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Always Something Different on San Francisco Charters

Jan 21, 2021


We are continually surprised by the interesting things that we see on San Francisco Bay. This past week we were thrilled to see two very different ships on the Bay.


During a Sausalito sailing charter, we saw the first ship: the USCG Cutter Healy. The Healy is one of only two icebreakers that the US Coast Guard has for Arctic operations. The Healy had a fire onboard this fall and came down to Mare Island for repairs. We got to see the ship at San Francisco Pier 19. We were able to get up close and see the shape of the hull. The boat rides up on the ice and the weight of the ship breaks the ice - very interesting. We saw the Healy just after we completed an Alcatraz Island tour (where we circled the entire island and learned about its fascinating history). 


The second ship was a type of ship called a "Heavy Lift ship". This ship is designed to carry very heavy and very large cargo over the ocean. This ship was bringing new cranes for the Oakland Harbor overseas from China. 


We were coming down the Oakland Estuary, part of our Oakland Sailing Charters starting in Jack London Square. We saw the ship just as they were unloading the third crane off of the ship. Once the crane is off-loaded they will then raise the crane portion up to the height required to off load cargo from the container ships. We get to see the ships unloading as part of our Oakland Harbor tours. It was fascinating to see this ship and the unloading operation—who knows what we will see next time.

By Kirk Millar 18 Jul, 2023
It was a beautiful, Thursday evening in mid-July on the San Francisco Bay. Our guests who were visiting from Kansas City, along with their 2 grandchildren from Colorado, prepared for their summer evening sail, hoping to witness the breathtaking beauty of the Bay Area at sunset. Little did they know, they were about to be treated to a surprise that would make their experience all the more incredible—a rare, fog-free evening on the bay!
By Kirk Millar 10 Jul, 2023
Come sailing with us and part of your charter will be donated to Canine Companions!
27 Jun, 2023
Welcome to Angel Island. We had another wonderful trip from San Francisco for an Angel Island picnic and history walk. Two boats with 30 passengers.  We started from San Francisco at 10 am and motor-sailed out to the Golden Gate Bridge. Under the bridge we got to see the Marin headlands and the Point Bonita Lighthouse. We got to howl under the bride - and hear our echo. Everyone got a hand at steering the boat as we went over to the calmer area near Angel Island. We saw LOTS of harbor seal sleeping on the docks at the island - they did not seem to care that we were visiting. Great picnic lunch with more sandwiches, snacks, desserts and drinks than could be eaten. Some of the group decided to hike around the island on the fire road (2 1/2 hour hike). Others decided to go on the more leisurely Angel Island history walk with Captain Kirk. Great views of Tiburon, Belvedere, the entire San Francisco bay entrance and the Golden Gate Bridge. Discussion about the history of San Francisco Bay, the Gold Rush, Civil war, building of the bridges, the end of the ferry services up to modern maritime traffic. Sailing back to San Francisco at the end of the day it was windy along the "slot". A few brave souls got some salt water spray on the front of the boat. The sun was out with a few puffy clouds and just a hint of fog. A perfect day.
By Heather 23 Sep, 2021
Step it up a notch. Kick the sad 2020 work-from-home vibes to the curb. Put on your finest sailing garb and take a cruise in the bay! Our guests today looked pretty dapper, picnicking and watching the world go by under their jazzy straw hats. These hep-cats started the morning in Alameda, our newest home for Osprey. It was a calm, quiet morning, and as with fall sailing, the day turned out to be warm and pleasant. No more wild gusty winds like in the summer - September is the start of the best season to enjoy the SF Bay.
By Heather 09 Aug, 2021
Why not escape the cloudy, foggy summer in San Francisco? Osprey met our intrepid travelers at Pier40 in San Francisco and set out, using the chilly winds and favorable tides to carry us across the central bay. Breaking into the warm sunny skies over Sausalito, Tiburon, and Belvedere, we could just begin to see our final destination: lunch at the historic dock and restaurant, Sam’s Anchor Cafe. Our custom lunch trips bring lots of smiles and laughter - such fun to end the sailing adventure, glide into the dock, and enjoy delicious seafood & cocktails waiting for you. We store all your belongings so you can fully enjoy an escape from the average day and spoil you and your friends to a real icon of the bay sailing scene. This is a subtitle for youpost
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