Sailing The Open Seas
Things To do: Sailing in the San Francisco Bay
I have spent nearly all of my life living two short hours from San Francisco. I went to
college in the city and spent countless days and weekend exploring the nooks and
crannies of one of our country’s most incredible cities. It wasn’t until I moved to Sonoma
County, however, that I had my first opportunity to sail the open waters of the San
Francisco Bay.
A good friend of mine spent a large portion of his life sailing so when he asked if I
wanted to join he and 14 others on a 70’ sailboat, cruising the open waters, I jumped
at the opportunity. We met in Sausalito where our vessel was docked amidst boats
of every shape, size and color, with densely-packed masts piercing the blue skies
above. He instructed us on the basics of sailing, as we would all be acting as a team
to keep ourselves afloat. We set out on a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky,
but enough wind to gently glide us to our first destination, Angel Island. I never
actually thought the Island was a destination, but as I soon discovered, it is filled
with sloping trails for miles and views as far as the eye could see. Most of our crew
set out on foot and explored the lush, tree-filled paths zig-zagging to the top. I opted
instead to lie in the warmth of the sun, snacking on sweet dried mango, gently lulled
by the rocking boat like a baby in a cradle. Afterall, how often do I get to do that?
Never.
Once everyone gathered back to the boat, we set sail on the open water,
guided by seals and dolphins toward the Golden Gate Bridge. A few times I thought I
might slide into the drink from the unrestrained waves jolting us from side to side,
but our trusty captain assured us that if we hung on, we’d be fine. Fortunately I don’t
suffer from motion sickness, so when the wind blew me to shivers, I was happy to
duck down into the cabin for some respite. We cruised past Fisherman’s Wharf,
waving at the excited tourists and sailed past Alcatraz Island, snapping photos of the
prison and its ruins. We finally found ourselves right under the Golden Gate Bridge.
I’ve driven over this bridge more times than I can count, but never have I observed
it’s firey, orange majesty from below. Literally one of the most impressive and
amazing views I’ve ever been privy to. The size of the bridge made me feel like a
spec of salt in the ocean’s water. The waves tossed and turned us with immense
force, though our Captain kept his cool, trusting the few crew members who had
sailed with him before. It was growing late and most of us were freezing under our
jackets, blankets and make-shift gloves so we headed back to where the waters were
calm and the air was warm. We docked the boat back into its cozy slip, hopped onto
the creaking dock and headed to steady, flat land. Most of us were starving so we
headed into the sweet town of Sausalito to a restaurant called Paradise Bay, sitting
on their deck, windswept and sunkissed, watching the sun set over the sea that was
our home for the day.
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