Hal was a great writer that wrote the Calfornia Delta Yachtsman
magazine. Additionally, he was famous for publishing the
very useful California Delta Map that saved my butt from getting
lost on the Sacramento River Delta many times. Last weekend,
we were at B&W Marina and noticed the sign: "Rest In Peace, Hal
Shell". It's the end of an era but he goes on in his writings
forever.

From the Sacramento Bee:

Obituary: Harold F. Schell chronicled Delta's ebbs and flows
By Robert D. DDvila -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Harold F. "Hal" Schell, a raconteur, historian and self-described "river
rat" who chronicled the ebb and flow of life on the Sacramento-San
Joaquin River Delta for more than three decades, has died at age 76.
He died Friday in a Stockton convalescent home of complications from a
stroke he suffered last year, said his stepdaughter, Kathy Lipelt.

Mr. Schell popularized the romantic and recreational charms of the Delta
through prolific writings and photographs. He wrote and illustrated
numerous magazine articles and several books about the colorful
characters and casual way of life he found along the 1,000 miles of
navigable waterways and in aging towns linked by Highway 160.

"His stories inspired boaters to come out to the Delta," marina owner
Kim Korth said. "He wrote with a lot of humor and insight about the
people and places here."

Traveling backwaters aboard his cruiser, the "Delta Dawdler," he
researched and published a widely acclaimed map of the 350-square-mile
maze of rivers, islands, channels and sloughs. The guide included
practical tips on fishing, water tides and depths, boat launches,
camping, marinas, resorts and restaurants.

He penned a monthly column, "Dawdling on the Delta," for Bay & Yachtsman
magazine and was a founding member of the California Delta Chambers &
Visitors Bureau. He created the bureau's Web site and entertained
readers with a monthly newsletter of local scuttlebutt, including
activities, events, historical facts and comings and goings.

"His storytelling was phenomenal," said Suzanne Black, a visitors bureau
board member. "We now have more than 8,300 subscribers from all over the
world."

Mr. Schell began trawling the Delta for stories in the early 1970s
following adventures that included tracing Ernest Hemingway's footsteps
through Spain and racing in sports car rallies.

He was born in 1929 to farmers in Flint, Mich., said his son, Scott
Schell. He moved to California as a young man and worked as an
electronics purchasing executive at Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, where he met and married Barbara Stacy, an engineer. He was
drafted by the Army and served in Asia during the Korean War, his son
said.

The couple enjoyed racing in auto rallies, often hitting the road with
their two young sons packed in the back of their small MG cars. Mr.
Schell's first visit to the Delta came during a race, when his car had
to be transported across a remote slough aboard a creaking ferry at
night, he told the Modesto Bee in 1979.

In the 1960s, the couple quit their jobs and packed the family for a
freighter trip from New York to Italy, Scott Schell said. They traveled
across Europe to Spain, where they visited Barcelona and Pamplona and
decided to stay for two years. While his wife took up painting, Mr.
Schell launched a freelance writing and photography career.

"He got a taste for the alternative lifestyle with the European trip,"
his son said. "It started off as a summer getaway and turned into
something else."

They returned to California and settled in Cupertino, where he wrote a
guidebook on traveling to Europe and freelanced for major publications,
his son said. The couple divorced in 1972, before Mr. Schell returned to
the Delta and decided to stay. He made his home in Stockton and married
Joanie Schell in 1981.

A sturdy man with a barrel chest and full white beard, Mr. Schell bore a
loose resemblance to "Papa" Hemingway at local watering holes and summer
festivals. He was a bugler who welcomed each day aboard his boat with
reveille and enjoyed dropping anchor in quiet spots, known as
"gunkholing."

"The Delta offers something for everybody, whether you're a fisherman,
powerboater, sailor or houseboater," he told the Modesto Bee. "It's a
real democracy out there. A guy with a $300 fishing boat can have as
much fun as a guy with a million-dollar yacht."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harold F. "Hal" Schell
Born: Aug. 20, 1929
Died: June 9, 2006

Remembered for: Prolific author, photographer, cartographer and
historian of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta; founding member of
the California Delta Chambers & Visitors Bureau

Survived by: Wife, Joanie Schell of Stockton; sons, Rodney Schell of
Redding and Scott Schell of Santa Barbara; stepdaughters, Kathy Lipelt
of Stockton and Sharon Nelson of Modesto; stepson, Joe Klein of Stockton

Memorial service: Open house, 2-6 p.m. July 16 at Tower Park Sunset Bar
& Grill, 14900 W. Highway 12, Lodi

Remembrances: Donations for a visitors center memorial to Mr. Schell may
be made to the Discover the Delta Foundation, P.O. Box 609, Isleton, CA
95641. Information about the visitors center is available at
www.discoverthedelta.com.