Home	'Round Alameda Cruise Tuesday, January 1, 2013

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

Even by Bay Area standards, you don't expect to usher in the New Year needing sun screen. But that's just about the way Tuesday, January 1st turned out. A gentle east-northeast wind built during the day for some fine sailingout onthe Bay and even up the Estuary if you felt like tacking a few times for a great welcome to 2013.

Commodore John & Nanci Melton (Freedom Won), fresh from celebrating their 41th wedding anniversary rounded up the troops and arrived at Marina Village shortly before 1000 hours Tuesday. Dan Knox was already getting Luna Sea ready for sea, and Rick Van Mell (Vanishing Animal) also arrived by land yacht to crew with John.

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' 2" 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! Fortunately this year it was high tide at 1401 at the Park Street Bridge with 5.2 feet above datum. That led lots of boats to make the circumnavigation this year.

Your Islander flotilla departed the Gate 8 docks at 1044, with Freedom Won leading the way. Skipper Commodore Melton had Nanci, Rick and our 2013 Cruise Chair Ruby Blenderman (Wild Horses) as crew. Dan had cindy & Nancy on Luna Sea for crew. Roy & Melinda Samuelson were waiting with Some Day, with another couple and two bright young boys on board. It was time for the fun to begin. As we headed towrad the bridges, we caught a glimpse of Steve douglas' Reaissancer of Tahoe Vista heading the other direction. Later on we picked up Gary Connors' The Irish Rogue on the radio and even a picture on our way back. So we had 5 Islanders on the water with about 18 folks on board, representing a total of 7 Islanders. We snaped pictures of Gate 8 regulars 4 R Sanity, Natural HIgh, and Zenith on the way out, plus Charles & Kathryn's Mischief, who we caught up with along the way, so now the total was 20 folks and 8 IUslanders.

The trip down through the 3 bridges was delightful and uneventful. One we had circled to gather a group of about eight boats for the first bridge to open, we were able to cruise right on through as each sucessive bridge opened as the one behind closed.

Even last year's sticky spot, the short channel to starboard to find the lightly marked channel to Aeolian Yacht Club, was negotiated without incident. We were directed to individual berths by a coordinated team on shore and a RIB, and soon joined the big crowd on their deck. The chili was good, the Bloody Marys and gin fizzes were good too. We stayed just long enough to soak up some sunshine and then were anxious to push on into the Bay by 1245.

Nine boats circled before the Bay Fram Island bridge opened and we powered out. A sharp left turn toward the shore after the bridge is required, then right when within 75 feet of shore to parallel the land. It's a wierd feeling with a quarter to, later, almost a mile of water to starboard - but there's only 2-3 feet of water over there. The tense moment is the last quarter mile for the transition from the shoreline to open Bay water has only 2-3 feet shown on the chart. John's fathometer ticked down to 7.0 as we crossed - then rose dramatically to 10, 15 and 20' in short order.

The next stop is typically Balena Bay Yacht Club, but again there's shallow water if you go in a straight line. Freedom Won and Luna Sea made the stop as Some Day continued on around the island. John skillfully made an arc around the shallow stuff and brought us smartly into Balena Bay harbor. We found some slips and this time enjoyed a juicy hamburger and beverage during our stop. It was a little after 1500 when we pushed on to complete the trip.

That good wind made for some nice sailing and Luna Sea looked her best as we rounded up into the Estuary for the last leg back. There we also encountered Renaissance and Irish Rogue. both looked good, but Renaissance got some particularly nice breeze and we captured a fun series of pictures of an Islander sailing her best. (You might note that she is one of only a few I-36s with tiller steering!)

Freedom Won arrived back at Marina Village about 1615, stowed gear and relaxed with some mulled cider; shared with the Luna Sea crew too. It was a perfect way to start off the 2013 Islander season in style and fun, and we wish everyone a safe and memorable 2013. Enjoy the pictures.

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

Commodore Melton ...	approaches Luna Sea	Hi Dan!	on to Freedom Won	Nearby are ...
4 R Sanity ...	and Natural High.	Time to go ...	John passes ...	Zenith and
Mischief	and a Freeport 36.	Around to the pump out ...	Dan has bow line ...	Cindy on stern ...
nicely done.	Another pump out ...	more get under way	Ruby checks in ...	as we head out ...
Some Day ...	takes pics ...	Ruby does too!	Luna Sea joins up	Hey, this way ...
There goes Renaissance ...	the wrong way!	Let's get going.	The I-36 pack ...	Cindy, Nancy & Dan ...
and old timer ...	These guys ...	mean business ...	we behave.	Commodore Melton!
Quiet classic.	3 Bridges to go ...	Luna Sea circles ...	more boats arrive ...	ready for fun ...
Here we go ...	Ruby & Nanci on lookout	One more astern ...	Fruitvale is ...	going up ...
way up!	Now for the first ...	shallow part to ...	Aeolian Yacht Club.	Safely in a slip ...
nice new docks ...	Luna Sea ...	Some Day ...	and crew.	It's Gin Fizz time!
Charles is there ...	and Kathryn, Dan & Cindy.	Get your sweatshirts!	Then it's chili time ...	one big pot ...
and fixin's.	Time to relax ...	and enjoy it.	Time to move on ...	Circling crowd ...
waits for ...	our turn!	We led this parade.	City sparkles.	At Balena Bay ...
Freedom Won ...	Nancy says, "Let's eat."	Headed for ...	Balena Bay YC	Charles & Kathryn ...
Great crowd ...	Here's the deal ...	get 'em here, then ...	add the extras!	Now sit and ...
listen and ...	enjoy!	A relaxed mom.	Luna Sea sparkles.	Alameda Naval station
Oakland containers ...	by the gross.	New Bay Bridge	Luna Sea in pursiut.	Entering the Estuary
She's loaded!	Renaissance of ...	Tahoe Vista ...	Nice breeze ...	concentration ...
well balanced ...	determined ...	looking good ...	and flying!	The Irish Rogue
Jack London Square	Marina Village forest.	(We didn't go over the Fiscal Cliff!)

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