Day on the Bay

I went out with my friend Peter, he lives in Berkeley with his wife and 2 young girls. We went for sturgeon and anchored off the Oakland Airport. No Sturgy, but we caught a bat ray and this croaker or kingfish. Had fun, and it was a little windy, but not too bad.






He told me this great story about his kid.

One of his kids goes to kindergarten in Berkeley. They were playing a game where one kid makes a face and the first kid to laugh is out. So the first kid pulls his eyes up and back and says "look I'm Chinese." Kids laugh of course. But the teacher says well maybe you shouldn't make that kind of face. He asks a Chinese girl in the class what does she think. She says well he shouldn't make the face because some kids might get mad. The teacher says that's right and why would they be mad?

Kid says "they'd be jealous because they aren't Chinese."

Great line!

It was about a perfect day to sail in the Oakland Estuary, good wind and lots of sun. The Oakland Yacht Club had a Sunday Brunch race, all seemed to have fun.








click on the pictures for a bigger version

Cruise around Alameda

It isn't something you just "do." At the south end of Alameda there are big mud flats that can catch you pretty quick. Even into the bay you have to be careful around San Leandro and the Oakland Airport. So a tradition is to boat around the island on New Years Day. You follow other boaters, ask for local knowledge and have a good time. The really friendly people at the Aeolian Yacht Club at the very south end of the island have a long guest dock. Their members really know the safe way around the island, so it is a good place to stop. Oh and they serve really good chili and drinks (Ramos Gin Fizz) all day on their beautiful outdoor deck.

This year the fog was stuck on the Oakland Estuary all morning and I almost canceled my trip, but it started to clear about 10:30 and it turned out to be a spectacular day. The chili was good and I had a nice group of friends including a couple who will soon be moving to Portland with their 2 young boys. They wanted to drive the boat, so of course I let them.

It was nice to have a handheld GPS (Garmin 76CSx) so I could track the boat while the kids were behind the wheel. I was close by, but we were right on the edge of the mud flats so I was on lookout both real and virtual.

The big swings on this Google Earth shot (with my gps track) are to avoid the big mud flats. At all but low tide you can't see them and cutting too tight around those parts of the island gets you stuck quick.

We made a quick trip in to see the USS Hornet that is the plot on the bay side of Alameda.

(click for larger image)




A bridge opening in the Estuary




A closer look




Cal's Crew trains in the south end of the Oakland Estuary




One of my guest crew members





A nice catamaran going the other way




A barge that broke last fall, moored in the Alameda breakwater near the USS Hornet




Here's 2 shots of the USS Hornet







Here's a cool boat decoration, a holiday seal, look close you can even see whiskers!






With San Francisco on his port side my other guest crew member helps navigate back home, he sure looks happy!