Descriptions of some of our recent Sailing Charters Written by Captain Kirk

Sailing with a 90-year old gal. May 29, 2012

Capt Doug got to sail with “Granny” who is 90 years old and a sailor. She brought along her family, including a 20 month-old great granddaughter. A wonderful time on Bay Wolf. Pictures will be posted soon. Here is what the client had to say:

Captain Kirk,

What a delight Doug, Dogen, and Jenny were. I couldn't have asked for a more attentive, lively and engaging crew. You've got really great people on your staff.

Thanks again for making this work out. Mom was just grinning and having a great time. Her response and your crew made it a day that we all will remember with great fondness and cherish in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

My deepest appreciation,

Malcolm

Fundraising Charter for LLS - Sat, March 10, 2012

Caroline and 16 of her friends had a great sailing trip on the Bay with our own Capt James. This was a fundraiser sail for Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS). We have done several fundraising trips for LLS. The day was a little cool and overcast, but everyone had a great time and we donated 50% of the trip back to LLS. Here is that Caroline had to say:

Hi Capt Kirk!

Indeed, we had a wonderful afternoon with James, Dogen and Brian. Even though it was a bit overcast, the ride was perfect. I loved seeing underneath the GG Bridge and taking the city in from the bay. The crew was fantastic- they involved us and explained sailing terms to us in just the right dose, were extremely patient and kind when we were in their way, they kept the perfect amount of food and drinks flowing and were just generally extremely friendly and knowledgeable.

We really appreciate your generosity in hosting us and making your donation to LLS. It is very kind of you to contribute to our cause. You were very easy to work with and we were so happy with the trip.

I've passed along the social media and review information to the guests and will post something myself.

Thanks again,
Caroline

Springtime sailing - March 11, 2010

A perfect day of sailing lessons, clear skies and good food. Kevin and Ann (from Austin Texas) and their friends Flo and Kiwi (from Los Angeles). We went out on Bay Wolf and it was perfect day with 10-12 knots of breeze and San Francisco Bay all to ourselves. We saw dolphins, harbor seal, pelicans and huge flock of cormorants. The food included good wine, apples and strawberries, ham and turkey sandwiches, fresh bread, chips, pickles and chocolates for dessert. They were in town for a fun getaway from work and we had a great trip out under the Golden Gate and back towards Alcatraz Island, Angel Island and back to Sausalito. Kiwi promised to send some pictures for the website...

Sailing with grandpa Jake - May 5, 2009

Nicole arranged this trip as a gift for her grandfather. Grandpa Jake is 86 years old and has sailed on San Francisco Bay since he was a kid. He had not sailed in over 15 years and was thrilled to be back on the water. Jake took the helm as soon as we left Sausalito. We sailed out past the Golden Gate Bridge and there were a couple of dolphins chasing our wake when we passed by the south tower. The winds picked up to 20 knots and we reefed the main. After we sailed over to Pac Bell Pak, I offered to take the helm, but Grandpa Jake said “I’m driving. You can drive tomorrow.”. We sailed a complete loop around Alcatraz island (Jake remembered when it was an active prison). We heard stories of sailing past Angel Island in the 1940’s and 50’s – It was wonderful trip back in history and I learned much about the history of San Francisco boating. When we finally returned to the dock, Grandpa Jake finally gave up the tiller and let me dock the boat. We made plans for another sail next year for his 87th birthday.

A perfect Day of Sailing - July 9, 2008

We had a great sail on Baywolf. We sailed out past the Golden Gate Bridge and the conditions were perfect. We had moderate winds and clear skies. We spent almost the entire trip outside the Golden Gate Bridge. Everyone got a chance to drive and we did get to see some dolphins.

Lucy's comments were "Thank you for a wonderful charter. We had so much fun. The boat was wonderful. The weather was perfect and you and Sean were perfect hosts. San Francisco never looked so beautiful. We will be back."

Sailing on BayWolf - June 21, 2008

We had a great sail on Baywolf (our new Santa Cruz 50). Megan (age 10) got to drive the boat all the way from Sausalito to Pier 39. We saw wind speeds of 28 knots and boat speeds of 8 knots with just the main sail. This was Megan's first time driving and she did great.

BayWolf is such a perfectly balanced yacht that even a newbie can sail her easily. She is very fast and total blast to sail. We sailed from Sausalito to San Francisco passing Alcatraz Island, then completely around Treasure Island, across the slot to the backside of Angel island and then up Raccoon Straights to Sausalito. We cover lots of ground with BayWolf! Megan's 12 year old brother Josh got to sail across the bay from Treasure Island to Angel Island. We had a wonderful time.

Wintertime sailing on a perfect day - December 9, 2007

We had great ride with Liz and her five friends. The skies were clear and the winds were moderate. The trip was a gift certificate from her mom from last Christmas. Turkey and ham sandwiches, good beer and wine and lots of chocolate. A perfect 3-hour sail on San Francisco Bay.

Cashing in a Father's Day Gift Certificate August 4, 2007

We had great ride with Rex and his family. We had wind, sun, great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and excellent food. The perfect day of sailing San Francisco Bay. Rex wrote me a nice summary of the sail - A short excerpt " After we docked in Sausalito we bid Captain Kirk farewell and rushed off to dinner in San Francisco. All we could talk about at dinner was our fabulous day of sailing on the bay. We are all anxious to do it again. Thanks Captain Kirk for an exhilarating Day!! (click here to read the whole summary written by Rex)

Just Married !! Thursday, June 21, 2007

Karim and Bonnie got married in San Francisco. Immediately after the wedding they came sailing on Flying Tiger with their family and friends. We enjoyed champagne and excellent food as we sailed towards the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz island and along the front of Angel Island. Bonnie and Karim got married and learned to sail on the same day. Sailing San Francisco Bay - a great way to begin your honeymoon. We wish them smooth sailing in their new life together.

50 year Wedding anniversary - Monday, June 25, 2007

Jim and Annette enjoyed a lovely evening sail to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Annette and her daughter have sailed on Flying Tiger before and we made plans for special sail for the 50th anniversary. Excellent food (salads with grilled chicken) was provided as we sailed past Belvedere Island, Tiburon and Angel Island. San Francisco sailing was the highlight of a weekend of romance. The sun was setting as we returned to the dock and said good night - until next year's trip.

Thursday, april 12, 2007 - sailing with the Brefka Family

An amazing day of sailing. Rick Brefka and his family came out for Spring Break from Wisconsin. Perfect San Francisco sailing as we went out towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Howling under the bridge and hearing the echoes. The waves in the ocean were big, so we stayed inside the bay. The whole family got a chance to steer Flying Tiger. We ate good food (turkey and ham sandwiches, potato chips, chocolate, carrots, sodas and wine for the adults). We never run out of good food on Tiger. We raced a few boats and got the boat heeled over quite well sailing by Alcatraz. The comments in the log book from each of the Brefka crew:

Nancy aka Ali (9) "This is paradise."

Benjamin (17) "A grand adventure."

Jacob (12) "Boat fly high, boat fly free - Either way it is great for me"

Rick (dad) "You ain't seen nothin' till you've seen the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge."

Susan (mom) "So much nicer than I ever thought possible. Our whole family had a great time."

Friday, march 2, 2007 - sailing lessons outside the Gate

A great day of sailing lessons. Richard and Ursula had just recently completed their Basic Keelboat (BKB) class in Mexico and wanted to come out and experience San Francisco sailing. Ursula had the helm from the moment we left the dock and all the way out under the bridge. We sailed out past the Golden Gate Bridge to experience some waves created by a strong ebb current and opposing westerly winds. We call these waves the "Big, Green Square Ones", and it was a great ride. Flying Tiger cut through the waves at 6+ knots with a single reefed main. Ursula sailed out through the big waves and back to the bridge. Richard took his turn and we did the same loop. They both did very well. Fast learners. Sailing San Francisco Bay is a great thrill and I enjoy teaching people how to sail on the Bay.

Thursday FEBRUARY 14, 2007 - valentines day sail

Catie and Zack enjoyed a wonderful Valentines Day sailing charter. The weather was good, and we sailed out past the Golden Gate Bridge. Catie's father and brothers work on the Golden Gate Bridge seismic retrofit and as we sailed out, her father came out to wave hello. San Francisco sailing is best with good good and drink and we ate lots of good food as we sailed past Angel Island back to Sausalito. Catie wrote the following in the the Flying Tiger log book "The weather gods were on our side today for our Valentines Day sail. We even saw family working on the bridge! Thanks so much for the great sail." Catie & Zack, Sebastopol, CA

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007 - Dodging the Rain Clouds

Ed and Cams came out for a San Francisco sunset cruise. We got rained on for part of the trip, as we sailed between Angel Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. Just as were about to give up, the rain stopped and we got a wonderful double rainbow over the Bay. Cams took lots of pictures. Then we got to see the sun set out beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the perfect San Francisco sunsets. We drank hot tea as we sailed back to Sausalito. Cams wrote the following in the the Flying Tiger log book "The rain was cold, but the beautiful rainbow over San Francisco and the sunset behind the Golden Gate Bridge was spectacular. I always like original shots in great places and I certainly got that here." Cams & Ed - London UK

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2007 - visiting sailors from London

Neil and Rob enjoyed a great day of San Francisco sailing. Both Neil and Rob are intermediate sailors working on getting their UK certification. Once we left the slip I handed them the helm and they got to sail most of the time during our trip. We sailed out under the Golden Gate Bridge. Two boats were well ahead of us. By paying attention to wind shifts, sail trim and currents, we were able to beat both boats to the Golden Gate Bridge. One boat we beat by a few yards, and the other boat was left almost a mile behind. Outside the gate the sailing was perfect with no waves, a moderate 10 knot breeze and even a dolphin sighting. Sailing back inside along the San Francisco waterfront, we sailed inside Aquatic Park and did a perfect gybe past the boats of the Maritime Museum, including the tall ship Balclutha, the ferry boat Eureka and the tugboat Hercules. We then sailed past Alcatraz, Angel Island and then back to Sausalito. Neil and Rob got lots of sailing practice and are now ready for their sailing course back in the UK. Neil wrote the following in the the Flying Tiger log book: "What an excellent trip out, perfect weather, sun, wind, great sailing. Excellent view of the San Francisco skyline and the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge - Wow. With our sincerest thanks - Neil & Rob"

Sunday, February 4, 2007 - Queen Mary 2 visits San Francisco

We sailed out to see the Queen Mary 2 arrive under the Golden Gate Bridge. Her maiden voyage to San Francisco. The scene was amazing - lots of boats, helicopters, San Francisco fireboats spraying water and the Queen Mary 2 was both beautiful and enormous.

With less than 20 feet to spare between the top of the ship and the Golden Gate Bridge, seeing the QM2 enter San Francisco Bay was truly one of the best experiences ever. We were able to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge at the same time as this wonderful ship.

We also had Amy and Mark (from Montara) and Paula and her 9 yr old son Eli (from Sacrament) were passengers for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Saturday, January 27, 2007 - 30th Birthday Sail

A surprise birthday sail for Al's 30th birthday. Four teachers from San Leandro (Megan & Al, Amber and Ben) took a five hour San Francisco charter. Al was kept in the dark until they got to the dock - surprise! This was Al's first time sailing and he was a fast learner. We sailed out under the Golden Gate Bridge and then back along the San Francisco waterfront. We sailed along with the 200+ boats participating in the 3-Bridge Fiasco sailboat race. It looked like it might rain, but we had clear skies and light to moderate winds. We hit speeds of 6.7 knots coming back from Alcatraz Island to Sausalito. Lots of cormorants seen flying in formation, and lots of seals and even a big sea lion jumping near the boat. Ben wrote the following poem for the Flying Tiger log book: "On a foggy, cool day in Sausalito, Four young adventurers sailed with Captain Kirk-ito. The oldest boy Al was turning thirty, we floated on the Bay and the sights were purty."

Saturday, January 20, 2007 - Anniversary Sail

Romantic Sausalito -- Paul arranged a romantic Sausalito sailing weekend as an anniversary surprise for his wife, Karen. The weekend included dinner at Angelino's Italian restaurant on Friday night, sailing on Saturday and dinner on Saturday night. A room at the lovely Hotel Sausalito was the perfect touch. We sailed along the Sausalito waterfront and out under the Golden Gate Bridge. We watched the racing sailboats hoist spinnakers near the San Francisco shoreline and then slowly sailed back to Sausalito. Lots of pelicans flying in formation and harbor seals sleeping near the marina. The food included peppered turkey and cheeses, sourdough bread, sliced fruits, a nice bottle of Cabernet and french truffles for dessert. At the end of the trip Karen wrote the following in the Ship's log "12th year anniversary completely planned by Paul - surprising. Fabulous. 10 points !!"

Saturday, January 13, 2007 - Sailing Lesson prior to Olympic Qualifying Event

Sailing with Suzanne prior to her competing in the US Sailing Rolex Miami OCR (Olympic Class Regatta) event in Florida on January 21 to 27, 2007. We sailed out towards Yellow Bluff and worked on light air sail trim, crew positioning, gybing and tacking procedures, currents, wind shifts, tactics and communication among crew members. The Rolex Miami OCR event includes 550 of the world's top Olympic and Paralympic class sailors representing 43 countries. Suzanne will be sailing to qualify for the 3-person Sonar class for the 2008 Paralympics in Bejing - Good luck to Suzanne! Results (February 28): Suzanne team finished 10th in the highly competitive Sonar class. While not on the winner's podium, Suzanne's team did very well including beating the eventual gold medal winner in four of the 13 races. The competition included the top sailors from the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and Greece. Way to go Suzanne!

Tuesday, January 9, 2007 - Visiting Sailors

What a wonderful 3 hour trip. Dan and Rob were in town from New York City for business and called me to go sailing for the day. We had the perfect winter day - 60 degrees, clear skies and 10 knots of breeze. We sailed out under the Golden Gate Bridge, out to near Point Bonita Lighthouse. We saw two pods of dolphins halfway out to the lighthouse. We sailed back into the bay and watched the sun set perfectly under the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. During the trip, they both got cell phone calls from colleagues and they got to tell them about the wonderful San Francisco sailing. Lots of picture were taken, and we ate some good food.

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Sailing with Carlos (my little brother from the Big Brother program) for the first time on Flying Tiger. Sachi, Miya (9) and Romi (6) came along as well. A nice day with light winds. Carlos took the helm as soon as we left Sausalito and he sailed us out under the Golden Gate Bridge. We all got to yell underneath the bridge and hear our echoes. People on top of the bridge waved to us. We sailed past Pier 39, Angel Island and we got a close-up Alcatraz tour as we circled the island. Carlos had a great time and was a fast learner, with a good sense for making small adjustments to keep the boat well trimmed. A great first exposure to sailing San Francisco Bay.

Thursday, December 28, 2006 - Celebrating the End of the Year

The last sail of 2006. Travis, Ryan and Katie (3 students from UC Davis) came out to celebrate the Christmas break. We were very lucky with the weather (the previous day had been very nasty with big waves and wind). We had light winds and there were lots of seals and sea lions in the water. We saw a few dolphins out past the Golden Gate Bridge. After the trip Travis wrote the following in the log book " Thank you for the incredible adventure!. It was an unforgettable day and we could not have asked for a better captain. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of San Francisco Bay and the sailing lessons. Good luck with the sailing charters."

Sunday, November 5, 2006 - Fundraising sail for C.A.R.

Sailing with the winner of the C.A.R. (Community Association for Rehabilitation) swimathon fundraising challenge. Kieran, her sister, mother-in-law and her best friend. We had a great sail with good winds and clear skies. We even had to wait till after dark for low tide to allow us to pass back into Sausalito. The sunset cruise included the full moon and the San Francisco skyline was lit up as well. Kieran's comments in the log book: "Beautiful sail around Angel Island. Perfect weather and full moon! We had a wonderful experience. Many thanks to Captain Kirk for his years of support for C.A.R. As an avid swimmer and sailor at heart, I loved every second at sea." Kieran Alumbrac, San Jose, CA.