Caltrans runs two ferries in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, and they are easy to mix up because both land on Ryer Island. The Real McCoy II carries Highway 84 over Cache Slough from the Rio Vista side and keeps to a clock, with boats on the hour, at twenty past and at twenty to. The J-Mack, on Steamboat Slough between Grand Island and the east side of the island, carries Highway 220 and keeps no clock: the crew waits at the ramp and goes when you arrive.
The boats differ as much as the routes. Caltrans lists the J-Mack at 92 feet by 32, drawn along a cable, with space for six vehicles. The Real McCoy II is shorter and wider at 88 feet by 38, steers with propellers that turn through 360 degrees and takes eight vehicles. Neither charges a fare, since both are treated as sections of state highway.
Where the J-Mack loses the comparison is reliability. Its closures fill Caltrans' news pages, for Coast Guard inspections, hull work, a new cable and emergency repairs, and 2026 has been typical: a planned five-year dry dock kept it out of the water from May 7 to July 8, and on October 4 it was shut again. For drivers on Grand Island, the fallback each time is the Real McCoy II or the Miner Slough Bridge.
No departure list and a crew on duty all night, when the boat is in service
Round-the-clock service as described by Caltrans District 4; closure status taken from Caltrans' lane closure feed and highway conditions report on October 15, 2026 Caltrans — Delta Ferries · 2026-10-15
Free, because the ferry counts as part of Highway 220
Neither ramp has a toll booth. Caltrans states that both of its Delta ferries are free, and the reason is legal rather than generous: the J-Mack is classified as an extension of State Route 220, so crossing Steamboat Slough costs exactly what the asphalt approaching each ramp costs: nothing.
| Car, pickup or motorcycle | Free |
| Walk-on passenger | Free |
Free of charge per Caltrans; confirmed October 15, 2026 Caltrans — Delta Ferries · 2026-10-15
Grand Island Road on one bank, East Ryer Road on the other
Grand Island landing
On the Grand Island side the approach is Grand Island Road, the stretch Caltrans' closure records treat as Highway 220 running down to the water. The nearest settlement in those records is Ryde, and the federal ferry census gives Walnut Grove as the mailing town for both ramps.
Ryer Island landing (Howard Landing)
Once off the ramp you are in Solano County, on East Ryer Road. The federal census of ferry terminals files this side under the name Howard Landing. If the J-Mack stops while you are on the island, the ways off are the Real McCoy II to Rio Vista or the Miner Slough Bridge, both on Highway 84.
Four hundred feet of Steamboat Slough in the middle of the Delta
Zoom in and the crossing almost disappears: Caltrans measures it at about 400 feet, so the boat has barely left one ramp before it meets the other. Zoom out and the problem it solves appears. Ryer Island is ringed by water, and its other links to the mainland are the Real McCoy II at the Rio Vista end and the Miner Slough Bridge on the northern side.
Free state-highway ferries that never close for the night are rare enough to compare. In Illinois the state runs one across the Illinois River at Kampsville, also on demand and also free; the J-Mack does the same job on a much narrower channel, pulled on a cable rather than pushed by a tug.
Before driving out to Grand Island
- Call the hotline first
(510) 622-0120 is the Delta Ferry Hotline. Caltrans refreshes the recording daily or when something changes, and you can leave a message for a call back.
- Look at QuickMap
The October 2026 shutdown appeared in Caltrans' lane closure data, which QuickMap displays, as an entry for the ferry on Highway 220.
- Know the way round
When the J-Mack is down, Caltrans directs Ryer Island traffic to the Real McCoy II or over the Miner Slough Bridge.
- Six vehicles per trip
At busy moments you may wait for the next shuttle, but each crossing takes about three minutes.
- Late arrivals are fine
Operators work around the clock, so turning up at night is no reason to take the long way, provided the ferry is in service.
- On foot counts too
Caltrans describes the crew serving individual passengers as well as motorists, and walk-ons pay nothing either.
Inspections, a new cable and an October emergency: the J-Mack since 2019
Read in order, the Caltrans notices make a maintenance log. In 2019 the J-Mack was out from September to mid-December for repairs and federally required Coast Guard inspections. In June 2020 a shortage of ferry captains cut it to selected days. In April 2021 it returned after maintenance repairs. In August 2024 it stopped for a day of emergency work while the Real McCoy was itself in the shop, and from the night of September 29, 2024 it was in dry dock for a required hull inspection, coming back on January 16, 2025 with a new cable.
2026 repeated the pattern. On April 16 Caltrans Delta Maintenance announced a closure from noon on May 7 to 10 p.m. on July 8 for the five-year dry dock, with the hull lifted out for a full inspection below the waterline. The notice calls the return date a Friday, although July 8, 2026 was a Wednesday, so trust the date rather than the weekday. Less than three months later, the closure feed listed the J-Mack shut once more, this time for emergency work.
One cable-drawn boat, six cars at a time
What people ask about the J-Mack and Ryer Island
Is the J-Mack running this week?
It was still shut on October 15, 2026: Caltrans' lane closure feed lists the ferry fully closed for emergency work since October 4, with the closure due to end at 12:01 on October 16. Confirm with the Delta Ferry Hotline, (510) 622-0120, before you set off.
How is the J-Mack different from the Real McCoy II?
The J-Mack is a cable ferry on Highway 220 over Steamboat Slough from Grand Island, takes six vehicles and crosses on demand. The Real McCoy II is on Highway 84 over Cache Slough from the Rio Vista side, takes eight vehicles and sails every 20 minutes. Both are free and both run day and night.
Is there a toll on Steamboat Slough?
No. Caltrans says both Delta ferries are free of charge; the J-Mack is treated as part of State Route 220.
Does the J-Mack run after midnight?
Provided it is in service, yes. Caltrans staffs the slough around the clock all week, and the boat leaves whenever someone is waiting.
How do I reach Ryer Island while the J-Mack is closed?
Use the Real McCoy II from the Rio Vista side or the Miner Slough Bridge to the north, the two detours Caltrans names in its closure notices.
How far is the crossing?
About 400 feet, which Caltrans describes as a three-minute ride.
Why does the J-Mack close so often?
Because a small cable ferry needs regular Coast Guard inspections, dry docks every five years, cable replacement and the occasional emergency repair. Caltrans announced closures for these reasons in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024 and twice in 2026.