Boating Destination: Clipper Cove
San Francisco Boating Destination: Clipper Cove.
Written by: Captain Steve
San Francisco Bay has more beautiful destinations for boating than most large protected Bays on any coastline. If you don’t count the immense California Delta, there is approximately 1700 square miles of navigable water for the sailor or power boater.
Eight islands are contained within the Bay with opportunities for enjoying their various sizes and configurations. Of these, there are two islands; Treasure & Yerba Buena islands that offer a wonderful protected Bay in between them.....Clipper Cove.
Named for the Pan American Airlines Clipper airplanes that used this protected Cove for its passenger loading and taxi way in the 1930’s and 40’s. There are several historical buildings ashore here on Treasure Island to remind us of the days of these unique passenger float planes that flew daily service in and out of Clipper Cove.
This small, yet enticing Cove is one of the most protected in San Francisco Bay. Treasure Island to the north is a man-made piece of land built in the early 1900’s by using dredging land fill from the east bay shoreline. As such, it is low and flat and recently is becoming the next Bay Area building boom.
Yerba Buena Island on the south side of Clipper Cove is largely natural and has quite a lot of relief for its small size. This island is the home of Coast Guard Station San Francisco and where the commander for the 11th U.S. Coast Guard District resides. This district covers the entire western part of the United States.
Yerba Buena Island also forms the abutment for the Oakland Bay Bridge by connecting the new east span with the original west span built in 1938. When you visit Clipper Cove, you will be anchored directly in between these two islands and only a few hundred yards away from the stunning new span of the Bay Bridge completed in 2016.
Entering Clipper Cove is done on the east side of the islands. Care must be taken if your boat has a draft of 4 feet or more and / or the tide is under a +2’. When you enter or leave the Cove, always do so on the extreme north end to avoid the shallowest part of a sand bar extending across the entire entrance.
Once in the Cove, your options for anchoring are many. I like the southwest or southeast side in about 10 to 15 feet of water. The best part about Clipper Cove is the fact that it is very protected from the Bay chop and yet the cooling westerlies of summer still blow through the Cove. In the windy months of May through September, using this pretty anchorage to get a break from the waves is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
If you choose to spend the night, Clipper Cove is fantastic. The lights of the east span of the Bay Bridge spill into the Cove while the winds tend to die off just after sunset.
If you can get ashore, there is an opportunity for some fun in way of good food and tasty wine & beer. Walk about a half mile to an amazing restaurant named Mersea. Some of the best views of San Francisco and its famous skyline can be found here. In Clipper Cove are some great choices for wine and beer tasting as well. The old buildings of the Pan American Clipper flight operations provide the location for these additions to this great destination.
Any season, watch your tides and visit Clipper Cove. In the next couple of years there will be a new Marina with guest docking while still keeping the nice anchorage for all boaters.