Celebrating Four Decades of History and Growth at S.F. Port’s South Beach Harbor
The Port of San Francisco recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of South Beach Harbor, the largest full-service marina in San Francisco. Festivities took place at the South Beach Yacht Club (SBYC), which has its own exciting 40th anniversary coming up in 2028. Built in 1986, South Beach Harbor has evolved from shipyards and warehouses to a lively waterfront community with homes, parks and recreation.
The history of South Beach goes back roughly 150 years, when it was San Francisco’s warehousing and shipwright district, providing Bay access to the developing city. Located between Pier 40 and Oracle Park, with more than 700 berths and a 640-foot guest dock, it is now home to Spinnaker Sailing, kayaking and boat rentals, and the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS), a South Beach Yacht Club partner. Full-service marina amenities are available to recreational boats and commercial charter landings.
“A lot has changed in 40 years, but what is most important is the community we’ve built. There is something about the vibe here like no other,” harbormaster Alvin Sonza said. “We’re bustling with the excitement of the city but still have a low-key attitude about enjoying everything the San Francisco Bay has to offer on the waterfront.”
The South Beach Yacht Club, located across the hall from the Harbor Office, is known for its youth sailing, Friday Night racing series, Jazz Cup Regatta, BAADS Fred Meyer Cup Regatta, the 14-year-old all-women Red Bra Regatta, and its newly introduced Kasio Cup Regatta — a tongue-in-cheek response to the Rolex Big Boat Series.
SBYC has been serving up fun all along, and the stories go way back. Does anyone remember the original double-wide trailer at Pier 40? Plenty of stories there, but the club now consists of a spacious dining facility with a custom-designed clubhouse bar and stellar deck overlooking the marina, and offering the city’s best harbor view south of the Bay Bridge.
Grace Franklin has been sailing out of South Beach Harbor with her grandpa, Hank Delevati, since she was a toddler, and spent much of her childhood alongside the dock where his Catalina 30 has been moored since the very first year the marina was built. She recalls looking up at the South Beach Yacht Club as they walked down the dock, wondering what it was like inside. It’s a special place her grandpa shared with her, and now generations will continue to share that magic.
As an adult, Grace continues to go out on the water weekly with her grandpa and is one of the club’s newest members getting involved in the all-volunteer community. “Everyone I’ve met is exceptionally friendly, approachable, and passionate about the club,” she said. “That warm environment, combined with the various opportunities SBYC provides to engage with other boaters and the local area, made it clear that this is a place I would love to be a part of.”
“We do have a lot of fun here and provide support for each other in the boating community,” SBYC commodore Steve Kastner added. “I’d have to say the live music, family-style dinners, cruise-outs to reciprocal clubs and great racing rank us as one of the best times you’ll have on the Bay, and we’re proud to have led boating on the South Beach waterfront for four decades.”
To contact the South Beach Harbor, visit: https://www.sfport.com/maritime/south-beach-harbor-home and on Instagram @south.beach.harbor
For more information on South Beach Yacht Club, visit: https://southbeachyachtclub.org or contact [email protected].