The email invitation suggested that this was a “fitness paddle.” I wasn’t sure I was up for a strenuous ten mile paddle, but stretching my endurance a bit and paddling with good friends sounded inviting. Given the prediction of high winds on the Bay, the plan was to explore parts of the Oakland Estuary which would be protected from the predicted wind. Five of us launched from the MKL Junior Shoreline Boat Ramp. We were on the water at 10:00 on calm water, paddling north towards the Oakland Estuary. As we crossed San Leandro Bay We marveled at the pelicans and geese flying overhead.
We paddled under the High Street Bridge, the Fruitvale Bridge and the Park Street Bridge landing at the Grand Street Boat ramp where we stopped for a quick lunch. After lunch we continued paddling north for about another mile or so before turning around.
On the return trip we stopped to paddle through the rigging of a sunken square rigged barkentine, the The SV Kaisei, which sank on May 25, 2025. Ironically, the ships last mission was to study and clean up plastic pollution in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Now it sits on the bottom, a potential source of pollution. Protective booms are in place to contain any leak. We also stopped to watch the Park Street Bridge open to allow a boat to pass.
Finding a cooler on a dock that was offering free beer was tempting, but a beer would have ended my fitness paddle, so I continued on. Crossing back across San Leandro Bay we did have a bit of wind for a few minutes, perhaps 12 knots of wind. We were back on our launch site at 2:30 having logged 10.5 miles. I’m happy to say that I ended the paddle with more reserve energy than I expected, but that said, I did feel like I got some exercise. More photos are available in an online gallery.
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