Overview:
Tomales bay is a beautiful and dynamic body of water located 31.7 - 41.8 miles Northwest of the San Francisco Ferry Building. The surrounding land to the east is sparsely populated, rolling-hilled grassland and most of the eastern shore is State or National Parkland, with steep forested hills and many sandy beaches. We will be camping under a “Boat-In-Camping” permit which allows us to inhabit any beach on the eastern coast of the bay. We will be camping at Marshall Beach, one of two beaches with developed access roads through Point Reyes National Seashore, because of the beaches accommodating size, vault toilets, trash bins, and natural cove. We will camp on the beach or in the narrow woods bewtween the beach and the cliffs, above the high tide line. There are toilets as mentioned, and trash receptacles. The natural cove creates a very protected environment for boating, swimming, lounging, exploring etc., while also allowing access to greater windspeeds mid-bay for sailing. Many of those coming on this camping trip have little experience in personal watercraft and a few have a lot. We will be putting boats in the water on the eastern coast of Tomales bay at Miller Boat Ramp and camping on the West Coast of Marshall Beach. For most people attending camp: you will be boarding a vessel at Miller Boat Launch with your gear, provisions and likely other people. You will be given passage across the bay to basecamp where you will set up gear and enjoy your time. The passage from Miller Boat Ramp to the western shore at its shortest distance is about 1mi. From there Marshall Beach is 3mi further South. Early mornings are the most predictably calm, sunsets 2ndly so. It is not uncommon for the shores of the bay to appear mild while the middle of the bay is too windy to cross safely. To accommodate everyone, here are some guidelines for safety and excellence.
Arrival
Please arrive traveling North on HWY 1 Past Hog Island Oyster Company. There will be a vehicle parked there with a radio inside. Open the vehicle using the “instructions” (given later) and use the radio to call basecamp. Marshall beach is observable from there and the radio requires line of sight. Take a parking pass from the vehicle and put it on your dashboard. This system may change. Standby for updates.
After alerting Basecamp of your arrival, proceed north on hwy 1 to Miller Boat Launch.
Upon Arrival at the Miller Boat Ramp, you will park your vehicle IN THE UPPER LOT. Please do not park in the lower lot as it is used for vehicles towing vessels to and from the boat launch. Please do not park in front of Nick’s Cove Restaurant. Please do patronize Nick’s Cove, they have a bar and sea food and a sweet dock to hang out on while you wait for the “Ferry”
You can stage your gear next to the boat ramp in the parking lot while you wait for the “Ferry”. Please do not block access for boats launching on the boat ramp. Please do not stage gear on the boat ramp dock.
The “Ferry” will arrive in good time. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and local culture.
Boating
There are 2 types of “boating that will occur: “Ferry” and “Personal”. “Ferrying” involves being picked up at Marshall Boat Launch and “Personal” involves canoeing, kayaking and dinghy sailing from the beach at camp. The following guidelines apply to both types.
Transits with gear from Miller Boat Launch to Camp or vice versa shall be done via “Ferry” (Power Vessel Provided)
To avoid constant “Ferry” action it is requested you arrive/depart Boatlaunch/Camp Beach at 11am or 4pm. If this is not possible, exceptions can be made but gratuitous favors are in order, due the ferry(wo)man.
Transits must be performed in daylight and during calm conditions. There will be very little moon. IF THE FERRY(WO)MAN OR BASECAMP COMMODORE DETERMINES TRANIST IS UNSAFE, “FERRY” SERVICE WILL BE TERMINATED UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE. PLEASE PLAN FOR THE UNPLANNABLE.
All persons in any boat must have a PFD.
All persons in a “personal” boat must have a whistle.
If “personal” boating at night, each boater must have a headlamp or other light device.
All “personal” boating must be done in groups of 2 or more.
Before departing the beach for “personal” boating, put your name on the whiteboard for the boat you are taking along with your basic floatplan.
There will be opportunities to do night paddles to see bioluminescence!! Safety procedures will be covered prior to those outings.
There will be opportunities for all skill levels to sail a sailing dinghy given there is sufficient and safe wind.
Basecamp
We will be camping on the sandy beach, or in a narrow wood behind the beach. There are no services except for vault toilets and bear proof trash bins at the end of the beach. There is Limited Cell Service.
There will be provided: Firepit and several chairs, shaded kitchen, 6 kayak, 2 canoe, 2 sailing dinghy, Spa.
In september, the weather at tomales bay is usually highs in the mid 70’s with light to moderate winds and lows in the low 50’s with fog in the early morning. It can be important to bring a tent with a good rainfly so that the morning fog and dew don’t get you too wet while you sleep. The fog usually burns off mid morning and it becomes very sunny on the beach.
National Park Service Climate Bulletin
In an attempt to keep Basecamp from looking like a Giant Yardsale, please pack lightly and do so in a backpack or duffel, NO HARD SIDED LUGGAE PLEASE. Here is a list of things to bring:
Camp:
Self Standing Tent w/rainfly and that can withstand wind
Tarp or footprint
Sleeping Pad
Sleeping Bag
Pillow
Folding Chair
Clothing:
Warm base layer (wool, silk, plastic)
Long Sleeve shirt
Tee shirt
Warm pants
Shorts
Swim attire
Windbreaker
Sweater
Robe for Spa
Good-brimmed hat
Sunglasses (polarized)
Nice Socks
Hiking Shoes
Water Shoes
Sundries:
Sunscreen
Headlamp
Pocket Knife
PFD (some will be provided, I just don’t have enough for everyone)
Cool small lights
Water Bottle
Cup
Plate/Bowl
Utensils
Toiletries
FOOD:
*See next section*
FOOD
Friday - Sunday Kyle Blaze has volunteered to steer our culinary experience. He will be head chef for 5 Meals. Dinner Friday, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Saturday, Breakfast Sunday. This is a significant undertaking as we will have 30 ppl ashore on Saturday Night. Each meal, Chef Kyle will be assisted by campers in the kitchen. Organizing this staff will be Director of Design and Implementation Julianna Cressman. She will be contacting you directly to facilitate this organization. Each crew will be responsible for provisioning for the meal they are creating.
Prior to Friday and After Sunday, Sustenance Czar Alexa Melo will be organizing meals. She will be reaching out to those who are coming early/staying late to build.
Food Packing: All food is to be shipped to base camp in 5gal Buckets with lids. There are very industrious raccoons on Marshall Beach and to ensure that our food packaging doesn’t get strewn about the beach and forest, it is best that we keep a tight watch on our provisions and are able to fully secure them at night. Please transfer all food products into buckets for easy transit and storage while at basecamp.
Kitchen Equipment: There will be 4 burners, cutting surface, knives, pots, pans, dish washing station, tables, a cheese grater, a spatula, measuring cups, tin foil, and very basic oil and spice collection.
Refridgeration: There will be two cooler sized powered refrigerators for very perishable food (Meat/Dairy). There will be 2 Ice coolers for Drinks.
Drinking Water: Bring 1 Gal/Day Fresh water to Drink. Kitchen Cooking Water will be provided.
We always end up with a bunch of food and everybody eats well. Because our numbers are nearly doubling this year, it seems prudent to abandon the free-for-all mentality we have maintained in the past for a more structured one to ensure everyone is fed. If you would like to bring extra food for yourself or others, feel free to do so. Please understand that fridge space will be given to group food first and personal food second. Please pack all food in a 5 gal Bucket. Julianna and Alexa will be in contact to organize further so everyone understands whats happening.
SPA
Yes, the heading is Spa.
Last year we built a Hot Tub in the Beach. It was amazing. This year we plan to do the same, only bigger. It uses wood to heat the water in a custom contraption built by Infrastructure Commissioner Charles Kern and others. It uses water pumped from the bay. In an attempt to protect health, it will be mildly chlorinated and pH monitored. It will hopefully accommodate 10 ppl at a time and be around 104*F. It is planned to be operational by Thursday night. It also may not happen at all.
In addition to the hot tub, this year will feature a Sauna Tent. Its a new thing so we aren’t sure exactly how it’s going to work. It claims to get to 200*F and house 6 ppl. It will have some benches to sit on and rocks to pour water on. It will be close enough to the bay you can run out and jump in the water to cool down. Bring a towel to sit on for this. This also may not happen.
We are also trying to arrange a fresh water shower. This would involve a pretty interesting logistical feat of moving water to basecamp. This may not happen.
My fantasy is that one could hot tub until overheated, jump in the bay, then sauna until overheated, then jump in the bay and repeat this process until satisfied and end it all with a freshwater rinse.
May our fantasies be coincidental.
Departure
We will attempt to confine departures to the ferry times of 11am and 4pm. Sunday will be a large exodus and likely a day of many “Ferry” trips. Please be flexible in your plans and allow for the slowness of the weekend we all prize to continue through departure and beyond. If you are considering scheduling something Sunday night that you have to get back for and are stressed about being on time for either cancel it or plan on not stressing regardless of the outcome. As anyone who has experience with water borne adventures will tell you, there’s no use in trying to force water life to stand up to the schedules of land life. That being said, anticipate relinquishing your attachment to the tempo of modern life for this event and relaxing into the slowness of time dictated by the natural world. All will be returned to Miller Boat Launch or another safe alternative, we will all get home.