Catamaran Sailing in Northern California

Flying Across the Golden Gate
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

The spray is cold but I don’t want to move. I’m in the front section of a two-hulled 55-foot (17m) catamaran flat on my stomach and mesmerized by the water rushing underneath me. The sun shines overhead as we fly across San Francisco Bay.

Passing Alcatraz, I sit up for a better look. “Watch your heads!” a voice calls. We all duck as the boom sweeps across the deck snapping the sails into a different position. Zigzagging from one side of the bay to the other, tacking to take advantage of the wind, the Adventure Cat sails toward the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean beyond. Along the way, the catamaran screams past an occasional freighter, other sailboats, the Presidio, and Sausalito. When it’s time to head home, the wind allows us to race back to the pier, at speeds maxing out above 13 knots. Lying back down on the bouncy trampoline that’s strung between the two hulls, we all appreciate the quiet that comes with riding in a wind-powered boat.

Catamaran sailing is a simple pleasure, but it can also be exhilarating. Being a passenger on one is a great way for adventure seekers to get their thrills without having to take charge themselves, or risk their lives in the process.

Adventure Cat Sailing Charters offers two 11⁄2-hour trips into the bay daily, plus a sunset cruise, several months out of the year. Cruises sail past the city skyline, Alcatraz, and under the Golden Gate Bridge, just touching the Pacific Ocean. (Keep an eye out for sea lions, popular in this part of the country, though no less exciting to see because of their numbers.) The catamaran is moored near Pier 39 in San Francisco’s famous Fisherman’s Wharf area. While you’re here, look beyond the many touristy shops to notice fisherman coiling nets on their boats tied to working piers, seagulls screeching in the sky, and the big ships passing by.

San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, 900 Market St. ( 415/391-2000; www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com).
Tour: Adventure Cat Sailing Charters, Pier 39 ( 800/498-4228 or 415/777-1630; www.adventurecat.com).
When to Go: Early Mar through late Oct.

San Francisco International.
The Argonaut, 495 Jefferson St. ( 866/415-0704 or 415/563-0800; www.argonauthotel.com). $$ Larkspur Hotel, 524 Sutter St. ( 800/919-9779 or 415/421-2865; www.larkspurhotelunionsquare.com).