West Coast Boating....

I used to think that area couldn't be beat until I went a little further north

Stunning!! We have talked about moving to the Vancouver/West Coast area and cruise the BC coast. What a beautiful area.
 
Trip report Saturday Feb 7 Destinations: San Pedro
Departed MDR at 10:30 with almost no wind, swells at 4-6 ft at 11 seconds. Great conditions. Very little boat traffic.
saw a pod of dolphins near Redondo beach, and our first (of 5) whale breach while rounding Palos Verdes. Second and third whale breaches between Point Vicente and Portugese Point. Lots of crab pots! Too many, too close, but no problems navigating.
arrived at Port los Angeles at approx 1230 and docked at free public docks at the downtown Marina (just before USS IOWA Battleship)

had lunch and beers at San pedro brewing, wandered through port o calls shops and marveled at the San Pedro Fish Market restaurant and others, and their pitchers of beer, and trays of shrimp, crab etc. next time we eat there!

departed San Pedro 15:00 (approx) and arrived at MDR slip at 16:35 ( approx) making better time due to less site seeing.
en route back, saw 2 more whale breaches, one directly ahead of route about 150 yards! Awesome!
windswell was a little rougher before Santa Monica bay due to S wind adding 1-2 ft swell (my estimate) but still great conditions. Arrived at MDR to light rain.

All in in all a great day!

chris
 
Btw, if you haven't read it..I recommend the cruising guide to central and southern California by Brian Fagan


Cheers!

chris

Chris; thanks for your suggestion on the Fagan book. I've been looking for a resource like this for a little while - Just ordered it on Amazon and looking forward to giving it a read!
 
Chris; thanks for your suggestion on the Fagan book. I've been looking for a resource like this for a little while - Just ordered it on Amazon and looking forward to giving it a read!

started reading it recently...excellent. It's mostly from a sailboat perspective but very informative including the history of the Cal coast all the way back the Indian tribes who were here well before us.
 
Late to the thread, but having boated here for the last 4 years or so and having family who boat in Palm Beach, FL, the two areas could not be more different. Our persistent NW swell typically means unless you harbor hop or go somewhere off shore like Catalina with a protected SE facing harbor, you do not have anywhere tranquil enough to just anchor out before everyone on board will get green from the constant swell. If you don't mind the constant underway thing, harbor cruises and a cruise of the coastline south of Newport Beach are quite appealing, there is just nowhere to really stop and relax. Most of our relaxing is done at the dock.

Even in harbor, the few times I have tried to find a nice quiet spot to drop anchor and grill we have been bounced around by rude boaters passing said anchorage, I am speaking of the Long Beach harbor islands like Island White. Eventually we gave up trying to do this, its just nicer to grill back at the dock. One thing we do like is heading over to Alamitos Bay and docking at Marina Pacifica for lunch at Tantalum. Newport is a great long weekend harbor especially if you have a nice dingy to tool around the harbor in, and summertime in Newport is one endless party, worth doing on occasion if you like that.
 
Bigger powerboat and sailboat owners mostly do Mexico, especially if you are San Diego home ported. Some people will anchor out in the channel islands too. I have never been south of Dana Point, its a long trip in a boat like mine. If I had a 50-60 foot trawler I bet I would do trips like that, not in a 35 foot cruiser with a 150 mile useful range. We do kind of draw the short stick when it comes to boating in So Cal, I agree with Mr. Fletcher, in that so many of our boats are absentee owned, I am a perfect example, putting 100 hours on my boat in 4 years. I think the cost of living here has something to do with it, I work so much to afford my toys I hardly have any time left to enjoy them.
 

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