West Coast US Anchorages

[SayGudday]

What's your website address, mate?

Originally Posted by S/V Elusive

Cheers Adam, and welcome aboard. Having sailed up and down most of the CA coast, I might suggest that you take a quick look at my web site.

[Capt.Fred]

All the aforementioned descriptions of the West Coast sailing area and anchorages were very comprehensive and still exciting. However they brought back the terrible memories of sailing and surviving on the West Coast. Please folks help me Californicate the Gulf coast of the USA. I sailed here in '83 and am still mesmerized by the comfort and beauty of this area. I'm talking about the Florida Pan Handle, the 50 +/- miles of beach front of Alabama and hundreds of miles of inland deep white sandy bays and bayous. The sand is squeaky white quartz from the Appalachian chain. All the waterways are like big baby cribs with no hazards. We have no rocks. Perdido bay that separates Florida from Alabama is a sailors dream as is the many bays and bayous on the Intracoastal Canal. The sea food and free anchorages abound if you have local knowledge.
The marine Police, who were just twinkles in their granddaddy’s eyes when I started sailing, are now full grown and complying blindly to constant new regs. Which are still, BTW 0ne onehundedth of your regs on the West Coast But they have always been fair and cordial to me. I recall 1 instance when a USCG boat came up behind me and Said “prepare to be boarded” and I replied “You’re not coming aboard with those clodhoppers on” “OK can you please pass us your registration” Now I ask, is that an unreasonable governmental entity?
Every afternoon a cool off shore breeze picks up and you are comfy in sailor’s heaven all year round. Even in the Winter you are warmer than August in San Francisco and Tropical Mexico and Central America is just a jaunt a cross a pond.
Remember I told you…Old Capt.Fred still sailing with one hand trailing in the warm water while talking to the dolphins in tiny deep undeveloped bayous.
Capt.Fred

[jeremiason]

SAN FRANCISCO BAY ANCHORAGES

The SF Bay does not have very many protected anchorages... The ones we have used are:

Richardson's Bay (Sausalito) - Free
The Marinetime Museum Hafrbor (SF) - Free
Angel Island - $30 per night high season and $20 per night low season
Treasure Island - No fees but regulated by the Harbor Master
China Camp (San Rafael) - No Fees

There is a great San Francisco Bay Guide Book available at most marine store and Amazon, which provides information about the entire Bay Area's ports and anchorages.

If you are in the area during Summer, don't miss the Sacramento Delta with hundreds of miles of waterways all the way up to both Sacramento and Stockton. It is fresh water, warm and sunny most of the summer.

[SayGudday]

Gudday! I was inspired by this thread to create an index of the free anchorages along the California coast. So far I have 37 individual anchorages listed and I know there are more so if you know of any I missed, please feel free to tell me and I'll get it added. It still needs a lot of work and there's a Google map that goes along with it that I haven't quite finished yet but will very soon. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think. Hopefully it proves to be a valuable tool for other boaters, I certainly learned a lot creating the list. Click HERE to see the list.

[hellosailor]

If those are formally designated anchorages they may already be listed in the Coast Pilot. Or are they just places where no one will bother you if you drop the hook?

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

If those are formally designated anchorages they may already be listed in the Coast Pilot. Or are they just places where no one will bother you if you drop the hook?

Both, I believe. The list is compiled from a combination of Coat Pilot, a lot of contributors from this great forum, personal experience and talking to local old salts. It started as a project for me because I wanted one resource where I could both visually see where the anchorages were and be able to access the charts with a simple click. I think it'll be a valuable tool in helping to plan routes. When I came down the coast north to south I didn't know about half of these places and it sure would have been handy to have them up my sleeve.

[Jim Cate]

FWIW,

We sailed from California a long time ago, so I may be out of date. However, I do not remember any free anchorage in Santa Cruz harbour. It is a sort of constricted river-mouth marina with scant space to maneuver inside let alone anchor.

I'm too far away to check it out now!

Cheers,

Jim

[sailorchic34]

I would included Paradise cove on the east side of Tuburon in the SF bay. About .7 miles north after raccoon straits.

Richardson bay gets a bit rolly with all the ferry and boat traffic. Its constant from 6:30 am to 9 pm with a ferry coming or going every 15 minutes or so. Plus its noisy too. But WM and grocery's, propane, fuel are available there.

Paradise cove has a few ferrys passing by from larkspur and vallejo, but FAR less then Sausalito. Its pretty protected from the south, to northwest, open to the east. Peaceful. Plus just around the corner from Richardson bay

China camp is nice, but can be a bit bouncy with chop from the SE or N. Plus it has a pretty high current.

Holding is good at pretty much all central bay locations in mud.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

FWIW,

We sailed from California a long time ago, so I may be out of date. However, I do not remember any free anchorage in Santa Cruz harbour. It is a sort of constricted river-mouth marina with scant space to maneuver inside let alone anchor.

I'm too far away to check it out now!

Cheers,

Jim

Your right about the harbour.

The free anchorage is north of the santa cruz pier, More a roadstead, but protected from prevailing nw winds by the bluff, Wide open to the west and south

[markpierce]

My impression (have limited direct knowledge) is there are nearly an infinite number of anchorages in the California Delta (NE of San Francisco) within its hundreds of miles of waterways.

[Capt.Fred]

Did anyone mention Ano Nuevo Bay @ 37deg 06' 53.05 N about 10 miles North of Santa Cruz? Good anchorage overnight when slugging north to San Francisco. Also, it is a good feeding ground for Great Whites. They have a choice of delicious Elephant Seal pups or errant single bites of polyurethane surfboards with neoprene coated surfers. Ugh!
Capt.Fred

[zeehag]

san diego requires boats to request permission to anchor in an up to 90 day only anchorage next to uscg. must go to police (municipal) docks and check in with them.
they will have you get an inspection by harbor police for alleged seaworthiness, and then may allow you to anchor in anchorage a-9, once known as cruisers anchorage.
a temporary mooring with san diego mooring co is approx 260 usd per mo0nth, and usually are some availabilities , unless you desire the double end mooring system used in commercial basin. the roadstead moorings are easier to get as temps.....call san diego mooring co , ask for vanessa, and good luck.
there is no anchoring in ensenada any more except during newport to ensenada race week.

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

FWIW,

We sailed from California a long time ago, so I may be out of date. However, I do not remember any free anchorage in Santa Cruz harbour. It is a sort of constricted river-mouth marina with scant space to maneuver inside let alone anchor.

I'm too far away to check it out now!

Cheers,

Jim

Gudday Jim. sailorchic34 is correct and, once I finish tweaking the Google map, it will show the proper location along wit the corresponding lat/long.

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I would included Paradise cove on the east side of Tuburon in the SF bay. About .7 miles north after raccoon straits.

Richardson bay gets a bit rolly with all the ferry and boat traffic. Its constant from 6:30 am to 9 pm with a ferry coming or going every 15 minutes or so. Plus its noisy too. But WM and grocery's, propane, fuel are available there.

Paradise cove has a few ferrys passing by from larkspur and vallejo, but FAR less then Sausalito. Its pretty protected from the south, to northwest, open to the east. Peaceful. Plus just around the corner from Richardson bay

China camp is nice, but can be a bit bouncy with chop from the SE or N. Plus it has a pretty high current.

Holding is good at pretty much all central bay locations in mud.

Gudday sailorchic34, thanks for the additions. I am quite familiar with the...fun side of CHina Camp. Had quite the experience there myself on my first solo sail. If you enjoy other people's misery click here!

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by markpierce

My impression (have limited direct knowledge) is there are nearly an infinite number of anchorages in the California Delta (NE of San Francisco) within its hundreds of miles of waterways.

Gudday markpierce, you're right there are a lot of anchorages there that haven't made the list yet. Same with the Channel Islands. I will definitely add them but, since the original purpose of the thread was getting down the coast, I wanted to list those first.