When my sister told me she was coming to visit for a week, I knew we had to go sailing in the San Francisco Bay. I’ve been to Alcatraz and saw how breathtaking this city is from the water. I headed over to Cloud 9, booked a sunset cruise on a catamaran and started dreaming of our sailing adventure.
She brought along her boyfriend, so this evening made for the most wonderful double date. After work (and a day of exploring for my sister and her boyfriend) we all met by the sea lions on Pier 39 to board the catamaran. It was a bit chilly that day and I quickly snuggled into my sweater.
After an introduction and stories about soaking guests who stood too close to the railing, our captain slowly pulled out of the harbor and into the Bay. Note: I’m pretty sure the captain’s personal mission/joy in his job is to soak as many guests as possible during a ride. He seemed to really love riding right into big waves. When he tells you to watch out, he really means it! We all got soaked with one big wave before we took him seriously (and it was so much fun)!
Starting at Pier 39, we sailed out to Alcatraz and around to the opposite side of the Bay, slowly making our way under the Golden Gate Bridge. By this time we’ve each had a beer and some snacks, and were feeling good. The deck had also dried off from that big wave and the four of use huddled close together at the front. A lot of people were staying below deck, which is warmer, but not nearly as fun.
At this point, you’re close enough to see the Golden Gate Bridge among the hazy sunset. No matter how many times I meet her, she always takes my breath away.
Jobs fill your pockets. Adventure fills your soul.
While we were sailing under the bridge, some folks up above waved to us. Neat little moment. And with that, we were out and into the open bay. Our captain slowed down, pointed out towards to ocean and told us to look for whales. As a group from the Midwest who has spent minimal time on the ocean water, the idea of spotting some whales was a huge surprise to us. I think I squealed when we saw our first spout and after about 20 minutes of spotting spouts here and there, we got close enough to a couple of whales to see their tails pop above and into the water! We weren’t expecting whale watching on this cruise whatsoever. A huge, amazing bonus to this already wonderful cruise.
By this time, after over an hour on the open Bay water, I was getting really chilly, so Robin hugged me close and we watched the sunset behind the bridge as we sailed back to shore. Finding this cruise with Cloud 9 was the highlight of my sister’s trip out here. We could have spent the evening out to dinner, but this experience was 100% better and is something we’ll both share and remember forever. If you’re visiting or living in the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking Cloud 9 out and booking this sailing adventure, or another experience that catches your eye! After all, jobs fill your pockets, but adventure fills your soul.
WHAT TO WEAR WHILE SAILING
