How much balls do you need on the West Coast?

[alctel]

I sail around the juan de fuca all the time and went down the west coast of VI last year, and I am a bad sailor and a huge coward so you'd probably be fine. Just check the weather.

[ccwoodhead]

1) Very nice people everywhere + very mean people everywhere. Most are in between.
2) This will start a fight, but folks are generally nicer in the west (we are from the W, living on the E coast for last 15 years). Westerners (maybe not those from the major cities) generally say hi and wave back instead of glaring at you as if you are trying to sell them something, as they seem to in the NE and FL.
3) We visited many marinas around the bay area. SF was a bit more "high end." Oakland side, a lot more "earthy." If we ever move there we already know which marina we are going to: The one that calls themselves "drinkers with a boating problem." San Diego was generally friendly.
4) Check liveaboard laws. CA only allows 10% of any marina to be live aboard, although many are doing it without confessing. Get your name on the harbormasters wait list. If you are nice, you may move up faster on the list.

Best wishes and good luck.

[mickelsen]

Outstanding cruising throughout the region with the various opportunities ranging from the dryer and at times more gentle as the previous post outlined. As to the danger in the waters north of Point Conception dangerous for those who are willing to chance the weather no matter what. I have a good forty years up and down the coast racing, cruising or delivering boats I have sold or working for a client to move their boats. I also have raced in Victoria/Maui and three TransPacks as well as experience in Mexico and the stellar San Juan Islands. Truly it is the best from many perspectives. The U.S. San Juan islands are spectacular yet you must watch your weather and as necessary be willing to wait out heavy weather in any of a number of ports. For example at one time or another I have had to sit back a week or more and in one period I left the boat in a secure marina and returned to Seattle until the weather backed off and granted fair seas. On the west coast from Panama to Victoria, B.C. I have seen it all and believe you will have the opportunity to enjoy it all with a good boat (lead ballast, mast stepped on the keel and not a handy trans verse stringer, spade rudder, I could go on but you get the idea). NOAA weather modeling is very good as is The Ocean Prediction Centers modeling. Generally the wind will blow in the afternoon be you at Santa Barbara Island or heading to the very beautiful Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and then into the Canadian San Juan Islands. I have seen the better times to transit show up with high pressure and the wind lay down by mid night. If the wind continues to blow through the night stay where you are. For me if the wind will back off to zero to almost nothing during the night say after midnight I have a good chance of light to moderate to run on during the next day or two. Get a no kidding radar for during the night particularly we have fishing boats of all kinds working with some of them one operator who I called on the VHF respond to have lines down and off to bed for the night. As you go north you will encounter "bars" at the entrance of channels and ALWAYS cross them with a flood tide. So, good boat, watch your weather and pickup some of the very good cruising guides. All the best, Peter

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Shrew

None. Women sail all the time. Incidentally, welcome to the 21st century. This language displays ignorance and insensitivity.

"I've got big balls, he's got big balls, but she's got the biggest balls of them all!" ACDC

I once knew a woman who greeted everyone "How's it hangin'?" Ha ha!

I have nothing to give for the ops question. Sorry for the thread drift!

[boatman61]

Wot a Load off Bollocks.. there's some sad folk about..
68 going on 12..

[Cheechako]

There is lots of "west coast". However, much of the West Coast has little protected cruising area.... although the PNW in Washington has a lot. But southern cal you are just going ocean sailing with few destinations compared with the SF Delta or PNW.

[buzzstar]

While the west coast of what remains a question, the answers applicable to the US have been quite accurate. As a SoCal boy I can say the Point Conception divide is often correct, and south of that there is typically plenty of warning if anything is headed our way from any direction, be it wind, waves, or rain. I am far more limited to the north, but have been there many times. Fogs are more frequent, and as said by others, shelters from bad weather are fewer. This is a bit esoteric and even of something less than thin, but since I have been bouncing about for a long time on the water, albeit not continuously, it is my perception that the climate, al least for sailing, has become somewhat more mild on and fairly far offshore from the California coast, at least south of Cape Mendocino, and somewhat worse not of there all the way up to the San Juan Islands. I am fully prepared to accept disagreement without argument since his is based on a personal perception, not actual data. What I am trying to say is that some of the information you may find is based on older, rather than current, perceptions.

[1Sunseeker]

Well since you did not say where on the West Coast nor what you were sailing I would suggest you stay right where you are. I have sailed from Long Beach CA, thru San Francisco Bay up to and around Vancouver Island, BC and still love it. I do not have any reason to ever leave. The water is cold so swimming will probably cause you discomfort and tuck those balls right up. How ever in Desolation Sound there are spots in the salt water that gets warm enough to enjoy the water. There are lakes and rivers and Shaman pools warm enough to wash your body and hair. But be careful you might find a warm/hot spring to bath in. The sailing in the summer is probably what you guys down there are used to. I have heard anything more than a ripple and you all head for shelter. So you probably won't make it here. You would have to learn to appreciate wilderness, learn to take a sun/shower on the deck or maybe under a waterfall with few if any other boats in the anchorage, you would have to like clams, mussels, salmon, bottom fish. You would see quaint Native American villages still in use. Discover and photograph their ancient petroglyphs on the rock walls. you would find cedar trees in old growth forest partially stripped of bark used to build their canoes. You would have to sit on your boat while taps was played at Roach Harbor every evening in one of the most beautiful settings ever and then hike up a small dock and hill to a five star restaurant for dinner. You would see Quaint churches and historic pubs You would hear tales and see evidence of old sourdough gold prospectors, remnants of hand logged cedar trees 10-15 feet in dia. You would quake at the odd wolf howl, fear the black bear, deer, elk and maybe a cougar. On your boat you would creep into a pristine fjord to see and hear the history of Princess Louisa falls. While above the falls see Mountain Goats clinging to sheer rock walls, Did I mention the berries? Wild strawberries, black and blue berries, salmon berries you would learn to bake pies and cobblers from the apples/peaches in forgotten orchards. You would have to learn what mushrooms and native plants are edible and which cure aches and pains, the sting of nettles. But better be carful because Sasquatch still walks these forests. Ask any of the hermit's that still live in hidden bay's with his/her orchards, gardens and goats. Yeah you better stay down there where you are protected and can run to your friends when the wind blows. JMHO of course.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by 1Sunseeker

Well since you did not say where on the West Coast nor what you were sailing I would suggest you stay right where you are. I have sailed from Long Beach CA, thru San Francisco Bay up to and around Vancouver Island, BC and still love it. I do not have any reason to ever leave. The water is cold so swimming will probably cause you discomfort and tuck those balls right up. How ever in Desolation Sound there are spots in the salt water that gets warm enough to enjoy the water. There are lakes and rivers and Shaman pools warm enough to wash your body and hair. But be careful you might find a warm/hot spring to bath in. The sailing in the summer is probably what you guys down there are used to. I have heard anything more than a ripple and you all head for shelter. So you probably won't make it here. You would have to learn to appreciate wilderness, learn to take a sun/shower on the deck or maybe under a waterfall with few if any other boats in the anchorage, you would have to like clams, mussels, salmon, bottom fish. You would see quaint Native American villages still in use. Discover and photograph their ancient petroglyphs on the rock walls. you would find cedar trees in old growth forest partially stripped of bark used to build their canoes. You would have to sit on your boat while taps was played at Roach Harbor every evening in one of the most beautiful settings ever and then hike up a small dock and hill to a five star restaurant for dinner. You would see Quaint churches and historic pubs You would hear tales and see evidence of old sourdough gold prospectors, remnants of hand logged cedar trees 10-15 feet in dia. You would quake at the odd wolf howl, fear the black bear, deer, elk and maybe a cougar. On your boat you would creep into a pristine fjord to see and hear the history of Princess Louisa falls. While above the falls see Mountain Goats clinging to sheer rock walls, Did I mention the berries? Wild strawberries, black and blue berries, salmon berries you would learn to bake pies and cobblers from the apples/peaches in forgotten orchards. You would have to learn what mushrooms and native plants are edible and which cure aches and pains, the sting of nettles. But better be carful because Sasquatch still walks these forests. Ask any of the hermit's that still live in hidden bay's with his/her orchards, gardens and goats. Yeah you better stay down there where you are protected and can run to your friends when the wind blows. JMHO of course.

Much fact, and more BS, but all true.You are better moving there than to SoCal where we have too many people anyway.

[tuffr2]

Get use to cold water. When I retired I researched places to live and wanted mostly warmer water. Florida won out over Calif. easy. Not sure if you can get into the water with a wetsuit, even in the summer.

[Chuck Hawley]

I grew up sailing between San Francisco and San Diego, and later to Cabo San Lucas. Your perspective will change as you travel further north along the California and Oregon coasts. Here are my observations:

1. There are long distances between all-weather harbors. You may get stuck between safe harbors if you don't watch the weather.
2. There are times in the summer when the Pacific High is strong, and it blows out of the NW for weeks. This makes it very hard to go north.
3. Pt. Conception and Pt. Arguello and Pt. Sur can make trips north very difficult.
4. The Channel Islands are gorgeous, and vary from touristy and crowded to virtually uninhabited. Great cruising.
5. Harbor hopping can get expensive. Many harbors don't offer areas to anchor our, or greatly restrict it, so you're stuck with a $50 transient dock fee.
6. You could spend a season on SF Bay, or SD Bay, or just knocking around the harbors around LA. These are large areas with lots to do.

Chuck

[matauwhi]

You need a good set, Mate!!. San Diego all the way up to Cape Scott on the north end of Vancouver Island and back in '98. Lived to tell the tale. Enjoyed the sleigh ride back after the bashing on the way north. A sound boat and decent planning & decision making helps. All the best. Cheers.

[cajucito]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

See, I avoid your area as much as possible, way too many people, I go for the West coast and Panhandle.
Weather is forecasted very well in my opinion, however there are Summer squalls, just a fact of life, but if Coastal, your usually have cell phone coverage, and I think your never out of VHF range of the USCG?
My opinion is the weather in the Gulf is more benign compared to a "real" ocean, others will disagree. You can of course get into trouble anywhere.

I took it to mean West coast of Fl?

By the way, your use of the word balls could be considered offensive and really doesn't add to the topic, maybe we can refrain from it in the future?

Sorry i cant comment on the cruising area as i have never cruised there but just having completed a 6 months cruise in my Beneteau 44cc from Cork in southern Ireland to the Caribbean island of Grenada a distance of 6500 nm including transatlantic i think im now duely qualified to talk about balls. Well my view is you just need em. And ladies and gentlemen im delighted to report that some of the female sailors i met on route have seemingly a lot more balls than some of the so called experienced male sailors i met. So when it comes to offshore sailing im afraid Balls are a must whether you approve of the word or not.

[Nikki S]

By the way, your use of the word balls could be considered offensive

... would that be a thing that all genders could find offensive, or is it not gender related, just that balls has connotations? As a member with basket balls upfront, as opposed to golf balls between the legs, I'm certainly not offended by "how much balls does it take?".

It depends on the boat and on my boat the answer is approx 4.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Get use to cold water. When I retired I researched places to live and wanted mostly warmer water. Florida won out over Calif. easy. Not sure if you can get into the water with a wetsuit, even in the summer.

Correct! Florida waters are definitely warmer! I can say this about California: In my youth, mid teens to early 20's and before and after, I would and could dive in scuba gear (no wet suit) to about 70 feet without turning blue from cold, although it was not necessarily comfortable. I also surfed without a wet suit, although I typically wore a white T shirt for both activities. The surfing was in the summer since wind made it seem much colder. I am now 73, and shiver at the thought of even going into the surf or snorkeling without a wetsuit. I think water temperatures are probably essentially unchanged, so it is my body that is the big factor.