Help me understand where I can anchor in SF Bay (map included)

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Telefonica

Is it legal anywhere near by (like near Berkeley or Richmond, for example)?

One more time- there are no legal long term anchorages in the San Francisco Bay.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Richardson Bay is soon to be or already is a no discharge area. .

Has been for many years.

Originally Posted by roverhi

Think the yuppies and ecoNazi's got together to get the no discharge rule passed. A lot of money for West Marine and boat workers installing all those holding tanks for grey water.

Yeah. That's the reason an ecologically sensitive body of water is being protected. Holy jeezus.

Originally Posted by roverhi

If there is no waterborne pump out, almost none of the anchor outs are going to be able to comply because they barely float, let alone motivate.

There are several mobile pumpout services in the area. Nobody has an excuse. Doesn't mean they aren't still doing it.

[skipmac]

So a cruiser passing through the Bay area gets to shell out $50-$100 a night to stay at a marina or has to move on?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by skipmac

So a cruiser passing through the Bay area gets to shell out $50-$100 a night to stay at a marina or has to move on?

The OP isn't talking about staying the night. He is talking about anchoring out for months on end.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

The OP isn't talking about staying the night. He is talking about anchoring out for months on end.

I don't see what is inherently wrong with anchoring out even for a few months. SF is a nice place. I have some good friends in Marin. I might not mind spending months in the area but from what I can find out reading threads on this forum it doesn't sound easy.

Numerous past posts have pointed out the difficulty of legal live aboard status in marinas, limited berths available or long waiting lists. The rates I find posted online for transients are in the neighborhood of $1/ft or more. That's over $1200/month for my boat. Besides I generally prefer anchoring out for all the usual reasons.

So why should anchoring be illegal and I'm not talking about for half sunk derelicts. I've been boating in Florida for 35 years and don't like that problem any more than you. But there's plenty of clean, responsible boaters with well maintained boats and holding tanks (that they actually use). Am I to understand that there is no place in all SF Bay that is legal for someone like that to spend a couple of months?

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

The OP isn't talking about staying the night. He is talking about anchoring out for months on end.

How is that really different that staying the night, or three, or six, or?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by stacy

one can anchor in aquatic park. Not sure for how long, and I believe that you can't use a motor because of swimmers. It can have alot of surge as is true of all the anchorages and marinas along the waterfront. I have seen plenty of boat anchor along the south side of the giants ball park durig the day but I do not know the policy for overnight. There is good anchoring at Clipper Cove between treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island but there is alot of traffic noise from the Bay Bridge. I am not sure about anchoring along richmond, berkeley, or emeryville as it is shallow, and a lee shore. You might contact Latitude 38 a bay area sailing mag. They usually do a yearly piece on sailing and anchoring in the Bay. There was also a cruising guide to the Bay Area by Carol and Bob Mehaffey published a number of years ago that had all the important info in it you are looking for.

The cruising guide is a good tip. Last summer we chartered for a 5 nights. We got the Mehaffey cruising guuide and the places we stayed were as advertisd if only slightly dated info. Pick it up on Amazon if I recall.

We only stayed at anchorages for one night but there are anchorages for fee and anchorages for free. The only place we stayed for pay was angel island and that was an honor system drop box as we arrived late and left early. I think if you spent a summer in the bay and didn't stay in one spot for 4 months looking derelict you would have little problem. As for provisining trips there are marinas for pay or restaurants offer short term docking if you eat at the restaurant, eat shop, get on the boat.

Some folks here are acting as if anchoring out in SFO is a crime.

I'd love to do it again and will but $2000 bucks for a week hurts :-(

[bobconnie]

Someone keeps saying theres no anchorages in SF, period now we hear theres anchorages, for a normal stay which I believe was the question?? Or am I wrong?? anyway I thought there had to be somewhere to anchor!! for a normal lenght stay! Is this true or not !! just asking cus I may come back to the area someday !!

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

One more time- there are no legal long term anchorages in the San Francisco Bay.

G'Day fstbtms,

That's a pretty wide ranging statement. Generally, prohibited anchorages must be gazetted and announced in LNM's, and should be shown on all new edition charts. Could you show us where these regulations prohibiting anchoring in the Bay are published?

Cheers,

Jim

[Celestialsailor]

I see the usual polarization and generalizations on the tread here. So I can offer this to the OP. Yes, Richardson Bay has anchor outs. Legal?...I'm not sure and I wouldn't trust a negative opinion here...just call the Port Authority and ask. I've anchored in there on weekends for a few days with no problems. Druggies? Maybe but I'm not into going around from boat to boat with a survey form asking. Yes, there seem to be a lot of run down boats in there. I just assumed abandoned, not inhabited. If you're looking for a cheaper berth, the Delta offers $5.75 a foot. Or San Leandro is cheap too if you draw less than 5 ft.
...Hope this helps.

[ice]

pretty complete list of sf anchorages at boatingsf.com - they list 13 anchorages.

[fstbttms]

I'm not going to spend a lot of time researching this ('cause I don't care that much) but the BCDC (Bay Conservation and Development Commission) is the overarching authority in San Francisco Bay. There is no "port authority" per se. And a quick glance at their web site indicates that mooring a vessel in San Francisco Bay requires you go through their permit process, which can take several months, apparently. That being said, once again, there are places where boats in various stages of decrepitude are anchored out, more or less permanently and I guarantee none of them have a permit from the BCDC. Does that mean the sheriff is going to come knocking? Clearly not, since many of these boats have been where they are for years. But that doesn't mean they are there legally.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

And a quick glance at their web site indicates that mooring a vessel in San Francisco Bay requires you go through their permit process, which can take several months, apparently. That being said, once again, there are places where boats in various stages of decrepitude are anchored out, more or less permanently and I guarantee none of them have a permit from the BCDC. Does that mean the sheriff is going to come knocking? Clearly not, since many of these boats have been where they are for years. But that doesn't mean they are there legally.

Mooring is a very different issue than anchoring. Mooring by definition is a permanent or semi permanent situation vs anchoring which is defined as a temporary situation. How long is temporary and yes there are boats that "anchor" for years.

The issue for mooring permits is similar every where I've been or checked on the east coast. You have to apply to the appropriate agency, wait, pay, comply, etc, etc, etc.

[ice]

there is a list of the designated (eg legal) anchorages here (federal register) but these are really directed at ships rather than cruising boats

I believe you will find that anchoring is NOT a BCDC controlled activity. Their scope (stated on their website) is for:

What types of activity require a permit?

A BCDC permit must be obtained before you do any of the following things within the Commission's jurisdiction:
Place solid material, build or repair docks, pile-supported or cantilevered structures, dispose of material or moor a vessel for a long period in San Francisco Bay or in certain tributaries that flow into the Bay.
Dredge or extract material from the Bay bottom.
Substantially change the use of any structure or area.
Construct, remodel or repair a structure.
Subdivide property or grade land

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by ice

there is a list of the designated (eg legal) anchorages here (federal register) but these are really directed at ships rather than cruising boats

I believe you will find that anchoring is NOT a BCDC controlled activity. Their scope (stated on their website) is for:

What types of activity require a permit?

A BCDC permit must be obtained before you do any of the following things within the Commission's jurisdiction:
Place solid material, build or repair docks, pile-supported or cantilevered structures, dispose of material or moor a vessel for a long period in San Francisco Bay or in certain tributaries that flow into the Bay.
Dredge or extract material from the Bay bottom.
Substantially change the use of any structure or area.
Construct, remodel or repair a structure.
Subdivide property or grade land

+1...Agreed. But that said, One could anchor out for about a week without much bother remembering to have your anchor light on. The OP is looking for much longer which I think might be a little unreasonable.
This is who you contact for Richardson Bay information...
Richardson's Bay Regional Agency
Not the BCDC.