Charlie,
The best way to do it is by phone. I have found that many of the places do not monitor a VHF channel, Pier 39 being one of them. You can do a search on the web for most of them. Another good resource is the Yachting Yearbook published by PICYA www.picya.org . It lists all of the yacht clubs along with what facilities are available. They usually offer reciprocity to fellow yacht club members, but most are quite friendly and will welcome you in for a short stay, especially if you express interest in possibly joining. I don't know what your friends like to do, but here are some suggestions:
-
http://www.southbeachharbor.com/ right next to McCovey Cove and the ballpark. You can walk around inside the ballpark and check a lot of it out. There is also Momos Restaurant right across the street or Delancey Street Restaurant about a block north of there. You can also hail them on the radio and there is usually space at the guest dock.
- Coyote Point Yacht Club
http://www.cpyc.com/ and harbor. They have a bar hat serves food and there are a golf course and park within walking distance.
- Jack London Square There is guest docking (1st come, 1st serve) in front of Scott's Seafood, but you are not limited to their restaurant. The dock is owned by the port and you can visit any of the businesses. There is no charge for docking and lots of good places to eat. They also have a nice Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings.
- San Leandro Marina has a couple of restaurants and is a nice trip. The channel is long and narrow. Don't cut the corner as it is extremely shallow.
- Corinthian Yacht Club or Sam's in Tiburon both have guest docking. Sam's is a very popular place for boating in to eat and drink.
Give me a call or an email if I can provide any other info. I usually have a Yachting Yearbook handy if you need info.
