San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay is the Pacific coast's biggest and busiest recreational boating arena. Sailors, powerboaters, kayakers and anglers share the water with container ships, tankers, ferries and cruise ships. The Central Bay, the stretch between the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge, is where most recreational traffic concentrates, with marinas on the San Francisco, Marin and East Bay shores and anchorages tucked behind Angel Island and Treasure Island.

The Golden Gate

All the water in the bay drains and refills through the Golden Gate, and the tide makes it a serious place. NOAA's Coast Pilot reports ebb currents of more than 6.5 knots between Lime Point and Fort Point. When large ocean swells meet an outgoing ebb, the Coast Pilot warns of very rough, dangerous conditions with steep waves that can reach 20 or 25 feet. Most local boaters plan bridge passages for slack water or flood, and they stay inside the bar when a big swell is running on a strong ebb.

Fog and summer wind

The marine layer is the signature of the bay's summer. Fog and low cloud usually roll in through the Golden Gate in the late afternoon and evening, and the foggiest water is the ocean approach to the Gate and the area inside it to about Alcatraz. Wind follows a daily rhythm: light through mid-morning, building by early afternoon and peaking in the late afternoon and early evening. Most of the bay stays at or below about 20 knots in summer seabreezes, but the stretch from the Golden Gate to the Central Valley corridor can reach 20 to 25 knots. Plan to be back at the dock before the evening peak, and carry fog signals, radar or a chartplotter and a working VHF.

Traffic, VTS and regulated areas

The Coast Guard's Vessel Traffic Service watches the shipping lanes on VHF channel 14 (inshore sector) and 12 (offshore sector). Participation is mandatory for large power vessels, towing vessels and certain passenger vessels, not for recreational boats, but small boats are expected to stay clear of the lanes and ferry routes. Large ships are held to 15 knots and cannot maneuver like you can, so cross the lanes quickly and at right angles. Regulated navigation areas and security zones add a few places recreational boats can't go without permission.

Where to stop

Protected options include Aquatic Park Cove, Clipper Cove at Treasure Island and Richardson Bay near Sausalito. Each has its own permit or time-limit rules, covered below. The whole bay is within California's marine no-discharge area for large vessels, and several anchorages ban discharge outright, so use a pump-out station.