SoCal: Moving boat from Marina Del Rey to Oxnard

[regex]

Hey folks,

Just bought a new sailboat in M.D.R. and have until the end of Feb. to move her to her new slip in Oxnard.

I have been doing a bit of route planning and obviously will wait for better weather (it has been raining like crazy here) but has anyone done this transit in the winter months? I know I am beating the whole way so I am trying to figure out the best plan.

A couple of options:

1. Leave 0-dark thirty (first light) and motor-sail hard and try and make it between sunset/sunrise.
2. Leave in the afternoon to catch the stronger winds and get a few crew to help me pull an all-nighter (shift work) and bring her in first light (day 2).
3. Leave mid-morning and try and drop a hook south of Pt. Dume (paradise cove) and make it a 2-day trip.

Lots of pros/cons to each but she is new to me and I don't want to take undue risks (for instance, dropping a hook in SoCal can be sketchy particularly on a new boat and I am concerned with a leeshore this time of year).

Any advice? Other options?

[Tayana42]

What boat are you sailing? How reliable is the engine? What is you expecting for cruising speed? How much experience do you and your crew have?

In my boat, a very sturdy 42 footer, I would plan on 5 nautical miles per hour.

This time of year the weather will be the most important factor. And of course it can be changeable so a good weather window can close sooner than it was supposed to. Even nice sunny days can have cold nights.

I would pick a good weather window, take a crew member who can stand watch, leave early and motor sail straight through while you have favorable weather. You should have no trouble doing this in one day if you can average 5 knots or more. Keep Paradise Cove for a possible bailout if you need to stop but you are correct it is an open road stead and not protected from southern winds or swells.

Passageweather.com is a good resource. So is Charlie’s Charts. Of course, dress warm, have good foul weather gear take lots of photos and enjoy your adventure.

[Don C L]

Certainly doable. Look at the weather we had a week ago. The whole way it was flat, glassy, and with the offshore (warm) breeze it would have been great. Sure it’s cold and rainy now, but next week things could be fine. Kinda typical for SoCal in winter, it’s either stormy or flat. I’d leave in the dark, and get up to Paradise cove for breakfast and you’ll be in CI for dinner, motoring, unless you have a breeze. Wait for the swells to settle down too. Right now the forecast for Thursday looks good, wind is calm and swell is down. Are you ready to go?

[regex]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

What boat are you sailing? How reliable is the engine? What is you expecting for cruising speed? How much experience do you and your crew have?

Passageweather.com is a good resource. So is Charlie’s Charts. Of course, dress warm, have good foul weather gear take lots of photos and enjoy your adventure.

We are sailing a 40' Beneteau. The engine better be damn reliable! I just had the survey and it only has 550 hours and got a clean bill of health (including oil samples). From what I read I am going to est. 5 an hour but we shall see. I have been sailing for over a decade and have 2 other experienced sailors with me.

I am using predictwind.com but I will check out your resources as well, thanks!. Ya, I think the plan is to do just that, start early and motor all the way if necessary. If we start falling behind schedule we will make the call around Pt. Dume whether to drop a hook.

Plan C will be to just stay out overnight if we get close but don't feel comfortable taking her in at dusk (low light, low visibility). Probably much safer than trying to push it in a new harbor/marina with little familiarity of the area.

[Don C L]

Oh, with that boat you’ll be in for a late lunch. Toppers pizza is pretty good.

[Don C L]

I would not opt for anchoring. If something seizes up call for BoatUS tow boat to get you and take you up to C I. Are you a member? If not, it’s worth it.

Edit, Friday is looking ok too for now. I have noaa marine weather app, windyty app, outcast app and WeatherMap app and I just compare them all to see where they agree. Windyty and weathermap have been reliable for me.

It’s going to be a bit chilly, pack a few thermoses of hot cocoa. Got a dodger?

[regex]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I’d leave in the dark, and get up to Paradise cove for breakfast and you’ll be in CI for dinner, motoring, unless you have a breeze. Wait for the swells to settle down too. Right now the forecast for Thursday looks good, wind is calm and swell is down. Are you ready to go?

Not quite, next week will be the earliest and I may even put the boat in The Boat Yard for a new coat since I already paid the haul out and they give you a 90 day "free haulout" after that. So... long story short, late next week or the last week of the month.

You know sailors, just trying to do my homework well in advance and talking to salty folks with experience so I don't get caught unawares.

[regex]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Oh, with that boat you’ll be in for a late lunch. Toppers pizza is pretty good.

Haha.. you made my day Don. Ya, probably being a bit paranoid but you what they say about an ounce of prevention...

[regex]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I would not opt for anchoring. If something seizes up call for BoatUS tow boat to get you and take you up to C I. Are you a member? If not, it’s worth it.

Edit, Friday is looking ok too for now. I have noaa marine weather app, windyty app, outcast app and WeatherMap app and I just compare them all to see where they agree. Windyty and weathermap have been reliable for me.

It’s going to be a bit chilly, pack a few thermoses of hot cocoa. Got a dodger?

Yes on the dodger and roger that on the hot drinks (coffee for me). I have a couple of weeks left but thanks for the app info. Yes, I am a BoatUS member.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by regex

Haha.. you made my day Don. Ya, probably being a bit paranoid but you what they say about an ounce of prevention...

Oh yeah, I am definitely with you on being prepared! If you get a window like we appear to have this Thursday and Friday, (and you most likely will get another one) I would feel confident the trip can be a very enjoyable one. Hope to see you around one of these days and out at the islands this summer!

[Cpt Mark]

That should be an easy trip. The boat is new to you, you've had the engine surveyed and you trust it? Hmm, disagree with that thought process. You trust your engine, equipment, anchoring system etc after you have used them in real life. I had both engines on my cat surveyed. Some minor problems noted. They ran great..... until I actually wanted to leave SF Bay Area for Portland Oregon at the wrong time of year. Both engines had an issue unrelated to the other one and since it wasn't a constant, diagnosis was very difficult. I had one mechanic tell me to call a priest to get an exorcism as I had done everything I could do. Eventually after many weeks I figured out the solution.

As a licensed CG Captain I used to deliver yachts up and down the West Coast of the U.S. One of the many requirements was that the boat had to have Vessel Assist, Sea Tow insurance. This normally takes 24 hours to take effect so get it now. Make sure you have spare fuel filters and know how to change them and bleed the engine.

Oxnard. Had a buddy who had a boat there and had a family boat there for many many years. He wanted to go out at night so we went. On the way back he got confused as there is another marina just to the south. I let him get close and then corrected him on our position. They are close enough that it is easy to do.

[Tayana42]

Regex, let us know how the trip goes for you. You will enjoy Channel Islands/ Oxnard as a home port. Nice place and good access to the Islands, Santa Barbara etc.

[Valmika]

Another Captain here and agree with Captain Mark. You probably did this on the sea trial but I would go for about an hour or so motor to really put the engine through it's paces. Check, oil, coolant, and everything before and then recheck when you get back after it cools down just to make sure your not loosing anything. If that goes well you can pick your window and head up. You may even want to head out at about midnight or so as there will be less wind and you will round Pt Dume at sunrise. Once you make the turn it should still be flat for a few hours. If not bear off and sail comfortably. It may be longer but Beneteaus really pound in close big swells. Sometimes predict wind has not been very accurate in this area but I use it anyway as it seems the best. Let me know when you want to go. My partner lives north of Pt Dume at Broad Beach so I always get an eyes on report before I go up there.

[gulfcoastsailor]

Boat new to you. You don’t mention experience. To me that adds up easy. Hire a local delivery skipper with referrals. Write it off as a good shake down cruise.

[canyonbat]

Our Beneteau 40 will do 7 knots all day long in flat water. If it gets chippy, 5 is pretty easy but she will pound. I would recommend changing the fuel filters before you go and carry spares. This way, you know you are starting with clean filters and you know how to change them and bleed the system.