Forbes Island

Forbes Island began as a residence on December 23, 1980, anchored offshore in Richardson Bay near Sausalito in Marin County, California. It was created by Forbes Thor Kiddoo, who invested $800,000 in the floating dwelling,[1] and built it between 1975 and 1980, using portholes from old vessels, seascape paintings and a lathe to secure the wooden paneling and pillars.[2] It had 15 rooms, three state rooms, a 600 square foot salon with "fine woods, mirrors, brass, Persian rugs, a fireplace, chess table, grand piano and English pipe organ" and its own wine cellar. By the late 1980s, Sausalito residents started to complain that the dwelling was illegally moored. A 1987 article in Islands Magazine noted that Kiddoo had intended selling the houseboat,[1] but it wasn't until 1991 that the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission forced him out of Sausalito,[2] due to building regulations.[3]

After being evicted, Kiddoo applied to moor his barge in Half Moon Bay, but was rejected. He anchored it for five years in Antioch, California and spent time remodelling it, before he was given a 15-year renewable lease in San Francisco.[2] The island dwelling was relocated and reopened as the Forbes Island restaurant between Pier 39 and Pier 41 in Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco in 1999. The only "floating island" restaurant in the Bay Area, it measured 50 by 100 feet, weighed 700 tons, and had its own palm trees, waterfall, fake fireplace, 55-step lighthouse with Fresnel lens, and Tahitian dining room.[2][4] The portalled dining room was underwater and decorated to resemble the interior of sailing ship from the early 19th century. The restaurant had its own wine cellar, which was once a venue for a Tony Bennett concert, and the restaurant also has a boudoir for women.[2]

San Francisco from Forbes Island in March 2016

In 2016 the Island underwent renovation and repair work. On April 5 a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat towed the island to the BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair Yard at Pier 70, to commence a two-month restoration. It was later returned to location near Pier 39 and was scheduled to reopen on June 15.[5]

In August 2017, Forbes Island Restaurant closed down, with Forbes Kidoo retiring.[6]

In March 2018, the restaurant was moored far from its previous location, at the Holland Riverside Marina in Brentwood but was said to be for sale; it was unlikely to re-open as a restaurant.[7][8]

A 2010 report stated that the restaurant served calamari salad, flatiron steak with mustard-cognac sauce, herb-baked lamb and other dishes.[4] The San Francisco Chronicle wrote of the dining experience: "Warmed by a faux fire, diners feast on filet mignon, mushroom risotto and sea bass while chandeliers sway with the ocean surge beneath them. Fish swim by portholes and Satchmo plays on the sound system."[2] The 2016 menu included steak, salmon, ribs, chicken and risotto.[9]