Family, friends, and I had a great time on the Hokahey last week! Jan, the Skipper, is a most…read moreexcellent host and expert at moving across the bay and into the ocean with this luxurious vessel. I highly recommend it for parties, celebrations and other fun outings. Hursey

After seeing the great reviews on both Yelp and Getmyboat, I contacted Jan two week in advance to…read morebook a 4-hour sail for Saturday 2/6 to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. Jan was very quick to reply, graciously answered all of my questions before booking, and remained in great communication throughout the entire process leading up to the date. Even when I had last minute changes of adding an additional person and pushing back the reservation time, Jan was very flexible and happy to accommodate. Prior to booking, I had seen a couple photos on Jan's website as well as photos posted by other reviewers, however, reality far exceeded my expectations. The catamaran is very roomy, plenty of space for our group of 6. Moreover, you can tell Jan keeps his catamaran well maintained--very clean! Upon realizing we were celebrating a birthday (I hadn't disclosed the purpose of this trip in our previously conversations), Jan was kind enough to gift us a ceramic bowl he had made (ceramics is his side hobby)! We took off from a dock in Richmond and brought the catamaran around Angel Island towards the Golden Gate Bridge, where we stopped and set up the sails until it was time to go back. Throughout the entire trip, Jan gave us our privacy--occasionally pointing out interesting sights on the water or along the coast. We spent half our time eating around the table, which has a roof and is opened to the outside, and half our time on the trampolines in the front of the boat. Although a bit chilly, since we went in the winter, being outside and sailing on water felt peaceful and serene! As someone that is gets carsick easily, I was apprehensive about seasickness, but the entire ride felt very smooth. Jan even pointed out the big waves beforehand so I felt prepared for any rocky motion. Moreover, none of the food/drinks we brought ever got close to spilling or sliding over the table since catamarans are so steady. Overall we all had an amazing time, and I would highly recommend sailing with Jan!

I reached out to Empress Events regarding a corporate event. Deborah Birmingham mentioned she would…read moresend a proposal once she got back to the office, but six days later, nothing had been received. I then let her know we had decided to move forward with another company to stay on schedule. Her response was: "What do you mean delay? We were totally responsive to you the whole way and worked totally with your low budget. I am not sure what boat you found at the price you wanted, but I do hope it all works out for you." This response was extremely unprofessional and inappropriate. Even if a client's budget is lower, no one should ever be made to feel dismissed or "less than." There's always a professional way to communicate if a budget doesn't align with your services -- but to never receive a proposal and then respond this way is unacceptable. As a result, I will not be working with this company moving forward. Professionalism and respect should be the foundation of any client interaction, especially for corporate events.

We had our company holiday party this year on the Empress of Sausalito and we all had a blast. We…read moretook a three hour dinner cruise around the bay and enjoyed every minute of it. Working with Deborah was great, she was able to help us coordinate our activities (casino tables), our photo booth and helped us come up with a great menu that people would enjoy. The rates were great and allowed us to get more for our money, which made for a fun night for all. I highly recommend Empress Events for your next party.

This family owned school is highly recommended and respected in the sailing community. There's…read moredefinitely no free ride here. Not only did we receive practical instruction and guidance, we were tested academically as well. The administrative staff, instructor, and the boat crew was a perfect fit. I highly recommend TWSC if you are looking for a challenge that is both fulfilling and rewarding.

I've taken multiple classes at Tradewinds and regularly sail their fleet. my most recent class was…read more"coastal cruising" ASA103 with Carlos. what a great experience, I learned a lot. Carlos is the consummate professional, he held me to a high standard but was endlessly patient. Looking forward to my next class

Very helping team, first time for me and everyone made me feel welcomed. A big plus with the hot…read morebreakfast/lunch.

I've been fishing with Oakland Anglers for a few years now and every trip has been fantastic!!…read moreThe crew is top notch and the cheese burgers cooked on board just makes the trip even better. If I weren't for fishing with Oakland Anglers, I seriously doubt that I would have bought a raffle ticket that just won me a lifetime fishing license thanks to Fish Emeryville. Can't wait to fish with you guys soon!!

Had THE BEST TIME!!! Went salmon fishing and were a little worried the weather wouldn't cooperate…read morebut thanks to Captain Bill & Captain Ron we not only caught some but some amazing sized big boys!!! Reached our cap on salmon and Rock Cod. I didn't want it to end!!!! Will be booking again soon!!!

Bill is the best guide! He is a super nice and knows exactly where and when the fish are biting…read more Can't wait to fish again!

Very nice Harbor!!…read more Lots of Boats and Yachts docked in the harbor. The paved trail around the harbor is part of the Bay Trail that goes all over the Bay Area. This place is really clean, and on sunny days you can see Brooks Island really well. Easy parking if you drive here, and if/when I get me a Yacht, I'll be rolling through here like a boss!!!

The marina is okay and some of the facilities and policies are better than when the City of…read moreRichmond operated it as a municipal marina, but the improvements to the facilities don't justify the annual cost increases and there doesn't appear to be much in the way of security. My boat was recently seriously damaged by, I presume, another boater but no one seems to know anything about it. Why are there no cameras? Ten percent increases year over year, and no video surveillance? I need to start looking for a new marina.

Boats are expensive to maintain, so it's important to trust that your boatyard is reasonable and…read morecompetent. My boat has been in and out of a number of North Bay yards over the past 30 years, and Bay Marine is the one I trust. Each item in their work orders is either a fixed price or an accurate, reasonable estimate that they usually come in under. If additional work is needed they ask for a change order. Jaime keeps me in the loop as they work through issues. I can get at the boat 24/7 if necessary while it's in the yard. I used to get a bottle of wine along with my bill from KKMI, and it was the most expensive wine I ever got. Bay Marine has good communication, prices no higher than they have to be, and an always filled candy dish in the office. Good enough for me.

A big thank you to Rolph my PM on Picaroon. He went above and beyond to help fix a few tricky…read moreproblems on my Cape Dory CD 30. This is a 1981 boat and new parts are hard to find especially on the Volvo Penta MD7A which they stopped producing in 1983. I'm back sailing and enjoying the bay again .. thanks Rolph.