OAKLAND — Police with help from other law enforcement agencies began to cite boating vessels anchored illegally in the Oakland Estuary on Thursday morning.
The action began about 9 a.m. in the estuary waters behind the Jack London Aquatic Center on 115 Embarcadero. Dozens of vessels were illegally anchored in the estuary; officials said some of them have been there for two years.
Under a city ordinance, boats can only anchor in the estuary for 12 hours, officials said.
Some of the vessels are in various states of disarray. Some are occupied, and some are not. Concerns about vessels in the estuary resurfaced Monday after people associated with the aquatic center complained about them blocking the waterway and other issues that have arisen.
Police with help with other law enforcement agencies began to cite boating vessels anchored illegally in the Oakland Estuary on Thursday morning, June 25, 2026. (Harry Harris/ Bay Area News Group)
Officers with Oakland police used the department’s marine patrol boat and were joined in the operation by the the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Francisco police, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and the Coast Guard. A law enforcement team approached each boat to see anybody was aboard, and those with occupants were told to move.
The others were left with tags that said they had to be moved. Authorities were checking on the background information of each vessel to see if any of them had been stolen.
None turned out to have been stolen, but some were towed because their registration had expired, police said.
Police did not announce any arrests. It was unclear how long Thursday’s operation would continue.