Southern
California Cruising
Southern California check in
for visitors in many of the harbors is quite different from Northern
California and the West Coast. Most, but not all, harbors require the
visiting vessel to tie up to the Harbor Police docks to check in and
for slip assignment.
Santa
Barbara-
This is the first harbor that requires checking in at the police
docks prior to slip assignment. They are also the first requiring
transient boats to show proof of insurance. As of the fall of 2011,
the going rate for a slip was 90 cents per foot per night, including
showers, water, and electricity. The pump out and fuel dock will be
passing on the starboard side of the boat as the visitor is pulling
into the police docks. Showers are located through the marina.
Laundry facilities are located on shore and require a prepaid card
with a minimum purchase. The marina is gated and a key card is
required. As of 2011 the rate for the gate key was $8. This is a
purchase not a deposit. The key is yours and should you return they
will reactivate the key, or pass it on to other boaters coming down
behind you. At the marina you will find many restaurants and a small
West Marine. Downtown is within walking distance, but they have an
excellent trolley system. If you follow Cabrillo Blvd east and turn
left on Milpas you will find Tri County Market. This is a great
produce stand and market. Following Milpas away from the beach there
is a Trader Joes located a few blocks from Tri County. Down town on
the corner of Chapala and Carrillo if a Ralph's grocery store. State
St is the main street with many wonderful shops and restaurants.
There is also a Saturday Market. Ask for time and location at the
Harbor Master's Office. To the east of Stearns Wharf is a free
anchorage. The anchorage nearest the pier is only available until
November 1st.
After that the anchorage is further east. Be advised of all Santa Ana
warnings. They can be severe and that is one of the reasons for
moving the anchorage further away from the pier during that time of
year.
Ventura-
We only pulled in for fuel. When attempting to find a slip the rates
were some of the most expensive we'd encountered. $1.60 per foot per
night. It was decided to go further down the coast to a more
reasonable rated facility. The fuel dock is very convenient and easy
to find. Visiting boaters are not required to check in with the
harbor police. Contact the individual marinas for guest moorage.
Channel
Islands Harbor-
Many
good options for overnight accomodations but not good for
provisioning. You are not required to check in with the Harbor
Police. Contact the many marinas for a slip. It truly is out in the
middle of nowhere. Not a very convenient place without a car.
Marina
Del Rey-
$1 per foot per night. There are designated transient slips at Burton
Chase Park. The rates there have gone up quite a lot in the last few
years. Boaters staying there as recently as 2009 reported it to be
one of the most reasonably priced harbors in Southern California. To
find the transient slips is very easy. After entering the harbor, you
find them just past the first basin on the starboard side. There is a
large statue of sailor with a helm in his hand at the edge of the
park. The statue is sometimes hidden in the tree foliage. After
grabbing a slip head, get your slip number and find the police office
in the park. They will require insurance and registration. There is a
Ralphs across from the park as well as a West Marine. Showers and
restrooms are conveniently located in the park. The moorage slips are
gated and a deposit is required for the key. Use cash for the deposit
as it can take up to 6 weeks to get the deposit back on a credit or
debit card.
Los
Alamitos Bay Marina (Long
Beach)- Visiting
boaters much check in at the police docks. If it is after hours you
must tie off at the police docks and wait until they open in the
morning. Do Not! Do Not! Move to a slip until you have checked in.
This is a very serious offense to the authorities and they do not
mind you tying up to the docks for the night. They may or may not
charge you for the night on the police docks. The going rate is $1
per foot per night. They require registration and proof of insurance
including the amount of coverage. As of the fall of 2011 they
required a minimum of $300,000 liability coverage. Once in a slip,
you will find this an excellent place to provision and find boat
parts. There are two boating stores in the parking lot, West Marine
and The Captain's Locker. There are several sets of showers, but we
found that if two people are showering at the same time only one of
you will get hot water. Slips include water, showers, and
electricity. As for provisioning within 2 blocks you will find:
Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Albertsons, Ralph's and a Sunday Farmer's
Market located in the parking lot of the marina. There is a movie
theater, Barnes & Noble, Bev Mo Liquor, Best Buy, and many other
shops and restaurants within the same two blocks. In & Out Burger
is across the street. There is a Passport pickup station at the base
of the bridge. Passport is a public bus that will take you all the
way to downtown Long Beach for a dollar per person each way, as of
the fall 2011. There is an excellent store in downtown Long Beach for
charts.
Avalon-
Amongst the cruisers we know it is hit or miss whether they like
Avalon. We loved it. This is another mooring ball situation which is
the easiest we've ever seen. Go to cityofavalon.com
for
details. When approaching Avalon wait outside the harbor, the harbor
police will come to you. As of 2011, they require cash in advance for
mooring, but we have heard they now accept credit/debit cards. Call
(310)510-0535 to verify this. The rates are posted on the website
above. It is expensive considering the only amenities are water, pump
out, and the mooring (they also have trash pick up off your boat),
but if you travel off season there are substantial discounts. After
November 1st
rent two nights get the next consecutive 5 free. There is also a deal
between September 15th
and November first (if you rent Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun, you get the
consecutive Mon, Tues, & Wed free.
If
staying longer than 2 weeks you will be required to put the City of
Avalon on your insurance. The mooring is fore and aft. There is a map
of the moorings on the website that is very helpful in finding the
assigned mooring ball. The harbor police will give you directions or
if it is your first time, if you ask they may guide you directly to
your assigned spot. To pick up the mooring have a person the bow and
one at the helm. The bow hand will pick up the pennant that is
floating and pull it up until you find the first loop. Wrap it around
the bow cleat and hand over hand the line to the stern cleat, being
careful for hooks that may have gotten hooked in the line. Once at
the stern wrap the loop around the cleat. It is recommended to have
some form of a chaffing guard. If a Santa Ana occurs during your
visit the harbor police may ask you to move and if possible ask to
use a double mooring if the one next to you is available. They want
your boat safe and not breaking free and heading towards town. Once
mooring is complete the harbor police will come on board and put a
dye tab in your holding tank to prevent pumping overboard in the
harbor. When you are there you will see how clear the water is and
really appreciate this pre-caution. There is a water taxi to take you
ashore, but it is expensive. It is $5 each way per person. That can
rack up quickly. It is more convenient to have your own dinghy for
coming and going. There are well marked dinghy docks through out the
bay. Please observe the marked rules at each dock. The docks can be
crowded and it is common to climb over other dinghies to get to the
dock. Showers are located across the street from the Tuna Club. You
can't miss the club. The showers are $3 for 5 minutes. Water is a
premium on the island. They are hot and clean. There is a laudromat
in town and well as a grocery store. The grocery store is a Vons
(Vons is the same company as Pavilions and Safeway, they will accept
both a Safeway & Pavilions card for discounts). Because space is
a premium in town, the Vons is in two locations with one housing the
produce, meat, can goods, etc and the other with the bakery &
deli. Both are within walking distance of the harbor. There is also a
Radio Shack, Hardware, and the post office is located in the center
of town. The post office will accept general delivery should the need
for mail arise. Tourism is the heart of Avalon and the locals will go
out of their way to be friendly and helpful. One more piece of
advice, go to the Marlin Club for a drink. The locals are very
colorful and no where is this more evident than the Marlin. Drinks
are good, the bartenders lively, and the live music on the weekends
is excellent. You never know who could be playing there.
Newport
Beach-
This is an excellent place if you need parts or to get work done on
your boat. If is another harbor that you need to go to the harbor
police docks before mooring. When you come in the entrace they will
be off the starboard side of the boat. You can tie off to either the
pumpout station or just past the police & life guard boats there
is a temporary tie off to check in. If you choose to use a slip they
are right next to the pumpout. Just grab one and head up to the
office. They include water, electricity, trash, and showers. There is
also a beach at the top of the ramp. The showers are not our
favorite. They never seem to get warm and they are timed. You'll need
to get the code from the harbor patrol office when you check in. As
of 2012, the slips are $40 a night for any size boat that can fit
into the slip. Somewhere around 40 feet, but if you hang over a
little we've never seen evidence that is is a problem. If you are a
more budget minded and if you have a dinghy, they also have mooring.
The moorings include water, pumpout, and showers. The bay has public
docks throughout that are extremely convenient. I would suggest if
you have a choice to opt near Balboa Island in mooring area B. You
will be further away from some of the tourist area and there is a
laundromat on the island. Pavillions is also within walking distance,
as is one of the two West Marines. If you go to the other end of the
bay there is a public pier that will take you to Newport Blvd. If you
follow Newport Blvd you will come to Minney's Yacht Surplus (Think
Disneyland for Boaters). Minney's is a second hand store with just
about everything you could imagine. It might take some digging, but
if you are looking for a used sail, prop, or anchor you're gonna love
this place. There is also a sail loft and engine supply store right
next to Minney's. If you can't find it at Minney's there is also MMI
but it's a bit of a walk. Minney's is already close to a mile and a
half from the dinghy dock. If you don't mind walking, you can get
fresh produce at Grower's Direct. Excellent and cheap! There is a
public transporation system that looks really convenient. Sprouts,
TJ's and Fresh & Easy are all good for finding provisions as
well. There is no Walmart within reasonable distance. If you go over
to the pumpout dock near the police docks you can make your way
within walking distance to Corona Del Mar. In CDM there is an Ace
Hardware and an Albertsons.
Additional Newport Beach info: We've been here long enough to add a few more details. MMI can be found at
www.mmimarine.com
They are another boating supply store in the area. MMI is a long walk from the bay, but if you can't find it at any of the other alternatives give them a call and make the walk! LOL!
Also if you need the bottom scrubbed off try Kim Ozolins from Atlantis Dive Co. (949)722-8693 or cell (949)233-DIVE. He does hull cleaning, zincs, inspections and recoveries. He was a great guy and did an excellent job. He also will give you quite a lot of advice about keeping your hull in good shape here and in Mexico.
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