Editors Note:

When entering West Harbor to go to the St. Francis or your own berth, there has been continued shoaling that can endanger your boat.  Since the attached photo was at +2.8 tide, well above low, the areas marked 8’ indicate only 5.2 ft depth, therefore you can hit bottom especially along the green channel markers along the south side of the channel.  Favor the red markers along the north side of the channel.  Also, you do not need to continue to the end of the “channel” as that’s not where they dredged the last two times; rather, they dredged closer to the wave organ and the channel should curve Northerly rather than a straight line going East-West.

In past decades, there was a sandpit off the end of the wave organ which then collected sand and prevented the harbor from silting in so quickly.  This sand was given away to a dredger who came in exchange for dredging it out.  That deal was dropped when the harbor was renovated, and the consequences have been dire for the harbor entrance, costing $500k or more each year for remedial dredging and even that has not been substantial enough to make solid headway against the problem, thought to come from sand off Ocean Beach and Crissy Field.

If you have an interest in learning more, and perhaps contributing to a solution, please join the SF Marina Harbor Association.  Our Annual Meeting will be on Feb 10 via ZOOM and we’ll be sending out notices soon to members.  See http://sfmarinaharbor.org/ for how to join, just $60 for three years.  We’re also looking for another director to join our Board.