Benetti Oasis 42M139' 5"
View Specs & Review220 feet of side-tie, 3.3 miles inside the Gate, and two anchoring clocks
Yachting in Sausalito
A Minted Location · Sausalito, California
Sausalito is where a 100-foot-plus yacht can actually stop on the way through the Golden Gate. San Francisco, three miles south, mostly cannot take you. Sausalito can, and it publishes the terms.
Schoonmaker Point Marina states it plainly: "Slips for vessels up to 75 feet & sidetie mooring for yachts up to 220 feet", with published daily guest rates — under 70 feet $2.50 per foot, 71 to 100 feet $3.25, 101 feet and up $4.00 — plus electricity to 200 amp three-phase. California's own Division of Boating and Waterways records the same maximum: 220 feet. A marina does not print a 200-amp three-phase daily tariff unless boats that need it actually come. And it publishes the distance that matters: 3.3 miles to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The other half of the story is where you anchor, because Richardson Bay runs under two authorities and there is no boundary you can see from the water. The Richardson Bay Regional Agency's Joint Powers Agreement was amended in July 2018 to reflect the withdrawal of the City of Sausalito from the agency. RBRA today covers Belvedere, Mill Valley, Tiburon and unincorporated Southern Marin — not Sausalito.
In RBRA waters you may anchor 72 hours free. Sausalito's own waters carry two published limits — ten hours in the Municipal Code section title, 72 hours in the City's settlement agreement with BCDC. Plan against ten, and call Sausalito PD on 415-289-4170 before you leave a boat unattended.
Size up the yards before you plan a refit here. The largest self-published travelift in town lifts 50 to 55 tons, with a 20-foot beam limit — a 60-to-70-foot planing yacht, and the honest ceiling for this market.
Where to keep a yacht in Sausalito
Schoonmaker Point Marina is the market's headline, and the one Bay-side facility publishing a genuine large-yacht tariff. "Slips for vessels up to 75 feet & sidetie mooring for yachts up to 220 feet." California's Division of Boating and Waterways records the same figure — "Maximum Boat Length: 220." Guest rates are published in bands: under 70 ft $2.50 per foot per day, 71–100 ft $3.25, 101 ft and up $4.00, with electricity available to 200 amp three-phase. The harbourmaster works seven days a week, 08:00–16:00, year-round, and the marina publishes 3.3 miles to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Clipper Yacht Harbor is the largest full-service harbour in town — "over 700 slips and dry storage spaces" by its own count — with its own fuel dock and guest rates of $2.50 per foot per night to 69 feet and $3.50 at 70 feet and over, with a $65 nightly minimum. It describes "space for 20 foot sail and power boats to 80 foot yachts." Plan against 50 feet and confirm anything longer with the harbour office — the state's facility record for Clipper gives 50 feet against the operator's 80.
The Clipper fuel dock is the area's, and the regional agency calls it exactly that. Diesel and gasoline, plus propane and CNG refills, open to the public, Monday to Thursday 08:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:30, Friday to Sunday 08:00–16:30, with holding-tank pump-outs on the same hours, plus bait, ice and soda. Uniform hours all week, all year.
Beyond those two, a berth is arranged on the telephone rather than off a rate card. Marina Plaza Harbor on Marinship Way is recorded by the state at 120 feet across 103 slips, with transient berths and a pump-out. Arques Shipyard and Marina is recorded at 120 feet across 115 slips with no transient berths listed — a homeport rather than a stop. Richardson Bay Marina runs 220 slips capped at 36 feet, a small-boat basin. Pelican Yacht Harbor has 90 slips, and Sausalito Yacht Harbor sits downtown on the Bridgeway waterfront; both settle length, rate and availability on the call. Galilee Harbor, a member-run cooperative of "artists and maritime workers actively employed in boat-building, sail-making, boat repair", publishes "BERTHING (Currently Full)." Sausalito Shipyard & Marina lists "over 100 berths" and says "we are home to one of the region's finest boat repair yards."
Now the yards, and this is where reputation and record part company.
| Published capacity | Source |
|---|---|
| 350 tons — the largest marine ways in town | NOAA Coast Pilot 7, which names no yard |
| 50 or 55 tons, max beam 20 ft | The town's largest self-published travelift — 50 tons on its hauling page, 55 on its Sausalito rate sheet, both its own |
| 12 tons (24,000 lb), tide-dependent | A wooden-boat and small-craft yard |
| By arrangement | The yard named by its host marina |
Take the 350-ton figure to the telephone before you plan around it. NOAA states that "several boatbuilding and repair yards have marine ways, the largest of which can handle craft up to 350 tons" — without naming a yard, and no Sausalito yard publishes the figure itself.
So the published ceiling for a large yacht is about 55 tons and 20 feet of beam — a 60-to-70-foot planing boat. The cluster is genuinely real: two chandleries, a marine engine specialist of more than 30 years, a traditional boatbuilding school, and the regional agency's own line that "a wide array of marine services are available in Sausalito, including full-service boat yards, rigging services, inboard and outboard engine mechanics, and chandleries." But it is a craft cluster, not a heavy-refit cluster.
The clubs are for stopping, not staying. Sausalito Yacht Club takes members and reciprocal clubs only, with a two-hour maximum and no overnight tie-ups — and a warning worth heeding: "Our dock experiences significant surge and current. Boaters should be aware of this and plan their visit and dock lines accordingly." Sausalito Cruising Club states "our docks and fleet are open and available for use by members only." Presidio Yacht Club at Horseshoe Cove, inside Fort Baker immediately under the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, takes 48 feet across 81 slips and does list transient berths, with a public clubhouse.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoonmaker Point MarinaThe market's headline, and the berth a large yacht actually takes here: "Slips for vessels up to 75 feet & sidetie mooring for yachts up to 220 feet." California's Division of Boating and Waterways records the same maximum — "Maximum Boat Length: 220." Publishes 3.3 miles to the Golden Gate Bridge. Harbourmaster seven days, 08:00–16:00, year-round. A marina does not print a 200-amp three-phase daily rate unless boats that need it actually come. | 85 Liberty Ship Way | 220 ft | 161 | — |
| Clipper Yacht Harbor"The largest full service harbor in Sausalito", with "over 700 slips and dry storage spaces" and "space for 20 foot sail and power boats to 80 foot yachts." Plan against 50 feet and confirm anything longer with the harbour office — California's facility record for this harbour gives 50 feet against the operator's 80. | 310 Harbor Drive | 80 ft | 700 | Yes — its own dock |
| Marina Plaza HarborOn Marinship Way, recorded by California's Division of Boating and Waterways at a 120-foot maximum, with transient berths and a pump-out. Length, rate and availability are settled on the call, so telephone ahead. | 2320 Marinship Way | 120 ft | 103 | No |
| Arques Shipyard and MarinaRecorded by the state at 120 feet across 115 slips, with no transient berths listed. A homeport rather than a stop. | Marinship | 120 ft | 115 | No |
| Richardson Bay Marina220 berths capped at 36 feet — a small-boat basin, and a useful corrective to the assumption that slip count means capacity. | 100 Gate 6 Road | 36 ft | 220 | No |
| Sausalito Yacht Harbor · Pelican Yacht Harbor · Galilee HarborThree basins that work by telephone rather than by rate card. Sausalito Yacht Harbor sits downtown on the Bridgeway waterfront and Pelican has 90 slips — call either for length, rate and availability. Galilee is a member-run cooperative of artists and maritime workers actively employed in boat-building, sail-making and boat repair, and is full. | Humboldt Avenue, Johnson Street and Napa Street | — | 90 | — |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sausalito Yacht ClubNot a dinner berth and not a stop — and the club warns why in its own words: "Our dock experiences significant surge and current. Boaters should be aware of this and plan their visit and dock lines accordingly." | 100 Humboldt Avenue | — | — | No |
| Presidio Yacht Club / Travis MarinaInside the National Park Service's Fort Baker, immediately under the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. Public clubhouse. Capped at 48 feet. | Horseshoe Cove, Fort Baker | 48 ft | 81 | No |
Fuel docks
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper Fuel DockThe regional agency calls this the area's fuel dock. Holding-tank pump-outs on the same hours, plus bait, ice and soda. Uniform hours all week, all year. | Foot of Harbor Drive | — | — | Diesel and gasoline, plus propane and CNG refills |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Sausalito
Richardson Bay has two authorities, and no boundary you can see from the water
The Richardson Bay Regional Agency's own Code records that it was established by Joint Powers Agreement in July 1985 and amended in July 2018 "to reflect the withdrawal of the City of Sausalito from the Agency." RBRA today covers Belvedere, Mill Valley, Tiburon and unincorporated Southern Marin — not Sausalito.
Two sets of waters, two clocks. Know which one you are lying in before you leave the boat.
In RBRA waters the rules are published and clear. "You are welcome to stay for up to 72 hours, within the designated anchorage… Effective October 15, 2023, there is no anchoring in the Eelgrass Protection Zone. Stays beyond 72 hours are prohibited without the issuance of an anchoring permit."
The RBRA Code, § 3.04.010, adds the parts people miss: any person may temporarily anchor a single vessel with no more than one attached skiff for not more than 72 hours; "no person may anchor a vessel in the Non-Anchorage Area at any time"; and after 72 hours the vessel must leave Richardson Bay for at least seven days before anchoring again. Permits run 30 days each, to a cumulative maximum of 90 days in any six-month period. § 3.04.020: "Living aboard a vessel, floating home, or houseboat anchored or moored in Richardson Bay is prohibited."
And the nighttime rule that catches people out. § 3.04.010(c): a vessel may be anchored overnight only if someone capable of operating it "continuously occupies the vessel from sunset until sunrise, except that person may leave the vessel for up to four hours once per night", or the Harbormaster issues a nighttime permit. An unattended boat left on the hook overnight is a violation.
The Anchorage Area is the Richardson Bay Special Anchorage under 33 CFR § 109.10, bounded by four published coordinates. The Non-anchorage Area is the Audubon sanctuary — about 900 acres — plus the Eelgrass Protection Zone, established in October 2024. "It shall be unlawful to cut, remove, damage, or disturb eelgrass."
The anchorage is nearly empty, and that is new
RBRA's own press release of 13 January 2026: "Just five boats remain on the anchorage… All illegally anchored floating homes have already been removed from Richardson Bay and the remaining illegally anchored vessels will be removed from the anchorage by October 26, 2026, at which time anchoring will continue to be allowed for up to 72 hours without a permit, per an agreement the RBRA has with BCDC."
The trajectory in the agency's own numbers: hundreds of boats a few years ago, nearly 60 illegally anchored vessels in 2023, and five at the start of 2026. The mechanism was a $3 million temporary housing support programme that housed 27 people, plus a vessel buyback at $150 per foot. Restoration has run ahead of plan: 14.5 acres of eelgrass replanted over two years against a 15-acre goal, "two years ahead of schedule", and 4,200 lb of debris lifted off the bay floor in May 2025.
⚠️ In Sausalito city waters there are two published limits, and the fines are real. Sausalito Municipal Code § 16.04.060 is titled "Ten Hour Limitation for Moored or Beached Vessels" in the Marin County Superior Court's 2023 bail schedule, which also lists mooring and occupancy offences in Dunphy Park waters, beached vessels within city waters, and a 5 mph speed limit within city limits. Fines run $410 for a first offence to $2,050 for third and subsequent. BCDC's executed settlement agreement with the City meanwhile describes "immediate enforcement of Sausalito's 72-hour enforcement ordinance", and states that new vessels arriving in Sausalito waters *"will be advised within 48 hours… of Sausalito's enforcement remedies, including the City's ability to remove vessels that have remained for more than 72 hours."* Plan against ten hours, and call Sausalito PD on 415-289-4170 before you leave a boat.
Depths and conditions. Coast Pilot: *"Richardson Bay, 2 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is shoal except for the south part fronting Sausalito.… a wildlife sanctuary, established by the National Audubon Society… The sanctuary is closed to marine traffic from October to March. …Richardson Bay is a no-discharge zone… A channel leading northwest through Richardson Bay to facilities at Sausalito is marked by lights and daybeacons… A no-wake speed limit is in all channels in Richardson Bay."*
⚠️ Beyond Daymarker #4 the bay shoals away under you. RBRA publishes it plainly: "depths in the Bay get progressively shallower beyond Daymarker #4, averaging 4 feet or less at MLLW." Stay in the marked channel, work the tide, and read the current chart before you go north of the marker. Coast Pilot also notes that the charted recreation area southwest of Angel Island, including all of Raccoon Strait and Richardson Bay, "should not be utilized by vessels 300 tons or more for through passage."
Holding and weather, from RBRA: "The Bay floor is composed of loose mud, therefore it is recommended that a Danforth-type anchor is used… (plow anchors do not hold well)… deploy adequate scope (such as 5 to 7 feet of run for each foot of depth) to accommodate for a 6-foot tidal swing. In the summer, afternoon winds regularly clock in at 20-30 knots from the west… During winter months, gale-force winds are observed from both north and south during storms."
Currents and tide. Golden Gate 2026, NOAA CO-OPS: SFB1203 at 69 feet gives a max flood of 3.58 kt and a max ebb of −3.53 kt; SFB1202 at 54 feet gives a max flood of 3.96 kt. Raccoon Strait (SFB1212) runs max flood 2.09 kt and max ebb −2.48 kt — and Coast Pilot adds that *"the tidal currents in the strait have considerable velocity, and rips and swirls are heavy at times… A strong ebb current sets directly across the channel at the east entrance."* At Point Blunt, "tide rips and swirls are heavy around the point, especially with a large falling tide."
Tide: NOAA 9414806, epoch 1983–2001 — MHHW 8.82 · MHW 8.23 · MSL 6.20 · MLW 4.28 · MLLW 3.13. Great Diurnal Range 5.69 feet, mean range 3.95 — which matches RBRA's practical "6-foot tidal swing" almost exactly.
- Richardson Bay Special Anchorage — Richardson Bay, designated under 33 CFR § 109.10Two authorities share this water and there is no boundary you can see from it: RBRA covers Belvedere, Mill Valley, Tiburon and unincorporated Southern Marin, and the City of Sausalito withdrew from the agency in July 2018. The nighttime rule catches people out — a vessel may be anchored overnight only if someone capable of operating it continuously occupies it from sunset to sunrise, leaving for at most four hours once per night, and an unattended boat on the hook overnight is a violation. Living aboard at anchor is prohibited outright. Bay floor is loose mud, so RBRA recommends a Danforth-type anchor.
- Eelgrass Protection Zone and the Audubon sanctuary — Richardson Bay non-anchorage areaThe Non-anchorage Area is the Audubon sanctuary, about 900 acres, plus the Eelgrass Protection Zone established in October 2024: "Effective October 15, 2023, there is no anchoring in the Eelgrass Protection Zone", and "it shall be unlawful to cut, remove, damage, or disturb eelgrass." NOAA adds that the sanctuary is closed to marine traffic October to March. Restoration has run ahead of plan — 14.5 acres replanted against a 15-acre goal, two years early.
- Sausalito city waters — call before you leave a boat — Sausalito city waters, Richardson BayTwo published limits govern city waters, and they do not agree. Sausalito Municipal Code § 16.04.060 is titled "Ten Hour Limitation for Moored or Beached Vessels" in the Marin County Superior Court's 2023 bail schedule; BCDC's executed settlement agreement with the City describes enforcement of Sausalito's 72-hour ordinance and the City's ability to remove vessels remaining more than 72 hours. Plan against ten hours. Fines run $410 for a first offence to $2,050 for third and subsequent, and a 5 mph limit applies within city limits. Call Sausalito PD on 415-289-4170 before leaving a boat.
- Turney Street dock — Turney Street"Shoreline access is available at the Turney Street dock." The practical way ashore from the anchorage.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKMI SausalitoThe largest self-published travelift in town, and the honest ceiling for this market. Published as 50 tons on its hauling page and 55 tons on its Sausalito rate sheet — both its own figures, so plan against 50 and confirm anything heavier with the yard. Maximum beam 20 feet; confirm draft on the same call. Its haul-out rate table runs to "60' and above." In practice that is a 60-to-70-foot planing yacht and nothing larger. | Basin 3, Clipper Yacht Harbor | — | — |
| The 350-ton marine waysNOAA Coast Pilot 7 states that "several boatbuilding and repair yards have marine ways, the largest of which can handle craft up to 350 tons" — without naming a yard, and no Sausalito yard publishes the figure itself. Make it a phone call before anyone plans a refit around it. | Sausalito | — | — |
| Spaulding Marine CenterA wooden-boat and small-craft yard rather than a yacht yard, and it says so with numbers: "The Spaulding crane has a working limit of 24,000 lbs or 12 tons. We are also tide dependent on hauls." Its rate table tops out at "38' and Up"; dock storage $3.50/ft/day. | 600 Gate Five Road | — | — |
| Sausalito Shipyard & MarinaLists "over 100 berths" and states "we are home to one of the region's finest boat repair yards." Tonnage, LOA, beam and draft for that yard are settled on the call — ask the marina office before you book work around a date. | 2350 Marinship Way | — | — |
Chandleries & specialty suppliers
- List Marine Enterprises · KKMI Chandlery — 69 Liberty Ship Way and Basin 3Marine engine sales and service for the San Francisco Bay for over 30 years, Monday to Friday 08:00–16:00, closed weekends, alongside the yard chandlery. Together with the traditional boatbuilding school these make the trades cluster real — as a craft cluster rather than a heavy-refit one.
On the Sausalito calendar
Sausalito runs year-round, and the rate cards prove it better than any claim could — every tariff in town is a single flat rate with no seasonal split and no closing date. Clipper runs one flat guest rate with fuel dock hours uniform all year. Schoonmaker publishes one guest tariff, rates effective February 2025, a harbourmaster seven days a week, and markets a *"storm-protected harbor for year-round docking."* The yards publish flat per-foot haul-out with no seasonal adjustment. The marine engine specialist runs Monday to Friday year-round.
The one seasonal closure in this market is environmental: the Audubon sanctuary is closed to marine traffic October to March.
Dated events are thin, and this page does not pad them.
- Galilee Harbor Maritime Day — Saturday 7 August 2027. Free admission, live music, historic vessels, boatbuilding demonstrations by the traditional boatbuilding school, open boats and free boat rides on Richardson Bay.
The signature event is dark, and it is worth knowing why
From the organising foundation's own site: *"In 2021, a homeless encampment moved into Marinship Park, the location of the Sausalito Art Festival and the Festival was canceled… Although the encampment was removed in 2022, the park is still closed and in disrepair.… While SAFF waits for Marinship Park to be repaired, its Board of Trustees has been producing other events."*
The Art Festival has not run since 2020 and no return date is announced — do not plan a visit around it.
Race and regatta dates are set by the organising clubs — confirm them with the organiser.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Sausalito
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a large yacht be hauled out in Sausalito?
Not above about 55 tons on any published figure. The largest self-published travelift in town is 50 tons on the operator's hauling page and 55 on its Sausalito rate sheet, with a 20-foot maximum beam — a 60-to-70-foot planing yacht and nothing above. NOAA Coast Pilot states that the largest marine ways in Sausalito handle craft up to 350 tons, but it names no yard and no Sausalito yard publishes that figure itself, so take it to the telephone before planning a refit around it. Sausalito is a genuine craft cluster rather than a heavy-refit one.
How long can you anchor in Richardson Bay?
In Richardson Bay Regional Agency waters, 72 hours free, after which the vessel must leave Richardson Bay for at least seven days before anchoring again. Beyond 72 hours needs a permit, valid 30 days, to a cumulative maximum of 90 days in any six-month period. There is no anchoring at all in the Eelgrass Protection Zone or the Audubon sanctuary, and living aboard at anchor is prohibited. One rule catches people out: a boat may be anchored overnight only if someone capable of operating it occupies it from sunset to sunrise, leaving for at most four hours once per night. Sausalito city waters run on their own clock — plan against ten hours there.
Do Sausalito's anchoring rules differ from Richardson Bay's?
Yes, and there is no boundary a visiting skipper can see from the water. The Richardson Bay Regional Agency's Joint Powers Agreement was amended in July 2018 to reflect the withdrawal of the City of Sausalito, so RBRA now covers Belvedere, Mill Valley, Tiburon and unincorporated Southern Marin but not Sausalito. City waters carry two published limits: the Municipal Code section published in the county court's bail schedule is titled "Ten Hour Limitation for Moored or Beached Vessels", while BCDC's executed settlement agreement with the City describes enforcement of a 72-hour ordinance. Plan against ten hours, and call Sausalito PD on 415-289-4170 before leaving a boat.
Is there dock-and-dine in Sausalito?
Dining here works from a berth rather than a guest dock: take a slip at Schoonmaker or Clipper and walk the Bridgeway waterfront, which is where Scoma's, Barrel House Tavern, Salito's Crab House and The Spinnaker all sit. Two venues are named as on-site amenities by their host marinas, which is the useful listing because the marina is the party that can give you a berth. The yacht club dock is not an option: members and reciprocal clubs only, with a two-hour maximum, no overnight tie-ups, and a published warning about significant surge and current. Berth first, then walk.
How much water is there in Richardson Bay?
Less than most people expect. Coast Pilot states that Richardson Bay is shoal except for the south part fronting Sausalito, with a marked channel leading northwest to the Sausalito facilities and a no-wake limit in all channels — read the current chart for depth in that channel before you run it. The Richardson Bay Regional Agency publishes the figure for the bay itself: depths get progressively shallower beyond Daymarker 4, averaging 4 feet or less at MLLW. The bay floor is loose mud, so RBRA recommends a Danforth-type anchor and notes that plow anchors do not hold well.
What is the largest yacht that can berth in Sausalito?
Schoonmaker Point Marina publishes side-tie mooring for yachts up to 220 feet, alongside slips for vessels up to 75, and California's Division of Boating and Waterways independently records the same 220-foot maximum. Its published guest rates run to $4.00 per foot per day at 101 feet and up, with electricity available to 200 amp three-phase. Clipper Yacht Harbor publishes 80 feet, though the state's record for the same harbour gives 50 — plan against 50 and confirm with the harbour office. Schoonmaker also publishes the distance that matters: 3.3 miles to the Golden Gate Bridge.