Home	'Round Alameada - January 1, 2018

(If you like, you can skip down through the prose and go straight to the pictures below!)

The weather was almost as good as it could get. 62 degrees and sunshine, but no wind. That brought out a good Islander representation for the first day of 2018. We had 26 people representing 8 Islanders sailing aboard 6 boats on the waters of the Oakland Estuary and San Francisco Bay around Alameda Island to ring in 2018 in style. Here's the list of boats and crews:

This annual tradition is called various names: " 'Round The Island Parade"; " 'Round Alameda Parade"; or just the New Year's Day Island Circumnavigation. There's talk of visiting "all six yacht clubs", and "getting your circumnavigation" certificate. But, whatever the name, it can be great fun when conditions are right. Despite being able to find just about anything on the Internet these days, even going to individual yacht club web sites didn't fill in the picture very much. You can check for yourself what they did (or didn't) say about this annual event: Island Yacht Club, Oakland Yacht Club, Encinal Yacht Club, Alameda Yacht Club, Aeolian Yacht Club, and Ballena Bay Yacht Club.

For those that would like to know more, here are some basics. Alameda, CA is actually an island, just west of Oakland, separated by the Oakland Estuary. While the Estuary, particularly at it's entrance, is wide and deep enough for 1000' container ships, when it narrows at its eastern end where three bridges connect it to Oakland, its quite narrow and getting shallow fast. At the southeastern end, at San Leandro Bay, it is connected to Bay Farm Island - where Oakland Airport is located - by a 4th bridge. Going west from there into San Francisco Bay, there is a tidal slough that has 6-8 feet of water in a very narrow band and then a stretch of 2-4' of water to cross into the Bay itself. For the last 30 years, it's been unmarked, but at the endof 2017 small channel buoys were added on both the San Leandro and San Francisco Bay sides. They really reduce the "pucker factor" and you don't have to guess which way to turn when the depth sounder starts dropping below 7 feet. It's about 15.5 miles around the Island. Here's what it looks like on the chart:

Alameda - Overview

Alameda - Bay Farm

Alameda -Little channel

New Bay-side marks

New Estuary-side marks

As you can see, there's not enough water to take 6' of draft out into San Francisco Bay at low tide. At least 3.5' of tide is necessary, so that's the first requirement for a successful New Year's Day 'Round Alameda parade!

These are Aeolian YC's navigation hints:
http://www.aeolianyc.org/aeolian-navigation.html
http://www.aeolianyc.org/uploads/1/2/3/6/12363585/bayfarmapproach.jpg

So enjoy the pictures and have a great 2018 season on the water.

Pictures, so far, by Rick Van Mell. Click on images to enlarge, click "Back" to return.

A beuatiful day ...	burgee flies ...	on Evanescence ...	Smokey checks in.	Leaving behind ...
I-36 Dominique.	Into the Estuary ...	Coast Guard awaits ...	hazy, lazy, calm.	Just cider!!!
Luna Sea ...	bow on ...	port, and ...	starboard.	No wind.
Waiting for ...	more boats ...	ready for ...	Park Street Bridge	Let's go!
Safely astern.	Nice condos ...	with cheering section ...	great mural.	This is ...
Kasai.	Fruitvale bridge ...	control tower.	all in line.	Cal 40 heading back.
Peacefull morning.	Hight Street Bridge ...	has waited for us ...	now astern.	Sleeping Islander 32.
Dead flat ...	Encinal headed out ...	Kayakers coming in ...	looking fast.	Approaching Aeolian ...
heading for ...	"C" dock.	Snug in slip.	Renaissance is ...	also in.
Neatly tied is ...	Fantasy.	To the clubhouse ...	cute lights ...	YCs on Alameda!
Get your chili ...	add a beverage ...	and some spice ...	or other drink ...	A complete meal!
Let's eat.	Fantasy crew.	Luna Sea, and ...	Skipper-in-training	Ruby, Myphi, Smokey, Derrick
Rob and Sandy	Bridge up ...	so let's go ...	joining us is ...	Renaissance
Our turn ...	Bay Farm Bridge ...	cool iron work.	New marks ...	are really great ...
rounding the point ...	last one.	The definition of a ...	"Painted Ship on a Painted Ocean."	Passing into Ballena Bay ...
All smiles outbound.	Some big cats.	Making room for us.	Fantasy and ...	Zorza ...
with crew.	Renaissance and ...	Evanescence.	Welcome to ...	Ballena Bay YC
Flags are great ...	come join us.	Chow line.	Bye Ballena Bay.	Aircraft carrier Hornet
Hazy San Francisco ...	Bay & Golden Gate BRs	These container cranes ...	inspired Star Wars ...	AT-AT Walkers.
But come in handy ...	for unloading ...	these guys.	Matson lines.	Fantasy symmetry
charging by ...	in ecstasy ...	into the New Year.	Balclutha's new paint	Jack London Square
That is one ...	tall spar!	Day's end.

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