Take an Exhilarating San Francisco Bay Sailing Cruise
Spend a half day on the waters of San Francisco Bay aboard Red Dress, our beautiful 35-foot vintage racing sloop.
Watch the sun set over the San Francisco skyline as we sail beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Come experience this magical time of night with friends and family aboard the Red Dress.
Customize your multi-day sailing charter with Red Dress Sailing Adventures. Visit the Farallon Islands, surf the outer coast of Marin, see Half Moon Bay, and more. The itinerary is up to you!
Learn at your own pace on a responsive, easy-handling boat in the best sailing venue in the U.S. with Cap’n Bill, an experienced, low-pressure instructor. Learn basic keelboat, coastal cruising, weather, tides, and currents.
The Boat
Red Dress is a J-35 built in 1987. Her design, by Rod Johnstone, hit a sweet spot of speed, ease of handling, heavy weather capability, downwind stability, and a very high fun factor. The J-35 had several active racing fleets on the East Coast, Great Lakes, and San Francisco Bay from the late ’80s through the ’90s. The J-35 was voted into the Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1999. The two previous owners raced Red Dress on the East Coast, compiling an outstanding record of success.
Since purchasing Red Dress in 2007, I have made many significant upgrades and improvements including a new engine, rebuilt mast, new standing rigging, and major running rigging refit for improved line handling and safety.
The Captain
William Teplow, a fully insured, Coast Guard Licensed Captain.
An avid ocean sailor, I have plied the Pacific coastal waters from Glacier Bay, Alaska, to Cabo San Lucas, the Sea of Cortez, and three voyages to Hawaii. I’ve been a Coast Guard Licensed Captain for the past 12 years and have taught basic keelboat sailing at schools around San Francisco Bay.
I derive great pleasure from providing people of all ages the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular marine environment of the Bay and coastal waters, and when desired, teaching them to be competent, confident and, above all, safe sailors.
Red Dress is a slick and fast sailboat with racing history (hear all about it from Captain Bill) and Bill is the coolest, nicest captain on the western seas! Both kids and adults had a blast, alternating between chilling on the deck and holding on to the rails while Red Dress bucked up and down the wakes of ferries and fishing boats. By the time we got back to the marina, everyone was talking about where we all should sail the next time
It was a joy sailing with Captain Bill and Red Dress. An experienced mariner with an easy-going, no drama style. Highly recommend him for anyone wanting a great daysail on the Bay, and especially for those who want to learn about how to sail during the trip.
Great day on the bay with Captain Bill! He was on time, expertly manned his boat, had interesting facts and tidbits to share, took us to a nice, calm area for a picnic on the boat, went under the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge and sailed back. Thank you!
I booked a day trip on Bill's boat as a team-building event with my coworkers and he did not disappoint! He let us set the itinerary for the day all while giving us advice as to where to stop for a picnic and what order to see things in to make the most of the tides and the sunshine. He also let us all take turns at the helm of the boat. The boat itself had plenty of room for 6 people and had a handy cooler for our food and drinks. Overall, highly recommend booking Bill & the Red Dress if you're looking to go on a boat tour of the Bay. Thanks Bill!
Booked a trip with Captain Bill for my boyfriend's birthday as a surprise gift. Captain Bill was responsive, patiently answering my questions regarding the trip and helping me to plan a lovely course around the Bay. Furthermore, he is a knowledgeable and professional sailor! The trip was exhilarating but not once did we feel unsafe. Beautiful boat, as well. Truly an enjoyable experience.