Sausalito Yacht Cruises: Experience San Francisco Bay on a Century-Old Vessel

Owner's Description

Welcome to Union Island charters -- sail to the Golden Gate, Angel Island, Alcatraz, San Francisco and beyond. NEW!!! We now offer a variety of culinary experiences -- sushi platters, French/California Haute cuisine, local seafood, and a 5-star omakase tasting menu with a master sushi chef. Food and drink pairings also available -- NorCal wines with French hors d'oeuvres, Sake with Japanese bites, and champagne with caviar. Please inquire at booking about adding food and beverage service to your reservation. Our three-cabin yacht, built in 1929 by the Stephens Brothers, exudes timeless elegance. We're docked in Sausalito, a fun bayside village north of San Francisco that’s just a 5-minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge. Below is the price list for cruises, which includes licensed captain, fuel and cleaning fee. The yacht is also available for dockside rentals. CRUISE PRICES 2 HRS - $800 3 HRS - $1000 4 HRS - $1200 ROUTES: 2 hour cruises make a loop past the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and Sausalito 3 hour cruises make a loop past the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz and Sausalito 4 hour cruises make a loop past the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz, downtown San Francisco, Paradise Cay and Sausalito Please contact us for longer/custom itineraries or to arrange a dockside rental or food and beverage service. With abundant natural light, postcard views, and the subtle swaying of bay waters, the Union Island yacht is a retreat space that calms the senses and soothes the soul. Cozy, yet comfortable, the yacht is surprisingly spacious and fully equipped for wining, dining, dozing and connecting with loved ones -- perfect for a romantic escape or as a base to explore the Bay Area with your family. The teak interior includes a quaint kitchenette, dining/work area, queen size bed, two single bunks/daybeds, and two bathrooms. At the rear of the boat is a cozy open-air space with a cocktail table. Ample deck space up top for lounging. Union Island offers adventures year round, with daytime, sunset and nighttime departures. Evenings are an overlooked time to be on the water, which is lit up by the stars, moon and lights of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco. Weather on the Bay is often beautiful in the middle of winter, when it is sometimes even warmer than on our (often) foggy summer days. But we do have heaters on the boat to keep you toasty on cool nights, and one of the cabins is completely enclosed with glass on all sides to keep the wind off during cruises. While offshore, we have onboard power for electric blankets. Each booking supports the Union Island Project, which provides marine excursions to low income residents. The History of Asesu: Asesu, originally known as Lila M, was commissioned in 1929 by a man in Oakland named Mr. Murphy. It was built by the Stephens Brothers, a boatbuilder in Stockton that had become famous for the elegant design and fine craftsmanship of its leisure yachts. The original design included a pine keel, steam-bent oak frames, white cedar planking, teak decks, and bronze fasteners, portholes and rudder. Stephens Brothers designs of this era are known as the Cadillacs of the classic yacht world, and Asesu is considered one of the finest remaining specimens on the West Coast. The twin engine cruiser is 43 feet long, with a 10.5-foot beam (width) and 3-foot draft (depth below water). It was delivered to Mr. Murphy fully furnished for weekend cruises on the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento River Delta, with everything included, from fine China to drapes and linens to a broom and dustpan. Apparently, the stock market crash of 1929 did not treat Mr. Murphy well—the boat was quickly foreclosed on and repossessed, as was the case with two subsequent owners in the early thirties, according to the Stephens Brothers archives at the Haggin Museum in Stockton. During World War II, the boat was transformed from a luxury pleasure craft to a working ship. On December 8, 1941, just one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the War Department requisitioned the boat, as they did with many recreational yachts at the time. It had been renamed Bounty by its owner prior to the war, but became known as Navy boat YP127. The varnished exterior was reportedly painted over in a dull gray military color. It was stationed in Monterrey Bay, presumably for submarine patrol, until being decommissioned and returned to private use in 1946. In 1947, the Scripps F-6 engines that the boat came with were replaced with Chrysler Royal “straight eight” gas engines, which were in use until 2009, when they were replaced with the Chevy 350 engines that are in it today. The boat was one of the first vessels to be inducted into the California Classic Yacht Association, which formed in 1970, but it eventually fell into a state of disrepair, changing hands with several owners during the second half of the twentieth century. In 2000, it was rescued by Jim Sweeney, a retired ship engineer in San Rafael, who was an avid member of the Northern California Fleet of the Classic Yacht Association. Jim spent two decades restoring the boat with an immaculate eye for detail and historical accuracy. Virtually everything on the boat has been replaced at this point, though the stove is still the original from 1929.