Strangers in a Strange Land

Clipper Cove — nestled between Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island — is a favorite anchorage for Bay Area sailors. Though the well-protected cove could easily fit 100 boats, we figured our late arrival on Saturday afternoon — in the midst of the Blue Angels Air Show, no less — would mean all the prime spots close to shore would have been snapped up and we’d be forced to anchor far back in the bay. Imagine our surprise and delight to find all of 15 or so boats hooked up.

It seemed as if every boat berthed in the Bay Area was out on the water watching the show and the America’s Cup racing, so we naturally assumed many would call it a night in Clipper, but more left than arrived. Why more boaters don’t take advantage of Clipper Cove’s delights is a mystery. Yes, entering and exiting absolutely must be done at or near high tide (unless you draw very little) — we saw 10 feet of water at this morning’s high tide — and you need to be aware that the main "channel" is north, toward the pier, but other than that, it’s a terrific place for a weekend respite.

And you just never know who you’ll bump into there. We saw a MacGregor 65 with a Kiwi courtesy flag flying and met up with a young trio planning a trip to South America on a Catalina 27. We even got to spend some time with one of our favorite crazy sailors, Nick Jaffe.

Readers may recall that Nick Jaffe stopped in the Bay a few years ago on his way from England to Australia on his Contessa 26 Constellation. Nick finished that trip, sold Constellation and, having been flabbergasted at the rock-bottom prices on boats in San Francisco, bought a lovely Aries 32 named Harmony. "She really the perfect boat for me right now," Nick says.

When he’s not starring in acclaimed documentaries, Nick runs several businesses Down Under, keeping Harmony on the hard in the Bay Area under the care of any number of friends who keep a watchful eye on her. Though he’s only here for a few weeks, Nick and his brother Ryan plan to thoroughly explore San Francisco Bay during their stay. "I’ll be back next year to take her south," Nick explains. He’ll spend two months going as far as he can before storing her till the following year, when he’ll try to make New Zealand.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t be back to the Bay. "I’ll most likely sell her eventually and come back here to find another boat, as well as see my friends," he says. "I love San Francisco Bay."