Clipper Cove SF-Bay

[Randyonr3]

Being we're hanging out in San Francisco for a couple months befor working south, I'd like to get into Clipper Cove for a couple days now and then..
But the last time I tried to enter, I STUCK it righ in the enterance..
And I'm pretty deep at around 8 feet..
I hear there is a trick to getting into the anchorage................
So, has anybody been in there recently and how do I get in??????????????

[MarkSF]

How did you approach the entrance?

Treasure Island Yacht Club has these instructions :

Our Location — Treasure Island Yacht Club

Basically stay as far to the north as you can. However, even if you do that, it's still very shallow. I entered at +4 or 5 ft above MLW last time, and saw only a foot below the keel (5ft 3 draft), while hugging the north side.

[Stu Jackson]

Yes. Stay North, north, north, as close to the jetty as you can.

I have a 6 foot draft and with 17 years experience have learned that I can only get in and out with a 0.0 tide or higher, using the local small tide & current books available at chandleries.

The basic charts show a long 3 foot deep shoal at the east end that starts at the south end by the Bay Bridge. Stay north.

Once you're past the jetty, there is a deeper cut but is still a small shoal so when I go in at zero tide I see a foot or two below my keel. That lasts about halfway to the dinghy dock at the sailing school at the east end of the north side of the basin. Some skippers head north after the jetty to hug the rock wall, but I don't, I head straight for the TI marina.

Once near the dinghy dock, head sw into the 20 foot "pool" at the center, or go to the guest docks straight ahead at the sw corner of the marina.

Also, beware of the shoal at the sw end of the pool near the beach, west of the trees near the water.

Our son was conceived there on our Catalina 25, and we visit there regularly on our C34 since 1998.

The charts show what's there. Dinghy into the harbormaster office, he has another much larger scale one, it takes up a whole wall. Take a photo of it!

Use the track on your GPS, once in you can always get out at that state of tide or higher.

It's a lovely place.

[sailorchic34]

Real current conditions at a 0.1 tide was 5 feet at the high point, I draw 5 feet and touched at that point. Hug the pier and then jetty (~20 feet off) till about the small boat dock at the corner of the jetty, that has 7 ish feet. Deep pool is 14' at mlw.

Lovely anchorage, though a bit O construction going on near by.