By Lisa Klassen

Ah, sailing on the ocean. There’s something so very peaceful and calming in having the wind in your hair, the sun beating down upon you and the ocean spraying up in your face as you soar across the water in your vessel.
Water moves us, both literally and figuratively. Escaping the maze of traffic and parking, the chatter of voices and the concrete sprawl to fly unencumbered across the waters brings a smile to our faces and releases tension from our brows. Am I reminding you of a mission you’ve been meaning to manifest into reality, a goal to get out on the water more, a buoyant decision to boat? Well, spring is upon us and it’s high time we set sail.

“But, I don’t OWN a vessel!” you may be saying with despair. Never fear. We denizens of the Bay Area are privileged and lucky to have a wide variety of stunning local destinations to travel to, with many half day and day trip cruise options.

If you’ve been feeling a longing for the open waters lately, read on to see if one of our local cruising suggestions sparks your fancy.

Set Sail for a Day

How about a day trip picnic to the spectacular shores of Angel Island? For over six thousand years, Angel Island was used as fishing and hunting site by the Miwok Indians.

Now visitors come to explore the 740 acres of park space on Angel Island, with many activities such as hiking, biking, volleyball, baseball, camping, walking tours, fishing and photographing the awesome vistas with spectacular views of Marin County, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate, as well as a panorama of the entire Bay Area. It’s understandable why Angel Island is a favorite spot for barbeques, wedding parties, wine tastings and get-togethers in the great outdoors. So pack up a picnic basket and set sail.

There are many ways to cruise to Angel Island, both innovative and conventional. For families and small groups, renting a private sailboat charter or a yacht is a wonderful way to sail the seas. For larger groups, chartering a historical scow schooner means a chance to experience sailing in grand style, like in the days of yore.

There are many groups that also cater to corporate team building day trips. Working together as a sailing crew on the open ocean builds strong bonds between team members. Unity helps erase past rivalries and tensions, so many prominent companies use team building adventures to firm up work relationships.
The Angel Island Ferry, a Tiburon institution and family-run business for forty years, takes 30,000 school children out to the island each year, allowing them to run the boat, and bottom trawl for fish.

It’s part of the Marine Environment Program, an effort to inspire young people to preserve and rehabilitate the Bay. Angel Island Ferry founding family member, Maggie McDonogh, instigated the program, and may be piloting the ferry you take across! Regardless, the Angel Island Ferry is a memorable ride, well worth taking.

The Farallon Islands are 27 miles off the west coast of San Francisco. For nature lovers and families hoping to combine education with adventure, this is where it’s at.

The Farallon Islands were called the ‘Islands of the Dead’ by the coastal Miwok natives — ironic as these islands are teeming with marine life. The Farallon Islands are among the most nutrient-rich waters in the world, making them a buffet spot of sorts for a wide-variety of marine life. They are also a marine sanctuary, and often referred to as the Galapagos of Central California.

Both an acclaimed whale watching spot and a bird sanctuary, if you embark upon a whale watching cruise, you can expect to see anything from blue whales, humpback whales, great white sharks, gray whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, orcas and harbor porpoises, depending on the time of year. Humpback whales are the most frequently seen summer resident whales, but small numbers of gray whales have remained in the Gulf of the Farallons to feed rather than continuing their migratory route to Alaska. And don’t forget the seals.

Before the Farallons even come into view, you can hear the seals. The shore of the island is so thick with pinnipeds like stellar sea lions, northern elephant seals, harbor seals and California sea lions that it would be next to impossible to walk through them.

The Farallon Islands supports the largest breeding colony of seabirds in the continental United States. Bird watching season generally runs from May until August, so now is an ideal time for an avian adventure. Expert naturalists are on hand during cruises to guide and enlighten you throughout your journey. Be aware that sightings depend partly on luck, good weather and the appropriate time of year.

Set sail in the Evening

Romance on the Ocean
Feeling a little more romantic-minded? Does dining by candlelight while cruising over open waters seem like your cup of tea? There is something very poignant about supping on the sea, and a dining cruise is an excellent way to wow a loved one, or woo that someone special whom you want to make an impression on.
If you’re looking for the sweet, tender effect, dinner and dance cruises can definitely create it.

If you’re looking for something a little more lighthearted, there are casino-style cruises. But one thing is for certain; sailing under the velvet curtain of the night sky is a highly memorable experience.

If none of these suggestions has encouraged you to set sail upon the ocean, then take a moment to contemplate the majority of the makeup of our bodies…water.

Think of how tranquil and at ease you feel when you spend time at the beach or surrounded by water. Recall what you are surrounded by while in the womb. Water has a special effect in calming and soothing the human psyche. Go see for yourself what sort of influence it has on you…it will be good for your soul!