A weblog for San Francisco Bay sailors

The outermost portion of Pier 1½ has been closed since December but is slated to reopen next week. Photo Latitude / LaDonna © 2010 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc.

Pier 1.5 has quickly become a member favorite for San Francisco Bay cruising destination. If you’ve been there lately, you’ve probably been un-pleasantly surprised to see that over half the dock is unusable. This is a huge pain, especially on a summer weekend day. Good News! The Pier is set to re-open on May 7th.  Here’s the message we got from Latitude 38…

In December, fierce storms damaged one of the Bay’s more popular stops: Pier 1½. Though not completely closed, the outermost half of the 180-ft public dock has been roped off, leaving only the inner portion available to boaters. But Patrick McIlwain of Pacific Waterfront Partners, the firm that manages what’s known as The Piers - Pier 1½, 3 and 5 - says the free dock should be open soon. “We’ve removed part of the damaged dock and are replacing it today,” he said. “We hope to reopen it by May 7.”

Pier 1½, open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, only has a few rules - no rafting, no boats over 40 feet, and stays are limited to three hours are the biggies - and lots of benefits. It’s a great place to pick up crew, stop for lunch, or drop off seasick in-laws. When your daysail is over, walk up the ramp to La Mar Cebicheria Peruana and enjoy a gourmet Peruvian meal prepared by celebrity chef Gastón Acurio. And don’t pass up the interesting drink options, such as the Cholopolitan, the Pisco Sour, or the Bloody Lorcho - just be sure to read the ingredient list before ordering!

Our unstoppable DJ and OCSC Member, Scott Keck, came to us with an idea. He had dreamed of  outfitting Treasure Island Sailing Center with some new equipment for years, and asked if we would help try to raise a few bucks for the cause. We set up a donation bucket at the BBQ on Saturday and OCSC Members responded with incredible generosity. Thanks to all of you, we were able to raise $276 for the kids program. With Scott’s matching donation, this will be just enough to cover the facility improvements he had in mind.

Thanks for all your help and generosity!

The Treasure Island Sailing Center is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve our community and the sport of sailing by providing access, facilities, and sailing instruction to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, skill levels, and physical abilities.

To learn more about TISC, check out their website. If you’d like to make a donation and weren’t able to attend the BBQ, you can always help by going here.

We’re running low on BOB’s!! If you or someone you know drinks orange juice out of a orange (white and clear jugs are impossible to see on the water), 1 gallon orange juice jug, please grab the empty jug and bring it down to OCSC.

Just drop them off at the front desk. We really appreciate your help!!

Team OCSC

The Wednesday Night Sails are always a hugely popular activity at OCSC SAILING. It’s always fun to see so many friends and fellow sailors out for the mid-week sail. The BBQ evenings (first Wednesday of the month) are particularly fun and popular. In order to accommodate more friends for the WNS BBQ nights, we’ll be going out on the 82′ Schooner Seaward! The Seaward gives us the opportunity to open the event to more people and offer a more casual sunset cruise.

Call us to reserve your spot on the Seaward Wednesday Night Sail and BBQ! (800) 223-2984

Click here to see photos from the May 5th Seaward Wednesday Night Sail!

Our very own Tim Han stopped by the America’s Cup presentation at the Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show on Friday. Here’s what he had to report…

This was the first time (the first moment really) I’ve ever seen the actual America’s Cup in person.  They had just pulled it out of a BMW SUV and the guy carrying it was all business.  He nearly mowed me over as I was snapping the picture.  My spine was tingling being so close to such an iconic symbol of sailboat racing!

Quotes form the panel discussion (L to R):

Brad Webb (Bowman) - “I’m looking forward to an America’s Cup where there are more people on the sailing team than there are on the design team.”

Ian “Fresh” Burns (Design Coordinator) - “The whole boat was designed to flex in 3 dimensions to reduce the peak loads.  The outer hulls, at the aft end, would oscillate vertically 2 feet from their static position while sailing.”

John Kostecki (Tactician) - “In the first race we started significantly behind and to leeward, then found ourselves ahead at the top mark.  That has never happened to me in a major sailboat race before.”

Martin Sundberg Photography

OCSC SAILING was recently selected as a Top Ten Adventure Learning Getaway by HotelsCombined.com! OCSC SAILING was the only activity selected in Northern California.  With the amazing sailing conditions and beauty of the San Francisco Bay, it’s not uncommon for sailors to travel from all over the globe for world-class training.

According to a February 2010 report by Conde Nast Traveler, 72 percent of affluent travelers are interested in customized trips where they can learn the culture and history of a destination.

The same report states that in the past year, there has been a spike in educational experiences and adventure as a motivation for travel. Conde Nast Traveler describes that adventure travel is no longer solely about risky extreme sports, but about culture, learning and experiencing life. As families plan their annual vacations… Read the Rest of the Report

BYC’s annual swap meet & open house is happening Sunday April 11,  6am to 1pm. It’s a fun event attracting vendors from around and beyond the Bay Area selling new & used nautical gear.  Food and drink will be offered.

For more information: 510-843-9292 or manager@berkeleyyc.org

Berkeley Yacht Club was established in 1939 to “foster, encourage and further the sport of yachting.” The nearly 250 members are actively engaged in racing, cruising, and in educational, social and community service activities. Our members are a diverse group brought together by their mutual enjoyment of boating.

Have you seen MTV’s The Buried Life?? It’s the story and documentary of 4 guys traveling around the world checking experiences off of their “Bucket List.” What started as a conversation between four friends in 2006 has turned into an inspirational new show and a refreshing reminder to go for our dreams.

Although the show is new on MTV this year, we’ve known about the guys for a while. In 2007, The Buried Life stopped by OCSC SAILING to cross off #65 on their list, Learn to Sail.  I don’t think these guys are alone. I think a lot of people have learning to sail on their “Bucket List.” In fact, that is a conversation we have all the time. After being at OCSC for 2 years, I can definitely say that is my favorite part of the job. It’s amazing to watch people come here with just a dream or idea that they want to start sailing, take their first lessons, begin chartering themselves, then start to plan their trip to the Caribbean or Greece or Turkey or wherever.

We’re really excited for The Buried Life guys and happy to have helped them on their way. If you have the dream to sail around the world or sail in Greece or just try something new, we’d be happy to help you too!

The Buried Life guys with Max Fancher, CCO of OCSC SAILING, as they check off #65, Learn to Sail!.

We’ll be hosting a special presentation by Dieter Loibner, author of Sustainable Sailing, on April 17th at 4pm.

Sailing can be a sustainable activity, but polluted waters and crowded marinas, boatyards, and anchorages are signs that problems must be addressed to keep it that way. Sailors pump sewage overboard and burn fossil fuels that pollute water and air. They use toxic paints to retard marine growth and stuff their boats with electronic gadgets that devour electricity, which often comes from coal-fired power plants. And where do all the plastic boats go, once they have reached the end of their useful life?

Going green is becoming the norm, while staying dirty will become increasingly expensive, inconvenient and eventually obsolete.

This book, and the lecture that accompanies it, build awareness, suggest solutions, and promote best practices. Sailors learn how to reduce their carbon footprint, lessen their impact on the environment and how to become a positive force for change.

~ D.Loibner

Where: OCSC Sailing, 1 Spinnaker Way Berkeley, CA 94710

When:  Saturday, April 17th 4pm

RSVP: Call Us! 800-223-2984!

In case you missed it, Anthony was a featured guest on Gary Allen on Business this past weekend. The two touched on a broad range of sailing topics from the possibilities of the America’s Cup being held in San Francisco, the process of learning how to sail, and Anthony’s tips and stories from sailing in exotic locations all over the world. You can listen to the audio here.