This has to be my favorite anchorage in the Bay Area. The new bay bridge connects with the high mountain island that shelters your from the light, noise and view of SF, with a long sand beach, this anchorage is like a little getaway. On quite days sitting on the beach soaking in the sun, it’s hard to believe that the huge city is right behind you! I just love it!

Getting into the anchorage can be difficult at low tide as a shoal guards most of the entrance. With local knowledge, we found that even at low tide there is a path you can follow using landmarks to get into the deeper part of the cove. And when I say deeper, I mean 18 to 8 feet.

The path in that we used:  ( or at least in 2013-2015)
We would Hug the pier on our STBD when coming into the cove, stay about 30 feet off. Follow the pier in, till we were almost to the little dinghy sailing dock, turn the boat to port and aim right at the TransAmerica building ( in the SF skyline) , keeping our corse pointed at the building till we were about equal or a little past with the marina docks, checking the depth every other second. We have had to push through mud at low tide even through this pass.

We always kept it in mind that if we got stuck, that we are in soft mud and will be unstuck once the tide comes back in, so kick back, have a beer and enjoy.

Do not try to enter into the cove from the south( next to the bay bridge) this side is very very very shallow! We always came in next to the pier on the north side of the entrance of the cove.

We anchored in 12-8 feet, pretty close to the beach, soft mud.

You do have to watch out, we have had friends who picked up an old power line/ cable.

Also keep in mind that this cove is pretty much protected from all directions, but not from the east, and if the winds start to kick up from the east, like any other lee shore, move.