Kayak to Quinn’s

Quinn’s Lighthouse is a bar and grill on the Oakland waterfront. It was originally constructed as the Oakland Harbor Lighthouse in 1890 and sat on a wooden pier marking the entrance to the Oakland estuary.

On July 8 I joined some fellow BASK members for a paddle that included a stop at Quinn’s for lunch.

At 9:45 we were on the boat ramp at the Grand Street Boat Ramp in Alameda for our usual safety talk and radio check. Across the water sat three Coast Guard cutters tied up at Coast Guard Island. I suppose if we needed help we could simply yell. At 10:00 we were on the water with our route taking us southeast under three bridges–Park Street, Fruitvale and High Street. This section of the estuary was dredged to create a waterway in 1913, turning Alameda into an island.

Once under the High Street Bridge we paddled past the houses lining the shore and across San Leandro Bay, stopping at the boat ramp at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline. A couple members of our party saw a huge bat ray near the bridge, and numerous pelicans were wheeling overhead as we crossed the bay. We also passed several rowing shells that were out training, with their attendant coaches giving chase in their powerboats. After a brief stop at the shoreline we decided it was time for lunch, so we climbed back in our boats and paddled past Arrowhead Marsh retracing our route.

The dock at Quinn’s is a little awkward for disembarking from a kayak; there is not much to hang onto and a bit high. We took turns holding boats steady and scrambling onto the dock. Then we found our way to the outdoor dining deck at the pub. We noted that the main dining room was closed. It was quite fun to be dining with friends without having to worry about social distancing and masks, at least among ourselves. The staff wore masks.

After lunch it was back on the water, with one of our members proposing a stop at California Canoe and Kayak in Brooklyn Basin to pick up a hatch cover. From there we completed our circumnavigation of Coat Guard Island, returning to the Grand Street Boat Ramp. Over the course of the day we logged 9.3 miles. You can view more photos here and look at more details of the trip log here.