Marin / Brickyard Info

[rocketjot]

Looking for info and advice on kiting at the Brickyard. It's about five minutes from my office and it'd be great to get out there if/when conditions are right.

I'm told it works best on a strong SW wind. Is Rod & Gun the best indicator?

Does it only work on a higher tide? Any hazards to be aware of?

Any and all info is definitely appreciated.

[NorCalNomad]

Looking for info and advice on kiting at the Brickyard. It's about five minutes from my office and it'd be great to get out there if/when conditions are right.

I'm told it works best on a strong SW wind. Is Rod & Gun the best indicator?

Does it only work on a higher tide? Any hazards to be aware of?

Any and all info is definitely appreciated.

Having grown up in peacock (but long before I kited)...

Low tide = silty muddy shitty slog, but I don't remember any boulders out there. There is a above ground phone line that goes to the brickyard right next to the small launch area. The occasional dead mammal or bird washes up there too. Watch out for any fishers on rocks if you go further upwind

[rocketjot]

Good to know. Thanks for the heads up.

I drove by there yesterday at a higher tide and it looked pretty good.

[Tony Soprano]

This launch can only handle a few kites, usually it is a winter SE frontal wind sailing location,
I have not sailed their in the summer. Booties are nice as it is very hard on bare feet. Overhead power line/telephone line. No trespassing sign, park across the street in the residential area.
High tide is required, be-aware there is a drainage pipe under water near the launch and some submerged re bar sticking up and barbed wire near the north shoreline. Of course you need to angle out of the launch which is at the 90 degree corner of two levees. And keep your kite flying, if you crash your kite, before you could relaunch it, you will drift into the levee of the frontage road and shred your kite. Do not go out past the point because then you will be in offshore wind and on a ride to the east bay if anything happens. All the under water obstacles used to be marked with plastic bottles tied to them, must have floated away in winter storms.


This launch is very hard on your gear, and feet.

[rocketjot]

You had me at rebar and barbed wire. I will definitely check it out at a low tide to see what lurks beneath.

Super helpful info. Thanks, Tony. Much appreciated.

[jjm]

You're better off driving to Crissy :)

[NorCalNomad]

The rebar and barbed wire is where you shouldn't be with your kite since the wind direction would have your kite in a tree, fence, or telephone pole.

Really if you are confident and can get it on a good conditions it's a cool place to kite. I've only kited it in some really light wind conditions but had fun.

[androka]

The only hazard I've heard about is some guy that won't leave the launch site and just kites back and forth in front of it.

[dealbst]

I've been wanting to try this place out. I was coming back from a mountainbike ride at China Camp last Friday (Jul 15th) and saw a couple of guys getting some there. Yea, I thing good an a strong SW wind.

Must have been the same guy riding back and forth in front of the beach.

[victor]

it's a mellow spot. not a lot of swell or chop.

if larkspur and rod & gun sensors are 15+ and the corte madera channel sensor is over 20 then brickyard is probably going. all ssw or sw. never heard of anyone kiting it on se but I guess it could work.

the biggest hazard is the crowded launch which is just about a kite line length from a main thoroughfare. there's only enough room to launch one kite at a time. on busy weekend days kite carnage is common.

low tide is a bitch because of the long walk in the mud and random rocks just below the water surface. Best at 3' and flooding.