If you want to email me for info, use j _ g _ a _ n _ z @ sailnow . com,
using the usual edits, or visit my website (sailnow) for other contact
info.

"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
I can't speak to sailing in NE, but I can attest to the conditions out
here.

There is a lot to offer inside the bay. It's actually quite large, and if
you
don't mind some long motoring, you can even make your way up the
delta to Sacramento. The sailing in the north part of the bay can be
quite challenging, especially if you're not used to the normal 20-30 kts
wind. 40 kts isn't unheard of and even higher happens from time to time.

There are no real waves, but it's not unusual to get 4-5 ft chop on the
higher wind days, especially when the current is opposing the wind. It
is not unusual to experience currents upward of 6 kts, lots of tanker
traffic,
heavy fog, and sharply cold conditions in the middle of summer, not to
mention the confusion of other traffic, both sail and power. You need to
know the rules for sure, and you have to know that a good 50% of the
people out there don't know the rules.

I've been sailing in the bay since the 80s, and I have yet to be bored
with places to sail to or areas to explore. There are some favorite
hangouts, such as Sam's or Ayala on Angel Island, but there is always
something going on elsewhere in the north bay. You don't need to be
confined by mooring balls or slips to spend a long weekend on the water.
There are many places to anchor out, which in some ways make for an
even nice overnight. For example, one great spot is on the back of Angel
across from the Southhampton Shoal area. It has good holding, not many
people, and it's very quiet.

For longer trips, you have access to up and down the coast, Monterey to
the south and Bolinas to the north, for example. There aren't any places
to
stop between SF and either of those places... well, not really, but they
do
make nice long weekend trips. There is also the Farallons, but you can't
get on the island. The conditions on the coast vary from damn nice to damn
unpleasent to damn dangerous. It is not unusual to have 10 foot waves just
outside the Golden Gate Bridge, but within the Golden Gate area.

Most people I know sail all year round, with the expection of heavy rain
or storms. It's actually warmer on the bay during the winter because the
wind is lighter and there isn't fog. It's quite hard to get tired of
sailing
along
the SF city front at night, taking in the sights, sounds, and restaurant
smells.

There are lots and lots of clubs, organizations, charter companies, and
marinas
to rent boats through. If you want to email me, I'd be happy to give you
my
list of the better ones. You'll find boats to rent that range from small
dinks to
50 foot monos and large cats.

Jonathan

"Intenost" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Hope this goes better then the last time I tried posting here.

Anyway, I'm contemplating a job-related relocation to the Bay area from
New
England. I'm hoping to get some comments on the sailing scene in the Bay
Area as compared to the Northeast (Mass/RI/Maine) coasts. I do mostly
day
sailing with a few 2-3 days weekends and a couple of week long trips per
year. My weekends are usually up to Cape Ann or down to the Plymouth,
and
the week long trips are usually to Martha's Vineyard/Nantucket, or
P-town
and the Stellwagen bank for whale watching.

While the weather and the wind seems pretty decent in the Bay Area, I'm
wondering about the following:

-Is there a variety of places to visit, anchor, go ashore and explore
like
there is in the Northeast, or is sailing mostly criss crossing the bay?

-How is sailing in the off-season? Even in Boston there are hardy souls

that do winter sailing/racing (kind of cool in the snow!) but I was
wondering how common it is for people to get out in the winter season.

-If I didn't want to buy a boat right away (I think the local housing
market
will take care of that) are there any recommended clubs to check out,
preferably that have a fleet with boats in the 24' - 30'-something size?
I
mostly sail J-30's, and sometimes C&C 33's with an occasional J-24.

I get a sense that I'll miss all of the islands and harbors here in New
England. But I'm not sure what kind of destinations lie inside and
outside
the Bay. And of course it's closer to Seattle, and the San Juans, where
I
really like to charter for a week and sail, and in the Bay it seems an
exciting ride is pretty much guaranteed on a regular basis.

Comments appreciated!

Thanks!