How Many Days a Year Do You Sail the Bay?
Emeryville sailor Craig Russell wrote us last week to ask about other people’s sailing habits. “How many days a year do you sail the Bay?” he asked of our readership. Craig is a longtime Latitude reader and has sailed in seven Baja Ha-Ha’s, often on other people’s boats, as he commented on our June story, “Could This Be the Last Year for the Ha-Ha?”
“I have had some very unique experiences on the Ha-Ha over my seven voyages to Cabo,” Craig wrote. “I arrive in San Diego (boatless) on Friday before the start. I knock on hulls and network until I find a boat that needs help. Last year there were few slips available so they created an anchorage just for Ha-Ha boats. I rented a jet ski and knocked on hulls. By Sunday night, I always found a boat. Some with families, some couples, and Go For Broke in 2011. I always look forward to the great people I have met on the Ha-Ha and several are still friends 13 years later. Thank you to all the great folks and friends I have met on the water!”
In 2017 Craig bought the Jeanneau 40 Aquarius for a voyage to Z-town [Zihuantanejo, Mexico, aka Zihua] and back, adding that he’s been sailing on the Bay for the last 40 years. “Needless to say, I am addicted to sailing and it is my passion,” Craig wrote.
And here’s where his question comes in: “Currently, I am sailing about 200 days a year in day sails and trips to the Delta and Monterey. A lot of days it seems I am the only boat out there.”
And so, with thanks to Craig for raising the question, we ask you, dear readers, “How many days a year do you sail the Bay?”
We’re also very interested in seeing your answers. Let us know in the comments below.
One
We average 40 days of sailing on the Bay per year. Some more, some less, but that’s the average over 15 years.
I do maybe once a week in winter with 2-4 during summer racing season, yes quite often
I get about 35 sails days per year… but I am expecting this to go up significantly once I retire from my day-job next year.
I’m at 100+ days this year, and also feel like I’m often the only boat out there. Ha, maybe it’s just us two!
Hi Craig and Monica! We sail zero days on the bay. Craig has sent an invite numerous times, yet we’ve only managed to join him a couple of times several years ago. Our boat is in Mexico which fills our sailing bug as often as we can fly down. Craig has become an expert at SF Bay sailing.
I sail 26 days per year inside the bay and have enjoyed introducing an average of 80 sailing newbies per year the past 20 years in such a beautiful environment!
Janet (my wife) and I cherish nearly every weekend, which totals around 120 to 150 days a year. Some weekends are spent sailing, while others find us anchored, savoring moments with our grandkids as they delight in water toys. My recent retirement has opened up new possibilities, and we’re excitedly planning more sailing days to explore the bay and the coastal areas. Over our remarkable 37-year journey of sailing the bay, our passion for it remains undiminished. I may have overlooked a previous discussion on this topic, but a future conversation about favorite places to anchor and visit sounds like it could be a lot of fun.
I sail once a week throughout the year. I love it and would sail more if work/family cooperated lol
1975 Ranger 33
Happy Holidays!
I imagine that I’m in the range of 30-50 days per year.
It varies per year and employment status, but looking at my navionics tracks, I’d guess the average is about 30 days or so.
A point of personal pride though is that I have sailed at least once a calendar month for the last few years. Getting a bunch of days in during the summer is a lot easier than finding the hospitable days in the winter to get out.
Every time I feel lazy and overcome my inclination to stay home, I am reminded of how rewarding it is to get out on the bay.
The picture on the cover page with this article is pretty amazing. I was out on a February day and it felt like a good day for the green flash. I tacked back and forth near Alcatraz and sure enough a huge green flash. Later in the week I was doing a blog post about it and did a search for a good green flash photo and sure enough, someone took a pic of me, the GGB and the flash. Here is a blog post about the flash:https://h2uh0.blogspot.com/2016/03/green-flash-explained.html