Winter in San Francisco Bay
We were elated when we arrived in San Francisco Bay in early November. After spending so much time waiting for weather, being in the Bay Area felt like a huge milestone. We jumped for joy as we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge, sailed past Alcatraz, under the Bay Bridge and up the channel to Oakland Harbor. We didn’t know how long we would stay, but our funds were running low, so we needed to prioritize finding work before sailing to southern California where things would only get more expensive.
Our first stop was Jack London Square in Oakland. Karl got a better adhesive and re-did a repair on the dinghy, we enjoyed a nice night out with my sibling Salimatu and their partner, Marcel, and explored Oakland, looking for quiet spots where Desi could run and checking out the downtown scene. After a few days we made a short hop over to Alameda, where we explored town and had a great visit with Karl’s brother John, who was in town for work.
There are few good anchorages in the Bay Area, and most limit your stay to only a few days, so we found that our best option was spending a month at a time in marinas, allowing us to pay the more affordable monthly rates. After Alameda, we stayed for a month in Berkeley, spending most of our time applying for jobs and taking long walks around town or to the nearby dog park. Highlights were going to see Salimatu perform in a drag show, and a visit from our friend Matteo, who took us to see two of his childhood homes and sailed with us under the Golden Gate Bridge, something that had been a dream of his for decades.
After Berkeley, we sailed to Treasure Island and anchored in Clipper Cove for a few nights. The island was a bit of a ghost town, but the views were gorgeous, and the small beach in the cove was a treat for Desi, it being the first beach we’d found in the Bay that allowed dogs.
From Treasure Island, we sailed to Aquatic Park Cove in downtown San Francisco, where we anchored for a week. There were swimmers training in the cove all day and into the night, and it was strange to wake up to voices right outside, as many chose our boat as their turn-around point. We had a great time walking around the city, playing with Desi at Golden Gate beach, exploring Fisherman’s Wharf, the Musee Mecanique, and Salesforce Park. A special highlight was attending the closing of Salimatu’s solo exhibit at The Museum of the African Diaspora, which was amazing and left me beaming with pride at their accomplishment. In the evenings we enjoyed cocktails on deck under the glow of the Ghirardelli sign, with a fantastic view of the city lights.
The day before departing Aquatic Cove, I was offered a job training AI models. It wasn’t my dream job, but it was a huge relief to have remote work after months of trying. From Aquatic Cove, we sailed across the bay and anchored in Sausalito for a couple of nights. We walked around town, hiked to Horseshoe Cove, and spent a lovely afternoon watching the boats come and go under the Bridge. We had planned to stay longer, but there was rough weather approaching and I was starting work, so we decided to find a marina.
Most of the marinas in the Bay had a 30-day limit before requiring liveaboard fees and/or California residency, which kept us moving around. Although we prefer being at anchor, our diesel heater was out and after a couple weeks of relying on blankets and hot water bottles, we missed our electric heater — and hot showers!
Our next stop was Emeryville. The marina had brand new facilities and there was a free shuttle every 15 minutes that looped around town, making outings and provisioning very convenient. We spent Christmas sailing with Salimatu and Marcel and enjoyed a lovely meal together. Karl’s brother came to town again and we had a great visit with him. Karl was contracted to do the work he had previously done at Nike and traveled to Michigan for the College Football Championships, which helped to ease financial pressure. Things were starting to come together!
When our time was up in Emeryville, we returned to Berkeley for another month. I don’t remember much from this time since I was working long days, glued to my computer, only leaving the marina to walk Desi briefly each day. In February, I took a trip to New York and spent some wonderful time with my sister, mom, niece, and a dear friend since childhood. Karl took a trip to Washington for some family time as well, celebrating the Superbowl with his brother’s family and hitting the mountains for some snowboarding.
I don’t know when exactly we decided to give up on the current Mexico sailing season, but at some point, we realized that it made more sense to take our time in California and aim for hitting Mexico next season. The months flew by once I was working full time and before we knew it, we were seeing signs of spring. After returning from our travel, it was time to start thinking about continuing south. We had spent the winter living aboard in marinas and were itching to get back to cruising. We decided to spend a final month back in Alameda and focus on preparing for departure.
We stopped for a few nights at Treasure Island on our way to Alameda and were surprised to find the usually sparsely populated island bustling with activity. There was a huge weekend flea market, a seven-boat raft-up in the anchorage, and an obstacle course of dinghy sailors from the nearby sailing club. We had fun exploring the flea market, playing on the beach with Desi, and watching the kids learning to sail around us.
One month in Alameda became two, but our energy had shifted — we were excited to get moving and we launched into project mode. Karl found a used whisker pole the right size for our boat, installed wheels on the dinghy and a filtration system for drinking water (yay, no more hauling gallons of water!), built a stronger mount for our outboard motor, and installed a motor lift, making it much easier to move the motor from the stern rail to the dinghy. I tackled some deep cleaning projects, taking advantage of the fresh water supply while we had it, and did our routine engine and rigging checks. A few weeks before departure, Karl traveled to Indiana to work the College basketball championships. After his trip, we stocked up on provisions and were ready to go! Of course, the weather had other plans and we waited over a week, finishing out our second month at the marina, then anchored back at Treasure Island to wait a few more days for our window.
Although we didn’t plan on staying so long, and there were certainly ups and downs, we loved our time in the Bay Area. Financial instability is uncomfortable, and we still haven’t figured out the perfect way to sustain this lifestyle while enjoying it fully, but I think we’re on the right track. There were moments when I felt envious of the boats that had already made it down to Mexico, but overall, I love our slow pace. There is something special about spending enough time in a place that you get to know your way around, settle into a routine, and no longer feel like a visitor. Over six months, we lived in six different cities in the Bay, enjoyed some great sailing, and had many beautiful, memorable times with family and friends.
On the morning of May 5th, we secured the last items on board, weighed anchor, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge. We waved goodbye to San Francisco Bay, excited to head south once again!
