Am I the only JBN Forum member that boated to Fleet Week in SF Bay this year?

[Ronnie]

After having had the experience I'd understand if I was.

The air show was awesome and I'm glad I went but I won't do it again, at least not the same way.

Absolutely the most stressful boating I have ever done.

 

[ScarabMike]

Awesome pics!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[GTBRMC]

Great pix!

Why was it so stressful?

 

[Ronnie]

There is no good place to anchor or raft up. If you want to be close to the show you have to troll back and forth across from S.F.'s water front. Actually a 1/2 mile or so across from it (the size of the no boating zone during the air show). There are no established lanes and you have to troll with hundreds of other boats of varying sizes moving in every direction. I did it for 2 hours of a 3.5 hour show and the water out there was very rough to begin with (I call it the golden gate corridor and you can clearly see the Pacific Ocean while you are in it) add the wake of 100s of boats and it's like being in a washing machine. I will post more pics or maybe even a video clip or two to illustrate what I am stating. By the way I took very few pics as I was driving (white knuckle and with my head on a swivel almost the entire time) thankfully everyone else onboard did and they shared the same with me.

If I ever boat out to the event again in my boat I would only do so if I can rent a slip for the day at pier 39. Otherwise I would just rent a ride on one of the ferries or party boats during the event, possibly to angel island or Alcatraz. Again I'm happy to have had the experience, am in no rush to do it again and wouldn't do it the same way ever. The blue angels were scheduled to perform for 1 hour but were out for about 40 minutes (thankfully), as soon as their support plane came out I started making my way back to port. The last 15 minutes of the show was taken up by a united airlines 747 buzzing the show, cool but nothing I can't see from the water now since the marina I launch from is next to Oakland airport and across from sf airport.

 

[Freezer41]

We went Sunday and took the Ferry from Alameda and I don't think I'd do that again! Note: Driving is not an option for next year, I would have hated that more than the ferry. My friend BARTed over and biked from Embarcadero. We had to wait 1.75 hours for a return ferry. We were 200 in line after two ferries had filled up and left. There were probably 300 people behind us when we reached the front of the line. I can only imagine what Saturday was like! Also there were lots of boats just hanging around the waterfront at Marina Green, some anchored. They rocked a few times when a bigger ship went past but looked pretty calm there.
Aww boo, Saturday got the 747 and we got the 777.
Gonna hijack this thread and post my pics here instead of making a new one. Feel free to click on a pic to get to my full album.
080 by Freezer41, on Flickr

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[Ronnie]

Thanks for sharing your pics and your experience. I didn't realize until I watched the news that there was another lane for boat traffic next to the sf water front. Live and learn I guess. I was thinking about going back via Bart yesterday (Sunday) to watch the show from land but was wiped out from the day before and saw all the news reports about how congested it was on all modes of transport into the city.

Based on our collective experience I will Either rent a slip or get on a dedicated charter the next time I go. The wine club my wife belong's to offered a lunch time charter experience for $100. If it leaves out of alameda so I don't have to travel into sf I would be all over that, next time that is. I usually only go every 3 years or so, with that in mind it will be a while before I go again.

 

[whaler7626]

I loved that 747 pic!!! (and the Boston Whaler pic). It is so sad to see so many 747s sent to the graveyard in AZ-- Delta sent 3 at the end of september, and another one, the last 747 service out of Minneapolis/St. Paul, on October 24th I will however have to come out to see fleet week one year-- it looks like a blast!!

 

[itsdgm]

Wow. Those pics look awesome guys. @Ronnie that does sound stressful though.

 

[Ronnie]

Here is a link to short video I put together.

 

[captras]

Here is a link to short video I put together.

Nicely done