San Francisco

We're having a great time in San Francisco. After a month of small towns with few sailboats and fewer cruisers, San Francisco was a bit of a shock. There are dozens of boats out day sailing in the bay every day. We've also encountered several boats that we know from Canada, the first familiar faces we've seen in weeks. In chronological order we have seen: Dave from Demelza, Denis and Holly from Tango, Steven's cousin Natalka, Jo and Rob from Blue Moon, and Darusha's semi-employer Doug and his wife Sesna.

The weather here is also noticeably better than it is even 20 miles away. It is now mid October and this is the warmest and driest weather we've had since mid August. Twenty knot westerlies blow in every afternoon. We've found these winds beneficial.

And we're also quite pleased with the anchorage in Sausalito. It is well sheltered from the wind and there is no swell. The downside is that there is frequent wake from ocean-going ships, but it is still a welcome change to harbours where there is no place to anchor.

Sausalito is a weathly suburb with a well developed tourist trade. It also has a number of marinas, marine supply stores, and free wifi. The Sausalito Yacht Club has welcomed us warmly.

We spent one night in the west basin of Pier 39 in San Francisco. There are strong afternoon winds and some current at the docks. The pier itself is a circus for thousands of tourists with the star attraction being the hundreds of sea lions that live in the west basin. Add the swell that comes in despite the breakwater and I can't recommend it.

We also visted Berkeley. The marina there is $0.50/foot, well sheltered, and quiet. The Berkeley marina is a long way from the center of town, so taking the #9 bus would be a good idea. There doesn't appear to be any marine industry in Berkeley.