It took BayviewHunters Point resident Jason Dewes one year to the day to get up his nerve to take one of the free rowboat rides at India Basin Waterfront Park. But when the most ambitious San Francisco park project in modern history opened on Oct. 19, 2024, his son Paxton, 14, became enamored of the wooden boatbuilding course offered to kids in the community.
Paxton joined up, and his dad finally agreed to put on a life jacket and row around the cove with two staffers in the boat, along with the shop dog, Yuki, also in her jacket.
“I don’t do boats so I was a little nervous, but it was time to get out there,” Dewes, 38, said once back on the dock, with Paxton gleaming at his side. “This has helped him grow and to get hand-on involvement. It has built his confidence.”…