Entries Tagged 'Berkley Marina' ↓
November 16th, 2008 — Alioto's, Angel Island, Berkley Marina, Day Cruise, Delta, Fishing, My Boat, Sam's, San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Sturgeon, Tiburon
This is a followup guest post by Balz (part 1 can be found here: President’s Day on the Bay.)
When I checked my messages on Saturday morning, the last thing I expected to hear was an invitation from my friend Unit to go boating in the Bay.
“Isn’t this February?!” I thought to myself. “Is The Unit crazy?”
Yes, yes he is. Crazy like a fox.
Sunday morning found me scouring the Berkeley Marina looking for signs of life. While I was initially disappointed to learn that there is no deli there, the lack of a bait and tackle shop was downright shocking. (According to the folks who work at the information desk, however, both will be coming soon.)
Undaunted in my quest, I picked up a couple of sandwiches at Safeway before venturing to the Berkeley Bait & Tackle Shop at 2221 San Pablo Ave. This store couldn’t be any more authentic if it had been locked in a time capsule 50 years ago. Don’t go there if you’re looking for the latest in equipment and gear. Do go there if you’re looking for some friendly advice and live grass shrimp. ¼ lb of grass shrimp, complete with a block of ice to keep them fresh, cost me only $3.50.
View Larger Map
By 10:30, I was parked near the pier in the Berkeley Marina wondering where The Unit intended to pick me up. As I saw him approach in his 22’ boat, my mission become uncomfortably clear: I was going to have to navigate from the parking lot to the shore, making my way down moss-covered boulders, catch the boat before it clipped any rocks, and then jump aboard while I pushed it clear, all without dropping any of the food or bait.No problem.Upon further investigation from the bay, we would later discover a public boat launch (not marked by any signs from the road approaching the Marina ) located not more than 200 yards nautically from where I jumped on the boat.
(Editor's Note: I tried to explain the boat ramp location over the phone prior to disembarking from the jetty rocks.) Due to the Marina ’s design, however, walking to the same dock from where I had parked would have meant approximately 1.5 miles, and I had already done my cardio for the weekend. This laziness would come back to haunt me when I returned ashore via the same route in the afternoon and took an unscheduled swim with my ill-fated PDA/Phone.Sturgeon were the morning’s objective, and we ventured out to San Pablo Bay in anticipation of favorable tides and optimal depth. We found both of those things along with a collection of other fishing vessels just off the shore of China Camp . By now, the thin fog and 50-degree starting temperature had given way to sunshine and 70’s. Knowing that our grass shrimp wouldn’t last long under those conditions, we conspired to impale them on sturgeon hooks that seemed much too big for their tiny bodies.
Whether it was the fault of the rigs, the bait, the conditions, or the fishermen, I cannot say, but no sturgeon were inconvenienced in any way due to our actions on Sunday. After approximately 3 hours of sincere but vain attempts, The Unit and I agreed to cease all sturgeon-catching efforts and focus our attention on getting as much enjoyment out of the afternoon as the beautiful weather would permit.
We picked up some friends at Sam’s in Tiburon before venturing to Angel Island , where we discovered a beautiful secluded beach. The views of both Marin County and the Golden Gate were simply outstanding from this vantage point. Were it not for the litter (which was observable, though not overwhelming), this beach and its inherently exclusive access would make an excellent spot for a romantic picnic.
But I digress. We returned to Tiburon for a brief bite before heading home.
The notoriety of Sam’s, with its fantastic menu and extensive bar, worked against us in this instance. Faced with a 2-hour wait, Unit and I opted to wander down the boardwalk for sustenance. We happened upon a gem in Alioto’s, which served up bruschetta and old-world-style pizza that was delicious and timely as well as reasonably-priced.
Our bellies filled, we headed back to the Berkeley Marina with choppy water in front of us and a gorgeous pink and orange sky at our backs. As indicated earlier, my return to shore could be called many things: humorous, uninspired, tragic… anything but heroic.
But my clothes will dry, my bruises will heal, and my insurance will cover my phone.
And we’ll all be back on the bay sooner than you think.
Related Articles
Related Stores
March 21st, 2008 — Bait, Berkeley, Berkley Marina, Boat Ramp, Fuel Dock, Guest Berths, Marina, San Francisco Bay
Berkeley Marina is located in: Berkeley, CA
Phone: 510.981.6740
Website: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/marina/
Slips: 1100
About the Marina:
This is one of the largest marinas in the Bay Area. It is home to the Berkeley Yacht Club as well as the Cal Sailing Club. A hotel is located conveniently within walking distance and a restaurant is also available. Please be advised that this area is quite shallow. Call ahead to the harbor master before you arrive to ensure that the depth is correct.
What You Need to Know:
Are liveaboards allowed? Yes, but the marina has some complicated restrictions on this. Please visit their website for more detailed instructions if you are interested in this feature.
Is there a wait list? Yes, the marina has quite a lengthy wait list, despite their size. There is a charge of $40 for being added to this list.
Are berths always available? The marina will usually have at least a few berths available, but in their busy season, there may not be any. Please call ahead before you plan to arrive. Guest berths are available on a limited basis.
What services are provided? Each berth will have its own dockbox as well as electricity and water. Parking, restrooms and showers are also available.
What is the security like? Security services are supplied and night lighting is used for liveaboards or for those who need to access their boats at night.
How do I get to the marina? Their website has detailed instructions on how to reach the marina via water or land or you can contact the harbor master for more information.
Are dry docks available? Yes, the marina does offer dry docks, but there is an additional fee. Please see their website for more details.
Is there a launch ramp? Yes, the marina does offer a launch ramp but there is a fee for this service.
Are towing services offered? Yes, the marina does provide customers with towing services. They are charged at $75 per occurrence.
Are visitor berths available? Yes, the marina does have a few visitor booths. However, they do fill up quickly, so please contact the marina ahead of time.
Can I reach the marina by radio? Yes, you can contact them on VHF Channel 16.
What about the fishing? There is a 3000' pier located right near the marina where you will be able to fish without a license. Charter boats are also available at this location if you would like to go out further to fish.
View Larger Map
Fees:
Monthly Base Rates per Foot
20 - 21 - $6.87
22 - 24 - $7.28
25 - 29 - $7.72
30 - 39 - $8.19
40 - 49 - $8.67
50 - 59 - $9.20
60 - 69 - $9.75
70 - 79 - $10.33
80 - 89 - $10.95
Surcharges
Upwind - 10 percent added to the base rate
Single Berth (Double Finger Berth) 10 percent added to the base rate
Upwind & Single Berth 20 percent added to the base rate
Catamaran / Trimaran Fees 20 percent added to the base rate
Temporary berth surcharge 10 percent of the total cost of the berth
Related Articles
Related Stores
February 19th, 2008 — Alioto's, Angel Island, Berkley Marina, Coyote Point, Day Cruise, Delta, Fishing, Sam's, San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Sturgeon, Tiburon
Last Sunday (ok the day before President's Day) a few friends and I arranged a day cruise/fishing trip on the bay. We didn't have a planned itinerary, but I think you will see the day turned out pretty nice.
It started for me at 8:30am leaving my house, picking up the boat from storage, gassing the boat, and launching at Coyote Point. The morning was incredible. Completely glass on the water with a thin fog... it was in the upper 40's at the time. I was on the water by 9:45am.
Next stop, the Berkley Marnia. My friend was unable to find the boat launch and decided he could walk down the rocks beside the fishing pier. Needless to say I did not think it was a good idea, but relented. He proceeded to slip (thankfully not hurting himself), but eventually made it into the boat... Later you will see his haste will come back to haunt him. He had stopped by the bait shop and picked up a 1/4 pound of grass shrimp so we decided to head to San Pablo Bay and try our hand at sturgeon fishing. Neither of us has an experience.
On the way to San Pablo Bay the wind picked up a little (maybe 5-7 mph). The thing about the grass shrimp that we had is that they are tiny and the hooks on the sturgeon rigs are huge. Not entirely sure we hooked the shrimp up correctly, but here is a photo of our handy work...
We positioned ourselves into a lineup of boats near China Camp in about 10 ft of water (we figured they all looked like they knew what they were doing), but we didn't get any bites (from what we could tell of the boats around us neither did they). It was however an incredible day out on the water and we were enjoying ourselves.
At 1:30pm we decided we had had enough fishing and decided to pick a few other friends that were having lunch at Sam's in Tiburon. We picked them up and did a quick tour around Alcatraz Island. At this point it was a little rough as the wind had picked up to about 10-12mph. On the way back to Tiburon we noticed a beach on Angle Island that look inviting and decided to beach the boat for a couple of minutes. Where we got some nice photos.
As incredible as the views on and around Angel Island were I was astounded at the amount of trash. Here is just one example...
After almost getting stuck by the outgoing tide we headed back to Tiburon to drop of my friends. While there we docked at Sam's and were contemplating eating there. However it was a 2 hour wait. So we went next door to Alioto's and had a very nice meal. Outstanding bruschetta and pizza.
Heading back to drop of my other friend at the Berkley marina rocks the weather was still a little rough. But it was an incredible day.
Unfortunately for my friend when he departed the boat onto the rocks he slipped and fell into the water. Cell phone ruined, but pride intact we parted ways. I headed back to Coyote Point and while I don't have any pictures the sunset over and then into the fog it was spectacular in oranges and pinks.
The nice thing about Coyote point is the boat wash... I was able to flush my engine of the salt water and clean my boat of the salt spray. I returned the boat to storage and tired, but content I headed for home.
President’s Day on The Bay (Part 2)
Related Articles
Related Stores
February 14th, 2008 — Berkley Marina, San Francisco Bay
A friend of mine 1979 28' Uniflite Mega that he has in a slip at the Berkley Marina. He recently related a sad story of a sinking boat in the marina. Thankfully it was not his boat.
He says:
I can't say I didn't get a little choked up when I saw it as this is a reminder to all boaters who keep their vessels in the water to be vigilant about the proper functioning off all bilge pumps, float switches, batteries, battery chargers and shore power connection.
Here is his Uniflite Log Blog.
And here was his original post: Sinking Boat in Berkeley Marina
Related Articles
Related Stores
