Tragedy Strikes Memorial Gathering With One Dead and Three Missing After Boat Sinks on San Francisco Bay
Story Updated 2:07 p.m.(PT)
One person has died, and according to latest reports, three are missing, after a boat took on water and sank on San Francisco Bay on Tuesday afternoon. San Francisco fire chief Dean Crispen told reporters they received a call at 3:35 p.m. Tuesday alerting them to a boat on fire, approximately 600 yards off Alcatraz. San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) were the first authorities on the scene. There was no evidence of a fire; however the boat was sinking.
According to San Francisco Chronicle, the man who died has been identified as Clifford Boisa, 79, of Sutter County. Cliff was the elder brother of Volare’s owner John Biosa, 62.
Authorities are focussing on finding the three missing people, thought it us unknown whether they are trapped in the sunken vessel or have been swept away. It is reported that officials planned to use sonar to locate the boat and explore whether it can be raised.
Chief Crispen told CBS News the SFPD found one person in the water in “severe distress.” They took him aboard and gave CPR, but he was pronounced deceased upon arrival at Gashouse Cove. Reports have been mixed about the number of people aboard the boat, but latest reports say there were a total of 20 souls aboard, one deceased, 16 rescued, and three remaining missing. A dog that was aboard also died. Lt. Mariano Elias of the SFPD told reporters that three of the 16 rescued had severe injuries (possibly impact from hitting the water) and required hospital treatment. It’s also hard to understand how injuries might have resulted from impact with the water, though perhaps the impact of waves pushing people up against the boat might have caused injuries.
The boat is believed be Volare, a 1981 50-ft Marine Trader, homeported in Stockton, CA. According to reports, Volare was carrying a group who had gathered for a memorial, to scatter the ashes of a deceased loved one.
“The reports we’ve had from witnesses [are] that there [were] rough seas, and apparently the vessel began to take on water and was turned over in the Bay,” Crispin told CBS. Eleven crews worked to enact the rescue and search for the missing passengers.
As all Bay Area sailors know, the waters in the Central Bay in the summer can be very challenging. While this was first reported to be a pontoon boat, it is now known to be a robust trawler, which we imagine should be up to the conditions on the Bay yesterday. Including the mystery of whether there was a fire involved, there remains a lot unknown about how this tragedy might have unfolded. One could imagine that, with 20 passengers on the top deck, rolling sideways in the Bay chop might have caused her to roll too far so that water started to get into the hull. Or it could have struck something in the water. There will certainly be lots to learn from this terrible accident.
This video published by KTVU FOX 2 shows the boat sinking on the Bay.
First responders, emergency workers and rescue vessels operated off the Gashouse Cove fuel dock and the parking lot reserved for emergencies like this. Many of California’s fuel docks were built in the 1960s to help manage this kind of crisis.
While many news reports did mention rough seas, they certainly weren’t any rougher than most sailors, wingfoilers and other boaters regularly experience while sailing San Francisco Bay. We are experiencing king tides, which could account for some additional chop, but realistically, it feels as if something unusual happened to cause this tragic accident. These were “normal” Bay conditions, so some other explanation is probably needed to understand why a solidly built 50-ft trawler somehow faltered on the Bay.
The story is unfolding so we will add to it as we learn more.
Good Jibes #252: Captain Maggie Hallahan, Wrenn Holloway, and Pismono Mata-Lee on Gashouse Cove, With Host John Arndt
This week we chat with Capt. Maggie Hallahan, Wrenn Holloway and Pismono Mata-Lee of the San Francisco Sea Scouts about what’s going on at Gashouse Cove. The team is fighting to keep the city’s last remaining marine fuel dock for recreational use by the boating community.
Tune in as the trio chat with Good Jibes host John Arndt about how they’re testifying to city officials, why you should consider becoming a Sea Scout, the fun trips and experiences the Sea Scouts offer, and how we can preserve access to the Bay.
Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- What’s at stake at Gashouse Cove, and what a toxic cleanup and a permit from 19 years ago have to do with it
- What the Sea Scouts have been doing to fight for access
- Whale reporting protocol — the Whale Alert app and why the ships often don’t slow down anyway
- About the couple who sailed around the world from this same dock on a 24-ft plywood trimaran in 1976
- Upcoming two-week summer cruise with 40 kids sleeping on the wooden floor of a 30-ft whaleboat all the way up the Delta to Stockton
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Learn more at MHPV.net and here: “The Fight To Save Gashouse Cove Fuel Dock”
Check out the episode and show notes for much more detail.
Join Shearwater Sailing On a Two-Week Adventure to Hawaii
If sailing across the Pacific Ocean is on your bucket list, we invite you to sign on as crew with for this epic adventure on the sleek and beautiful Farr 53, Atalanta. Whether you are looking to improve your ocean voyaging skills, simply take in the vast expanse of this watery planet, or a combination of both, this trip is one you won’t want to miss! Listen to a Good Jibes podcast with skipper Kevin Wasbauer.
Sausalito Yacht Club Hosts Summer Invitational Regatta
Sausalito Yacht Club’s 2026 Summer Invitational regatta drew 22 boats across two fleets — 18 J/105s and four J/88s — to the starting line last weekend, and wound up being the first regatta win of the season for Tim Russell and his team aboard Ne*Ne (SFYC).
A longtime dominant force in San Francisco Bay’s J/105 fleet, the Ne*Ne crew had been in the top five of the previous four events; Russell and his crew were consistently dominant on the weekend of July 11 and 12. The team didn’t finish outside the top three until the final race of the regatta, a fifth-place finish.
Conditions on day one of the regatta were breezy and choppy, with a building ebb and breeze consistently in the 20s making for some wet and wild racing. A two-three-two on the first day of racing had Ne*Ne tied with Ryan Simmons and his team aboard Blackhawk (SFYC) at seven points, and one point ahead of Randy Hecht’s team aboard Niuhi (SFYC).
“So far this season, racing on the Circle has generally rewarded boats that headed left to take advantage of the left shifts while sailing with the AP jib,” Russell tells Latitude. “This weekend was a welcome change of pace. The breeze was up, heavy jibs were the right choice, and the right side of the course consistently paid.”
Russell and team put the pedal to the metal at the start of the day on Sunday, winning races four and five of the regatta. Niuhi finished second in both races, while Blackhawk recorded a fifth and a third.
Simmons and his team won the final race while Hecht and his team finished in fourth, one point ahead of Ne*Ne, sealing the win for Russell and team. Conditions on Sunday were similar, though slightly less breezy.
“Our game plan never changes,” Russell says of the Ne*Ne team’s approach. “We focus on getting off the starting line in a position that lets us reach the side of the course we want to sail, minimize risk, and stay out of traffic. We weren’t looking for hero moves, just clean starts, smart decisions and consistent execution. That approach paid off, but it certainly wasn’t easy. The battle for the top three positions was incredibly close, making it the tightest podium finish we’ve had all season. Every race mattered, and there was very little room for error.”
The four-boat J/88 fleet was won by Tom Thayer, Robert Milligan and their team aboard Speedwell (RYC). The Richmond boat won three out of six races for a total of 10 points, five ahead of second-place Butcher (SBYC), helmed by Dave Corbin.
“A big thank-you to Jeff Zarwell, who did an outstanding job as race officer,” Russell says in closing. “The course lengths were just right, and the turnaround between races kept the event moving at an ideal pace.”
Both fleets now look ahead to San Francisco Yacht Club’s Summer Keelboat Regatta in early August.
You can find the full scores from Sausalito Yacht Club’s J/105 and J/88 Summer Invitational here.
Tahoe Yacht Club’s 63rd Annual Trans Tahoe Regatta and One Design Invitational
When they say Lake Tahoe reserves the right to surprise, they aren’t kidding.
Tahoe Yacht Club’s (TYC) 63rd annual three-day Trans Tahoe Regatta, held July 10–12, combined a mixed-fleet regatta with a One Design Invitational for the Melges 24 and Moore 24 fleets. Friday and Saturday racing was for all competitors, and Sunday the two one-design fleets competed with an additional three buoy races. And over the three days, competitors experienced three completely different weather patterns, Lake Tahoe style.
The event brought together a variety of keelboats, along with strong Melges 24 and Moore 24 turnouts, many traveling from the Bay Area. For several crews, the weekend became something of a reunion as longtime competitors reconnected both on and off the water.
Friday delivered classic Tahoe unpredictability. Afternoon winds built from about eight knots into a somewhat sustained breeze with gusts approaching 15 knots, with bumpy waters. Oscillating shifts ranged from roughly 180° to 260° and back again, keeping tacticians busy and making every leg a fresh puzzle. Despite the constantly changing conditions, the very busy race committee was able to run four buoy races for each division and fleet without incident.
Saturday featured the regatta’s historic distance race under much friendlier conditions. Light to moderate winds and blue skies carried the fleets on a 19.73-mile course around Lake Tahoe, with marks set near Eagle Rock on the West Shore; Sugar Pine Point, farther south, also on the West Shore; the lake’s R3 research buoy; and off Dollar Point on the North Shore before the finish near Tahoe City. After a long day of racing, competitors happily returned to the TYC clubhouse for the awards ceremony and a delicious Italian buffet dinner, along with much camaraderie and hours of regatta energy.
Sunday looked questionable from the outset for the One Design competitors. Thunderstorms developed from the south along Tahoe’s West Shore and advanced north toward the race area, forcing the race committee to keep a close eye on the weather. Fortunately, the cells tracked alongshore before moving inland, allowing racing to continue. The pressure lessened late in the day, and the final race was shortened at the last minute, still giving the Melges and Moore fleets three completed races to conclude a successful regatta.
Three days. Three weather systems. One memorable weekend of Lake Tahoe racing for all!
You can find the full results of the 63rd Annual Trans Tahoe Regatta here.
You can find the full results from Tahoe YC’s One Design Invitational here.
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