At the foot of Turney Street, a new gangway runs down to a set of floating docks. Everything else at the site is old. The concrete ramp is decades old, the bulkhead is weathered, and old piers and pontoons still sit in front of the Joinery. That gangway is the only recent addition at the place the city calls its public boat launch.

Sausalito has miles of shoreline. Most of it is lined with marinas, houseboat docks and private frontage, so public routes into the water are few. On its parks page the city lists exactly three places to launch a kayak: Schoonmaker Beach, Dunphy Park and the Turney Street Boat Launch. In the past year, each of those three has either been rebuilt or been given a plan to rebuild it, and the town's public edge is being reshaped for people who paddle, row and swim, and those people are getting their own space on the water.

The list is shorter than the shoreline suggests

The city's own paperwork describes Turney Street even more narrowly. A request for proposals the city issued in February 2026 calls the site Sausalito's only legal waterfront landing and public-access point. The parks page still lists Dunphy and Schoonmaker as kayak launches, so the city may simply separate a formal landing from a beach where you carry a boat down. Either way, the public points of entry are few and spread out, from Napa Street in the south to Liberty Ship Way in the north.

Here is how the three sit right now:

• Dunphy Park, at Bridgeway and Napa Street, is a city park on the city's kayak list.
• Turney Street Boat Launch is the city's public ramp and dinghy dock, maintained by Public Works.
• Schoonmaker Beach, at 99 Liberty Ship Way, is a sheltered beach inside the marina. It is privately owned, and the city lists it as a kayak launch point.

Dunphy Park got a shoreline, not a dock

The Dunphy work comes first because it is finished. On September 18 the city posted a news item about the community celebrating the completion of the Dunphy Park improvements. The contractor, Hanford ARC, lists May 2026 as the completion date on its project page.

Phase 2 covered the south side of the park. The contractor calls it a living shoreline. It has a rock toe at the waterline, a granite-block terrace, erosion-control fabric and plants that tolerate salt water. Above that are accessible paths, landscaping, benches, picnic tables and trash receptacles. According to the city's project page, the shoreline work is meant both to protect the edge and to support habitat.

The Marin Independent Journal reported that the construction contract was $1.4 million, within a total project cost of $1.7 million. The paper said the work would restore the shoreline path and extend it toward the Humboldt Avenue parking lot, with the goal of doubling the park's usable space.

None of the published plans mention a launch structure or a designated swimming beach. Dunphy is still on the city's kayak list, but the money here went into the edge itself: a more stable shoreline, more room on the grass and an easier walk to the water. That leaves the job of being a real launch to Turney Street.

Turney Street is being split down the middle

On September 15 the City Council unanimously chose a design for rebuilding the Turney Street ramp and docks. The Marin Independent Journal covered the vote. The consultants presented two similar options. The council picked the one that keeps powerboats on the north side and hand-powered craft on the south.

As described in the paper, the approved design includes:

1. A replacement ramp that extends farther into Richardson Bay, plus a new bulkhead.
2. An 80-foot gangway that follows the concrete ramp down to docks for up to 16 small, shallow-draft boats in front of the Joinery, where the old piers and pontoons are now.
3. A second gangway behind Salito's leading to docks for about a dozen dinghies.
4. Access for kayaks, paddleboards and swimmers.

The paper quoted Mayor Steven Woodside saying the launch "could appeal to fishermen, people with small, motorized, shallow drafted vessels," and that "the floating dock that extends to the south would be available for people to bring their kayaks or small craft down there." Vice Mayor Melissa Blaustein said she had "a personal interest in being able to swim up to the boat launch safely."

What the ramp can't do is set by the water itself. The bay is shallow there, so the ramp won't take sailboats with deep keels. Dredging would require federal permits. The spot is best suited to small, light craft that need very little depth, and the south side of the design is built for exactly those.

The project also runs on a long schedule. The city's timeline calls for engineering this year, funding and state and federal permits next year, and construction in 2028. The early cost estimate for the chosen design is $3.1 million. So far the money has come in smaller amounts. In late 2024 the city received a $170,000 boating-access grant from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, then added $104,000 from its Tidelands Fund to pay for engineering, environmental review and design options. Last winter the city tried a public-private partnership in which a business would help pay for construction in exchange for favorable lease terms. A preferred partner was chosen in the spring, but staff said the effort stalled. For at least two more seasons, the Turney Street launch will be the old ramp and the new gangway.

Schoonmaker carries the north end on private ground

Schoonmaker Beach covers the northern end of town. It sits at 99 Liberty Ship Way, sheltered by Schoonmaker Point Marina, with water, restrooms, free parking next to it and shallow water good for wading. A Sausalito visitor guide published in 2024 describes it as privately owned, says kayak and paddleboard launches happen there, and notes that organized group activities need a reservation.

The same stretch of Liberty Ship Way is home to Open Water Rowing Center at 85 Liberty Ship Way #102. Its learn-to-row program certifies graduates to rent the club's shells and row on Richardson Bay.

Swede's Beach is another spot for getting into the water by body rather than by boat. The city's November 2025 Shoreline Adaptation Plan names it as one of the remaining public beach-access points and a place to swim in the bay.

The paddling season doesn't stop in November

Turney won't be rebuilt until 2028, so for now, getting on the water without your own boat depends on the businesses and clubs that keep running through the off-season.

Sea Trek rents kayaks and paddleboards from the Bay Model at 2100 Bridgeway. Its winter schedule runs November 1 through March 31: Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Mondays. Its rental rules require life jackets, keep renters inside Richardson Bay and require an adult with anyone under 16.

Modern Sailing School & Club teaches, charters and runs a membership club from 2310 Marinship Way. It opened a third location at Clipper Yacht Harbor this year. Sausalito Yacht Club offers youth training, a year-round racing program and free kayaks and paddleboards to borrow.

From early November to the middle of December, the calendar on the water looks like this:

1. November 1: the Chili Midwinter Series race at Sausalito Yacht Club.
2. November 14: SYC and RegattaPRO Winter One-Design Invitational races.
3. December 6: the next Chili Midwinter race.
4. December 12: the second Winter One-Design race.
5. December 12, evening: the Winterfest Lighted Boat Parade on the waterfront at Gabrielson Park. Reserved seating opens at 5 p.m., the parade starts at 6 p.m. and fireworks are planned for about 7:15 p.m. Entry is free. The Captain's After Party is at The Spinnaker, 100 Spinnaker Drive.

When a waterfront home comes up in conversation, we start with how close it is to Napa Street, Turney Street or Liberty Ship Way. Day to day, that tells you more about getting on the water than the view does. If you'd like to talk through how Sausalito's shoreline plans could shape your own corner of town, Michelle Harris is glad to sit down with you. Request a Private Market Review.