By the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be in the rearview mirror and the holidays will be upon us.
The boating community has a unique and very colorful way of doing its part during the holiday season of celebration. Boats are adorned with lights, decorations, costumed people and pets, and go on parade. Photo by Shirley Vaughn
By Captain Ray
Published: December, 2015
By the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be in the rearview mirror and the holidays will be upon us. In December, there’s the start of Hanukkah at sundown on 6DEC, Winter Solstice on 21DEC, Christmas on 25DEC, the first day of Kwanzaa on 26DEC, and New Year’s Eve just a few days later. (Apologies for any holidays not mentioned.)
For some these are religious observances. For others they are all about friends and family, and for many they are both. There are certainly plenty of ways to celebrate: family gatherings and office parties, decorating trees and homes, caroling, services at your place of worship, the giving and receiving of gifts—not to mention feasts with family and friends and celebrating the New Year, 2016!
The boating community has a unique and very colorful tradition for observing this season of celebration. We adorn our boats with lights, decorations, costumed people and pets, and go on parade. I’d like to tell you about five lighted boat parades that are happening here in the Bay Area so that you can add one (or more) of these colorful events to your schedule of holiday celebrations.
On Saturday, December 5, the first of these parades, called the Oakland/Alameda Lighted Yacht Parade, will take place in the Oakland/Alameda Estuary. This event has a nearly 40-year history, with 35 to 50 boats participating. It starts just after sunset, about 5:30 p.m. Jack London Square and Wind River Park are excellent viewing sites. Another attractive alternative for viewing this parade is to reserve a window table at one of the estuary’s waterfront restaurants—dinner and a show without having to move!
Also on Saturday, December 5, for those of you living farther north, the Petaluma River Turning Basin (in downtown Petaluma) will host the festivities. Boats will depart the Petaluma Marina about 6 p.m. and travel up the river, with the lighted and decorated fleet arriving in the Turning Basin about 6:30 p.m.
The following Friday, December 11, is your next opportunity to watch a holiday boat parade, this time at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. This year marks the parade’s 20th anniversary. About 60 boats will participate from the Fisherman’s Wharf fishing fleet, the Sea Scouts and the St. Francis and Golden Gate Yacht Clubs. Starting at 5:30 p.m., boats will parade from Pier 39 west to the St. Francis Yacht Club and back, ending about 8 p.m. Great viewing locations can be found at Pier 39, Aquatic Park, Fort Mason, the Marina Green and Crissy Field.
The very next night, Saturday, December 12, Sausalito will be hosting its own Lighted Boat Parade. This will be the 28th year for the Sausalito parade and you can expect to see about 40 decorated vessels. The parade will start at 6 p.m. just north of the Bay Model and proceed south to the boardwalk at Old Town. The best outdoor views are from the Bridgeway Promenade and the ferry pier in the downtown area. Several restaurants, including Spinnaker, Trident, Barrel House and Scoma’s Sausalito offer great indoor viewing. As an extra added attraction, this boat parade will also include a fireworks display at 7:30 p.m.
Boats line up along the San Rafael Canal to participate in one of the largest lighted boat parades in Northern California. Photo by Shirley Vaughn
