TSCA Marshall Beach Campout, 9/17-19/2010

The Sac-SF TSCA hosted their annual Marshall Beach Campout on September 16-19, 2010. Preditions for cloudy and cool weather kept attendance down a bit, but we still filled the beachfront with tents and boats. Since my dory skiff was being refinished and repaired I loaded up my Cosine Wherry and rowed over from Marconi. My photos unless credited otherwise.

It was misty and cloudy in the morning, and I stopped on a scenic beach south of Marshall Beach.

It was misty and cloudy in the morning, and I stopped on a scenic beach south of Marshall Beach.

The Tomales Bay shoreline is very scenic, including the point below Marshall Beach.

My Cabelas tent on the beach.

I was happy to find that the sand stakes I designed and made from heavy-duty PVC cut in half worked very well.

TSCA boats at anchor, on boat trolley systems, or on the beach.

I set up the elastic-cord Anchor Buddy system for the first time, providing entertainment for all. The stern anchor was set and tied to a float, with one of of the Anchor Buddy clipped to the float. The other end was tied to the stern lines on my wherry.

The boat could then be rowed against the pull of the elastic onto the beach, where it was tied to...what else? A sand stake.

When pushed off the sand, it quickly shot back towards the anchor float, staying out past the low tide line.This worked much better than the traditional boat-trolley system, which uses a doubled line run through a pulley or metal ring, and can tangle or get jammed with seaweed and water grass.

Geyserville boatbuilder Ed Foster rows up to the beach.

TSCA tents and boats along the beach.

Friday night was cold and misty, but that didn't stop the music and singing around campfires.

Saturday morning dawned misty but soon cleared.

Most of the boats headed off in all directions to visit various parts of Tomales Bay. Dave and his lovely Swampscott dory.

This old hippie "Environmental Center" just south of the camp was a failed attempt to homestead Federal lands.

These tidal caves produced the strangest 'glopping' noises! I tried recording them on my iPhone but didn't get anything worth posting.

After rounding the point, I rowed and poled my way up a narrow, winding creek / tidal slough.

Looking back toward the bay.

I finally got as far as I could pole the wherry up the creek / tidal slough.

Saturday night the Bay waters were alive with bioluminescence. Any motion created huge green glows, and I took a number of passengers out for midnight rows under a cloudy sky. We all packed up and headed home Sunday morning. The row back to Marconi was nice, but I had a bit of a headwind.