Home	New Year 2010 'Round Alameda Parade 1/1/2010

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

To welcome in 2010, Dan Knox rounded up a boat full of fun people and Luna Sea was (as near as we can confirm) the only Islander to actually circumnavigate Alameda Island on New Year's Day this year. Before we reveal the names of the happy revelers who carried our Islander honor in this great tradition, here's what it's all about.

It's called various names: " 'Round The Island Parade"; " 'Round Alameda Parade"; or just the New Year's Day Around Alameda parade. 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, your author was unable to find any cogent description of the event, a starting time, specific stops to make, or any mention of the history of the event. Even going to individual yacht club web sites didn't fill in the picture very much.

For those that have not been there before, let's start with 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 it's eastern end where three bridges connect it to Oakland, it's quite narrow and getting shallow fast. At the southeastern end, at San Leandro Bay, it's connected to Bay Farm Island - where Oakland Airport is located - by a 4th bridge. Going west from there into San Francisco Bay, there is an unmarked 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. 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

As you can see, there's not enough water to take 6' of draft out into San Francisco Bay at low tide. At least 5' of tide is necessary, so that's the first requirement for a successful New Year's Day 'Round Alameda parade! It helps, of course, that high tide be at a convenient time -- this year's really high 7.0' at 1100 was pretty close to perfect.

Then there's the claim for "6 yacht clubs". Island Yacht Club offers the best description this year. The most established yacht clubs on the Estuary are: Oakland Yacht Club, which doesn't mention the Parade, but is open for breakfast & dinner on New Year's Day; and Encinal Yacht Club, which mentions "Cruise Around the Island" on their master calendar, but no activities; Alameda Yacht Club, doesn't mention it at all; and Aeolian Yacht Club which is best set up for the whole deal, invites participants by lad anr sea for "for Chili, Cornbread, Bloody Mary's, Mimosa's & Gin Fizz's." They do a great job and always draw a crowd, and since it's before the shallowest water, you can reach it with as little as 2-3 feet of tide. On the San Francisco Bay side, there's Ballena Bay Yacht Club, lists "Around the Island Party" for January 1st. So, of six clubs, one was closed for New Year's Day, and Island YC "invites you and your Crew to “black top” over to our clubhouse after the cruise and receive a FREE signed CERTIFICATE OF CIRCUMNAVIGATION." Whatever it is, it's fun!

So, who were our standard bearers going into 2010? In all 12 people representing 7 member boats were spotted along the way. In addition to Dan Knox aboard Luna Sea were crew Cindy Surdez, Roger & Linda McClellan of 4 R Sanity, John Melton of Freedom Won, Corky & Anna Stewart of Brigid, and new members Merv & Gail Giacomini of Everyday. Spotted at Aeolian YC was Charles Hodgkins of Mischief, and at Balena Bay add Kit Wiegman and daughter Yvonne of Cassiopeia.

And, they all went back to Island YC to pick up their Circumnavigation Certificates!

So enjoy the pictures and have a great 2010 season on the water.

Pictures by Dan Knox. Click on images to enlarge, click "Back" to return.

John Melton's ready	Eric Mueller is too	Under way	Linda McClellan & Dan Knox
Nice ride	Roger McClellan & Cindy Surdez	Go John!	Merv Giacomini
Anna Stewart & Cindy	Stand by for USCG	Dan's ready	John again !!!
Radio the bridge ...	It worked!	Let's go ...	sliding through ...
thanks!	Going down.	Straight wake	Next up ...
RR bridge tower ...	passing both ...	closing astern.	Shore houses & ...
boats ...	picture taking ...	crew.	Third bridge is ...
now astern.	Turning the corner ...	heading for Aeolian YC.	On the docks ...
heading for fun ...	Charles Hodgkins (left)	Good crowd.	Safely into the Bay
Oakland landing	Brag flags	Very hazy San Francisco	Off to Balena Bay YC
Him again!	Let's have fun ...	Good crowd ...	Kit Weigman & Yvonne & Corky Stewart

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