On the Bay With Photographer and Sailor Marcia Eldridge

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area appears to be an indicator of whether a person will become a sailor. We often talk with and hear about local sailors who “grew up sailing” on the Bay. One such sailor we met recently is Marcia Eldridge. Marcia was aboard Freda B during the recent Master Mariners Regatta (MMR), and despite having spent many years sailing, she considers this day a highlight of her sailing life.

Although Marcia deems herself a “customer” rather than a sailor, given that she’s been sailing as a guest with Freda B since 2018, we feel she qualifies as a sailor. She is also an avid photographer, and spent much of the MMR capturing images of the fleet as it sailed the race course, and of course, her fellow crew. In fact, it was her photos that first brought Marcia to our attention.

“One of my passions, along with being on the water, is documenting my experiences with photography and sharing my joy on social media,” Marcia told us. “This was my first opportunity to attend a Master Mariners Regatta and it was truly a thrilling and amazing race.”

Marcia’s life on the water began in her early years. “As children, my brothers and sisters and I learned to sail El Toros in Berkeley and Oakland. My dad was an avid sailor, single-handedly completing the Transpac Race twice. We had loads of fun sailing with him on the San Francisco Bay as youngsters.”

While sailing aboard Freda B, Marcia rubs sailing shoulders with some local legends, as shown in the photo below. To quote CaptaIn Paul Dines, she says, “There’s about a million sea miles in this photo.”

“I thought the course was a great adventure around the Bay. Lots of fun!” she concludes.