San Diego Marinas

[CAELESTIS]

Yes, I ran the search. Some questions answered.

Harbor Island vs. Shelter Island? Any locals with some feedback?

[rebel heart]

Yeah, any questions in particular?

[CAELESTIS]

Crime problems? Draft constraints? Condition of the marina? Management of the marina? Fuel, and pumpout facilities? Jet/exhaust dirt at Harbor Island? What about boat washing-soap runoff etc?

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

Crime problems? Draft constraints? Condition of the marina? Management of the marina? Fuel, and pumpout facilities? Jet/exhaust dirt at Harbor Island? What about boat washing-soap runoff etc?

I'm at Sun Harbor Marina which I really like. Barring making a huge mess in the water, you can do pretty much anything in the slip although she probably won't say as much on the phone. We've had our boat here for about six years. Pumpout facilities are generally built into the docks with little caddies you borrow to plumb from your boat to the dock fitting. There are also several public docks with free pump out rigs as well.

All the marinas for the most part are in very nice shape, and you'll pay through the nose for it. Except for some places in the Med, these are the highest prices of anywhere I've seen in the world.

It's really clean up here as we're close to the mouth of the harbor and we get flushed twice a day from the tide. Farther south the slips are cheaper, the water dirtier, and the longer it takes to get out of the harbor.

The management is variable; depends on what you're looking for. Some people want a friendly and more intimate atmosphere, some people want things that are very by-the-book.

Draft constraints might be an issue at some of the slips closer to the shore but those are generally bought up already by the charter companies and yacht brokers since they are so visible. We draw about six feet and are in sitting in about 12' of water at low tide.

[Dakota450]

so what is around San Diego as far as sailing/exploring? Where do you go? How warm is the water? Is it a cruising area to explore or just an area for sailing? What I am getting at is I live in Portland Oregon. My wife likes the Caribbean which is a long way away. We have the San Juan's up North but it is cold up there most of the time. In the near future I would like to own a catamaran to go on trips with but it is really far to travel to get to the Caribbean. San Diego is a short 2 or so hour flight from here but I am not sure there is much down there compared to the Bahamas' etc. Can you offer any insight?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Dakota450

so what is around San Diego as far as sailing/exploring? Where do you go? How warm is the water? Is it a cruising area to explore or just an area for sailing? What I am getting at is I live in Portland Oregon. My wife likes the Caribbean which is a long way away. We have the San Juan's up North but it is cold up there most of the time. In the near future I would like to own a catamaran to go on trips with but it is really far to travel to get to the Caribbean. San Diego is a short 2 or so hour flight from here but I am not sure there is much down there compared to the Bahamas' etc. Can you offer any insight?

san diego is great if you like 55 degree water, closer to 52 in winter----i left sd as i was not into monthly trips to catalina and the coronados are now fish pen laden mexican islands with a mexican navy base. there is essentially no where to actually cruise except the channel islands and other points north.
if you like warm water, sail SOUTH. sd is very pricey.
if you like caribean, sail SOUTH eventually ypu will hit a canal and then after transiting canal, ta daa, caribean. waters in sea of cortez are warm. waters at mazatlan are warm. right now mazatlan waters are still 90 degrees F. they remain this temp to southern border of mexico.
if you are looking for cruising grounds in sd-- forgetaboutit. you would be happier having a boat in sea of cortez or mazatlan or puerto vallarta or other warm water place.
sailing in winter in sd is not a pleasant experience--is COLD there. want year round sailing in comfort-- look to the south.

[roverhi]

What is pricey?? What would a slip run for a 30' sailboat??

[unbusted67]

I have to say that sun Harbor is the bomb. I lived aboard there for a year and ended up pretty good buddies with a lot of the folks there as well as both of the managers, Pizza Nova at the head of the dock has the most ridiculous veggie sandwiches, the tuna jerkey at the seafood store down the street is a must have. You are a 30 second walk to West Marina and a Yanmar parts supplier, you can take a dinghy to a sweet venue on the water and watch shows, You have a 15 minute bike ride to the Point Loma overlook which presents you with one of the most beautiful city-scapes of anywhere in the world, there is a sweet coffee shop a few blocks away as well as some pretty good Mexican. You can get your hair cut at the sweet-ass barber shop right around the corner as well. Holy Jesus why did I leave? Seriously, what is wrong with me? Don't answer that. The only draw back, and I say only, are the commercial fishing boats which regularly wash their decks into the cove. Thumbs down to Pier 32: it's in the middle of no where and the management were kind of crappy to us. Harbor Island West is really nice too. It is pretty laid back and within striking distance of all of those amazing attractions that I just listed and will never see again.

[savoir]

Did you want something casual or or permanent ?

[Dakota450]

Originally Posted by zeehag

san diego is great if you like 55 degree water, closer to 52 in winter----i left sd as i was not into monthly trips to catalina and the coronados are now fish pen laden mexican islands with a mexican navy base. there is essentially no where to actually cruise except the channel islands and other points north.
if you like warm water, sail SOUTH. sd is very pricey.
if you like caribean, sail SOUTH eventually ypu will hit a canal and then after transiting canal, ta daa, caribean. waters in sea of cortez are warm. waters at mazatlan are warm. right now mazatlan waters are still 90 degrees F. they remain this temp to southern border of mexico.
if you are looking for cruising grounds in sd-- forgetaboutit. you would be happier having a boat in sea of cortez or mazatlan or puerto vallarta or other warm water place.
sailing in winter in sd is not a pleasant experience--is COLD there. want year round sailing in comfort-- look to the south.

Thanks for the honest info. My thought was that in the future if I do really get to have my way(still working on the wife) A couple of hour flight to the boat wouldn't be that bad. I hate to have to fly all day to get to my boat. As I said, the San Juan's are just up north but it is always cold up there and that is not my nor my wife's cup of tea.

[rebel heart]

55 degree water? It's 65 in the summers and can get up to 68-69 some days. It's not a bathtub and much colder than people expect, but saying it's in the 50's year round is completely incorrect. It's 62 today, and it's the middle of November.

US NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

55 degree water? It's 65 in the summers and can get up to 68-69 some days. It's not a bathtub and much colder than people expect, but saying it's in the 50's year round is completely incorrect. It's 62 today, and it's the middle of November.

US NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide

I was going to post the same thing. During late summer and early fall we went in the water without wetsuits all the time. Everybody does. But SD gets very foggy weather in May and June and it can be chilly on the beach. This is called the Junegloom. BOB

[zeehag]

did you measure the temp more than 2 ft depth?? try it-- will be 50s. water is warmer in NY than in cali. LOL. just because your surface temp is 68 doesnt mean it is 68 more than 2 ft depth. inside bay is a lot warmer than out in pacific---try it. you have short time before hypothermia sets in and you will KNOW isnt 60s degree water. in pacific in summer it does not get more than 58.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by zeehag

did you measure the temp more than 2 ft depth?? try it-- will be 50s. water is warmer in NY than in cali. LOL. just because your surface temp is 68 doesnt mean it is 68 more than 2 ft depth. inside bay is a lot warmer than out in pacific---try it. you have short time before hypothermia sets in and you will KNOW isnt 60s degree water. in pacific in summer it does not get more than 58.

I lived in SD for 6 years and went surfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, snorkling or swimming almost everyday. I lived on Tourmaline St in Pacific Beach and that is about 2 1/2 blocks to Tourmaline Surf Park. I walked down there with my longboard for dawn patrol almost every morning so I know a little bit about water temp. As I said before the ocean is pleasant for about a 3 month period in the late summer and early fall. I wasn't wearing a wetsuit on those afternoons and neither were the other one million people on the Socal beaches and nobody died of hypothermia. So if the water is only 58 then it's the warmest 58 I've ever seen. I do wonder what depth those bouys take their reading. BOB

PS Man, I was buff back then. What the f##k happened?

[CAELESTIS]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

55 degree water? It's 65 in the summers and can get up to 68-69 some days. It's not a bathtub and much colder than people expect, but saying it's in the 50's year round is completely incorrect. It's 62 today, and it's the middle of November.

US NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide

No matter what, it is still warmer than Puget Sound.