Alameda Full Moon Night Circumnavigation

The 8pm start time turned out to be more like an 8:50pm start time, which threw our paddle off a bit.  We fought a little more current than we should have, and picked up the flood a bit too late, but no worries, it was an awesome paddle anyhow.  How can you not have a good time paddling with friends on a warm night with light wind and a full moon?  Night paddling is always fun and last night was no exception.

Start time:  8:50pm
Finish time:  1:50am
Launch:  Grand Street Boat Ramp, Alameda
Route:  counterclockwise loop of Alameda

Around 2pm I saw a FB post from Yuri saying she's in San Fran for a 24-hour layover on her way from NZ to Baja.  A quick chat later and the plan was set to meet her at West Oakland BART so she could join us.  She was traveling with full kayak kit, so it couldn't be easier.  So, 6 of us set out on our way up the estuary towards the bay.  L&M paddled a fair distance and said their goodbye's, opting to not do the entire loop with us.  From there the four of us chatted & paddled the next four hours until we returned to our start, playing in some bumps and current along the way.  Bitching & moaning, laughing & joking.  Nice paddling last night and good training for the girls as the get ready for Maui and the California 100.

MM made an appearance

looking back at the estuary, about to make the turn downcurrent

1:50am finish.

Port of Oakland Tour

After a long week in Southern California and a full day of travel on Saturday, I woke on Sunday with the intentions of a rest day.  But, the sun was shining warm & bright and I figured some paddling was in order.  A quick text conversation led to a 11:45 meet in Oakland for a paddle out to Yerba Buena Island.

We were both late and by the time we actually launched it was after 12:30.  As the tide started to flood and the wind gained strength we paddled out the Oakland estuary.  The ride out was exciting with plenty of boat wake and traffic to contend with.  We reached the mouth and stopped on the beach at the point of Alameda for a snack and a rest.  As we re-assessed our plan I picked up a handful of shiny beach glass.

Continuing to Yerba Buena meant a straight slog against a 2kt current and 10kt wind and would take at least an hour without breaks.  Instead, we ferried the channel towards middle harbor, found shelter from the wind against the jetty and made good forward progress towards the outer harbor.  The last push was a straight shot upwind from buoy 3 to the Bay Bridge.  Half way there we decided not to push it, opting to turn and burn downwind, riding bumps back into the estuary.  Another rest at the Chappell R. Hayes Memorial Observation Tower for pb&j and hardboiled eggs and then back to the start.  Good day.

heading out the estuary

North point of Alameda, looking towards Yerba Buena & the Bay Bridge

Back through the Port

 

Inflatable SUP bike trip

Mission accomplished.  I was paddling in Oakland Saturday with some friends and figured it was the perfect time to see if I could bike there with a SUP and all my paddling kit.  I loaded the cargo bike with an inflatable Starboard 14'x30" Touring SUP with paddle, pump, clothing and the rest of my normal junk.  Pedaled the 7 miles to the put-in, pumped her up with ease and paddled out.  After a few hours of paddling, I just as quickly deflated, rolled and loaded the equipment back onto the bike, stopped by the bar for a drink and pedaled back through Oakland to Berkeley.

Quite the successful test!  Got a couple stares but well worth it and it's definitely a good setup for a longer bike trip, bringing on the BART or even an overnight cycling & paddling adventure.  Fun stuff and I'm absolutely loving the inflatable SUP.  It's now my go-to board for just about everything.

Extracycle, iSUP, paddle, pump - everything I need for a day on the water

loaded

made it to the launch without problem

inflating takes 5-10 mins

post paddle.  deflated, ready to load back up

making the return trip

 

Alameda SUP Circumnavigation

For the last few months I've been paddling with locals on these weekly Meetups in the Oakland estuary and have seen a ton of growth in the paddling skills of the participants.  It seemed appropriate that we all get together for an end-of-summer paddle that included a reasonable amount of mileage, current, wind, vessel traffic & chop.  Alameda was the perfect route to provide all these challenges.

The plan was to launch from Tidewater at 8:45am, circle Alameda counter-clockwise and return to the start by 3pm at the latest.  The planning accounted for the best use of current & wind and the weather forecast was highly favorable with light wind & warm temps.  We ended up launching 25 minutes late, but nobody cared since we were all just out to have a good time.  By the time all 19 of us set off into the current, the sun had already burned off the fog and was heating up.  The first 3.5 miles were the hardest, but we were fresh and everyone powered through to our first meeting point, where we dropped 3 paddlers who didn't have time to do the whole loop.  It was right about then that the shot blocks came out, layers stripped off, we re-grouped and charged on towards San Francisco Bay.

We kept steady pace through the long, straight estuary highway of ferries, tugboats, sailboats, fishing boats and speedboats - half of them heading out for Americas's Cup activities.  Sure enough, their large wakes rolled right across the channel towards us but weren't too bad.  The clapotis created by the rockwalls of the estuary put a few people to their knees.  We rounded the corner into the bay then celebrated with another long break while drifting down the bayside of the island.  After taking in food & water and the crystal clear view of the San Fran skyline we got treated to small bumps and mini-surfs heading towards Crown Memorial.

We made good progress traveling with the current & wind from our backs.  Approaching our fourth and last bridge, we were perfectly funneled towards our finish and moving fast enough that nobody cared for a break on land.  The sky was bluebird with just a cloud of smoke peaking over the Oakland hills.

We turned up the estuary to complete the loop and paddled straight into the wind we were so enjoying at our backs moments earlier.  As we all staggered to the dock full of smiles, we joked about another lap but decided to eat & drink instead.  High fives all around.  Fun people, fun paddle.  Can't wait till the next outing on Friday the 13th...

Starboard All Star SUP

Today, I launched from Tidewater Boathouse in Oakland just before 11am for a lap around Alameda island.  The course is 15.5 miles long and offers a balanced circuit of upwind & downwind.  I caught the very end of the ebb and was able to ride that almost to the north tip of the island.  Paddling against the very start of the flood, the wind threatened to pick up some, reaching maybe 10 kts at times.  As I rounded the point and turned southeast into the Oakland estuary, the flood was gaining a bit of speed and the wind was now at my back.  After a short break for some food & water, I powered the All Star the rest of the way back to Tidewater for a time of 3 hours, 14 mins averaging 4.8 mph.  I managed to take 40 minutes off my best time for this route.

This was the 2nd time I've had the All Star on the water and I started to get fairly comfortable on it.  It isn't unstable at all, but the secondary stability kicks in further on edge than wider boards, so it takes some getting used to.  On flat water it absolutely flies and the narrow beam is very apparent.  It handles upwind and downwind very well, although I have yet to have it out in rough, windy conditions.  Having not weighed the board yet, I can say that it feels light during the carry and while on the water.

I'm looking forward to many more miles on this board and think it's going to be a perfect board for the mixed conditions we get in the Bay Area.  Once I get more time on the board, I'll put together a better review for anyone interested in it.  14' long,  25" wide,  238 liters

Starboard All Star 14' x 25"

Ready to launch from Tidewater boathouse - Oakland

The clockwise route starting from the bottom right corner

Nice paddle

Paddling "the maze"

Today I was looking for mellow and that's what I got.  I paddled out of Emeryville and along the normally shallow, marshy shoreline from the 80/880/580 interchange to the Oakland Bay Bridge toll booths, affectionately referred to as "the maze".  Like most residents of the greater Bay Area, I've passed this cove in a vehicle hundreds of times and never once paddled it.  On a normal high tide there's less than a foot of water, if any, and it's not worth challenging the getting-stuck potential.  This morning's 6.9ft high tide brought the entire cove into play and gave me a reason to stay local.  

Looking back towards the "maze"

80 West

The cove is full of evidence that suggests it was a happening inlet back in the day.  Weathering piles, dilapidated duck blinds and boathouse remains fill the cove with nostalgia and give a slow, quiet feel to an area normally experienced at 50 mph.  Nautical debris lines the shoreline while land that is usually high & dry is a foot under water.  The water is close enough to the highway to read license plates in the commuter lane.  It's an odd place to paddle, but I feel strangely connected to it and will be back during the next set of spring tides, if not sooner.