Lake Worthy

RC Boats and Model Yachts at Spreckels Lake

Cameron Maddern sits comfortably on the grass with his hands behind him for support. He watches his son control an electric boat that was recently purchased. 

“This is my first time here. Well, my first time doing the boat… just bought it. Spending time with my son is the best part,” he explains. 

Everyone is welcome, and there is no learning curve. 

Remote-controlled boats are permitted on the water every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – but only from ten in the morning until one in the afternoon. 

On the other side of the lake, someone clearly more advanced is tinkering with a gas-powered boat. He has an additional two beside him. 

Ruel Oblea repairs a battery pack for one of his electric boats. The gas-powered one is already good to go. 

“It’s just, it’s cheaper to fix yourself. You can buy cheap battery pack for twenty dollars but won’t last long. If you want good pack, you’ll spend seventy… one-hundred dollars. And there is only one store in San Francisco for this. I go to San Mateo... San Jose… but I don’t buy new,” he admits. 

After the remote-controlled boats are forced to retire for the day, a new group arrives. 

Model Yacht Club members tow their weapon of choice to the edge of the lake in preparation for today’s race. These are strictly powered by the wind, so they don’t adhere to the same rules. 

“You just let the boat out, and hopefully you’ll get to the other end of the lake. If you finish first, you win,” explains Stephen Ma.

He’s been involved with the Model Yacht Club for nearly twenty years. 

“We are the only club in the U.S. that races this kind of boat…  the free-sail boats. If you want to go elsewhere, the place to go is England. They race these kinds of boats too.” 

(Photos by Anthony Sutherlin)