Photo courtesy of Judy West.July 2008City’s Only Public Boat Ramp LaunchedBy Casey MaddenA beautiful Saturday afternoon in mid-June marked the opening of San Francisco’s only public boat ramp at Pier 52 in Mission Bay. Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Fire Department Assistant Deputy Chief Brendan O’Leary, and other dignitaries were on hand to celebrate the increased bay access. The new ramp features handicap access and a more gradual decline to the water, making it easier for boaters to get in and out of the bay at varying tide levels. The ramp took roughly fifteen years to complete, and cost $3.5 million, with funding provided by the California Department of Boating and Waterways, Port of San Francisco, and California Coastal Conservancy. At the opening Corinne Woods, a Bay View Boat Club member, was honored for her hard work and dedication to the Pier 52 project. Woods, in turn, thanked Boat Club member Betty Boatright, now deceased, who was one of the ramp’s original planners and advocates. “When we see boats from the Bay View Boat Club struggling to get up and down that old, horrible ramp, and know that the bay is the most underutilized recreational opportunity in all of San Francisco, all I can say is thank you, thank you thank you,” said Woods. After the ribbon cutting, guests were free to explore the ramp, chat with police and fire department officials, and enjoy food provided by the Bay View Boat Club and Mariposa Hunters Point Yacht Club. Boat rides and rowing lessons were offered by the Embarcadero Rowing Club, ITC Rowing and the San Francisco Port Authority. Curtis Lawson’s “All Star Band,” featuring Billy Dunn, Donnie Kountz, and Steve Gannon, played a variety of music, including Otis Redding’s ever-appropriate (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay. Jim Billings, a Bernal Heights resident and four-year Bay View Boat Club member, believes that the ramp and surrounding neighborhood will prove increasingly popular. “More and more people will become aware of what’s around down here,” said Billings, “it’s like a little Shangri-la in the middle of the city.” The boat clubs’ rustic, inviting character and the peaceful solitude of the City’s eastern port creates an atmosphere of familiarity and comfort, a perfect place for any boat-lover to launch into the bay. The new ramp offers both novice and frequent boaters a place to practice their hobby, and as Deric Haase, Bay View Boat Club’s Port Captain and Flag Officer, observed, “It’s a nice step up, and not a moment too soon.”
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