Bay Area Marinas

[Richard Stanley]

We are moving the Bay Area and would like recommendations on marinas. Not 100% sure of where we will be living, so this decision is not going to define the rest of our lives.

What do people think of Alemeda? Oakland? We'll be staying in Berkeley for starters.

We have never sailed the bay or entrance, so some cruising guides/recommendations would be in order. Nothing worse than having to spend a half a day getting to where you want to be.

TIA for the info.



rlstanley@mindspring.com

[Richard Stanley]

In response to an off list post I add, I have a CD 33 that will be used primarily for day sails and weekend overnights. There will be the occasional long trip, but more looking for exciting and pleasant weekend sailing.

I note that exciting and pleasant are extremely subjective terms, and perhaps should not be used in the same sentence.



rlstanley@mindspring.com

[Larry M]

Richard,
Location to your home is important to aviod the gridlock. From most marinas (except for the ones in the south bay and extreme north bay)there are many options for weekend get aways. The east bay marinas of Brickyard Cove,Richmond City Marina are warmer(less fog and wind in the summer) than Berkeley and all can get you to the Gate in an hour if you time the tides right. We sail a CD 33 out of Brickyard Cove. The Brickyard Cove and Richmond City Marina are secure and do not have the foot traffic of Berkeley or the Sausalito marinas. The Sausalito marinas are great for access to the gate. The Alameda and Oakland marinas I no very little about except you will need to motor or short tack out of the channel. I would suggest you get a temporary berth at Berkeley, Brickyard Cove or Richmond City until you know where you will be located. There should be no problem with a temporary in these marinas except for Brickyard which is in high demand.
Larry

In response to an off list post I add, I have a CD 33 that will be used primarily for day sails and weekend overnights. There will be the occasional long trip, but more looking for exciting and pleasant weekend sailing.

I note that exciting and pleasant are extremely subjective terms, and perhaps should not be used in the same sentence.

lmace@gt.com

[Tom]

We are moving the Bay Area and would like recommendations on marinas. Not 100% sure of where we will be living, so this decision is not going to define the rest of our lives.

What do people think of Alemeda? Oakland? We'll be staying in Berkeley for starters.

We have never sailed the bay or entrance, so some cruising guides/recommendations would be in order. Nothing worse than having to spend a half a day getting to where you want to be.

TIA for the info.

One thing that nobody has mentioned is that when entering San Francisco Bay from the ocean you want to time your entrance so that you arrive at slack water. The entire bay's waters have to exit under the Golden Gate Bridge. The current there can be 6 knots against you if you time it wrong. When it's ebbing it comes up against the ocean and stands up very steep waves. The best time in my experience is to arrive at slack water just as it is starting to flood. The new flood tide will give you a little push in and the waves are the smallest. The Berkeley Marina is directly East of the entrance. You'll see Alcatraz Island directly inside the gate, pass around it and then look for the campanile with the binoculars. The campanile is the 300 foot bell tower at the University of California in Berkeley. It's a tall white spire like the Washinton monument in Wash D.C. Aim directly for the campanile and it will bring you right into the Berkeley marina.

The old ferry pier runs out from the shore just south of the Berkeley marina. It's no longer in use and is falling apart with submerged pilings so you don't want to try to sail through it. Stay north of it but you can use it for another guide to Berkeley. If you arrive at night you face light pollution. It is very difficult to pick out buoys and things against the backdrop of city lights in every direction unless you know where they are and even then it's not easy. Your best bet is to arrive in the morning just before the tide starts to flood. That way it's a two to three hour cruise to Berkeley. If you arrive when the tide is ebbing it's an all day slog. In that case after going under the golden gate turn to port (north) and work your way up along the shore toward Sausalito. Anchor off and relax and wait for the tide to turn. You'll get there at the same time anyway. Once you're inside the bridge the current isn't as bad as under the bridge, but if you're going to push for Berkeley go around Angel Island to the south rather than try Racoon Straits between Angel Island and the north shore. The current really rips in there too.

Berkeley is directly downwind so is one of the windiest and foggiest places on the Bay. Sausalito has the nicest weather because you're nestled behind the tall hills and get a little wind protection. It will often be sunny in Sausalito when the rest of the bay is fogged in. The afternoon winds funnel through the golden gate and take everything to Berkeley, that's why sailing is so great in the "slot" as they call it.




TomCambria@mindspring.com