Last updated September 2026 · By Melissa DiVita, REALTOR®, Compass · DRE #01387955 · Marin native, in real estate since 2003

If you love the water, southern Marin is hard to beat. The Tiburon Peninsula, Belvedere and Sausalito wrap around Richardson Bay, and on a summer afternoon you’ll see everything from classic sailboats to wing foilers flying off Paradise Cay. Our family belongs to the Tiburon Yacht Club, and many of the homes I’ve sold come with a dock. Here’s the lay of the land.

Yacht clubs

ClubWhereWhat to know
San Francisco Yacht ClubBelvedere CoveFounded 1869, the oldest yacht club on the Pacific Coast; in Belvedere since 1927, with its own harbor
Corinthian Yacht ClubDowntown TiburonFounded 1886; landmark clubhouse, racing, cruising and a busy social calendar
Tiburon Yacht ClubParadise Cay, TiburonRacing-focused and less formal; members berth at Paradise Cay Yacht Harbor
Sausalito Yacht ClubSausalitoRegular and junior memberships; you don’t need to own a boat
Richardson Bay Yacht ClubRichardson BaySmaller club; ask me for an introduction
San Rafael YC, Sausalito Cruising Club, Loch Lomond YCSan Rafael / SausalitoCasual, lower-cost ways onto the water
Inverness Yacht ClubTomales BayFounded 1912; youth sailing and summer racing in West Marin

The Sausalito Cruising Club: a club on a barge

If you want to understand the Sausalito waterfront, have a drink at the Cruising Club. It was started after World War II by servicemen coming home who wanted a place to relax on the water, and they made their clubhouse out of a surplus WWII munitions barge. That barge has been tied up alongside Dunphy Park, at 1610 Bridgeway, for more than 55 years. Members have been fixing it up ever since, and the deck looks across Richardson Bay to Belvedere, Angel Island and the city. There’s a bar and galley, and because the club belongs to the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association, members get reciprocal privileges at many other yacht clubs on the West Coast and beyond. It’s about as far from stuffy as a yacht club gets.

Docks, slips and marinas

  • Private docks. Paradise Cay, Timmers Landing and the Belvedere Lagoon have homes with private docks. I’ve sold homes here with 54- and 75-foot docks and deep-water access. Always check water depth at low tide, dock permits and condition.
  • Paradise Cay Yacht Harbor (Tiburon). Slips from 20 to 120 feet.
  • Sausalito harbors. Clipper Yacht Harbor (about 700 slips), Schoonmaker Point (for larger yachts), Richardson Bay Marina, Pelican Harbour and more.

Learning to sail

Modern Sailing School & Club in Sausalito has taught ASA courses since 1983 and runs a club fleet, so you can sail without owning a boat. Yacht club junior programs are a great way for kids to start.

Wing foiling at Paradise Cay: Marin’s hidden obsession

If you drive out Paradise Drive on a summer afternoon and look toward the water, you’ll see people flying a few feet above the bay, holding a hand-held wing. That’s wing foiling, and the north side of the Tiburon Peninsula has quietly become one of the best places in the Bay Area to do it.

The spot locals talk about is “The Slot,” off the south end of Paradise Cay near Timmers Landing. In summer, the southwest wind funnels over the peninsula and drops into the cove at around 20 knots, and it’s there almost every afternoon. On a good day you’ll see a small crew of regulars out there. They even put up their own wind meter, listed as “The Slot” on iKitesurf, so they can check conditions from the office.

  • Access is the catch. Paradise Cay is a private canal neighborhood of about 250 homes, so there isn’t really a public launch. Most riders launch from their own dock, a friend’s dock or a boat. That’s one reason homes on the water there are so sought after. I’ve sold several with private docks and deep-water access.
  • Learning. SF Wing Foil Academy in Tiburon teaches from a private dock, with boat-supported lessons and two-way radio helmets so the instructor can coach you in real time. Gear and wetsuits are included, and lessons start at age 10.
  • Other spots. Kiters and windsurfers also ride Richardson Bay, Larkspur, San Rafael, Stinson and Tomales Bay. Check local launch rules first. The Bay is cold, and the currents are serious.

Rowing on the Bay and Corte Madera Creek

Rowing is huge in Marin, and it’s one of the best-kept secrets for families with high schoolers.

  • Marin Rowing Association, Greenbrae. Founded in 1968, it rows on Corte Madera Creek out of a solar-powered boathouse at Drakes Landing, built in 2004. Its junior program draws high school rowers from all over Marin and is one of the most successful in the country: the boys won the Head of the Charles four years running (2010 to 2013), and nine alumni have gone on to the Olympics. There’s also a masters program for adults (since 1984) and learn-to-row classes.
  • Open Water Rowing Center, Sausalito. For rowing sculls on the open Bay, out of the Schoonmaker marina. Their Bay Rower program is a three-session introduction for beginners, and members can rent boats and join coached clinics.

Kayaking and paddleboarding

  • Sea Trek at the Bay Model in Sausalito: rentals, tours and memberships on sheltered Richardson Bay, where you’ll often see harbor seals.
  • Paddleboard yoga: OnBoardSUP runs 75-minute yoga and fitness classes on paddleboards on Richardson Bay, launching from Sea Trek in Sausalito, several days a week all year. The board is included, and classes are for ages 14 and up. Outback Adventures also offers paddleboard yoga from Buck’s Landing in San Rafael.
  • China Camp State Park in San Rafael for calm bayside paddling.
  • Many Belvedere Lagoon homes have small docks for paddleboards and kayaks.

Game day on the water: Giants and Warriors from Marin

One of the best things about living in Marin is that you don’t have to drive to a Giants game. You can take a boat.

  • The Giants Ferry from Larkspur. Golden Gate Ferry runs a game-day boat from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal straight to Oracle Park. For 2026 it’s $16.50 each way, and tickets are sold online only, ahead of time. You can’t buy them at the terminal or use Clipper. The boat leaves Larkspur at least an hour and a half before first pitch and heads home 30 minutes after the last out (or after the fireworks). Sitting on the deck coming home under the Bay Bridge lights beats sitting on 101.
  • Watching from McCovey Cove. If you have a boat, or even a kayak, you can join the crowd floating in McCovey Cove beyond the right-field wall, waiting for a splash hit with a fishing net. In 2024 the Giants put up a 12-foot video screen above the portwalk so people on the water can watch the game. Only cross the Bay if you have the experience and the conditions for it, because the afternoon wind in the Central Bay is no joke.
  • Warriors games at Chase Center. There’s no direct ferry from Marin to Chase Center. The easy way from Marin is the regular Golden Gate Ferry from Larkspur, Sausalito or Tiburon to the Ferry Building, then Muni or a walk down the Embarcadero to Mission Bay. The direct Chase Center ferry runs from the East Bay, not Marin.

Buying a waterfront home

  • Flood zones and insurance. Waterfront homes need an early flood insurance quote and an elevation review.
  • Dock inspections are separate from the home inspection. I’ll bring a marine contractor.
  • Sea-level rise. Ask about local planning for the Belvedere and Tiburon shorelines.

Financing in Marin. Many Marin homes need jumbo financing: the 2026 conforming limit here is $1,249,125, so with 20% down, homes above about $1.56 million usually mean a jumbo loan. My husband Michael DiVita is a mortgage broker and owner of DiVita Home Finance, with access to 40+ wholesale lenders, and he’s a great resource for jumbo and bank-statement loans. Learn more at mycahomeloan.com.
Disclosure: Michael DiVita is my husband. You are free to choose any lender; using DiVita Home Finance is never required, and I receive no referral fee.

Tiburon guide
Belvedere guide
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Frequently asked questions

Where do people wing foil in Marin?

The best-known spot is “The Slot” off the south end of Paradise Cay in Tiburon, where summer southwest winds of around 20 knots funnel over the peninsula. Paradise Cay is a private canal neighborhood, so most riders launch from a private dock or a boat. Riders also use Richardson Bay, Larkspur, San Rafael, Stinson and Tomales Bay.

Can you take a ferry from Marin to a Giants game?

Yes. Golden Gate Ferry runs a game-day ferry from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal to Oracle Park. For 2026 it was $16.50 each way, sold online in advance only, and it heads home 30 minutes after the last out.

Which Marin neighborhoods have homes with private docks?

Paradise Cay and Timmers Landing in Tiburon and the Belvedere Lagoon have homes with private docks, some with deep-water access. Always check water depth at low tide, the dock permit and the dock’s condition, which is a separate inspection from the house.

Where can I learn to row in Marin?

Marin Rowing Association in Greenbrae, founded in 1968, rows on Corte Madera Creek and has junior, masters and learn-to-row programs. Open Water Rowing Center in Sausalito teaches sculling on the open Bay.

Sources

Looking for a home on the water?

Waterfront homes with deep-water docks are my specialty. Send me a note through my contact form.

Contact Melissa