Bay Voyager — Local services in San Francisco

What an amazing way to spend a Saturday morning! We did the early bird trip on Bay Voyager and my 7 year old son talked of nothing else all weekend long. We are Bay Area residents and have done all the usual things: numerous trips to Alcatraz, taking the ferry between Oakland and SF, dinner cruises around the Bay, etc. This was by far the best of the lot: the most exciting and the most fun! It was really different too, being in a smaller boat (they operate the same rigid-bottomed dinghies that are used by the coastguard and the navy) and feeling the waves under us as we rode out at high speed towards the Golden Gate Bridge, under the bridge and into the Pacific. We saw the San Francisco shoreline all the way around to China Beach and Land's End. Every now and then, the boat would stop and Captain Charles Jennings, who owns and operates Bay Voyager, would regale us with historical facts about the sights in front of us or some fascinating local lore. It was clear to us that he's a born native of the Bay Area who loves it deeply and knows it intimately. My favorite part of the trip (and that if my kids) was going under the bridge, and seeing it up close. When we circled back around, Captain Charles and Captain Brian took us in to where the sea lions where lying on their wooden flats, much to the envy of the onlookers lined up along the decks on Pier 39! Because of the size of the boat, we were able to see them at close range, particularly great for the kids! I liked the fact that they went in really slowly and quietly so as not to disturb the sea lions or scare the many sea lion pups we saw.

From the very beginning (the welcome, being outfitted with waterproof gear and getting our life jackets on) to the very end (disembarking and being bid farewell), it was such a lovely experience. The boat is very clean and the seats are comfortably cushioned. Captain Charles is gracious, considerate, experienced, great with kids (turns out he has a 5 year old son so he really relates well and understands how to put the kids at their ease) and has an excellent sense of humor. I would recommend this trip to locals like us, or tourists! We will have friends visiting us from Europe in the Fall and I'm going to book all of us on the longer afternoon ride. I know they and their two kids will love it, and we will be happy to do it with them!

I should mention that I forgot my cell phone in the pocket of the waterproof jacket that I was wearing. By the time I realized this and rushed back to the dock, Captain Charles and Captain Brian had put most of the jackets away in the locker. They very kindly took each one out and checked the pockets until they found my cell phone. I felt awful about putting them to so much trouble but they were super nice about it! Also, they take photos of you in the boat and you don't have to pay anything extra for these- really nice when you consider how much you get nickeled and dimed for every extra thing on some other rides.

TIP: DO wear layers! And even if it's a gorgeous sunny San Francisco morning, which it was when we went out yesterday, wear a hat or tie back your hair as the wind will rush by as the boat gathers speed. The hat or woolly head band will also keep your ears warm in the wind. And sun glasses are a MUST; we were all glad we'd taken ours. If the kids don't have any, they do have sets for them.

NOTE: My kids both loved this, and they are young! Bay Voyager takes safety very seriously and gives clear instructions. Kids do have to be 5 and...

I've been on this tour 3 times now, and it's my go-to thing to do when I have out of town friends come visit the Bay Area. The views are spectacular! You get to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, AT&T Park, and many other great sights from a unique perspective that very few actually get to see. You get to geek out in fowl weather gear, and hop out into the Pacific Ocean in a super fast and super fun boat. But the thing that really makes this tour great is the guide - Captain Charles. He's extremely personable, knowledgable, and always has an enthusiastic attitude. Clearly Captain Charles loves it when his passengers have an outstanding time out on the Bay. He's 3 for 3 with me, and I expect many more trips in the future.

The Bay Voyager rib boat surprisingly makes for a smooth ride, despite being insanely fast & seemingly lightweight. It's great fun racing out to the Golden Gate Bridge and beyond, but Captain Charles is mindful of who's on board, and I've seen him tailor the speed to those who may appreciate a more gentle trip. He regularly checks in to make sure everybody is having fun, and I've seen him speed up and slow down based on how people are experiencing the ride. He's very attentive to who's on board, and does a great job of customizing the game plan on the fly.

The commentary is fantastic. You learn about the history of the early 1900s earthquake and subsequent fire, as well as history around a merchant ship that was involved in the Normandy armada in WW2, along with a sub that never missed a torpedo hit. Captain Charles actually served on the crew of the WW2 ship in a reunion event - great stories there! You also get to see lighthouses, hiking trails, extremely overpriced housing (hey it is the Bay Area), World's Fair monuments, Lucas Arts studios, and a gazillion other San Francisco shoreline sights. Most locals will spend decades here before seeing most of what you'll see on this tour.

I first found Bay Voyager after taking an out of town friend on a visit to Alcatraz, and we both found the boat ride to be way more fun than the island itself. On subsequent visits, I've found everybody absolutely loves this tour. Everybody likes Dolores Park, Twin Peaks, and a Giants game, but they all rave about zipping across the bay on Bay Voyager!

This is absolutely a must-do if you're visiting the Bay Area. You'll...

This was a fantastic experience. We were originally debating between the 45 and 90 minute tours and ended up going with the 90 minute tour. I'm so happy we went with the 90 minute tour and recommend you do so as well.

On the tour you'll get to see a lot of great views and learn some fascinating history about San Francisco and the Bay. You will rapidly be transported between places to stop and take pictures and hear the history in a fast moving boat. When we went, the weather was very calm and we had a full boat so while the boat would bounce up and down some it was of medium excitement and not scary at all.

My favorite part of the tour was Captain Charles. He is very warm and sociable, extremely knowledgeable about the Bay and its history, and a highly skilled boat captain. He has also lead an extremely interesting life and it was fascinating to hear him talk about it. For example, he worked aboard the crew of the SS Jeremiah O'Brien when it sailed back to Normandy with a bunch of WW2 vets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of D-day. My only wish is that we had more time with him to hear him tell more stories.

So in summary, if you go, and I recommend you do, you should expect a medium thrilling trip across the San Francisco with great views hosted by an extremely skilled, interesting, and...