Best year-round sailing in the USA?

[oleman]

San Diego has by far the best weather in the USA.
But it is basically crowded for small boats.
You do have very nice sailing down off the coast of Mexico AND Hawaii is doable.
San Francisco is TOO cool for me on the water year round, I had just as soon be in the Seattle area, little cheaper and there is enough sailing for all comers.
The Texas gulf coast is very inexpensive out of the major cities BUT you are stuck in the gulf of Mexico. The inland waterway gives easy small boat passage along most of the coast to New Orleans. Corpus Christie is about like Miami year round.
Pensacola FL on the west side is a little cooler summers then Corpus and cheaper than most areas with good clear water access.
I only did drag-behind boating in these areas, so not aware of harbor fees.
Texas is probably the cheapest state to license a vessel.

[bvisailing32]

lots of good replies....

All I can help you with is how I did it. And it was plenty of sailing, most of the year. But, we had winter weather as well, but nothing like snow, sleet , hail, etc.

My sailing began 35 or more years ago, when I joined the Newport Sailing Club at Newport Beach, Ca. This was long before ASA was a glimmer. We had around 42 hours of lessons. Basic, Intermediate , Advanced, written tests, and check outs and systems classes as you worked your way up with experience to vessels from 25 on up to 55 ft in length.

In order to pass a check out, you had to sail the vessel single handed, and dock it under sail. For a Catalina certification, you had to go on a training flotilla, three days to the island.

Also, we had other islands and harbors to sail to , out of newport bay. And, I mean sail.

Newport, Dana Point, Oceanside, San Diego, Catalina, Santa Barbara Island, the Channel Islands, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa. Channel Islands Harbor, Los Angeles Harbor, Los Alimitos, Long Beach, etc

We also had international sailing trips sailing the Bahamas, BVI, French West Indies, Windwards and Grenadines, Tahiti, and Tonga.

Weather ranged from sunny days with the prevailing westerlies, to storms and rough weather, rain, strong winds, big seas, santa and winds, and fog.

The other great thing about a good sailing club is that they have a quality inventory of many different makes of vessels ranging from 27 on up to 55 footers or more. This gives you experience on many different types of boats and rigging.

The coastal sailing and passages to the off shore islands, and many different harbors all allowed the members to gain a wide knowledge of sailing and seamanship.

Actually, I wound up working for them for about 25 years and was on my fifth issue of my U.S.C..G captains license, which had to be renewed every 5 years. Started at 100 tons, and the 5th issue 500 tons.

Point being, I fell in love with sailing, and the ocean and the adventures and the seamanship .

Plus , we were able to sail most all year long, and that made for more experience.
But, not just sailing for fun, but teaching lessons, skippering charters, doing deliveries from Cabo , Mexico up to L.A. Harbor, and leading flotillas. Plus non revenue sailing as well.

All of that was accomplished due to beginning my sailing lessons at the Sailing Club.

Others have gained experience in totally different ways, and that is great. However you can accomplish your goal, do what feels good to you.

San Diego is a good idea, with Mexico to the south, and the coast of calif to the north, but, with the prevailing westerlies , going north, up to catalna, or along the coast, you are going to be bashing very long distances into the wind and seas.

As to the newport sailing club, they are no longer around, the long time owner sold the biz many years ago. There are other quality sailing clubs, Marina is one, and has several bases, and are ASA cert. , I believe. Usually good boats, and newer boats.

Maintain your quest.

[flyingfin]

Cheseapeake Bay, hands down. Fairly mild winters and plenty of shores and harbors to explore. Jobs everywhere, reasonable dockage rates and plenty of fellow sailors to meet. CA marinas contain nothing but wealthy boat owners whose vessels are nailed to the dock

[Jim Cate]

CA marinas contain nothing but wealthy boat owners whose vessels are nailed to the dock

It's obvious that a lot of CA boat owners have nail pullers, for the crowds sailing about every weekend show that many boats manage to free themselves from those docks. I guess all those pesky mountains in between SF and the Chessie keep you from seeing them...

Jim

[Mikado]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

San Francisco.

San Francisco is a "world class" sailing city. Reasons?

Wind (SF is the windiest city in the USA in the summer), tides, currents, fog, ship traffic, thousands of boats, thousands of experienced sailors, active racing, yacht clubs and sailing clubs, excellent sailing school (Club Nautique), beautiful scenery, wonderful bay sailing, Pacific Ocean just outside the Golden Gate, beautiful coastline, Mediterranean climate with cool summer temperature (70 degrees in SF day after day), mild winter temperatures (no snow, no extreme cold), no extreme heat, excellent restaurants, many things to do, etc.

I lived there for 8 years and enjoyed sailing there because of the above. The experience was wonderful and so different from typical lake sailing.

I highly recommend it if you want to sail and grow as a sailor (learning), because of the challenging conditions during the summer (wind can be 20-30 knots on some parts of the bay, day after day), and the many opportunities to see or participate in sailing activities (regattas, races, etc.).

There is a "rainy season" in the winter months, and it can rain a lot then (December - January). But, overall the climate is wonderful and the cool summer days in the SF area (near the water) are very nice, like "outside air conditioning" with 70 degrees (or less) days. Very pleasant. Then you can drive a few miles away and feel heat (hot sunny areas).

The downside?
It is expensive to live there.

SF Bay with no close 2nd for day sailing, club races, etc and out of the bay take a weekend trip south to Monterey Bay or north to Mendocino.

I would look for a house on Alameda. Cute island community very different from SF with much more affordable housing. 20 minutes up the estuary and you are in the bay. Slips on the Oakland and Alameda side are around $10.00/ft

[Spindrift NH]

Charleston, SC

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by Dartanyon

I can't believe we've gotten to page 2 of replys and no one has mentioned Seattle or Vancouver BC!

I certainly vote Puget Sound. Sailing all year, racing too. Can be hugely expensive if you want to live in the city, but head west to the Peninsula, and it gets very affordable. Just to the north we have some of the most famed cruising grounds on the planet, great for weekend jaunts or multi week trips (since you're not in cruising mode yet). The anchorages are all nearly empty in the winter months. Sure it's a bit damp in the winter, but there is wind and it will make you appreciate the sub-tropics all that much more when you get there. Not to mention, people are just plain nice here.

My apologies! I had thought they were included in the term I used, "Pacific Northwest." Now I know better. BTW, where is the PNW if it does not include Seattle, Vancouver, and Puget Sound? I need to learn. Does the distinction also mean the Santa Barbara, the Ventura area, and Los Angeles, not to mention points south are not a part of the term, "southern California?" Thanks.

BTW, to the OP: I do have a bone to pick with another poster who mentioned San Francisco and 70 degrees (F). Maybe, but in the winter only. Keep the old Mark Twain quote in mind. If you do not know it, do not believe anything that other other poster says, at least until you learn it. Aside from that, San Francisco may have the best combination of everything, except perhaps destinations, although they definitely exist, but not in real quantity or challenge.

[Stu Jackson]

I lived & boated in San Francisco from 1978 to 2016. I just moved to British Columbia. I have friends all over the world as secretary of our association.

Those who complain about the cold in SF summers completely miss the microclimate features that make The Bay such a wonderful place to sail. You go from the Slot to behind Angel Island and 30 knots to 5 knots, 60F to 80F. Choose your weather. As far as I know, there is NOWHERE like it in the entire world.

Not knocking the other suggestions, but winter sucks and so does hot, no wind, buggy summers. Doesn't happen in SF. PLUS you have the entire Delta to explore, summer or winter.

Having spent the past 11 months here (8 with the boat), we're still waiting for summer, I can appreciate the beauty (I have been visiting without my boat for the past 22 years!), the reality, as far as the OP was asking, is that the PNW or Southwest Canada is concerned, leaves both sailing and weather as a year round possibility far from that of SF.

I also lived in NYC from 1945 to 1975. I know the summer/fall/winter/spring drill.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Dartanyon

I can't believe we've gotten to page 2 of replys and no one has mentioned Seattle or Vancouver BC!

I certainly vote Puget Sound. Sailing all year, racing too. Can be hugely expensive if you want to live in the city, but head west to the Peninsula, and it gets very affordable. Just to the north we have some of the most famed cruising grounds on the planet, great for weekend jaunts or multi week trips (since you're not in cruising mode yet). The anchorages are all nearly empty in the winter months. Sure it's a bit damp in the winter, but there is wind and it will make you appreciate the sub-tropics all that much more when you get there. Not to mention, people are just plain nice here.

Not good sailing here light wind in summer and heavy rains in the winter. Only about 1500 miles of coastline with hundreds of bays and coves to spend the nights at anchor. Absolutely the worst area you could ever think to move to.


(Did I do good enough to discourage interlopers from our year round sailing)

[Jim Cate]

(Did I do good enough to discourage interlopers from our year round sailing)

sounds like a few "dry" months of motoring followed by lots of rain with possible sailing... if the mold hasn't gotten to your sails!

Great scenery, lots of gunkholing, but not year round great sailing IMO.

And remember, the OP wanted sailing opportunities, not particularly cruising destinations.

Jim

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

sounds like a few "dry" months of motoring followed by lots of rain with possible sailing... if the mold hasn't gotten to your sails!

Great scenery, lots of gunkholing, but not year round great sailing IMO.

And remember, the OP wanted sailing opportunities, not particularly cruising destinations.

Jim

Yep nobody would like it here .
Most marinas here have sailing clubs. There are races just about every week year round.

[thruska]

Originally Posted by schmidla

I currently live in Milwaukee, WI which has an awesome sailing center with plenty of classes, weekly racing, and club boats that members can use. This is great for the summer, but there is no sailing from approximately Nov - April here.

I'm still quite a newbie, but I learned how to sail an ensign so far and am comfortable as the skipper on that boat in up to 15 knots or so. Plus I can get out pretty frequently on that boat, at least a few times per week.

My long term goal is to eventually do some cruising. First maybe the caribbean, and then I'd like to sail something more ambitious like an ocean crossing or circumnavigate the globe. So I know both of these involve lots more time spent sailing, learning different boats, equipment, etc.

I have a nice salaried job that allows me to work remotely from pretty much anywhere in the US, so I'm thinking of spending the winter months somewhere like San Diego (always liked it there) or Charleston (have family there). The goal would be to allow myself to continue learning and prep for cruising and still keep my job and normal life etc.

Any pointers on what parts of the country would be most conducive to furthering my sailing knowledge and continue to gain experience required to eventually do some cruising?

Thanks!

I dont think anyone suggested the route out of the Great Lake Michigan !
Op said he wanted to end up cruising , heck start crising right out the poop chute of Chicago in fall and end up in great lakes following summer or take longer and do that the second summer. All kinds of conditions along the way thru intercoastals to hone your skills. Do those bahamas even ! Its the great loop with side trips man ! Check out ' once is not enough' and you still work from your boat, not ?

[topmast]

You realize that from Seattle north you need a heated wheel house and boating skills way beyond anything you can get by with in the lower 48. After I wandered Med to Asia I spent 40 years making my way to Alaska (several times) and certainly would dissuade any back easters from even considering coming west or north.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by topmast

You realize that from Seattle north you need a heated wheel house and boating skills way beyond anything you can get by with in the lower 48. After I wandered Med to Asia I spent 40 years making my way to Alaska (several times) and certainly would dissuade any back easters from even considering coming west or north.

Seattle all the way north to the san juans are becide great off season sailing destinations ( imho) this area is also washington state and part of the lower 48. Heated cabin does make winter sailing more comfortable for implants. ( they also need to purchase foul weather gear that us natives are issued at the hospital when we were born)

[tuffr2]

Not sure there is a place in the US to sail year round in comfort. Remember, it will get dark early in the winter months. Even in Florida, you only get 9 hours of daylight in Dec, Jan. The night gets chilly, it warms up starting at 10:00am and starts getting chilly again around 4:00pm. I do not like being on the boat when it gets cold.

You might try the Florida Keys as the is the best year round weather anywhere in the US.

Check the water temp in the winter in any areas you are thinking about.