According to the map in the newspaper, the Estela is just outside and
between the mouths of Guadalupe Slough and Alviso Slough. This disagrees
with the text of the story that says the ship is about a mile south of the
Dumbarton Bridge. I think the map is probably correct. The story was that
the previous owner was trying to move the ship to Alviso, where it was to
be converted to a restaurant, but discovered the masts would not clear the
power lines that cross Coyote Creek just above the entrance to Alviso
Slough. He then got the ship stuck in the mud while trying to get into a
safe anchorage. Possibly he was trying to enter Guadalupe Slough when he
got stuck. See the SF Bay to Antioch Chart 18652, Page A and Inset 10.
Incidentally the chart shows a shipwreck symbol at the mouth of Alviso
Slough, but that wreck is on the Alviso side of the power lines.
There is still a launch ramp at Alviso but it is silted in and overgrown.
It is possibly usable for a small boat at high tide. If you can hand launch
or use a dolly there may be some other places in Alviso where you could
launch the Laser into either Alviso Slough or Guadalupe Slough.
The neglected Palo Alto Yacht Harbor no longer has a ramp, but hand
launching might be possible there. Mayfield Slough is the channel that
leads from Palo Alto out to a point near the Dumbarton RR bridge.
You also might want to check out Coyote Creek for access.
There used to be a warning posted at the Palo Alto ramp against trying to
walk in the South Bay mud, African Queen style. The mud is very deep and
very sticky. One of the new owners of the Estela fell in and got stuck. He
was fortunate to have someone with him to pull him out. Otherwise he would
have drowned when the tide came in.
Harry
>Hi Gang,
>
>Does anybody know the exact location of the Estela? Maybe David & I will join
>the P15 fleet in our Force 5 dinghies if the weather is nice enough. Harry's
>probably right, we don't want to take Redwing out there. It's easy enough to
>pull up the daggerboards on the F5's though and they're very quick to rig and
>launch.
>
>If we knew exactly where she is, we could figure out the the easiest place to
>launch and rendezvous with you.
>
>Regards,
>Judy B.
>1985 WWP-19 #266 "Redwing"
>SF Bay, CA