Progress Coming and Patience Needed for Angel Island Docks
Angel Island remains one of the Bay Area’s crown jewels, but as most readers know, access for recreational sailors has been severely limited for a long time by dilapidated docks overrun by seals and recently closed entirely, in addition to a shallow, silting mooring field. We spoke to Matthew Allen, Deputy District Superintendent, Bay Area District, at California State Parks and Captain Maggie McDonough of the Angel Island ferry to get an update. As we’ve reported, Deputy Superintendent Allen confirmed there are 16 docks currently open with the hope for an additional 6-8 slips coming online for the summer season.
While the Department of Parks and Recreation oversees Angel Island State Park, the Department of Boating and Waterways is providing the expertise for the design and development of the new docks. Angel Island State Park is run by park rangers, so there is no harbormaster, and regular maintenance is managed by park personnel. The good news on the new docks is they will be expanding in both number and size to add capacity to the docking facilities. As already reported, construction won’t start until June 1, 2026, meaning the docks will be out of commission next summer. As with the new marina in Clipper Cove, the allowable season for construction on the Bay is June 1–November 1.
The new slips will also have lighting and water, so there will be opportunity to wash down docks and boats. Allen reported the park service is looking for ways to keep the sea lion/seal population off the docks in compliance with the Marine Mammals Act. It is hoped that the months of construction will eliminate their habit of using the docks for a period of time, and afterward, some form of prevention and increased activity on the docks will keep the marine mammals away.
We also asked about dredging, hoping dock permitting would allow dredging also. Unfortunately, it will not happen concurrently with this project. Allen reported, “This dock project was already too far down the road to be able to combine the process.” Dredging is being planned, though it will require additional funding and permitting. The nonprofit Angel Island Conservancy is working with the park to support harbor and park upgrades and to seek additional funding. Angel Island Conservancy board member Brittany Haning reported the board is looking for ways to do private fundraising with ideas like a charity regatta to help support the funding necessary for dredging.
Along with the dock upgrades, Parks and Rec is also looking to try to incorporate a mooring reservation system, utilizing the same type that it already uses for campgrounds. This would allow boaters to know they have a guaranteed mooring before they plan to head over for the night.
Asked how regulations might impede the progress, Allen relayed, “It’s just a process that’s in place that is necessary. These processes are there intended to make sure that everything that we’re doing is correct, that we’re not going to be messing or damaging the environment, but what we’re going to do is sustainable.” If there were anything to help the process Allen suggested, “It would be really helpful if there were one office to coordinate all the permits as each agency has their own processes and bureaucracy. Yes, fundamentally the state parks mission is balancing, providing recreation along with the protection and conservation of natural and cultural resources.” Regardless, he reports the process is moving forward, the design, permitting and $2.7 million in funding in place so they will be putting the project out to bid and with the intention to start replacement in June 2026.
Captain Maggie McDonough, whose family has operated the Angel Island ferry for several generations, is very active with the conservancy and efforts to keep the docks and facilities up to date. She’s looking forward to the new facilities and added, “In fairness, the State Parks has had a lot of difficulty with changes in leadership and funding, and the reality of it is, while they manage it, it’s the public’s park, it’s our park, so how do we want to handle it as a community?” The island has always had a significant amount of public support since the first 37 acres of the island became a park in 1954.
Captain McDonough also reported the Angel Island ferry system is going green, with the ferries being converted to electric power. The smaller boat, Bonita, will be the first to convert, with the other boats to follow. While the environmental regulations often frustrate many, Captain McDonough, who has been crossing Raccoon Strait since she was a child, reports the increased wildlife that has returned since then includes the harbor porpoises, whales, deer and coyotes she’s seen swimming across the strait, as well as a transitory pod of orcas off Belvedere Point.
If you have input for the Park Service you can reach out to Deputy District Superintendent Matthew Allen at [email protected].
Good Jibes #181: Michael Menninger on Going “All In” on Sailing
Welcome back to Latitude 38’s Good Jibes podcast, where we chat with West Coast sailors and hear their stories and tips on cruising, racing and just plain sailing. This week we sat down with Michael Menninger and learned about his journey to becoming a professional sailor and racing in the top events in the world. Michael is flight controller for American Magic, and is a match-racing world champion, team-racing world champion, and Etchells world champion.
Hear the most nostalgic sailing moments from his growing up with his sailing family, how to 100% commit to pro sailing and racing, the lessons he’s learned from team racing and his favorite coaches, how to learn the physics of your boat, and how to learn to be a good teammate.
Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear in this episode:
- A creative workout location
- What influenced Michael to become a sailor?
- When did he start racing?
- What’s the greatest gift sailing has given him?
- What was the protest that cost him his first Nationals?
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Connect with Michael at AmericanMagic.AmericasCup.com and on Instagram @AmericanMagicTeam.
Don’t Miss Ronstan’s Biggest Winch Sale Ever!
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Commodore Tompkins on the Move Again
Commodore Tompkins has gone to sea again. With crew Eric Steinberg and Rachel Saudeck aboard his bright red, custom Wylie 39 Flashgirl, he departed the Bay on February 8 and arrived in Honolulu on February 26 — his 93rd birthday.
To “avoid hard weather and get to warmer weather,” Flashgirl headed south out the Gate to about 23N — about the latitude of Cabo — before turning west. The tactic made for better conditions at the expense of adding miles (2,800 miles vs. a “typical” summer crossing of about 2,200), but made for better sailing.
Unfortunately, it was less than comfortable for Commodore, who missed a handhold when the boat lurched on the third day out and he slammed into a bulkhead, cracking three ribs. He says the pain made it hard to sleep, but surprisingly didn’t bother him much when he went up the mast to repair a broken halyard — twice.
(When asked why he didn’t send someone else up, he noted, “There are certain tricks about going aloft at sea, and I know those tricks.”)
After a few weeks of rest and recuperation, Commodore and Flashgirl will be heading south and west, to places he visited earlier in the 2000s with his late wife, Nancy.
Look for more on Commodore’s return to ocean cruising in the April issue of Latitude 38.
Sighting the Beer Can Racing Season on the Horizon
Are you ready for the beer can racing season? This is the final week of Standard Time in the Pacific Time Zone. Set your alarm for 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, March 9, so that you can get up and set your clocks forward an hour for Daylight Saving Time. (Or, save yourself the interrupted sleep and just reset them before you go to bed. Or, maybe by 2025 all your clocks are smart enough to reset themselves?)
In the First Week of Daylight Saving Time
With more light in the evening, some race organizers waste not even one week to kick off their beer can racing season. Among those are:
- Santa Cruz YC will be first out of the starting gate on March 11 with their Tuesday night Developmental Series. It will run every Tuesday night throughout DST and offers an A Fleet for “more experienced crews and higher performance boats,” and a B Fleet for “new racers and lower performance boats.”
- Santa Cruz racers can sail again the very next day and every Wednesday night throughout DST. SCYC doesn’t actually organize these super-casual “races.”
- Also starting on Wednesday the 12th will be a Spring Series in St. Francis YC’s J/22 fleet. It will run weekly through April 2.
- Berkeley YC will transition from Sunday afternoon Chowder races to Friday night races. The last Chowder race will be on March 9, with the first Friday night race on March 14. BYC racers enjoy a BBQ dinner after Friday night races, as do many other beer-can sailors in various venues.
Beer Can Races Starting in Late March and Early April
More venues start up their evening race season later in March or in the first week of April:
- Sequoia Yacht Club’s weekly Wednesday night Sunset Series will start on March 19. Registration is open on Jibeset.
- Monterey Peninsula YC’s weekly Wednesday night Sunset Series will also start on March 19.
- Weekly Wednesday night racing will begin at Richmond YC on April 2.
- On that same Wednesday night, April 2, races start at Vallejo YC and
- Sunset Sails start at Coyote Point YC in San Mateo.
- Benicia YC will host a Thursday night series starting on April 3.
- On April 4, Corinthian YC’s tricky but popular weekly Friday night races will start out of Belvedere Cove.
This weekend, we received the following message from EYC: “Encinal Yacht Club invites you to participate in the 2025 Twilight Series. The Notice of Race is now posted on Jibeset and entries are open. The first day of the spring series racing will be held on April 4, and every other Friday until May 30. Summer racing starts July 11, and every other Friday until September 5. Please join us on Friday evenings for fun, competitive racing on the Estuary followed by good fellowship afterwards at the EYC clubhouse. Register today at www.jibeset.net/EYC000.php?RG=T004997497.”
Lake series, generally speaking, won’t get going until May.
If you’re new to yacht racing, welcome! We’re excited for new blood. Be sure to read the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions (if any) for the series you’re entering and keep a copy handy on board. To get in the spirit, review Rob Moore’s Ten Commandments of Beer Can Racing here.
You can find more beer can series, listed in alphabetical order, starting on page 22 of the 2025 Northern California Sailing Calendar and YRA Master Schedule. See page 12 for a diagram of racing signal flags, and some very basic racing rules on page 14.
We’ll include a Beer Can Series section in Latitude 38’s Calendar starting with the April issue. We haven’t tried to include Southern California series in this report, but we welcome info about those in the Comments section below (please include relevant links).
Short Sightings — A Ditty Drawer Full of Sailing Tidbits
This morning’s Short Sightings includes possible bridge work for the Petaluma River, the International Ocean Film Festival in San Francisco, applications for Chumash Heritage NMS Advisory Council, and a U.K. initiative to “rewrite” women into maritime history.
The California Department of Transportation is seeking approval of a location and plans for the modification of a highway bridge across a navigable waterway of the United States. The proposed work involves the bridge across the Petaluma River at Black Point, mile 1.0 on State Route 37, at the Marin/Sonoma County line, California. The project is described as follows: “The existing timber bridge fender system would be removed and replaced. The proposed fender system would be comprised of approximately 96 piles. The replaced fender system would consist of 24-in steel pipe piles and steel walers with plastic lumber sheathing. Navigation lighting would be upgraded to meet the U.S. Coast Guard requirements. The existing piles would be removed down to three feet below the mudline. The existing, to be removed piles, are located behind the replacement fender system, out of the main navigation span. The proposed replacement pier protection system will reduce the horizontal clearance of the bridge by 12 feet.”
The application has been filed with the Coast Guard and includes reference to various environmental considerations. Mariners are invited to comment on the impacts of “proposed navigation clearances, placement of a bridge protective system and other navigational safety issues, including need for clearance gauges and extent of nighttime navigation to determine the need for bridge lighting.” Interested parties are requested to express their views, in writing, on the proposed bridge project, including its possible impacts to navigation.
The comment period closes on March 31. More details available here: Petaluma River Bridge. The public notice may also be obtained by calling the Eleventh Coast Guard District Bridge Office at (571) 607-5820; by writing to Commander (DPW), Eleventh Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Island, Bldg. 50-2, Alameda, CA 94501-5100; or by email request at [email protected].
The 22nd annual International Ocean Film Festival (IOFF) is on in San Francisco on April 11–13 at the Fort Mason Center’s Cowell Theater. Billed as “the world’s largest ocean-themed film festival,” the IOFF aims to “support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and create improved conditions for sustainable development of the ocean.”
You can see the list of films here and we will to let you know that tickets are now on sale. In the meantime, for more information, please visit www.oceandecade.org.
Two Days Left! Appy To Join Chumash Heritage NMS Advisory Council
NOAA is accepting applications for seats on the first-ever Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS) Advisory Council until Friday, March 7. Thirteen public seats are available to represent a variety of local community interests and experience relevant to the sanctuary — Indigenous Cultural Knowledge; Public-at-Large; San Luis Obispo County; Santa Barbara County; Conservation; Education; Research; Tourism and Recreation; Ports; Harbors; and Maritime Transportation, Offshore Energy and Telecommunications, Commercial Fishing, Recreational Fishing, and Student Leadership.
We do realize that sailing isn’t on the list, but as sailors, we do have an interest in things that affect the ocean.
The advisory council will work together to develop advice and recommendations on the management and protection of sanctuary resources. Council members also serve as liaisons to their communities, building a strong connection between the sanctuary and community partners.
The application deadline is March 7. Apply to be a Sanctuary Advisory Council member today and make your community’s voice heard. To access application materials and learn more, please visit the CHNMS Advisory Council webpage.
Please reach out to Sachiko Lamen at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Applicants do not necessarily need prior first-hand experience within the sanctuary, but they should be very familiar with their constituents’ regional interests and how they relate to, or benefit, the management of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.
SHE_SEES — Rewriting Women Into Maritime History
SHE_SEES is a project led by portrait photographer Emilie Sandy, and commissioned by Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Its goal is to highlight and celebrate women’s contributions to the maritime industry throughout history, while also capturing the stories of contemporary female professionals. While this project is based in the U.K., we think it’s a great idea. We hope SHE_SEES will bring a sense of pride to our women sailors and also serve as inspiration to keep chasing those sailing and waterfront dreams. Perhaps it will even inspire local creatives to take on a similar project focusing on women in the West Coast’s own rich maritime history.
To date, Emilie Sandy has photographed 23 women working in diverse maritime roles, sharing their stories, visions, and collective experiences through photographs, textiles, maritime objects, and moving images. In bringing to life forgotten voices, the project aims to weave a new chapter showcasing the resilience, strength, and innovation of women in the maritime industry while highlighting the many opportunities presented by a maritime career.
Of course we also aren’t in the right place to view the Portsmouth, U.K., exhibition that opens to the public in August, but if you happen to be going there …. Perhaps it will also become available online at some later stage. Until then, take a look at what we do know and can see.
Join us March 14 – 16 for a Spring Boat Show at Club Nautique
Join us March 14 – 16 for a Spring Boat Show at Club Nautique. Check out the latest sailboat models from Jeanneau.