Captain Ray's River Tours

On Monday evening we had a relaxed and colorful Sunset Cruise with a lovely Stockton Family. It finally cooled down and the air temp was perfect.

Little Sailor enjoying her Port Cruise.

Victoria's Seacret captured by photographer Blair Hake as she passes by Riverpoint Landing in Stockton, California and featured on the cover of Yachtsman Magazine July issue.

Some History of the area we cruise:

“Everything was water except a very small piece of ground…”
(Beginning of a Yokut’s creation story)
Rough and Ready Island is in the traditional territory of the Yokuts people and may also have been used or settled by Plains Miwok and Wintun peoples. Yokuts communities were organized into more than 40 Tribes who were united by a common language. They lived throughout the San Joaquin Valley from the river’s mouth to Tehachapi Pass and in the surrounding foothills, and relied on the region’s rich fishing and hunting resources. Tribes met the challenge of a constantly shifting Delta environment by developing deep expertise in navigation and canoe-making, basketry, fishing, storytelling, and healing. Tribes also faced tragedy after Euroamerican contact, including bounties on killing Native Americans. Nonetheless, Yokuts communities have endured and continue to practice their traditional culture.

Sources:

Indian Myths of South Central California, by A.L. Kroeber, 1907 (University of California Berkeley Press.).
California Prehistory: Colonization, Culture, and Complexity, edited by T.L. Jones and K.A. Klar, 2007. (Alta Mira Press).
Handbook of the Indians of California, by A.L. Kroeber, 1925 (Dover Publications).
Short History of California Indians by Raymond Jeff, 2021

“The river San Joaquin being narrow and crooked…”
(1870s visitor to Stockton)

Drawn by the Delta’s plenty, the Spanish established missions and pueblos in the late 1500s. French-speaking trappers from the Hudson’s Bay Company also settled in the area that would become Stockton in the early 1800s, founding what is still known as French Camp. The new Mexican government took control of California in 1822 and began to distribute lands to private owners. The Delta at the time was wild and lawless, and “border ruffians escaping from San Francisco to the mining camps made murder, robbery, and banditry a common occurrence.”

Sources:

“The Rise of Stockton” by R.C. Wood, in the San Joaquin Historian, March 1973
“History: A Look into Stockton’s Past” by the City of Stockton, 2016

Memories of being on the river one year ago today.

After 20 years in the tropics, my winter days are a little different now. Staying warm is the primary target each day. Next, I have a greater appreciation for the folks who live in the coldest regions of the country and have to winterize, shrink wrap and warehouse their boats in heated sheds. California in the winter can get cold. It has been below freezing in the mornings and warming into the 50's during the day if we're lucky. I do appreciate not having to shovel snow and scrape ice. . . Thank you for the little things.
Cap'n

While visiting Stockton, consider a sightseeing boat cruise on the San Joaquin River and book your custom charter with Captain Ray’s River Tours. We are Stockton's Finest Private Charter and Tour Boat offering custom cruises on the San Joaquin and Sacramento River Delta. We are available year around weather permitting. You will cruise in comfort and style with a seasoned captain at the helm. With no more than 6 passengers on board, there is ample space for your family and friends to enjoy the sights and sounds of the river aboard our 42’ Sabre Yacht. Please explore our website for your options and to book your Delta Charter Experience. Welcome Aboard!