San Francisco Bay Area Tugnutters

[Hydraulicjump]

Add this one to your repetoir. My wife and I went into the deep south for the weekend. That is, into that body of water that Silicon Valley (which now ranks as the 14th largest economy in the world) ignores. For the unitiated, the South Bay is the southern arm of the San Francisco Bay: an aggregation of creeks and small rivers drowned by sea level rise over the last 12,000 years. Much of it has been filled for urban expansion; an even larger amount is made up of salt ponds most recently owned by Cargill. These are slowly being turned into a maze of marshes, tidal channels, mudflats, and even a few wonderful marinas (like Westpoint Harbor near Redwood City...the best kept marina we have ever seen).

If you like birds, harbor seals, and 5'+ sturgeon that leap out of the water in front of your boat, head into the far south beyond the Dumbarton Bridge. With up to date charts you can avoid grounding, and kayaks or skiffs will help you bird watch. This is an easy anchorage (look at Active Captain) and you will be amazed at the wildlife and the views, especially when you wake up to a sunrise over the Google campus.

This was one of those "hey let's use the tug as a place to stay this weekend" accidents that should not go unreported. And we ran into Fabian Pease of Stanford University in his R-27 messing around down there. Small world!

Jeff and Barb

 

[nzfisher]

If you get a chance to see a map of SF bay at the turn of the last century you will see about 1/3 to 1/2 was filled by development. If you make it to the area around Alviso, (not possible at low tide),there used to be a ghost town there amid the wetlands a stones throw from NASA and Lockheed Martin. With all of the current development the bay is astounding in its lack of use during the week given it is surrounded by 8-9 million people. I guess they are at work overachieving instead of sailing in the typical afternoon breezes. It is also a Mecca for windsurfers around the old ballpark at candlestick point which are fun to watch.

 

[Dale777]

....These are slowly being turned into a maze of marshes, tidal channels, mudflats, and even a few wonderful marinas (like Westpoint Harbor near Redwood City...the best kept marina we have ever seen)....

Jeff and Barb

Jeff,

Curiously, I worked until 1994 in Redwood City for over 22 years only 3 miles from what is now Westpoint Harbor. However, back then Westpoint Harbor did not exist. The main harbor/marina in that area was called Pete's Harbor, named after the long time owner, Pete Uccelli. I must have had lunch/dinner at The Waterfront Restaurant at Pete's Harbor over 500 times over the years, since I loved the funky nature of the restaurant and harbor/marina area, and the food was really good. It was nice to sit around and talk with Pete himself.

In a way, it is a shame the place will change so much after Pete died. I understand that his widow Paula approved of a redevelopment, and sold the land to a Colorado developer, that will include about 400 condos and a modern marina to compete with Westpoint Harbor, so I guess it is all for the better. It now appears that the developer has won approval over years of objections.

 

[Dale777]

....These are slowly being turned into a maze of marshes, tidal channels, mudflats, and even a few wonderful marinas (like Westpoint Harbor near Redwood City...the best kept marina we have ever seen)....

Jeff and Barb

Jeff,

Curiously, I worked until 1994 in Redwood City for over 22 years only 3 miles from what is now Westpoint Harbor. However, back then Westpoint Harbor did not exist. The main harbor/marina in that area was called Pete's Harbor, named after the long time owner, Pete Uccelli. I must have had lunch/dinner at The Waterfront Restaurant at Pete's Harbor over 500 times over the years, since I loved the funky nature of the restaurant and harbor/marina area, and the food was really good. It was nice to sit around and talk with Pete himself.

In a way, it is a shame the place will change so much after Pete died. I understand that his widow Paula approved of a redevelopment, and sold the land to a Colorado developer, that will include about 400 condos and a modern marina to compete with Westpoint Harbor, so I guess it is all for the better. It now appears that the developer has won approval over years of objections.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Dale,

Funky marinas are great places to visit. My first memorable marina experience was as a kid more than 50 years ago venturing into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on a houseboat with my parents. We nearly sunk the boat when we hit a low bridge at high tide. There were some funky marinas in the backwaters there, including some crazy people with no teef in rocking chairs on docks falling in the water. But I fell in love with the place...and boats... and made studying it part of my profession many years later. Avocation meets vocation.

When the San Francisco Bay-Delta Tugnut crowd eventually reaches critical mass, we will have our own rendezvous. But Ranger Tugs needs to sell more boats down here. After a great beatdown yesterday getting back to our slip in San Francisco, these are the perfect boats for the tempestuous Bay. You will need to tow your boat out for it.

Jeff

 

[Boont Boater]

We took our C-Dory into Alviso a few years ago. It is a kick to be somewhere kind of funky and rural in the middle of a large urban area. There was a duck hunter at the dock which gave me 3 ducks (shovel heads?). Good eating. I thought that they were dredging the channel, maybe access isn't so problematic. Your post is a good suggestion and reminder that we do have places nearby worth visiting.

I remember my Dad kept his wooden-hulled sloop at McAvoy's marina near Port Chicago. Kind of funky there but lots of room for a kid with a pellet gun. I think slip rental was $6 a month. My Dad said that McAvoy fired a shotgun over a boat throwing a wake. Sounded like effective communication to me.

Maybe we could have a Bay Area tug nut get-together sometime. A rendezvous at Angel Island or some such spot. Something to think about.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Good idea. We can all go through that circus on Angel Island's bow and stern mooring ball tie offs. I have watched it with great amusement, except when it is clear that a marriage is about to end. We can all dingy to your boat, since it will be the biggest. Unless there are some 31's in the Bay now.

Next year I will propose it on this site and see who salutes.

 

[Bob Pisani]

Hi, I like the Angel Island/Ayala cove idea. Been there overnight with the fore and aft mooring exercise which can be fun when the place is crowded and the wind is blowing, etc. An S.F. Bay Ranger get-together would be a good thing. Also read the post on the South Bay and plan to explore it too.

Bob Pisani

R-21. Hercules

 

[Boont Boater]

If it's not a busy weekend day in the summer, we could use the slips at the dock. Maybe a picnic/ barbecue for the afternoon.