by Tom Fowle, with Susan Fowle
Written 2001
Major Update September 2006
revised January 2007
Note: The area around the South Beach Harbor is under construction and portions may still change. We'll add dinghy dock access description at a later date.
We have aimed for accuracy, but you use the following information at your own risk.
If you are an adequate blind traveler, but, as I am sometimes, a bit wary of going to new different places, and you want to join us for a BAADS Sunday class etc. here's how to get there.
As mentioned on the BAADS site, take the Muni Metro line N inbound to Mission Bay (perhaps sometimes called "Cal Train"). This is also the line to the ball park.
After Embarcadero, which is the last underground stop, the train will turn somewhat right and come to the surface. The first station is Folsom, the second is Brannan Street which can provide access to the northern end of the harbor. The third station is Second and King, also the stop for the ball park. I refuse to collaborate with the changing names of that silly park, it's the bloody ball park.
This Second and King stop is now the closest to the new South Beach Harbor building, which contains the harbor master's office, meeting rooms where BAADS holds its monthly meetings and South Beach Yacht Club. This is also now the closest stop for the most convenient dock gate for BAADS' keel boats and so I will describe this approach.
Get off the train at the Second and King stop, on the left side of the train. Turn left, moving back towards the direction from which the train came.
Walk along the platform being wary of the truly obnoxious platform furniture (they really should have oriented it parallel to the platform!), and find the descending ramp. The ramp is railed, so you'll be sure you're on it when you can't easily fall off the edges. At the bottom of this ramp, look to your right for a pole with a pedestrian push button.
Press this button to activate the audible crossing sign.
Move just beyond the pole and again look right for a pipe rail which blocks your access to the Muni tracks for the train going the opposite direction. At the end of this rail (about 3 feet long), turn right and listen for trains and then Embarcadero traffic moving right to left in front of you.
The Muni tracks are immediately in front of you, the audible signals for crossing these tracks coordinate with those for crossing the Embarcadero. You need to be aware of approaching Muni trains and, just beyond them, Embarcadero traffic.
Note that all crossings have wheelchair ramps.
When safe, (what?) cross the Muni tracks and two lanes of the Embarcadero, winding up just in front of the ball park. Turn left and proceed along the sidewalk north-ish towards the marina.
You will shortly cross a smallish driveway which is for South Beach club parking and other things.. Continue along Embarcadero, do not turn right. (Turning right gives you access to back portions of the ball park and a marina gate, but requires crossing of parking lots).
When across the driveway and beyond its sidewalk on the right, begin tracking the right edge of the sidewalk where you will find a small drop into dirt and plantings.
Find and take the first cement path on the right, putting Embarcadero at your back (after walking just a few minutes). The cement path heads approximately east, toward the bay. You might then find a cement path leading to the right (parallel to Embarcadero) but do not take it. Your path takes a 45 degree left turn, clearly findable with dirt and planted edges. Continue on your path, which becomes wider.
You will pass a mix of picnic tables and planted squares (6-10 feet long) with raised cement sides. There are three rows of these planted squares to negotiate, two in each row.
As you are walking east past these planted squares, you are walking along the north end of the South Beach Harbor building. About the time you might find the third planted square, if you turn right (south), you'll walk along the dock-side of the South Beach Harbor building. The dock-side of it has first, a glass enclosed meeting room, then a small inset with 2 unmarked doors, then large glass doors to enter to the building itself. If you continue along the outside of the building, there are a series of inset doors to rest rooms.
Entering the large "unmarked" doors gives access to the first floor glass-enclosed meeting room on the right, where BAADS' monthly meetings are held.
To get instead to the South Beach Yacht club and Harbor Master's office, enter the same main large glass doors, follow the wall on your left, then turn left and use the elevator, or veer left and take the stairs to the second floor.
For the Yacht club, when you get out of the elevator turn left. If you came up the stairs you would turn right, passing rest rooms on your left. There's nothing on the right except those fancy steel cable railings... continue to the wood, brass and glass double doors and swing them open and enter the saloon, er... yacht club.
For the Harbor Master's office, turn right out of the elevator, or left at the top of the stairs.
If you were on that path to go instead to the docks -- remember those planted squares? If you proceed straight ahead (east) rather than turning right towards the Harbor building, you will come to a short concrete wall topped with a pipe rail and fence.
This runs approximately parallel to Embarcadero. Also parallel to Embarcadero are the ramp down to the dock, and the dock itself. There are occasional large round cement columns between sections of this pipe rail. This substantial barrier fronts the bay and docks. Crossing over it is not recommended(!) -- there is a much better way down.
Turn left at this rail and track it. You'll pass a garbage can or so, then come to a gate of metal bars. Some non-moving bars around the gate are supplemented with plexiglass. This gate allows card access to the wheelchair dock access ramp down to the docks.
If you continue on past the dock gate for some distance, you'll find picnic tables where BAADS Sunday class groups generally meet. These are near the Java House from which you'll smell coffee and food. and usually hear ventilators.
Back to the dock gate -- if you have a marina card and wish to try the docks, be aware that once down this ramp, there are no other features to keep you from a dangerous fall into the water.
Your marina card may be brought near a small box located to the right of the gate at just above waist height. You'll hear a small beep and will be able to push the gate open (it opens toward the bay).
After entering the gate, you'll be surrounded with nice high railings. Turn right and proceed down the aluminum ramp. This non-slip ramp will catch your cane tip a bit, but at least you know it won't be slippery when wet.
There are two level spots in it for breathing pauses: one at the top, the other about 1/2 way down.
Important! when you arrive at the bottom of the ramp, the surface will change from aluminum to concrete.
You are no longer surrounded by railings of any respectable height.
Once at the bottom, on the horizontal cement, ahead about 5 feet, and to your right about 3 feet, is only a hefty 5 inch high rail down at your feet. Check it carefully. Falling in here might get you under the docks and never seen again till much, much too late.
A 90 degree turn to the left on this concrete landing pad, and a few steps forward gets you onto the main docks, which are also made of concrete. These main docks run parallel to Embarcadero and to the ramp, and connect the seven lettered docks that make up the marina. You are between B and C docks, so to get to BAADS' keel boats turn left and proceed north along the main dock, tracking the right edge till you find dock B going off to the right.
Again, there are no protective rails on these docks and there may well be overhanging bow sprits, anchors, cleats and such, as well as dock lines draped here and there to trip you. Maneuver here with great caution, realizing that a fall could get you stuck between boat and dock and in a very bad way indeed.
However, if you're up to getting to a BAADS boat on your own, and are legitimately allowed to have a marina card, this can be quite a thrill of independent action.
After your sail, back on relatively secure sidewalk, outside the dock gate: When leaving the dock gate to go back to Muni, angle left not quite at 90 degrees and cross the path of travel to find a sitting height retaining wall/planted area.
Proceed left, paralleling the edge of the bay, then follow as this planter edge angles right and eventually puts you back on the path connecting the dock area to the Embarcadero sidewalk. Along this angled edge you'll find a rail sticking out into your path which protects a set of three drinking fountains. These are child's height on the left, adult height in the middle and a very short one presumably for animal friends on the right.
Proceeding beyond the fountains and a second protective rail, you'll pass the fenced in playground on your right and continue towards the Embarcadero sidewalk.
Turn left on the Embarcadero sidewalk and soon find the driveway to cross.
After crossing the driveway, check the right edge for a wheelchair ramp close to the corner (it is used to cross Embarcadero but not to get to the Muni platform). Continue along beyond this one a little bit.
Find the next wheelchair ramp and look for the pole on its far side with the pedestrian signal push button (it's a few feet after the wheelchair ramp ends and the sidewalk slopes back up to level.
Turn right to face the street, push the button, and cross when safe(!!). After cautiously crossing the Muni tracks, there is a slight rise. Turn left to the up-sloping ramp to the Muni platform.
Tom Fowle
Staff Commodore BAADS
Totally blind skipper
American Sailing Association "ASA" Basic Coastal Cruising Certified skipper since 1994.
http://members.aceweb.com//fowlets/muni2pier40.html
Last updated 1-29-07