I'm telling you truthfully, there are too many boats left unattended at Clipper Cove these days! We counted 22. There was even a sailboat that had sunk on the shoal near Yerba Buena island. I saw one sail boat anchored close to the beach (in my old FAVORITE spot!) that had built what looked like a floating dog house. The dog house was tethered along side and actually housed a largish portable generator. The problem was that the dog house was sinking and the bottom two inches of the generator was getting its toes wet.

Nobody seems to be doing anything about this problem. Clipper Cove used to belong to the Navy, but they have transferred responsibility to the Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA). There is some talk that the TIDA will issue 24 hour anchoring permits to recreational boaters, although where we would apply for such a permit is ambiguous at this point. I guess the best we can do is to weave our way around the derelicts and anchor where ever we can.

According to the most recent information, the San Francisco Police Department will be in charge of enforcing the 24 hour limit and the TIDA would be responsible for towing the offenders away, at the boat owners expense. Good luck finding the owners of the abandoned vessels.

Clipper Cove remains a weekend destination for the recreational boating community and is home to the Treasure Island Marina and the Treasure Island Sailing Center. It is designated a Special Use Area by the City of San Francisco. There was a swim meet in progress while we were there and about 30 swimmers were circling the anchorage. I wonder how those swimmers would feel if they knew that those derelict boats were pumping poop directly into the bay.

There was also a sail boat race going on at the Sailing Center. Those kids occasionally flop over into the water too. Something should be done, if only to protect the health of the people who utilize the cove.

The International Dragon Boat Races are scheduled for September 26 to 27, so let's hope there is some progress made by then. The derelicts are a blight on Clipper Cove and reflect badly on the City of San Francisco.