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WORKING WATERFRONT: West Coast

Latitude 38 Working Waterfront News Central

Since its inception, Latitude 38 has been able to cover, inspire and connect the people in our sailing community thanks to the businesses that support sailors and sailing. This includes boatyards, sailmakers, marinas, boat builders and numerous trades and craftspeople. Over the decades, the space available along our critical public waterfront continues to shrink.  Our Working Waterfront page is dedicated to covering these stories to bring awareness to the jobs, facilities and services that are vital to our nation's commercial and recreational maritime infrastructure. Enjoying the 12-month sailing season up and down the California coast is one of the prime features of living in the West. A working waterfront is one that works for all California citizens and retains space for these important waterfront facilities.

Is the CrossWater Horizontal Elevator an Alternative to the Oakland Pedestrian Bridge?

Crosswater - Crossover

Are floating, horizontal elevators a solution to crossing water on foot or bicycle, and a possible alternative to bridges?

Delta Meets Bay as Cal Maritime Academy Student Sails the Gap

The day after turning 19, Takoda Fletcher got his USCG captain’s license, and the rest is history.

In-Person, Hands-On Sailing With S.F. Maritime National Park Association

SF Maritime kids camp

This summer in San Francisco, kids are learning about sailing, rowing and boatbuilding and maritime history at S.F Maritime’s Summer Camp.

Saildrone Completes Months-Long Survey of Alaskan Islands and Offshore California

Saildrone’s uncrewed vehicle Surveyor, has completed a months-long survey around Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and off the coast of California, covering 45,000 square kilometers of previously unknown ocean floor.

Tiburon’s China Cabin Connection to the Webb Institute

Webb Institute Sailing Team

There are many sailing artifacts below the surface of the Bay, and others ringing the Bay. One rests on stilts in Tiburon.

Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival Meets a Canceled Salmon Season

Bodega Bay Fisherman's festival

The 50th annual Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival included one sailboat and a fleet of fishing boats dismayed by the canceled salmon season.

Oakland A’s Waterfront Stadium at Howard St. Terminal Strikes Out

Howard St. Terminal

The proposed Oakland A’s waterfront stadium appears to have hit a wall with the team now committed to a binding agreement to move to Las Vegas.

Meet the Companies Building a Green Future for Sailboat Engines

Many companies are working to produce ‘green’ power technology. Here are some innovations that can eventually transfer into powering sailboats.

Oakland City Council Passes Nuisance Vessel Act to Clean Up the Estuary

Oakland estuary

A new Nuisance Vessel Ordinance in Oakland promises to help start a long-overdue Estuary cleanup.

Will Proposed Oakland A’s Ball Park Impede a Future Port of Oakland Estuary Turning Basin?

In one of the starkest conflicts between expanding development and the Bay Area’s working waterfront, concerns have surfaced that an ambitious project along the Oakland Estuary could interfere with ship traffic.

Working Waterfront Issues and Resources

Numerous groups and organizations around the country are working to help preserve maritime economic zones.  Working Waterfront Organizations:

National Working Waterfront Network

Sausalito Working Waterfront

San Diego Working Waterfront

Port Townsend Working Waterfront

San Francisco Bay fill map circa 1969.
Map of Bay fill and conversion to resevoir in 1969. San Francisco Bay might have disappeared or looked dramatically different without the attention of those who recognized and protected the Bay for all Bay Area citizens.

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