Forbes Island

[1] Forbes Island began as a houseboat 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[2] and built it between 1975 and 1980 using portholes from old vessels, seascape paintings, and a lathe to secure the wooden paneling and pillars.

A 1987 article in Islands Magazine noted that Kiddoo had intended to sell the houseboat,[2] but it was not until 1991 that the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission forced him out of Sausalito,[3] due to building regulations[vague].

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.

[5] 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.

Forbes Island in San Francisco
San Francisco from Forbes Island in March 2016