Fleet Week Rules

It’s time once again for Fleet Week! While that means there’ll be cool stuff like air shows by the Blue Angels and war ship parades and tours, it also means that the Coast Guard has set aside some space for all this to take place.

Tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., vessel traffic will be restricted in a band from the Gate, extending out to Alcatraz and down to just south of the Bay Bridge for the Parade of Ships. This is in addition to the 500-yard security zone that will be enforced around each Navy vessel at all times. There’s also an additional restricted area between the Cityfront and Alcatraz, reserved — but hopefully not needed — as a ditch zone for the Blue Angels from about noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Be alert, remember to have your registration and a sufficient number of PFDs aboard, don’t overload your boat, save the beer and wine for when you’ve returned to the dock, and enjoy the show. There’ll likely be plenty of boardings by the Coast Guard security patrols this weekend, so make sure to leave anything you don’t want confiscated — or that might result in the confiscation of your boat — at home.