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Cruising Destination Petaluma — The Egg Basket of the World

Sometimes, one of the greatest parts about being a sailor in the San Francisco Bay Area is the serendipity of it all — you never know whom you’ll meet and what kinds of adventures you can have. I am a charter boat deckhand who originally comes from Petaluma, but calls the East Bay my sailing home. Normally, I have to explain where Petaluma is located when talking with new friends. But this time, when I met Alice Watts at the 2023 Svendsen’s Spring Fling boat show, it was different. My hometown was her eagerly anticipated cruising destination!

Alice, known as a career, Bay Area tall-ship sailor and longtime advocate for women’s sailing, came over from the Island Yacht Club table to the Latitude 38 table and introduced herself. She was telling me about her upcoming sails when my ears perked up — she was headed to Petaluma for the annual Butter and Egg Days Parade and asked if I wanted to join the river cruise.

I had no hesitation — of course!

It was a delightful sail to this lesser-known cruising destination up the Petaluma River. We left Grand Marina in Alameda at 0700 and reached the turning basin in downtown Petaluma at 1705, docked and secured five minutes later. We had a favorable flood current to push us up the river, and warm, sunny weather. Perhaps too warm, because wind clocked 0 knots all day and turned our sail into a motor. But with beautiful views, plenty of snacks, good company, and a lovely sailboat, the time passed all too quickly.

Petaluma river cruise crew
It was so warm out, shoes came off in short order
© 2023 Latitude 38 Media LLC / Heather Breaux

We were five aboard the sailing vessel Lucy, an Ericson 34 in beautiful condition. Lucy belongs to Chris Candell, who hosted us onboard and had the boat prepped and ready for our 0630 muster. We were joined by Martin Spizman and Cindy McKee. Martin, Chris, and Alice anchored the group with their collective lifetime of experience working on tall ships and had steady hands at the helm. In some of the downtime, Alice gave some knot tutorials including the lineman’s rider, sheet bend and others.

The countryside as you exit San Pablo Bay and start up the Petaluma River is breathtaking at this time of year. The water was cool and clear, with lush green hills in the distance, vibrant marshes on the riverbanks, and lots of wildflowers. Quaint wooden boat ramps and private docks dot the river bank just past Black Point Bridge, and the grassy marshes along the river up to Lakeville are alive with flocks of ducks, blue herons, white egrets, hawks and Canada geese. Chris said it best when we reached the Lakeville waypoint and looked back at the Petaluma river twisting away behind us: “Looking back at the view is like looking back at another century!” No sight of highway 101 hidden behind the hills, no sound of the train until farther up, no modern buildings or cars to remind you that it’s 2023 and not Petaluma’s 1890 heyday as the Egg Basket of the World.

Turns out, many locals cruise to Petaluma for the Butter and Egg Days Parade! The turning basin dock at the Petaluma Yacht Club was crowded with sailboats of all sizes, power boats, and even the Petaluma Sea Scout vessel. Passing the D Street Drawbridge made the sixth bridge passage of the day: In order of appearance, we transited the Bay Bridge, Richmond Bridge, Black Point swing bridge, Highway 37 bridge, Haystack Landing bridge, and the D Street drawbridge in Petaluma. It’s seven bridges if you count the Highway 101 overpass.

All in all, Petaluma is a cruising destination not to be overlooked. Once docked, you are steps away from a vibrant downtown with cafés, shopping, grocery stores and a movie theater within a 10-minute walk. If you’re looking for a daysail destination, consider planning a Petaluma river cruise!

Petaluma river cruise crew
The group, L to R: Heather Breaux, Chris Candell, Martin Spizman, Alice Watts, and Cindy McKee docked at PYC with the Petaluma footbridge in the background
© 2023 Latitude 38 Media LLC / Heather Breaux

4 Comments

  1. Alice Watts 11 months ago

    What a fun day we had, which extended to a great weekend. The parade was fun, as usual, and hanging out at the Petaluma Yacht Club with old and new friends was a highlight for me. Our voyage back to Alameda on Sunday was different from our cruise up-river because a nice breeze came up in San Pablo Bay and we sailed almost all the way home. Thanks for sailing with us, Heather. Let’s do it again soon.

  2. Jim 11 months ago

    A cruise to Petaluma is, indeed, an enjoyable escape from the hustle and bustle of the Central Bay. Timing the cruise to coincide with the Petaluma Rivertown Revival Festival, usually scheduled in July, will add considerable local music and color to the cruise. The Rivertown Revival is sited along the river just south of the D Street Bridge. Some years, when a high tide occurs in the afternoon, it’s possible to anchor directly off the festival. But it’s also short walk from the Petaluma downtown Basin.
    Jim
    SV Cheyenne
    Micronesia

  3. jerry buchanan 11 months ago

    Thanks for sharing! I recently had the honor of sailing aboard Lucy on the bay with Chris, Alice and Cindy! Great sailors and awesome sailing! I Love Lucy!

  4. Inge Lorentzen Daumer 11 months ago

    Wherever Alice Watts goes, Serendipity follows! She is a wonderful inclusive, knowledgeable sailor who “makes-things-happen” and shares joyously with so many people…as an older, previous Tall Ship sailor, I have shared that joy many times and years and Festivals ago…including a Surprise wedding of her son on the Bay! You must have had a magical day on your sail to Petaluma, a place my Grandfather was an egg-manager in the Poultry Produces Association, even longer ago…. I have sailed that stretch on the Nina (Columbus Foundation, now Sanger Ships Replica Caravelle) and had my own “magical time”. A truly lovely sailing destination! I thoroughly enjoyed your story.

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