It has been a very busy month on the Petaluma River. Friends recently held two very successful events and now is gearing up for two more. We also aquired a great tour boat thanks to the generosity of Baykeeper, and the River is closing for the Fall, parts are anyway (no kidding). Read all the news below.

Mayor’s Boat Ride and River Fest on August 10th:

There will be only one Sesquicentennial River Fest. It will not be a day to miss!

Some of last year’s colorful participants (photo by Robin Herrick)	Mayor Pam blesses the fleet (photo by Robin Herrick)

The downtown turning basin and Water St. will be filled with historic boats, & much more:

• See the S. F. Maritime Museum’s Scow Schooner Alma and dozens of boats from the past including beautiful Master Mariner sailboats, Classic old motor boats, and the Traditional Small Craft Association’s rowing & sailing dinghies
• Watch and participate in a variety of River games
• Enjoy rides on the River offered by Sea Scouts
• Visit many interesting displays and booths with River related information
• Listen to music by local performers, while enjoying food & drink

River Festivities begin with “The Mayor’s Boat Ride” departing the Marina at 10:00am!

Itinerary for Mayor’s Boat Ride
8:30 - 10:00-AM Boaters launch and assemble near Petaluma Marina below the pivot bridge

10:00 - 10:30-AM Mayor’s Boat Ride “flotilla” for non-motorized watercraft heads for town

10:30 – 11:00-AM Arrive at downtown Turning Basin docks for events & festivities

The procession will proceed at a relaxed pace will allow everyone to safely enjoy the River.

Note: Kayaks can be rented at Clavey River Equipment while they last. All the proceeds will benefit Friends and PSC3. Contact them at info@clavey.com or call 707 766-8070.

The River Fest will take place all day around the downtown Turning Basin. Friends of the Petaluma River will host displays and park boats on the Eastern docks and park by the River House restaurant. We will feature tours of the future River Heritage Center site including a look inside the Livery Stable at nearby Steamer Landing Park.

Mayor’s Boat Ride and the River Fest are in of need volunteer helpers!

Mayor’s Boat Ride needs:
“Display Darlings” – starting 8:00 AM – help set up displays, tents and materials.
“Ramp Rats” — 9 to 10 AM Petaluma Marina. Patrol & assist in parking lot and at launch ramp. See folks safely onto water and keep the launch ramp and docks free of congestion.
“Stage Hands” — Stage participants on the water near marina & below pivot bridge. Monitor safety, help in the Turning Basin to park & pull out boats.

Contact David Yearsley at 707-763-7756 for more information or to sign up to help!

River Fest needs:
Greeters by the entry-ways: handing out programs, greeting people, helping with the flow of traffic, answering some questions like where to find bathrooms, food, etc. We’ll need about 10 people for this.
Floaters: be of general assistance before and after event and help when Greeters or staff need it.
Beer Garden: We’ll need about 5 people to assist with ID checking and 3-4 Servers.

VOLUNTEER AND GET FREE T-SHIRTS AND FOOD VOUCHERS!

Last year’s Mayor’s Boat Ride participants at the D St. bridge

D Street Bridge will be closed this Fall!

Due to maintenance work the D St. Bridge the River will be ‘closed-to-navigation’ under the bridge between September 3 and November 14th. The contractor will be using scaffolding underneath the bridge to facilitate the painting work. Small canoes, kayaks, and even small motor boats may still be able to transit the bridge during the maintenance period. Any vessel that can safely transit the bridge during the maintenance period can continue to do so. It is the responsibility of the mariner to determine how much clearance is at the bridge.

Two events in One Day! 9/26 wrap up:

Fishing Fair: The first ever Petaluma Fishing Fair created quite a stir at the Petaluma Marina on July 26th. Everyone who attended went home a winner in both knowledge shared by local experts and Raffle prizes donated by generous sponsors.

This lucky angler won a jacket	Steve Jette won a fishing trip	Carlo Bongio talks tackle

What folks are saying:

I thought the Fishing Fair was really a great event. There was solid information and tons of prizes. Western Outdoor Sportshop really went overboard. I was especially touched to see Wes on stage addressing mothers and children as naturally as a Camp counselor. –Bill W.

So glad I went to the fishing expo today !! Can’t wait to go fishing with the pros… Steve Jette

Susan Kirks answers questions at the Friends table	Carlo catches the audience’s attention

We want to send our warmest thanks to Tom Nelson and the folks at Western Sports Shops for making this event a huge success. He not only arranged for experts to demonstrate various aspects of angling, he donated a bulk of the display equipment and raffle prizes. Other key members of the team included Bill Wolpert, Mike Simpson, and Wes Nelson. Scott Ponic & Susan Kirks provided volunteer assistance

Canoe-dling: (notes by event organizer Keri Lackey) - The social event dubbed “Canoe~dling in Canoes” turned out to be a midsummer nights dream; an evening to remember! The Petaluma River had never been showcased so well. All in all, we had over 40 people who will be new friends of the Petaluma River. I think those same 40 people enjoyed the conversation and camaraderie of other canoe~dlers just as much. Live accordion music was provided by Xavier De La Prade from the Accordian Club of the Redwoods All the Canoe~dlers mentioned that their at titude was forever changed in the way they will view the river resource. They are connected now by the memory of the setting sun on the sparkling water, the laughing and paddling in a canoe. I leave you with this one question for next year……can you canoe~dle? Keri Lackey

A beautiful evening to canoe-dle on the river	Organizers Keri Lackey, Elizabeth Howland, and Patti French

What folks are saying:

Thank you for hosting such a lovely event on Saturday evening’s Canoe-dle. What a wonderful way to be introduced to the Petaluma River and to spend a summer evening. I met several interesting and nice people and was out on the river for the first time ever, and I’ve lived in Petaluma for 10 years! I had such a good time that you’ve now got me thinking about getting a kayak! I truly enjoyed myself and really appreciated getting to learn about Friends of the Petaluma River and to meet you! Karen

The Argus Courier blessed our events with a nice front page article in their Community Section:

A few high points:
1. The Fishing Fair well attended and netted nearly $300 with raffle sales and donations!
2. The Canoodle event was very successful as well; nearly 40 people attended with an even
mix of men and women. This social event made almost $500 for Friends.
3. The weather was super for both events, sunny with a little breeze in the AM, balmy in the PM.

Friends wants to thank all the people who made these events successful by volunteering and attending.

Next Nautical Mass sets sail again on August 29th:

Show up with your non-motorized boat for a Magical Mystery Trip. Meet at the Petaluma Marina launch Ramp at 5:30 PM; 781 Baywood Dr. The flotilla departs from the Marina at 6PM.

The “Nautical Mass” is a freeform event (based on bicycling’s Critical Mass) for folks who want to get out on the River at the end of the week in non-motorized watercraft. It is held on the last Friday of the month and usually departs from the Petaluma Marina. People are free form their own groups, set their own agendas, or follow the leaders.

Save the Date Sept 6th for an exciting new boating event:

The first “Race for the River” for non-motorized watercraft promises to challenge educate and entertain entrants with a race to find and “tag” stations up and down the river.

Friends acquires a deluxe Touring Boat:

Thanks to the generosity of the Baykeeper organization Friends of the Petaluma River has the loan of a 27’ triple pontoon barge to conduct River tours and educational outings. The boat will carry up to 15 passengers and extends the capacity of our organization to introduce folks to the River and generate income. Look for a schedule of trips very soon.

Tour barge ready to launch	Dave at the Wheel	The barge at work in the sloughs

We am delighted to report that the Tour Barge has already made quite a splash in the Petaluma River. We have done 1 tour & 2 events so far netting income of nearly $3000. We love having it! Thank you again Baykeeper!

No Comments »