Association Forum - Question for South SF Bay Sailors

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Question for South SF Bay Sailors

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Phredde
Navigator

Member Avatar

125 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/29/2012 : 18:24:52

Hi - Over 15 years of sailing the bay, I've never been south of The Ramp. We were thinking about making a trip this weekend to explore further South, maybe Redwood City or there abouts. Forecast is for low 70s and a breeze in the low teens. Although sunny today, the main bay has been really foggy and really windy of late. So the getaway seems nice.

Any advice from you regulars down there? Things to watch out for, best places to go etc? Is Pete's harbor worth a visit? Is it a comfortable day sail from marina green SF? Any worries about shallow water? I was checking out google earth and some online reviews, but would appreciate the C25 perspective. Thank you!!!

Phredde
Catalina 25
San Francisco

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2012 : 19:59:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Phredde
 ...Any worries about shallow water? I was checking out google earth...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">How 'bout a navigation chart?

Edited by - on

Lee Panza
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
468 Posts

Response Posted - 09/01/2012 : 11:53:49

Phredde;

I sail out of Oyster Point, SSF, and I can tell you about the stretch between Pt. Avisidero and the San Mateo Bridge (along the SF Peninsula side of the Bay). I rarely go beyond the Bridge, because coming back from there in summertime requires beating all the way home, generally against a 20-35 knot 'breeze'. My swing-keel doesn't hold a course as steadily as the full-keel boat I used to sail, but a Cat-25 is a great boat for these waters, especially through the windy summer months. It's large enough to feel 'safe' (and relatively dry) but small enough to respond to this wind almost like a dinghy in lighter airs.

North of Pt. Avis. (which is actually the northern end of what most people think of as Hunters Point, because of the old Navy shipyard by that name) the summer winds are generally more or less straight out from the shoreline. You can reach back and forth most of the day (once the breeze picks up around mid-day). About .9 miles south of Pt. Avis., where you clear the last pier of Hunters Pt., you'll encounter the wind coming down past Candlestick Park (a wind known painfully well by sports fans and professional baseball and football players). Because the shoreline recedes back to the Candlestick Causeway (where the freeway runs right alongside the Bay), and due to the shallow water, the wind can fetch up a pretty interesting chop. By late afternoon the waves can begin to coalesce into long rollers. When I'm coming south from your waters, Phredde, I get to deal with these rollers usually addressing my stbd. quarter. I used to round-up with distressing frequency until I learned to anticipate them and counter-steer just before they took effect).

Then there's the wind shadow extending out from San Bruno Mountain. The mountain cleaves the incoming marine layer, with the northern flow described above and the southern flow passing over SSF and San Francisco Airport SFO. In between it can be dead flat calm while there's 20+ knots at SFO. And the diminishing effect can extend quite a long ways out into the Bay. I generally like to follow the shoreline north of Pt. Avis., but if you're just passing through this area in the summertime you'll probably want to be out by the San Bruno Shoal channel. That directs you right at the high-rise section of the Bridge. Once you get back into the full force of the wind coming out from SFO, however, it'll be pretty bouncy. The waters between SFO and the Bridge are very popular with windsurfers and kiteboarders out of Coyote Pt., just like the waters off Candlestick, so that should tell.

Past the Bridge it's been a little lighter when I've been down that far, and I recall being able to reach both ways.

Redwood City has a long approach estuary, and there's adequate depth as far as the city yacht harbor. Beyond that you might want a swing-keel (I don't really know). I've watched the July 4th fireworks from out in the channel; they didn't police the area and we were able to sit directly under the exploding pyrotechnics - and experience I'll never forget!

There may be others here who can add more detail about the waters south of the San Mateo Bridge, and I've been intending to do more exploring down there eventually. That long beat home from the Bridge, however, doesn't make for a restful Sunday. Depending on the specific wind direction you might close-reach most of the way if you're going past Pt. Avis., but you'll probably have to throw in a tack or two. That afternoon chop will slow you down a bit, between the pitching of the rig and the hammering on the bow, so figure an early start and a long ride home. Keep in mind, too, that there'll be strong surges of wind (they're more than I'd call "puffs"), where you'll see increases of 10 knots or more for 10 seconds or more, and you'll want to spill some of that off the main. If you play those surges right, however, you can use the lift to claw a little higher as they charge through, and then settle back into your reach as they subside. You can see them coming as the ruffling of the water surface reflects less of the sky.

I'm currently still shaking-down the rig mod's I've put on this boat recently, which is why I haven't been contributing, but as I gain more experience (and confidence) I'd enjoy meeting up with some other SF Bay sailors. Paul Zell (our Technical Editor, who sails out of Brisbane) must know the South Bay better than I do, and I'm sure there are others. As you know, Phredde, the mainland side of the Bay offers some great sailing, too, and the Alameda Estuary is a boating Mecca.

This response might have been more appropriate in the General Sailing forum (or even the Cruising forum, for those who can trailer out to SF Bay), but I'm sure I'm not the only one who hasn't the time to be following multiple forums and I wanted to answer the question you posted here, Phredde. I'll look forward to meeting up soon.

- Lee

Edited by - on

PZell
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 09/02/2012 : 12:40:14

Phredde,
Oooops didn't see your post until Sunday. Hope you had a nice trip. Coming from Bay Bridge it's a nice reach until past Hunter's Point and Candlestick/Brisbane area. Early in the day you can make a nice spinnaker run right down the deep water channel nearly all the way to San Mateo Bridge. If no spinnaker then it's a comfortable reach. Stay East of #8 and #8A as you approach the bridge. Go straight from end of deep water channel to #8 and then the bridge. If you get too far east there are San Bruno Shoals, but you probably wouldn't ground there unless tide pretty low, but it gets choppy wet. After going through bridge head for #12 or east thereof. Do not get too far west as there are shoals. Go from #12 directly to RWC channel there are shoals South and West between #12 and RWC channel entrance and STAY IN THE RWC CHANNEL. Either side you can go aground. After you pass the power lines you come to the ship turning basin and you can decide where to go from there. I haven't been all the way down the channel for a while. There is a new marina to left just past the power lines. Think there still is a restaurant by RWC Marina, and I guess Pete's Harbor still open. It starts getting pretty shallow if you pass Pete's Harbor entrance. On way back again STAY IN THE CHANNEL on the way out until past the entrance. You will have to tack to the bridge. It's a bit shallow over towards the bridge as it runs more East but you will probably be fine. When you come back under the bridge heading North you will be tacking into the stiff afternoon breeze, very noticeable as you pass the bridge so you should have reefing capability. Best thing to do is tack until you can go from #8 over towards Coyote Point. Be sure you pass North of Coyote Point entrance. To the South is all shoals. Make your way over towards end of SFO airport and begin tacking North. You can do this in short or long tacks. If there is a flood you want to try to stay enough to the West that you can take advantage of Hunter's Point Piers blocking the flood. If you stay out in the middle of bay on way back from SM Bridge you will have a real BASH and if against tide, very slow progress. The trip takes quite a while either way...Longer for you getting home. BUT, you probably already discovered all this. The Catalina 25 takes the bashing well, especially with one reef and working jib.

Edited by - on

Phredde
Navigator

Members Avatar

125 Posts

Response Posted - 09/11/2012 : 18:11:28

Thank you both for the GREAT advice. I really appreciate it. We ended up looking at the fogged in penninsula that day, and headed instead for sunny Alameda. Had a great downwind sail, a nice and sunny weekend, and not too bad of a bash back to SF. But these notes will definitely come in handy the next time our schedule, the weather and the tides all line up for a RWC trip. Thank you SO much!!!

Edited by - on

PZell
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 09/17/2012 : 12:03:45

Hey, I did Central Bay around Racoon Straits Friday (Sep14). Saw some AC45s practicing. Whew, looks like a speedboat with rooster tail in 20 knot winds. Then did trip from Brisbane to RWC Entrance on Saturday. Broad reached to cage by airport and then nearly all the way to Marker #12 just before RWC channel. Had up a 135% poled out wing and wing from North end SFO to #12 past bridge. Took it down and put on 105% for the trip back. Reefed just past San Mateo Bridge on way back. Mucho tacking. Bone in teeth about 20-25knots from bridge to Oyster Point. Very wet and dodging sailboarders and kite surfers. That whole trip took about 6 hours, so gives you a feel for the time needed. If you stay over RWC or Coyote Point Marina, probably would be better than doing it all in one day.

Edited by - PZell on 09/17/2012 12:06:52

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.