San Francisco area. marinas

[Phil Fill]

My wife and I are planning to fly down to San Francisco and scout out marinas in the area. Prefer to be close to the Sacramento River as the water would be fresh to brackish. I do not want to put the Eagle in the salt year around. Maybe go back and forth between fresh and salt like we use to do. 6 to 9 months fresh, and 6 to 3 months salt which seem to keep the hull clean of growth. We would probable not be full time live a boards as my wife want to travel, 3 months on the boat, 3 months traveling.

The Puget Sound is to rainy and cloudy we did/do like being a live aboard on Lake Union down town Seattle, and like the big city live style. Lots of restaurants, plays, theaters, events and SHOPPING. Living on the boat has givies a virirty of live styles. If we did not like the marina/area we pick up and move to another. Also living on a boat even in the middle of a city is sort of a peaceful haven separate from the busy city.

Are there many marinas in that area? How are the vacancy rates as we might want to move around a bit. I would think at first we will have to take what we can get and then fine tune like when we first became a live aboard.

 

[markpierce]

There are loads of California Delta marinas. Here is one of several websites concerning them:

Marinas in the California Delta

 

[Nsail]

Mark is correct. Except that none of the marinas with easy access to the delta have anything remotely close to your entertainment and shopping requirements. You'll need to get close to Frisco for that.

 

[Giggitoni]

Check out the municipal marinas at Benicia and Vallejo. They are in brackish water part of the year and are closer to shopping and the big city life. The summers are also cooler than the Delta.

 

[Phil Fill]

So are there any marines closer to shopping/city? Vallejo/Antioch/Susan bay. Everett is 30 miles north of Seattle, but there are shopping malls with in 5 minutes, and some reasonable priced restaurants in the marina and area. A WallMart will do in a pinch, and K Mart if I am really desparate, at least they take the edge off!

 

[markpierce]

There are Walmarts within taxi distance of Antioch, Pittsburg, Vallejo, and Martinez marinas. All of the marinas are within walking distance of their respective old downtown sections. Of the four, Vallejo probably has the better local bus service, and there is direct ferry service to San Francisco from there too.

 

[Nsail]

Yes, plenty of malls, Walmarts and K-Marts around! I thought you were looking for the big city type of shopping and entertainment when I said you need to get closer to Frisco.

 

[CPseudonym]

If close in, big city convenience is what your after I would stop searching inland at Antioch. Sacramento and Stockton are the only options for that in the Delta, maybe Rio Vista. The Delta is farm country, big open spaces filled with crops. A tiny little marina store is the closest thing we have to "shopping" in Isleton.

 

[Astral Blue]

If you want to berth your boat in fresh water, have access to shopping, fine dining, and entertainment, then Sacramento is your best bet. It is hardly Seattle, but offers a pretty close match to the preferences you stated.

 

[vineline]

Benicia. It's kinda cute. Walmart, Kmart....seriously.

 

[Phil Fill]

Benicia. It's kinda cute. Walmart, Kmart....seriously.

I did not realize there were so many marinas? do most of them have slips for a 60 ft with as 6 ft draft? Do most marinas have vacancy as we might want to move around a bit? Being we will be retired and a live aboard we will not be tied to one area.

WallMart/KMart can take the edge off. Shopping/walking the malls in the cold rainy winter is my main past time. But maybe in the warm/dry climes may not be that necessary. Being we have season in Seattle, and we do not have to much storage we have to get rid of cloths/things and buy new ones each season.

Being we do not cook, so its either deliver, prepared foods, or eat out.

 

[Giggitoni]

Most marinas would put you on an end-tie for your size boat. That limits available space at most marinas. You'd have to call around to see what's available.

 

[Nsail]

Benicia is normally full, especially for your size boat. As for end ties, there is a very long wait list.

 

[CPseudonym]

Being we do not cook, so its either deliver, prepared foods, or eat out.

If that is the case Phil the ONLY Delta city I would recommend is Sacramento. Everything else is going to be a lot of driving IMO. I've sampled the majority of Delta area eateries and Sacramento is the only city that will offer a respectable variety. Stockton is the only other possibility.

BTW, shopping mall cruising season out this way is summer when the temps get over 100 for a few days. At least according to my wife's credit card statements

 

[vineline]

I did not realize there were so many marinas? do most of them have slips for a 60 ft with as 6 ft draft? Do most marinas have vacancy as we might want to move around a bit? Being we will be retired and a live aboard we will not be tied to one area.

WallMart/KMart can take the edge off. Shopping/walking the malls in the cold rainy winter is my main past time. But maybe in the warm/dry climes may not be that necessary. Being we have season in Seattle, and we do not have to much storage we have to get rid of cloths/things and buy new ones each season.

Being we do not cook, so its either deliver, prepared foods, or eat out.

With all do respect, forget about the fresh/ salt water thing. You're retired and walk in malls for health and entertainment. Live, not a little, a lot. Get a slip in Marin....stunningly beautiful with easy walks to food, entertainment. I assume you're old. Who cares if your boat rots away (and it won't) live it up! Sorry. I work in oncology and as a result of seeing what I see, I ALWAYS encourage people, healthy and sick, to take your life to great excess whenever possible.

You have a boat. Park it somewhere amazing.

 

[Codger2]

BTW, shopping mall cruising season out this way is summer when the temps get over 100 for a few days.

A few days??? Craig, Is your other job working for the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce?

 

[FlyWright]

Phil, if you PM me with your address, I'll mail you a copy of the 2013 Bay/Delta Marina Guide. It's a great source of marinas in the area grouped by area

 

[Dswizzler]

Phil, been away for awhile, but liven aboard for the past 2 years years in the Delta another option you may want to look at is Pittsburg. The city has done a nice job in the last five years with the Downtwon and Van runs the city Marina like it was his own. We just spent 18 months there and loved it. Walk to down town where you have a nice mircobrew pub, very nice Italian restaurant, old Mexican place very good food, Japanese Fusion( whatever that is) and Dad's BBQ all close by. 2 hours into the delta fours to the city at aboyt 8-10 knots.

We only left to get out to the Bay and outside the gate. We are currently in Alameda at Fortman Marina and like that as well. Good luck

 

[Phil Fill]

Being in the PNW where the boating season is 1 to 3 months per year, so the boats sit for 11 to 9 months, there is a big advantage to mooring in fresh water and close to the city. But maybe in warmer nicer climates and retired we might leave the dock more. Nah! probable not!

We are more city yuppies than quiet rural.

Thanks Al for the marina guide as its very helpful. I did not realize there where that many marinas in the Bay area.

 

[Baggiolini]

Phil, old Mexican place very good food,

The New Mecca....love that place

 

[Rickized]

Just go on Active Captain and look in the area you want to be in, it will show all the marinas and what they have and you can look at satellite veiw and see where things are.
https://activecaptain.com/X.php