Trip Planning 2011 - Bay Area

So you have been sailing the bay a few years and 2011 looks like the year to spread your wings and plan a trip on the bay. The big trip inside the bay is to the delta and up the San Joaquin River. You need a minimum of 5 days to do any type of exploring. It's worth it and I have had some wonderful days up there swimming, hanging on the hook and exploring. If you have a long weekend of three days, you could head up the Petaluma or my favorite, the Napa River. If you do it right you can sail all the way up to downtown Napa. Past the Napa Valley Yacht Club, you will need a tender, however if you bring your bikes, you can ride there. On day 2, the bikes will come in handy again as you can ride to the local wineries. Stop at the Napa Valley Marina and start from there. Most of the wineries near the marina require appointments and it is worth it. Our fav was Adastra. If you do a search on this blog, you can read about all our trips to these locations. You will have a blast! If that seems too much like work, head over to Schoonmaker Marina in Sausalito for a weekend. Head to Angel Island and camp out on the boat. Or for those that don't like to hand out the green backs, head over to Clipper Cove off Treasure Island and drop the hook. Our plan this year is to head up to Tomales Bay with an overnight at Drakes Bay. I'll be renting an EPIRB (Electronic Position-Indicating Radio Beacon) from Boat US for that one. Start thinking about some sailing trips for the summer and fall and get out there and enjoy your boat. Be sure the tides are in your favor when doing these trips up the rivers and delta. Bon voyage!