San Francisco's only protected anchorage, unfortunately closed to powerboats. Directly in front of Ghirardelli Square. Permission is required to anchor for more than 24 hours; contact John Muir, harbormaster, at the number above.

Access: From the west, go east just past the Fort Mason piers. From the east, after passing the large pier where the Jeremiah O'Brien Liberty Ship is berthed, follow the outside of the breakwater that encloses Fisherman's Wharf. The entrance is between the Fisherman's Wharf breakwater and the curved pier to the west.

Located between Belvedere and Tiburon, Belvedere cove makes a fine lunch stop and is sometimes used overnight.

A pretty anchorage just around the corner from Ayala Cove. China Cove (also called Winslow Cove) is often empty during the week but can hold as many as a dozen boats. There is a small beach you can visit by dinghy and explore the historic buildings.

A favorite anchorage of many bay sailors because of its central location and good protection. It is open to the east but gets relatively few wakes and is protected in most weather.

Access: Clipper Cove is between between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, facing Berkeley. Check the chart and beware of shoaling on the south side of the entrance.

A great lunch stop just off downtown Sausalito. Just south of the ferry dock, off the rocky embankment where Bridgeway runs right along the shore. Offers a great view of San Francisco and of the boats coming and going from Sausalito. Rarely used overnight due to the persistent wakes.

Cove to the north of Quarry Point on the east side of Angel Island.

There is a small anchorage area inside Horseshoe Cove, which is home to the Presidio Yacht Club's marina and the Coast Guard's Station Golden Gate.

Paradise Cove is a long, pretty anchorage with a beach you can visit by dinghy. It can be rolly, though it usually calms down after dark making it comfortable overnight -- except for the occasional large wakes from passing ships.

Access: The first cove along the east side of the Tiburon peninsula, as you head north around the corner from Tiburon.

Just east of Point Stuart, this anchorage provides a good vantage point for watching the traffic through Raccoon Strait. Use only as a lunch stop.

Large anchorage to the south of Quarry Point on the east side of Angel Island.

Richardson Bay offers a large anchorage area just north of the Sausalito channel. This anchorage can easily hold more than 100 boats. Many boats in this area are permanently anchored out, some with liveaboards and some abandoned. This area is shallow and fouled in places. It is deepest at the south end (nearest the central bay). The SE end of the anchorage, off Spinnaker Point adjacent to marker 4, is the deepest. Deeper into the bay, minimum depths drop from 6 feet off Sausalito Yacht Harbor to only 3 feet off Clipper Yacht Harbor.