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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Sailing in San Francisco Bay

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kpaternoster
1st Mate

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USA
30 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/10/2006 : 09:45:23

Hi all,

Okay - for those of you that have Catalina 25's on SF Bay... what in the heck...

We were out there last weekend, and went sailing on a Hunter 356 (my friend Chris works for Sailtime, so procured us a free boat for the day). We sailed out under the Gate, and neither of us can fathom sailing out there on a smaller boat than what we were on (okay, maybe a 30', but a 25???). Here on Lake Travis, 25' seems to be a good size for a lake boat.

So, when you sail out there on your mini boats (hehe), where do you go???

kim

PS - pics of our sailing adventures are here http://www.greeneyedgirl.com/sfo2006 (you'll have to scroll down about 200 pictures to get to the start of the sailing adventures)

Kimberly Paternoster
1989 C25 #5811 "Tipsy Gypsy"
Lake Travis (Austin), TX

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bbriner
Captain

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349 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2006 : 12:41:44

Kimberly - What day did you go sailing? It was blowing pretty good last weekend. As for where we sail, We sail in the bay mostly. The main part of the bay, between SF and Suasalito is almost always great sailing. In fact all the way down the slot to Berkeley and Emeryville (where you came out of) is good sailing. South Bay is lighter but can get crazy around Candlestick Point and Hunters Point, just south of SF. The North Bay is in the lee of Tiburon Peninsula so is usually much lighter and more pleasant. I haven't been up to San Pablo Bay much and not all to the Sacramento Delta.

If we go under the GG Bridge then it gets interesting out to the Pt. Bonita Lightouse, which marks the 'official' entrance to the golden gate and sf bay. Outside the entrance people go out to the Farallones (27 miles) or down the coast to Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, or Monterey. Going North, Drakes Bay is a day's sail and a nice anchorage. I've not gone outside the gate in Wind Dancer, but several of us are contemplating a trip to Half Moon Bay.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 06/11/2006 : 10:30:01

Is this a rhetorical question or are you looking for a tour guide.

I'll take my "mini boat" anywhere on Lake Superior, or the Great Lakes for that matter, that a 30 footer will go.

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Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 06/11/2006 : 11:12:27

Bill's right. We sailed "Capricorn Two" overnight to Monterey in 1994 and a day sail to Half Moon Bay in 1992. Both were in May.

FWIW the weather here has been about a month or so behind normal this year. I was out 5 miles past the Golden Gate Bridge on Thursday, June 8, and it was blowing hard with seas 6 ft. @ 8 sec. That weather is more normally seen in late March and early to mid April.

Once the high pressure sets in off the northern California coast and the 3 day fog cycle kicks in, it can be blowing 25 inside the Gate and only 10 to 15 outside. Hence, you will NOT see the swells you must have experienced the other day, as well as that high wind, which is still being generated by weather systems passing by, rather than a stable high pressure system. Weather is important for any mariner, and we do get lots of it here. There are also great weather resources on the web which some of us use as safety devices -- forewarned is forearmed. Try www.latitude38.com, hit links and weather, some good stuff.

So, sometimes sailing outside the gate is mellower than inside!

Even given those conditions last week, with proper setup the C25 is perfect. I've had our C25 out for many long rides in the ocean (without going to the destinations mentioned above, just for long sails) in similar conditions, 85 jib, reefed main -- great rides. The smaller the boat, though, the more important the currents factor into the timing of the trip.

Edited by - Stu Jackson C34 on 06/11/2006 11:15:50

jwilliams
Captain

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USA
357 Posts

Response Posted - 06/12/2006 : 11:40:33

Sailing thru the gate can be interesting. Done it a few times alone. Couple of times with Buddy Paul.

Pay close attention to the weather and the currents. Paul and I saw a 36 footer trying to get back to the bay on the N. side of the Gate actually making negative headway, i.e. going backwards, while we were in the center of the gate making slow headway. It will sure impact your travel time. I do not relish getting stuck under the bridge with container ship traffic coming in and out in the dark!!!

There was that 24 footer that got trapped between the S. Tower and Ft. Point, ran into the breakers and broached last year.

For my money, if there is a 5kt current and my hull speed is 6 knots or thereabouts, even with the engine on, I ain't going nowhere fast.

Paul, Bill Briner and I have toyed with the idea of sailing to Half Moon Bay...just haven't planned all the details. Maybe when I retire...

Jim Williams
Hey Jude C25fk 2958
Sf Bay

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bbriner
Captain

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349 Posts

Response Posted - 06/12/2006 : 22:10:03

I've been out in the area between the GG Bridge and Pt. Bonita. If, as Jim says, you time it right it's fine wrt the tidal current. If a freighter is coming in you can always find a point of sail to get away on... that is if you can the see the sucker. I was crewing on another boat last year when we got stuck out there in the fog. We could hear 'em but we couldn't see 'em. We didn't have radar so we didn't know where they were. I was foredeck so I don't know if we called them on the VHF or not, but instead of getting run over by them we almost ran ourselves into the rocks (heard the breaking surf just in time). It took us about 4 hrs to get in, under the GG Bridge, motoring against the tide, a distance of ~3nm. Quite an adventure, as they say. I would've had to wait for the flood if I had been in Wind Dancer.

Edited by - bbriner on 06/12/2006 22:11:44

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.