SF Bay Adventures

What SF Bay Adventures does

SF Bay Adventures is a privately held, family-owned boating charter and marine event operator founded in 1988 in Sausalito, California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area market. The company operates a diverse fleet of 13 vessels — including schooners (Schooner Freda B, Gas Light, Schooner Seaward), motor yachts (Cimba, Diamond Seas, Five Stars Yacht, Just Dreaming, The Tamalpais), sailing catamarans (Adventure Cat 1 and 2), historic tall-ships (Matthew Turner, USS Potomac), and an upcoming 113-passenger vessel (Electra) — all operated by US Coast Guard licensed captains. Vessel passenger capacities range from 10 (Cimba) to 120 (USS Potomac), enabling the company to serve a broad spectrum of group sizes and price points.

The company generates revenue across three primary streams: private boat charters priced hourly (e.g., Schooner Freda B at $3,650 for 2 hours, Cimba at $900 for 2 hours, with premium-date surcharges for Fleet Week, Blue Angels, and Giants post-season); public sailing tickets sold through Eventbrite for sunset, wildlife, and full-moon sails; and all-inclusive private event packages for weddings, corporate team-building, memorials, and ash scatterings. Distribution runs through direct phone/email bookings, the sfbayadventures.com website, Eventbrite ticketing, and Facebook/Instagram channels, with operational bases in Sausalito Yacht Harbor and Oakland's Jack London Square.

SF Bay Adventures serves four primary customer segments: individual consumers and families (sunset cruises, special occasions), corporate/enterprise groups (team-building, leadership retreats), wedding and special events, and film/media production clients requiring marine vessels. Named enterprise and institutional customers include the SF Giants (McCovey Cove charters), Antenna Theater (Heart of San Francisco Celebration), and Call of the Sea (educational programs on Matthew Turner). The company holds a registered US trademark, has earned Best of Marin recognition in 2023, and operates as a long-standing regional brand with limited disclosed technology, no public funding, and no AI/ML capabilities.

Name

SF Bay Adventures

Legal name

SF Bay Adventures

Website

https://sfbayadventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SF Bay Adventures is a privately held, family-owned Sausalito-based boat charter and marine tour operator founded in 1988, serving the San Francisco Bay Area with a 13-vessel fleet of schooners, yachts, catamarans, and tall-ships for private charters, public sails, weddings, and corporate events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Charter & Boat Tour Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew) (THAJALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cruise Yacht Charters (Private Crewed) (THAEADAG), Marine Wildlife & Birding Cruises (dolphins, seals, seabirds) (THAAAIAD), Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises (THAEABAF)

Keywords

• Boat charter services
• Sailing tours
• Marine event planning
• Yacht charters
• Private vessel rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Sausalito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Boat Charter Services: Revenue generated from private boat charters and rentals of various vessel types including schooners, motor yachts, and catamarans for events, tours, and special occasions. Pricing is hourly with additional fees for premium dates.
2. Public Sailing Tickets: Ticketed public sailing excursions including sunset sails, wildlife sails, full moon sails, and special event cruises sold through Eventbrite platform.
3. Private Event Packages: All-inclusive packages for weddings, corporate events, team building retreats, memorials, and special occasions including catering and venue services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SF Bay Adventures operates a fleet of 13+ vessels on San Francisco Bay, providing private boat charters, ticketed public sailing excursions, and all-inclusive event packages for weddings, corporate outings, team building, memorials, and film production. The fleet ranges from a 32-foot motor yacht to a 132-foot educational brigantine, all operated by US Coast Guard licensed captains and home-ported in Sausalito and Oakland.

Product overview

SF Bay Adventures is a premier boat charter and sailing tour service operating on San Francisco Bay since 1988. The company operates a diverse fleet of 13 vessels including schooners (Schooner Freda B, Gas Light, Schooner Seaward), motor yachts (Cimba, Diamond Seas, Five Stars Yacht, Just Dreaming Yacht, The Tamalpais), sailing catamarans (Adventure Cat 1, Adventure Cat 2), historic tall-ships (Matthew Turner, USS Potomac), and an upcoming vessel (Electra). Services are offered through two channels: individual vessel charters and ticketed public sails. Additional offerings include private event packages, team building retreats, weddings, marine film production services, memorials and ash scatterings, and specialty cruises such as sunset sails and wildlife ecology tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schooner Freda B Flagship 80-foot gaff-rigged coastal schooner modeled after traditional tall-ships, accommodating up to 49 guests for private charters, public sails, sunset cruises, corporate events, weddings, and wildlife tours.
• Cimba 32-foot Grand Banks motor yacht with mahogany hull and teak decks, accommodating up to 10 guests for intimate charters, sunset cruises, and special occasions.
• Diamond Seas 92-foot Horizon motor yacht accommodating 12 passengers for luxury private charters on San Francisco Bay.
• Adventure Cat 1 55-foot custom-built sailing catamaran with capacity for 47 passengers, offering adventure cruises on San Francisco Bay.
• Adventure Cat 2 65-foot custom-built sailing catamaran with capacity for 89 passengers for large-group sailing excursions.
• Five Stars Yacht 75-foot custom-built luxury motor yacht accommodating 50 passengers for premium charters and events.
• Gas Light 72-foot scow schooner with capacity for 49 guests for classic sailing experiences on San Francisco Bay.
• Just Dreaming Yacht 63-foot Stephens Brothers classic motor yacht accommodating 40 passengers for charters and special occasions.
• Schooner Seaward 82-foot classic staysail schooner with capacity for 40 guests for traditional sailing charters.
• The Tamalpais 65-foot motor yacht with capacity for 100 passengers for large-group bay tours and events.
• USS Potomac Historic vessel with capacity for 120 passengers, home-ported at Jack London Square, Oakland, for charters and events.
• Matthew Turner 132-foot brigantine educational tall-ship with 100 feet of deck space, accommodating 70 passengers for custom educational programs, open water voyages, and limited private charters; the largest wooden ship constructed in the Bay Area in over 100 years.
• Public Sailing Tickets Weekly ticketed excursion sailings including eco-sails, sunset sails, full moon sails, and holiday fireworks cruises sold through Eventbrite for individuals and small groups.
• Yacht Charters Cruise services aboard local motor yachts for casual to full-service private events across all price ranges, booked directly via phone and email.
• Weddings on SF Bay All-inclusive wedding packages or fully customized nautical wedding ceremonies on San Francisco Bay for couples and families seeking waterfront venues.
• Team Building & Leadership Retreats Corporate offsite experiences on San Francisco Bay for teams of all sizes, including team building activities, leadership retreats, and company outings.
• Private Event Packages All-inclusive nautical adventure packages including Angel Island events, SF Giants McCovey Cove experiences, and bespoke celebrations with catering and venue services.
• Memorials & Ash Scatterings Memorial and ash scattering services at sea on San Francisco Bay, offered continuously since the company's founding in 1988.
• Marine Film, Production & Safety Services Marine film and photography project support with safety services including small boats for swims, races, and special events for media production companies.
• Whale Watching, Wildlife & Ecology Tours Educational wildlife tours under the Golden Gate Bridge, along the Marin Headlands, and towards Point Bonita Lighthouse, led by naturalists.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Antenna TheaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSF Bay Adventures partnered with Antenna Theater for the Heart of San Francisco Celebration event, providing vessels for the skywriting plane event over the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Call of the SeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrigantine Matthew Turner, operated by SF Bay Adventures, is affiliated with Call of the Sea organization for educational programs and voyages on San Francisco Bay.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adventure Cat Sailing Charters: SF Bay sailing catamaran charter operator running public and private sails from Pier 39; directly competes with SF Bay Adventures' Adventure Cat catamarans and similar sunset/wildlife tour offerings.
• Red and White Fleet: Long-running SF Bay cruise and charter operator offering sightseeing tours, private charters, and Bay Bridge-to-Golden Gate excursions; competes head-on with SF Bay Adventures for tourist ticket and private charter revenue.
• Blue & Gold Fleet: Operates Bay Area sightseeing cruises, ferry service, and bay tours from Pier 39 in San Francisco — directly comparable to SF Bay Adventures' SF Bay sunset/sightseeing sail business and competes for the same tourist and event clientele.

Emerging players

• GetMyBoat: Boat rental and charter marketplace with significant Bay Area inventory; competes for the same private charter and experience customer, especially for smaller vessels and self-skippered bookings.
• Sailo: Online marketplace for booking private boat charters and yacht rentals across multiple markets including the Bay Area; an emerging channel-based competitor that could disintermediate SF Bay Adventures' direct booking model.
• Boatsetter: P2P boat rental platform operating in California; represents a marketplace-driven alternative to SF Bay Adventures' direct charter booking flow for both crewed and bareboat experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Hornblower / City Cruises: Large national cruise and charter operator (now City Cruises) serving major US waterfronts with dining cruises, private events, and ferry service; offers overlapping private event charter functionality at a much larger scale than SF Bay Adventures.

Regional players

• Sausalito Boat Rentals: Sausalito-based smaller-boat rental operator offering self-drive electric boats and small craft charters; competes for budget-tier tourists in the same Sausalito departure point as SF Bay Adventures.
• OCSC Sailing: Berkeley-based sailing school and club offering on-the-water experiences, lessons, and some charter services on San Francisco Bay; adjacent competitor for watersports and corporate team-building customers in the same geography.

Others

• Princess Cruises / Royal Princess Cruises (Bay Area operators): Larger cruise operators that occasionally offer Bay-themed experiences or partner with Bay Area operators; thematically related as ocean/insider passenger experience providers but not direct competitors on SF Bay.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sanfranciscobayadventures
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoonerfredab/?hl=en
• Xx.com/sfbayadventures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sf-bay-adventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SF Bay Adventures