This inlet goes Northwest, under the Hwy 101 overpass into Mill Valley, and past the Mill Valley Dog Park. As long as the tide level is at least +2, it can be a very pleasant row, and an appealing alternative if it is windy on Richardson Bay. However, there are potential problems, and rowers using club shells are not allowed to row into this area. As a reminder, the policy of the OWRC, wherever you row, is: if you break it you own it.
Sea planes use the area between the red dashed line and the overpass to take off and land. On take off the planes make a great noise, so you can get out of the way (if you are close to shore). However, on landing they are very quiet, and they might not see you. In order not to inconvenience our aviator neighbors and to avoid having a sea plane land on your shell the prudent rower will look and listen, and most important, always keep within about 20 m of the shore.
The water is quite shallow, so there is always the possibility of driving your shell across a rock or sunken boat. The wood from old boats rots away leaving metal bolts sticking up from the bottom; lethal and difficult to see. The safest route into this area is to pass between Strawberry Point and buoy "4", avoiding underwater hazards extending out from the Northern part of the house boat area into the channel.
Several fast "flat water rowers" like to row through this area, especially early in the morning. Thus, newbies should keep an eye out for them.
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