Planning a cruise? Maybe it's not to distant lands but only for a weekend, or a perhaps a week spent at Angel Island. Whatever your destination, you will need to do some basic provisioning, and that takes advance planning.

For example, we are leaving on Friday for a two-week vacation in the Delta before the weather turns chilly. Fall is my favorite time on the river. The kids are back in school and the weekdays are quiet from boat traffic.

We always take the dingy with us to pick up guests and to make ice runs. The last time we had the dingy out, one of the inflation devices broke. It was on the list of things to take care of as soon as we got back, but unfortunately, it never happened. So here we are; two days from departure, and we have no way to inflate the dingy. Oh well, that's not my department so I don't need to worry.

Provisioning of fresh produce was done last week because we thought we were leaving LAST Friday. However, a last minute check of the vacation calendar at work brought all vacation plans to a screaming halt. Poor Sweetie was in the dog house.

Consequently, we have been enjoying the bounty of fresh fruit and produce that was intended for our Delta trip. Fruit, like time and the tides, waits for no man – or woman either for that matter. So, all the fresh produce must be replaced prior to departure this week.

Actually, it's lucky we didn't head out on the original date because we are short on coffee filters and Q-Tips. Fall in the Delta may be beautiful and peaceful, but try to find a fresh apple or a quart of milk. All of the summer mom and pop stores have battened down the hatches for the year and are probably wintering in sunny Mexico by this time. When you are planning a stay in a remote area, you need to make sure that you have everything you could possibly imagine on board including medications, specialty foods and of course drink mixes. One doesn't want to be stranded in the tule without tonic water or mai-tai mix.

Which brings to mind another important piece of equipment -- nautical charts. Those colorful little maps that indicate restaurants, marinas and pump out stations are not suitable for navigating the shallow waters of the Sacramento/San Joaquin rivers. Although ocean going ships frequent the rivers to Sacramento and Stockton it is very easy to get lost if you are not paying close attention to the chart.

If you are taking your pet along as crew, make sure you have ample food, kitty litter, favorite toys, or whatever else you might need to make your pet's stay on board as comfortable and trouble free as possible.

One more word of advice, bring something to amuse such as books, playing cards, board games, CD's and hobby stuff including watercolor paper and brushes. I once saw a family on a rental houseboat that had several buckets of old golf balls on board. The father spent every afternoon practicing his swing from the bridge deck while the kids screamed and yelled down below.

Vacation is the very best part about working so try to enjoy by anticipating your every future need, want and whim, which takes planning. And please, don't kick yourself too hard if you forget the extra rolls of toilet paper"¦.