As for Sailing around the SF Bay, the North Bay (e.g. Sausalito) is very pretty area. The St. Francis Yacht Club, Brisbane, and Pete's Harbor are on the SF Side (I've sailed from all of them), The Brickyard and others on the East Bay side. All depends on what you want to see. Just don't get run over by an incoming tanker or container ship - they start 'stopping' about 20 miles out, on their way to Oakland on the East side of the Bay.

We used to get Business VIPs from Europe that 'wanted to say' they had sailed in the Pacific. So we took them through the Golden Gate Bridge, past the 'Potato Patch' and the one mile Buoy. That made it legitimate. Just watch your tides and try to go out on the ebb (you'll make great time) and return on the tide coming in, otherwise it'll take 'forever', especially in a 17. Otherwise there's lots of SF Bay water to play in. The winds were quite nice today (made my teeth itch to need to work with clients with such good sailing weather).

You can also consider what is locally called 'The Delta' with lots of water from near Tracy (where my Daughter lives) to Sacramento (the Delta is fed from the Sacramento River). You could spend a week or more going up the Sacramento River (and we plan to), much as navigating the canals of Europe. There are many places to stop along the way. We plan to knock about and pull in to 'wherever' when we're tired, or if we see something too nice to ignore.

There are some fairly large lakes out here too. We also have a 'throw away' called Latitude 38 which is free at local Boating locations and chandelrys. You can see what's 'current' when you arrive. The internet is a good place to see what you might like (e.g. Clear Lake can be a beautiful sail too).

And if you're going south of SF, Look at Monterey Bay (which is ten miles from where we live). The local favorite Santa Cruz restaurant is 'The Crows Nest' which is at the mouth of the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor (launch ramp just inside the harbor, near the Crows Nest). You can have Lunch/Dinner and through huge windows (or a glass enclosed patio) watch the sailboats heading in/out on Monterey Bay before, or after, you sail it yourself. Weekends are usually very colorful with all the sailboats and Spinnakers flying. FYI - There is also a Whale Watching tour on a Santa Cruz 70 (ultralight) called Chardonnay II, that goes out weekends. There's food and drinks in the package (they're on the internet).

Monterey is also know for it's beauty and good restaurants. Even when I was 'a lad' we used to go (on larger boats) over to Monterey for the weekend, dock, play, eat well and return Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins usually love to swim alongside and if there's a chop (where you get your bow in the water), the Dolphins will 'trade sides' by jumping across your bow.

If you like the 'less crowded', consider Moss Landing, where my larger fixed keel used to be wet berthed. The folks are real nice there (they just like to sail, not worry about fashion). Even when I wasn't around, and my lines didn't look all that good as a storm approached, they'd fix them, and tell me later. There's some 60 foot sailboats in North Harbor. It's only takes minutes to get from that ramp on to Monterey Bay, just more driving south from Santa Cruz (about an hour). My favorite memories there are of Blue sky, Cats Paw water, 20 knot offshore winds on a Sunday morning in January. We were pulling the cork out of the old knotstick.

If you see water on the map that you have questions about, send me an email, we know most of the waters out in Central California (been 'knocking about' here since before I was a young Sea Explorer). FYI - Some of the OSH stores carry a book of lakes (800 or so?)

If you don't have it in your plans, you might also consider Lake Tahoe on your way east (a bit brisk this time of year). The water's smoother before 2PM. And Emerald Bay is 'Memorable' with the Viking Home at the South End (you can't launch from there). Most visitors that I take to Tahoe, easily use up a roll of film. Emerald Bay also has the only campground I know of, (if it's still open) that is only available from the water, no landlubbers have access.