Petition Circulating to Save Southern Marin’s Travis Marina
This week in the evolving Bay Area waterfront: Travis Marina.
The funky, random and idyllically perched piece of shoreline is, like much of the Bay’s waterfront property, vulnerable to development incommensurate with its current character. In April 2019, “the National Park Service put out an application for developers to apply for a 20-year lease, which would operate the ‘Boat Shop’ located at the northeast corner of Horseshoe Cove,” the Marin Independent Journal reported. While the park says it wants to retain Travis Marina’s “small-town feel,” many people believe that new development could fundamentally change the area.
A community-led petition to “Save Historic Travis Marina” — by keeping Southern Marin’s Travis Marina Bar and waterfront with its current leaseholder, Travis Air Force Base — has gathered over 5,000 signatures, according to the IJ. According to the Fort Baker master plan, the park service is seeking to increase public use of the 1.7 acre area that includes the bar.”
You can sign the petition by going to www.friendsofTravisMarina.org. “We are having a community meeting/update on Thursday, Feb. 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Travis Marina Bar. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join us. Live music to follow at 7:30 p.m.,” wrote Piper Perreault, a Sausalito resident and one of the founders of the Friends of Travis Marina.
“Please help spread the word to keep the Travis Marina at Fort Baker,” Adrienne Miller wrote us. “Many boaters and kayakers launch from this facility, and the NPS is looking to lease the property to a high-end restaurant, or to expand the pricey Cavallo Point Lodge, etc.”
The Marin IJ also quoted Perreault, who said, “Travis Marina has been completely open to the public for almost two decades. The National Park Service’s master plan for Fort Baker and their current bid does not adequately address the ‘cultural resource value’ of Travis Marina. And that can be attested to by the over 5,000 petition signatures we have received within six days, from people who want Travis AFB to continue as the operator of the Marina and for the waterfront to remain as it is.”
The IJ said that a spokesperson for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area has stated that the Park wants to maintain the Fort Baker boathouse’s “affordable, small town, Southern Marin feel.”
We’ll have more on Travis Marina in the near future . . .
Corinthian Midwinters Go Out with a Whimper
A literal whimper, and shouts across the water of “No!” could be heard in the vicinity of YRA 8, aka R4, a buoy one mile east of Angel Island’s southernmost appendage (Point Blunt). The whimperers and shouters were sailing, slowly but steadily, against the current in about 5 knots of southeast breeze, toward the red can buoy. YRA 8 was serving as the first mark on Course 7 of the Corinthian Midwinters. On almost-breezeless Sunday, the race committee had shortened the course at that mark, with the intention of finishing most divisions right there.
Racers in the spinnaker classes had kites set. They had to jibe onto a heading parallel to the line in order to make headway against the current, which tried to push the boats past the line and toward Treasure Island. When the race committee fired off three sounds and hoisted the blue and white checkerboard November flag, announcing over the VHF the abandonment of all divisions, the shouts of “No!” resounded. PRO Jeff Zarwell explained that the race just wasn’t fair. He quipped that he guessed he’d be buying his own drinks back at the club. Racers came on the radio to thank Jeff and the race committee volunteers for their efforts.
By contrast, Saturday’s racing was just about perfect. A westerly breeze mostly ranged from 8 to 12 knots on flat water. This weekend wrapped up the four-race, two-weekend Corinthian Midwinters. Trophies followed Sunday’s aborted mission back on CYC’s main deck.
The starting area on Saturday, as fine day for yacht racing as one could ask for on a San Francisco Bay winter’s day. We’ll have more in Racing Sheet in the March issue of Latitude 38, coming out on Monday, March 2. In the meantime, check the final standings of what turned into a three-race series at https://race.cyc.org/2020MidWins.
Workaholics Adrift by Judy McCandless
Caption Contest(!)
Here’s your February Caption Contest(!). Don’t forget to check next month’s issue of Latitude 38 for the winner.
