 2008
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Wow, our first long weekend out camping w/family and friends. It was truly great but also: What a roller-coaster experience!

Lake Berryessa is in some state of affairs..., the lake is really low, all but one marina is closed and the people that work at the surrounding convenience stores are "on the edge" to say it mildly.

We asked for directions at a convenience store at the intersection of 121 and 128. The "clerk" asked right back "Whatcha gonna buy?". I said very politely that I needed some directions and that my wife was deciding whether she wanted some chips. He answered "300 people a day ask for directions", turned around and ignored me for good. When my wife entered the store to buy some chips I told her what just happened and we left w/o buying anything. This reminded me on my only visit to East Germany in the late 80's...

I've read that everybody around the lake has lost their concessions and must close shop at the end of this season... Wow!!!

I got stopped by the Sheriff on the first day, I had all life-jackets, we were even all wearing them, had the fire extinguisher but was short the little pillow type PFD, ticket, fixable but still at least 25$ admin fee goes with that.

The water at the public ramp (capella cove) is so low that you have to row your boat out to be safe. I hit the prop at the launch on the second day, my fault, lowered the trim too much, this prop is gone and a piece of the rock must have hit the boat on the way up and took a "bite" out of the hull right under the transom. Saw that this morning - I wouldn't have slept if I had seen this earlier.

Finally to make my loss complete we lost an anchor while beaching near a little island which the kids wanted to "explore"... Note to self, that's what the little U-shaped thing with the "screw through" is for... (used it all weekend to open beer bottles at the campground :)

Oh well... I feel like giving it up this morning...

Hope your weekends went better/smoother :)
 

OL BLUE

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Aug 21, 2009
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Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

Ouch on Lake Berryessa! Thanks for the info on ramp conditions. We love taking our boat out for weekends on the lake, but it sounds like the season is over. By comparison, we stayed on the Sac Delta over the holiday. Seemed like nobody was out! Ramps were a piece of cake and the weather was beautiful. Anyone who has a boat they can overnight on should consider the delta. There are still some nice weekends left this year so don't put that boat away yet!
 

rokrau

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
76
Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

Ouch on Lake Berryessa! Thanks for the info on ramp conditions. We love taking our boat out for weekends on the lake, but it sounds like the season is over.
Well - not quite, there is enough water if you have a depth-finder but the only public ramp is pretty much a disaster. Pleasure Cove was busy as hell though. Don't know how much a launch costs there...

By comparison, we stayed on the Sac Delta over the holiday. Seemed like nobody was out! Ramps were a piece of cake and the weather was beautiful. Anyone who has a boat they can overnight on should consider the delta. There are still some nice weekends left this year so don't put that boat away yet!

I was at the Delta the weekend before, launched at Holland Marina and while being a beginner I must say that ramp was a bit of a challenge cause it's single lane and very narrow. I also hate when the trailer hits the concrete and scrapes over the edge...

Anyway, wife dislikes the Delta. I like it just fine.

Regards
Roland
 

OL BLUE

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Aug 21, 2009
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Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

We launch at Markley Cove when we go; it's the first facility past the dam coming up from Winters. The ramp is still concrete down to the water but the width of the area to manuver your boat in once launched has shrunk to the point you cannot use the outside of either of the two very short docks, only the insides. The ramp is wide enough for two boat trailers (maybe 3 if you drive on and can miss the other boaters). It is getting shallow though and a lot of boaters churn up the bottom.

Fees are $20 per day. If you launch this afternoon and take out tomorrow morning, it's $40. Not exactly fair, but with only 4 launch locations I am aware of (Markley, Pleasure, Steel and the free ramp), they could probably charge more and get it. By comparison, I towed our boat and my wife towed our jet ski and we launched both in the delta and parked vehicles and trailers for 4 days and the total cost was $40. It would have been $160 at the lake.
 

MahaSkier

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Sep 10, 2009
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Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

Wow! Markleys Cove is a bit friendlier and they opened the 2nd launch which to say the least is a big relief. Try there next time, by the way whats the name of that place you stopped? Yeah it's about time they closed down these places..they are mostly rundown and filthy, and the people that owned and ran the places were just plain rude and illmannered. Not good business people either..Good for the Lake and good for the surrounding communities that want to take their families to have fun...
 

sschefer

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Nov 13, 2008
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Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

Wow! Markleys Cove is a bit friendlier and they opened the 2nd launch which to say the least is a big relief. Try there next time, by the way whats the name of that place you stopped? Yeah it's about time they closed down these places..they are mostly rundown and filthy, and the people that owned and ran the places were just plain rude and illmannered. Not good business people either..Good for the Lake and good for the surrounding communities that want to take their families to have fun...

You guys gotta realize this is Pot season and folks around there get a little nervous when strangers start asking questions... You think I'm kidding don't you... I'm not.
 

rokrau

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
76
Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

Wow! Markleys Cove is a bit friendlier and they opened the 2nd launch which to say the least is a big relief. Try there next time, by the way whats the name of that place you stopped?
I forgot the name, or didn't notice it in the first place but it is right at the intersection of 121 and 128, when you come from Fairfield it's on the left hand side, a run-down gas-station I believe.

Yeah it's about time they closed down these places..they are mostly rundown and filthy, and the people that owned and ran the places were just plain rude and illmannered.

You are dead on ! We stopped on the way home at a little convenience store on 128 to get a few things for the ride home - the lady behind the counter behaved as we were a horde of steeling hooligans (mind you we were two families each w/ three young, i.e. not even teenager age kids). My better half really complained about this and I tried to apologize for these people, telling her how they all are losing their existence and how aweful that must be. Sounds though as there are other problems.

Not good business people either..Good for the Lake and good for the surrounding communities that want to take their families to have fun...

Let's see what comes out of it. I am not going back this year, not worth it for the two- and a half hour drive from the South Bay and the lake itself is really low also. Maybe I'll check again next spring.
 

rokrau

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
76
Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

You guys gotta realize this is Pot season and folks around there get a little nervous when strangers start asking questions... You think I'm kidding don't you... I'm not.

Unbelievable! 20 miles over from the Silverado Trail and Napa Wine tourism, Wow, I would have never thought of that. Explains a lot of things though.
 

sschefer

Rear Admiral
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Nov 13, 2008
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Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

Yep, #1 cash crop in Lake and Mendocino counties.
 

sschefer

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Nov 13, 2008
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Re: Lake Berryessa Labor Day weekend

Did any of you see the picture on the front page of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat (www.pressdemo.com) it pretty much say's it all.
 

sschefer

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