Cruising Skipper Information: Cruise Destinations Cruising Skipper ...

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1 Cruising Skipper Information: Cruise Destinations Cruising Skipper Information: Cruise Destinations Oakland Estuary What's there The cruise up the estuary affords a birds eye view of the Oakland port facilities, where huge cranes are often observed loading and unloading cargo container vessels. While
passing Alameda Naval Air Station, aircraft may take off and land, roaring close overhead. A
variety of water craft teems about. You pass Navy and Coast Guard vessels docked at
Alameda, then numerous public marinas. If the return is at night, there are pretty views of
San Francisco and Bay Bridge lights. Cautions The most easterly safe place to pass under the Bay Bridge is usually considered to be under the first span with an overhead cantilever structure. This leaves the cable crossing
structure platform close by on the east. Note that there is a shallow submerged wreck just
south of the platform. On the estuary, particular care should be taken to look behind you occasionally, to verify that monstrously huge vessels are not silently looming up over you. When sailing to Quinns Lighthouse, be sure to keep on the proper side of the north channel, as there are some very shallow areas outside the channel. Management When sailing to destinations in Alameda County, it is usually convenient to bring the cruise boat(s) around to the clubhouse dock before participants begin meeting at the
clubhouse, in order to facilitate getting people aboard for departure. Winds are usually light on the estuary, but adequate, usually from the west. The return trip, if by sail, would usually involve tacking tediously upwind, and if your crew is not into
manning the jib sheets, you may mercifully decide to motor most of the length of the estuary. Docking on estuary cruises is usually at either the public dock at Jack London Square or at Quinns Lighthouse restaurant guest dock, though it is also possible to dock at guest docks
provided by other restaurants facing on the water. The public dock at Jack London Square is found easilyit is directly in front of the flagpole with the huge American flag. There is usually no problem finding dock space here,
and although the dock has no locked gate, there has never been a problem with anyone
tampering with our boats. However, all easily transportable gear should be stowed in the
locked cabin. A vast number of restaurants are within easy walking distance from the dock. Quinns Lighthouse is about a half hour sail further up the estuary, up the northern channel around Coast Guard Island, on the left side, just short of the very low clearance
bridge that crosses the channel. The restaurant building is an old lighthouse that formerly
stood at the entrance to the estuary. It is a distinctive square, white, fairly large building, with
a cupola on top. A marina area surrounds the guest dock, which is on the distant (west) side
of the building. There is usually, but not always, room to dock here. Do not attempt to dock at
the dock across the channel at Coast Guard Island, as the military authorities there will
menace you with threats to impound your boat. The food and service at Quinns are quite
good, and meals are not exorbitantly expensive. 2 Ballena Bay No one hardly ever cruises here. It is a different place to go, but not a tremendously interesting one. The principal interest is in passing close by freight vessels anchored in the
South Bay anchorage. When I cruised to Ballena Bay in 1986, the marina there allowed us to
dock without charge. There was one restaurant in the area, the Whales Tale. A delicatessen
with a small, gardened patio was in the nearby office complex. Mission Rock What's there If this cruise is routed first to the north of Treasure Island, as it usually is, a portion of San Franciscos east waterfront can be explored thereafter, while sailing southward. Our
cruises invariably dock at the relaxed Mission Rock Resort, a unique weather-beaten
terrace restaurant with a view of industrial strength scenery, shipyard facilities, south bay
waterfront. The food here is relatively cheap and good. On the return trip south of Yerba
Buena Island, it is possible to sail in close to the pretty east side of the island. Cautions Winds along San Franciscos east waterfront can be exceedingly gusty and changeable. Be careful around the Bay Bridge piers. This does not make a good night cruise, as the Mission Rock Resort restaurant is closed in the evening. Management The most convenient way of managing currents on this cruise seems to be to schedule the departure time near the end of an ebb tide period, so that you can sail with the light ebb
around the north end of Treasure Island, and reach the San Francisco east waterfront at the
time that the North Bay is ebbing in to flood the South Bay. The return trip will be against the
flood tide, but the distance to be covered against strong currents is relatively short, and you
will usually be aided by strong afternoon west winds. The Mission Rock Resort can be difficult to find, if you havent been there before, or even if you have. You are almost there when you pass the projecting concrete wharf on the
east edge of Mission Rock Terminalyou then have about a half mile to go. When you pass
this, start angling in past some dilapidating wooden wharves, into the basin with the large
shipyard facility on the south side of it. The Resort is a weather-beaten two story building,
with some more or less buoyant docks, usually not in particularly good repair, in front of it. It
seems to be more or less o.k. to tie up anywhere on these docks, but it might be a good idea
to ask around whether you are using someones rented private dock space. Sometimes a
special section of dock is reserved for guests, but it was awaiting repair when I was there the
last several times, and was not in use. Pier 39 What's there (1994 revision note:This year, extensive rebuilding of the dock facilities was begun, and the work will not be completed for quite some time. The guest docks are now closed.) This is a gaudy tourist trap of a place, but you may find the busyness and crowds interesting. There are numerous restaurants and snack food places, and boutiques selling
everything imaginable, both useful and useless. The street entertainers here can be fun to 3 watch. Another amusement is the colony of seals which has taken possession of a large
section of marina docks on the west side of the pier. Pier 39 can be a good place to pop in
after a cruise out the Golden Gate, for a restroom break and to partake of snack foods.
Boudins Bakery is a good place to go here for tasty pizza bread or a crab sandwich. Cautions If you are not actually docking at Pier 39, it is possible to briefly motor in past the breakwater on the west side to view the seals from up close, but be extremely careful about large Golden Bear tour boats entering and leaving. Management (deleted 1994) Aquatic Park This is not usually a cruise destination, but it is fun to sail in here to sight-see, when cruising along the city front. It is not permitted to motor in, because of the lap swimmers who
use the Aquatic Park Cove. Keep a sharp eye out for them. You might like to drop your jib
sail while sailing in, to improve visibility, simplify maneuverability, and slow the boat down.
There always seems to be just enough wind here to maneuver safely under sail, but be
watchful for loss of wind. Watch out for currents that may want to drift you outside the
entrance channel, on entering and leaving. It is possible to anchor here for a time if you like,
but there is no place to tie up ashore. Fort Mason What's there Fort Mason is a former military shipping facility, now converted to a public cultural center, with theaters, meeting facilities, offices for various public organizations, shops, and
Greens Restaurant. The latter is a renowned vegetarian restaurant operated by the
San Francisco Zen Center. The food here is excellent, not too expensive at lunch, but
exceedingly expensive for weekend dinners. It is possible to buy to go items at the counter
just inside the entrance to the restaurant. There is a canteen in the building opposite Greens
which sells sandwiches etc., but it closes early in the day. Other restaurants are located
nearby on the streets to the south, especially Union Street. Fort Mason could be a rest stop
after a cruise out the Golden Gate, or a destination in itself, for a dinner cruise. Cautions Check operating hours, before planning to go to Greens Restaurant for lunch or dinner. Reservations are needed for dinner, and prices may be out of your budget range. You might
get a table without reservations for lunch, but reservations are advisable, especially if your
group is large. If you tie up at City Yacht Sales dock here, look out for the overhead hoist. At lower tide levels, you may damage your mast. Management It has usually been possible to dock at the City Yacht Sales boat yard at the southwest corner of Fort Mason. During the summer of 1992, the owner of this facility told me that it
was perfectly o.k. to tie up there for a few hours at a time, despite the No Parking signs.
The dock you can use is the one closest to the shore embankment. It has no locked gate. 4 Sometimes this dock has been filled with City Yacht Sales boats, and this prevented us from
staying here. If the City Yacht Sales dock is full, you may be able to dock at the San
Francisco Marina at the next harbor entrance to the west. Docking here is free. The
harbormasters office is open until 4 p.m., and he controls a locked gate directly in front of
the office, so you must return by that time. It is a 1/2 mile walk to Greens Restaurant from
the gate. The San Francisco Marina tends to be filled up during racing season, and a docking
space may not be available. It is not possible to reserve in advance. Greens is located on the east side of the westernmost building, near the center of the building. Restrooms are located inside the adjacent conference center, if it is unlocked, or
also in the building across the way, through the doorway which leads in to a canteen. Mile Rock What's there For a change of pace, you will experience uplifting ocean swells, instead of your usual bay chop. The big thrill, of course, is sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. Once under the
bridge, it is about two miles to Mile Rock, which marks the west limit of our Cruising Area.
You will probably take advantage on the counter-current along the south shore of the strait,
and sail back somewhat close under the picturesque bluffs of Lands End, along Bakers
Beach, and on eastward down the San Francisco city front. One attractive option that is possible on this cruise is to schedule the departure in the afternoon, sail back under the Gate at sunset, stop in San Francisco for dinner, then depart
San Francisco at night when the city lights are brilliantly beautiful. Cautions Do not attempt to complete this cruise when the Golden Gate is shrouded in heavy fog, due to the danger of collision with shipping vessels moving at fast water speed against the
current. However, if fog is present at the Gate at the time you leave Berkeley, it may lift by
the time you reach there, so you might set out with the intention of stopping short at San
Francisco or Sausalito, if it doesnt lift. Be sure to take at least an 8 h.p. motor, if you take a Commander, as strong currents will be encountered. Winds can be particularly strong on this cruise. If you are queasy about beating out here in heavy winds, consider scheduling an early morning departure, or schedule the cruise at
other times of the year than the breeziest summer months. Be prepared to go through
several stages of reefing and head sail changes, as the wind velocity increases approaching
the Gate. Taking an Ensign out here in heavy winds and waves is inadvisable, as you will be
having vast quantities of water washing across the foredeck, a thoroughly drenched crew,
and will be bailing the bilge constantly. Note that the charts indicate a shallow area surrounding Mile Rock, extending as much as 100 yards to the south and east, with a depth of 6 ft. at MLLW. Do not attempt to navigate
this area in ocean swells! Check your chart also for rocky areas along the shoreline of the
strait. Avoid getting so close that breakers may push you ashore, and aground. Management In a steady west wind with a good ebb current, it may take you about 3 hours to get out to Mile Rock, then another hour or more to a point where you can dock for a restroom break
or for dinner, so be prepared for a long period on the water. In your instructions to the
participants, you might suggest that they bring snack foods and drink. 5 Note that a strong counter-current begins to develop along the San Francisco shoreline just after max ebb. What usually works well is to schedule the cruise to arrive at Mile Rock
as this counter-current approaches maximum strength, then use it to return to the bridge,
passing between the South Tower and the shore. If the ebb is still very strong here, you may
have to use the motor to break through under the bridge. Once under, you can stay
somewhat close to the city front shore, where there may be a counter current or the
beginning of a flood current. Whirlpools may be encountered near the bridge. These will not suck you below the surface, down 300 ft. to the bottom to the empire of sea monsters and Davy Jones, but may
impede progress and even stop it. It may be necessary to use the motor to pull out of them, if
sail power alone will not do it. Sausalito What's there A tourist trap of a town, but a colorful one, with many good restaurants. On the northwest end of town is the Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model, a huge plaster
representation of San Francisco Bay, where currents are studied. The Bay Model could serve
as destination for a picnic lunch type of cruise. Cautions Sausalito is further from Berkeley than you would think. It takes time to beat upwind to get there. Management Policies at the various docking places in Sausalito change frequently. At various times, I have heard either that it is o.k, even if you are not a member of another yacht club with
reciprocal docking privileges, or that it is not o.k., to dock at the Sausalito Yacht Club. The
last I heard, it was o.k. The water entrance to the Yacht Club is located just inside the
southeast side of Sausalito Pointturn in before channel marker 6. The Yacht Club is
located near the center of town, and an abundance of restaurants. Further northeast is the
Pelican Yacht Harbor. The water entrance is just beyond a houseboat which looks like a
miniature Taj Mahal. The present harbormaster was a touchy character during my last
encounter with him in the fall of 1991he got quite angry because I entered his marina
without notifying him in advance, and wanted to charge us $15 to stay for a couple of hours.
The Pelican Yacht Harbor is about a half mile from the downtown concentration of
restaurants, but there are a couple of restaurants nearby, including the infamous
Margaritaville, formerly called Zacks. Still further to the northeast, closer to the Bay Model, is
Schoonmaker Point Marina. The harbormaster here once said he would let us stay gratis if
we radioed him shortly before arriving. Tiburon What's there Sams. This is an expansive terrace restaurant where all the boating crowd hang out. There is also a large indoor restaurant area, with picture window views over the bay, and a
bar, with TV and free popcorn, facing on the street. The food at Sams is good. Elsewhere in
Tiburon are tourist trap shops, more restaurants, and an ice cream parlor. 6 Cautions Parts of the marina area around Sams guest docks become very shallow at low tide, so stay near the guest docks. Management Tiburon may be a good place to stop in for dinner after an Angel Island cruise. Sams is located just easterly of the Corinthian Yacht Club, a prominent monolithic 19th century edifice of a building. A large guest dock is available at Sams, but is usually overfilled
on summer weekends. If you have a shore tender dinghy available, you might anchor outside
the marina area, and dinghy in. Ayala Cove (Angel Island) Whats there When you are at Angel Island, you feel that you are definitely out of the city, and perhaps even in a different, better world. There are rarely any motor vehicles here, or people in a
hurry to get somewhere else. At idyllic Ayala Cove there are groves of trees, expanses of
green lawn, and multitudinous sailboats tied up at the extensive dock facility, or moored
offshore. Families are picnicking at picnic tables, children are running about and playing.
Angel Island is the most frequent destination for club cruises, partly because it is so pleasant
there, but also because it is the closest destination (except maybe Pt. Richmond), and the
least demanding in terms of time. Angel Island was formerly owned by the federal government, and was used as a military base and immigration station. It is now a state park. Ayala Cove is the port of entry for most visitors to Angel Island. Most of them come in by ferry boat, but large numbers also sail in. There are numerous picnic tables, some on the
expansive lawns, some tucked back in the groves of trees. A museum features displays
portraying the history of the island, and shows an amusing historical video periodically
throughout the day (a good activity here if the weather turns bad). From the cove there are
trails leading up Mt. Livermore, the highest point on the island. From the summit there is a
spectacular 360

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