Jeff: I am a member of the Inverness Yacht Club, also known as "Club Mud" and sail my 1983 M15 using one of the two hoists on the dock. If you have a harness, I can arrange for you to launch your boat there. Let the tides dictate when and how long you sail, since the bay is shallow. There are several good beaches you can ground on to enjoy the shore line . There is also a very popular seafood restaurant, "Tony's" for barbecued oysters and other local seafood. You can ask to dock just around the point from Tony's and walk back by road. Murray Wood 1983 M15 hull #285 George Burmeyer wrote:
Jeff,
Tomales Bay is a beautiful place to sail and I go there often with my M15. There are some things to consider, however.
As Bill suggested, the launch ramps are shallow and I would not try to launch without a trailer extension, especially with a 17.
You need to pay attention to the tide and the current, especially near the narrow entrance which is notoriously dangerous.
There is actually only one decent public launch site near the north end of the bay at Nick's cove, although it is totally unprotected from the prevailing winds. Another one south of Marshall is mud and has no dock. You might be able to launch across the beach at Lawson's Landing, but you will pay a bit for that. You could get hold of the Inverness Yacht Club and see what it would take to lift your boat into the south end of the Bay. They have a crane for that purpose, but I think you'd have to supply a harness. I could be wrong, but I don't know of any ramps on the west side.
I have had many glorious days there. But I have gone more than once when the wisest thing to do was drive home. The wind can be ferocious, especially at the north end. Very much like SF Bay.
Another thing: it is very shallow. At high tide the Bay looks huge and open. Look again at a very low tide and you will see that much of the bay is mud flats (great clamming, btw). I have nearly run aground more than once by straying too far out of the main channel. My rudder has kicked when I got into some kelp beds near the surface.
I won't swim there either, but not because of the sharks. It's the jellyfish. So many sometimes they'll slow your boat like you're going through...um...jelly.
All in all, it is a great place to sail, though. Lots of wildlife, waterfowl, and sea creatures. Good fishing, great crabbing and clamming. And don't miss the oyster beds south of Marshall. I like it because it remains a fairly wild and unspoiled place frequented mostly by fishermen, kayakers and sailors.
By the way, for you Lyle Hess fans, I am told that Norsea 27 #1 has been restored and is on a mooring in Tomales Bay.
Hope this helps,
George Burmeyer "Haiku" 1986 M15 #385 Santa Rosa, CA
On May 1, 2006, at 1:13 PM, Bill Day wrote:
Jeff,
I think you will enjoy sailing Tomales Bay. I have taken my M15 there many times without problems. We used to load our tent and camping gear and sail across the bay and camp out on the beach.
The only concern you will have is shallow launch ramps. All the public launch ramps have a very shallow angle of entry, which required backing in so far that my rear vehicle wheels were under water. I didn't have a tongue extention, which would have helped, so we had to back up very far into the water to get the boat to float off of the trailer. The ramps weren't very long either, so it was very difficult to launch at low tide. If you time your launch and recovery so that the tide isn't very low, you shouldn't have any trouble with an M17.
There are no high land masses around the bay, so winds were relatively unimpeded by obstructions. That means that winds are usually very steady, whether strong or weak. The bay is long, and is oriented so that you can sail from end to end without tacking. All in all, a very good sailing experience.
The only warning I would give is to avoid swimming there, since the water is very cold, and is also prime habitat for great white sharks. They tend to be large enough that a swimmer is a nice sized, and desirable snack...especially, if you look even remotely like a seal. Swimming with a friend doesn't decrease your odds of being eaten either, since great whites often go back for seconds.
Bill
I have been interested in sailing Tomales Bay with my 17. My experiences with her so far have been limited to inland lakes and the Delta. Anybody have experience at Tomales? Looks like tides may be an issue. Anything one should be aware of? I am an average sailor.
Jeff
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