SMA CAME IN CLOSE PROX OF CLOUD AND DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative

APCHING SFO FROM WOODSIDE VOR ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO LAND AT SFO; WX WAS 2500 FT SCATTERED; MOST (HVY) TFC WAS BEING BROUGHT IN OVER THE BAY FOR VISUALS TO RWY 28L/28R; MEANING OTHER TFC WAS APCHING FROM THE E OR NE. PRESUMABLY FOR SEPARATION; I WAS VECTORED IN FROM THE SE. THIS WAS MY FIRST LNDG AT SFO AND BAY APCH WAS ADVISED THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. PLTS APCHING FROM THE E OR NE WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE VISUAL APCHS. THERE WAS A CLOUD BANK FROM 2000-4000 FT S AND SSE OF THE ARPT; AND I WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH VISUAL CONTACT WITH SFO WHEN APCHING FROM THE SE. I ADVISED THE CTLR OF THE CLOUD SIT; BUT WE DID NOT COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY AS HE VECTORED ME FOR I BELIEVE 3 FAILED VISUAL APCHS FROM THE SE. ON THE FOURTH APCH I WAS BROUGHT IN FROM THE E; AND ALLOWED TO DSND TO 2000 FT ON FINAL; WHICH FINALLY GAVE ME A GOOD VISUAL. DURING ALL THE VECTORING AND ORBITING ABOUT; 2 VIOLATIONS MAY(?) HAVE HAPPENED. 1) I WAS VECTORED INTO SITS THAT WERE BELOW CLOUD CLRNC MINIMUMS DURING VISUAL OPS; AND 2) WHILE TRYING TO STAY VISUAL IN THE TFC MIX; I THINK I VIOLATED AN ALT ASSIGNMENT ON 1 APCH. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIRECT WITH THE CTLR; AND JUST TOLD HIM THAT APCHS FROM THE SE WERE NO GOOD. INSTEAD; I TOLD HIM OF CLOUDS AND SUCH; BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS. ACTUALLY IT WAS PRETTY BUSY AND I THOUGHT ALSO ABOUT JUST KEEPING THE FREQ CLR AND LETTING HIM WORK OUT HIS TFC FLOW IN HIS OWN WAY; WHICH EVENTUALLY HE DID; FINDING A WAY TO BRING ME IN FROM THE E WHERE I WAS AROUND AND BELOW THE CLOUD BANK THAT WAS GIVING THE CTLR AND ME ALL THE PROBS.