SV Inscrutable – Under the Bridge

After 6 day at sea, and multiple days of beautiful sunshine, we made our final approach to San Francisco navigating some pretty dense fog.  We arrived at Drake’s Bay just before 10:00 on August 27th where we waited for the tide to be in our favor before entering the Golden Gate and then sail into the San Francisco Bay. We caught up to our friends on the SV Pacific Wren who had arrived in Drake’s Bay the evening before and were also waiting out the tide.  

With SV Pacific Wren on our stern, we departed Drake’s Bay and slowly made our way through the fog towards the Golden Gate, barely avoiding the ‘Potato Patch’ along the way.  The Potato Patch is a shoal north of the San Francisco Channel.  The nickname came from several potato boats breaking up on it over the years.  It’s a ballsy shortcut into the Bay to say the least. 

Through the fog there were birds all around us. The wildlife changing with the varying water temperatures and availability of food, we started to spot pelicans off in the distance.

We had envisioned sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge with all its glory in sight, but mother nature had something else in mind for us that day.  

We were taking in the aroma of fresh buns in the oven wafting up from the galley and the sound of fog horns blowing all around as the Golden Gate Bridge came into sight at 15:29.   It was not until we were almost directly under the bridge could we actually see it.  The fog, horns and sudden increase in wind made for a thrilling experience.  Fingers crossed the sun is shining when we depart SF for a classic sail under the bridge as we say goodbye.

The winds were quiet light as we approached the Golden Gate and not a second after we sailed under the bridge did the winds pick up and presented us with stronger winds then our whole trip down out in the Pacific.  With 28 knots of wind on our tail we entered the San Francisco Bay, sailed out of the fog and the city skyline came into view.

We marvelled at the sights of Alcatraz, the fixed wing foilers in the bay and soaked up the sun beating down. We brought down the sails and anchored at Black Point in Aquatic Park Cove. The Aquatic Park is a historic beach park in San Francisco that’s part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

The Aquatic Park was the perfect spot to drop anchor and catch up on some much needed sleep.  The first day in Port we only left the boat to get, well you know.. some essentials 😉 We took in the views, cheers to our arrival in SF and called it a night.

Of all the sailing locales in North America, San Francisco is renowned for its strong breezes, natural beauty, diversity in wildlife and rich maritime history.  Located in a globally cherished location, views of this historic bay from the water are incomparable to any available from land.

The anchorage at the Aquatic Park was much more than we could have expected with a private beach at Hyde Pier and a secure place to park the dinghy while we explored the city during the day. Fisherman’s Wharf at our doorstep, the city skyline, Nob Hill, Alcatraz, Tall Ships and the Golden Gate Bridge all in view right from the boat.  Best location in town for 10 bucks a night.   

I woke our first morning in SF to a Pacific harbor seal on our paddleboards lol.  He was not wanting to give up his comfy spot on the board even while I was pulling them up on to the boat.

There were a ton of swimmers in the cove as well.  Pulling into the Aquatic cove after 6 days at sea, with high winds, a narrow entrance, and then out of no where.. a ton of swimmers.  It was pretty sketchy as we dodged swimmers pulling in and dropping anchor.  All day and night there were swimmers.  We even had the row club come past one day and they sang Oh Canada while passing.  SF seems like a pretty active city.

The Dolphin Club, located in the Aquatic Park, is a volunteer-led community of 1800+ members. Founded in 1877 with twenty-five members whose commitment to spending more time in and on the bay continues to inspire today’s Dolphins.

We spent the next 5 days anchored at the Aquatic Park relaxing, exploring the sights and meeting new friends.

Next Post:  Our San Francisco Experience

Fun Facts:

Golden Gate Bridge – This famous landmark opened in 1937 after a long struggle with the elements.  The bridge’s signature color was created specifically for it, and more than 2 billion cars have crossed it.

San Francisco is one of the most densely populated major cities in the United States and as of 2022, it was the second most densely populated city in the country, after New York City.

The Pacific harbor seal is the only marine mammal that lives in San Francisco Bay year-round.  These seals have spotted fur that varies in color.  They are part of the pinniped family, which also includes walruses, eared seals and true seals.

California sea lions also visit the Bay seasonally, and some us the floating docks at Pier 39 as a place to haul out. These seals are part of the eared seal family and are known for their ability to leap out of the water.  They can often be found sitting on rocks, floating on docks and beams under fishing piers.