Cruising Guide to San Francisco Bay

by Carolyn Mehaffy, Bob Mehaffy

Cruising sailors around the world know that San Francisco Bay is an excellent cruising area, but few know of the multitude of destinations available here. Within a few hours' sail of each other are the generally cool City Front and the often sunny Alameda Island, busy Sausalito and sleepy Petaluma, accessible South Beach Harbor and remote China Camp. In this updated version of theCruising Guide to San Francisco Bay, sailors can learn the locations of all the open anchorages and marinas in and around San Francisco, from as far south as Half Moon Bay to Bodega Bay to the north. This newly revised edition includes all new charts and photographs, the photographs taken from shore, from our boat, and from our friend and fellow sailor Jack Wigmore's airplane to make it easier for Bay Area boaters to visualize the anchorages and marinas as they explore this amazing area. This new edition is the result of our having researched each destination thoroughly to be certain the information included herein is up-to-date. This latest edition is also easier to use than ever before because the images and most of the charts are in color. Even most long-time San Francisco Bay sailors will find something fresh in this comprehensive revised edition of Cruising Guide to San Francisco Bay.

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 1996

Reviews

[Michael Richmond]

A nice overview of cruising the San Francisco Bay by sail. The book includes 64 pages of general overview of San Francisco sailing conditions including historical notes; general current and tide conditions; surrounding geography; and weather patterns. The remainder of the book is organized as a detailed guide to each marina, anchorage, and mooring in the San Francisco Bay and nearby sailing destinations -- such as Drakes Bay. These detailed pages helpfully include large-scale maps showing the marina/anchorage together with approach channels and contact information for the related harbormaster.

The writing style is casual and easy to read with lots of local tips scattered throughout. Overall, this volume provides a good deal of information to acquaint sailors with the local conditions around the San Francisco Bay.