Anyone keep their boat at San Pedro?

[Mary Mac]

I’m bringing my boat down to So Cal soon and looking for the best spot. Anyone have experience with San Pedro?

[rcvesselstyn]

Hi Mary. We had our boat down there for a very long time. My personal opinion is that the Cabrillo Marina is the best combination of price and access. We ended up keeping our boat at berth 39. It is more exposed to wind and weather but you get to see great sunsets over the peninsula and the fireworks every 4th of July. In the lower number berths you're protected by the hotel but it also blocks the sun in the late afternoon. Los Angeles Yacht Club facilities are located there and the first dock is Cal 40 row because of all the transpac contenders docked there. Along 22nd Street Cabrillo Yacht Club has its facilities and a large number of slips. Further down 22nd Street is the commercial Sports fishing boat Fleet in front of a great Restaurant; 22nd Street Landing. Heading out to sea from there are all the newest Marinas. In the past that side of the harbor was prone to a lot more weather. To the point of when the Seas break over the LA harbor Breakwater they come directly into the marinas out towards the end. But perhaps with the modern docks it's not quite such a mess. It used to be after a big storm there would be telephone pole floats and pieces of dock and various boats drifting about the harbor. The Inner Harbor marinas behind terminal Island have their own unique feel about them. In the past the boats back there we're pretty tight-knit group. Also in the past and there had been a very high crime rate in that area. Only recently were the last of the roads paved to those Marinas. The master plan for the harbor has those small boat marinas being eliminated but they've been talking about that for many years with no progress. Angels Gate is the opening to La Harbor with the lighthouse. The area from the marinas to Angels Gate and Beyond is known as hurricane Gulch. Every afternoon the wind whips around the peninsula and funnels into that area. You're guaranteed a great sail with winds from 15 to 30 knots almost everyday. A lot of wind Surfers and such during the summer. La Harbor and Long Beach Harbor trade the title for the busiest ports in the entire world back and forth. So you have to be aware that there going to be a lot of ships going in and out of Angels Gate all the time. It is fairly easy to avoid the really big ships but dodging the Tugs and sport fishing boats and Catalina transports can get a little dicey at times. Just about everybody I know has gotten into the propwash of one of the Tugs and it is enough to spin your boat around or blast you into the dock if you're near one. I don't mean to scare you off but we finally got tired of the big winds and the ships and moved back to Redondo. There are still some wonderful areas to explore all contained in the harbor. A nice Sail inside the Breakwater is the head down the coast to the oil islands off of Long Beach. If you anchor in their Lee you can watch the fireworks from the Queen Mary and all the kitesurfers off of Long Beach.

[Mary Mac]

Thank you, Randy. I didn’t realize you had kept your boat there. I called Port Royal as you suggested and will get on the wait list, but Cabrillo looks like the best spot for us right now. After sailing in the SF Bay and dodging prop wash and big ships at the Port of Oakland, I think this will be fine for us right now. Appreciate the heads up and tips. Good to know about the locations. We went to look yesterday and liked the side away from the hotel better even though it gets more wind.

[rcvesselstyn]

That's great! We enjoyed being there for almost 30 years. The area is always clean and well-kept, there's plenty of close parking,( except for the 4th of July when you need to get there in the morning), and the marina office crew is top-notch. Cabrillo is owned by the same brothers that own Port Royal so if and when you want to you can reciprocal and try out Port Royal, and of course having a slip at Cabrillo will put you further up on the waiting list for Port Royal. It's also a fairly good shot over to the isthmus. You're just a little bit hard on the Wind. Did you decide to sail the 34 down or are you going to truck it? Good luck and smooth sailing.

[Mary Mac]

I’m planning to sail down if I get a weather window that aligns with days off, or wait till Summer.

[rcvesselstyn]

We would all love to hear your progress as you bring her down the coast. In the past stepping down from Harbor to Harbor seemed like the easiest way to go, but it definitely takes a lot more time and there are still a couple of difficult stretches. Or of course you could just head on the outside and miss all that Coastal funnelling. Let us know your plans, we are here to cheer you on!

[Mary Mac]

I’ll keep you posted. My plan is to go offshore and do it in one shot. Thanks for the encouragement!