Spring Fling Cruise-In

South Beach Harbor and the SF Giants Oracle Park

South Beach Harbor and Giants Opening Weekend

The San Francisco Bay Master Mariners kicked off the 2026 social season with a weekend cruise-in to South Beach Harbor, and seven classic wooden boats answered the call: Black Witch, Velerosa, Aida, Eventide, Water Witch, Morning Star, and Gold Star. Lined up along Guest Dock A, varnish gleaming and flags flying, they made quite a sight—and gave everyone a reason to wander the dock with a beer in hand, admiring hulls, rigs, and the craftsmanship that makes these boats worth preserving.

South Beach Harbor sits at Pier 40, just south of the Bay Bridge—a 700-berth Port of San Francisco marina with Oracle Park looming right over the breakwater. South Beach Yacht Club, the welcoming all-volunteer club that overlooks the harbor, served as our shoreside base and couldn't have been more hospitable.

Friday afternoon, SBYC opened early for hot dogs and beers while the Giants' Opening Weekend played on the big screen in the background. The real draw was the dock, though—catching up with fellow members, poking around each other's boats, and swapping stories about winter projects and spring plans. That evening, a group walked over to Rooftop 25 on Lusk Street for wood-fired pizza on the heated rooftop, a fine way to close out a chilly March evening in SoMa.

Saturday was the heart of the weekend. The dockside potluck fired up on Guest Dock A at 3 p.m.—homemade tacos, meatballs, salads, sourdough, and plenty of beer spread across the dock while the Giants and Yankees played on somebody's phone nearby. (New York swept the series; we'll leave it at that.) But no one was really keeping score. The afternoon was about the boats and the people around them—old friends, new members, and the kind of easy, unhurried conversation that only happens when you're standing on a dock surrounded by beautiful wooden sailboats.

Sunday morning was coffee, goodbyes, and lines cast off. The fleet scattered back to home ports around the Bay, already talking about next time.

Thank you to South Beach Harbor and to the South Beach Yacht Club for their hospitality, and to everyone who sailed or drove in. With the Master Mariners Regatta coming up May 23, the season is well and truly underway.