Settling in For Winter

"One of the things I love about this place, is the ever-changing quality of the light," says professional photographer and captain Richard Gillette. Because he’s our dock neighbor at San Rafael’s Loch Lomond Marina, we know exactly what he’s talking about.

Since moving our boat here from Sausalito a year ago, we’ve also come to appreciate the place’s warmer climate, lack of fog, ample parking and, perhaps most importantly, the inherent peace and quiet of it’s location, several miles from traffic and commerce.

With the economy in such dire straits, slip space — even for larger boats — is opening up all over the Bay Area, giving boaters more berthing choices than in recent memory. Having kept boats in a variety of the region’s marinas, we’ve come to realize that each has its pros and cons. We’d be interested to hear your input: What’s the best thing(s) about the marina where you keep your boat? And what’s most important to you, price, proximity to the Central Bay or proximity to your home?

We’d also love to know where all those boats disappear to when there’s an economic downturn — the same thing happened after the dotcom bubble burst and after 9/11. But we’re pretty sure there’s no simple answer to that one.