Birthday Celebrations: Sailing on the Bay!

As part of my "becoming 25 celebrations," Sam and I scored a great deal through Living Social to take a sailboat ride around the bay. We both concluded that this is a fantastic way to see the bay and really experience its beauty.

The ride began at Pier 33, right off of Fisherman's Warf. One thing I would recommend is to definitely dress warmly. Even though Berkeley was a lovely 70 degrees, the wind coming off the bay was not so warm. Sam and I both wore sweaters and wind breakers, and I could have seriously used some gloves. BUT, the sun was shining, and you certainly can't take a sail boat ride without wind!

We sailed on The Privateer, a 41 foot traditional style sailboat, with about 15 other people. The deal included 2 free drinks, and we could bring snacks or other drinks if we wanted. The captain and first mate/bartender were very nice and offered extra blankets and windbreakers for anyone not prepared for the chilly wind.

Our route was to leave the Fisherman's Warf area and head out toward the Golden Gate Bridge, then we went around Alcatraz and by Angel Island, before swinging back along the coast and into the warf. 

One of the coolest aspects of the cruise was the fact that tons of other sailboats were on the bay competing. Many of the sailboats we saw were just magnificent with beautifully colored sails and large crews. I was surprised at how fast some of them cruised by us. I especially love the picture below of the blue, white, and black sailboats in a row.

 

At one point, our boat must have been cutting through the course because we heard a lot of shouting directed in our direction from an oncoming boat, and our captain actually turned on the motors to move us out of the way quickly.

 

I have never watched a sailing competition before, so I was curious as to how they made sure people don't cheat. Towards the end of the trip, we noticed these boats that had "Jury" written on the side which were sitting around markers on the course, presumably to make sure everyone was following the rules. You learn something new every day :)

 

 

Anyway, it was just a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with my hubby. I could have taken a nap right there on the water with the sun in my face and the gentle rocking of the boat. It was perfect!