Coastal cruising question

T

troman

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2010
RO Number
32015
Messages
18
OK, I'm soliciting opinions, and this is the most relevant forum I could find. I'm the (new) proud owner of a 27' Maxum cruiser. I've had it out in SF Bay a couple of times. No problems there, but I pay close attention to winds, tides etc.

I'd like to take it out on the coast side, from Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay. Possibly even cruise up to the Golden Gate and enter the Bay from there. I've run across a variety of opinions about whether this is a good idea or not, due to the size and style of the boat.

I've seen smaller boats go out from Pillar Point, but of course they are fishing boats for the most part. I realize there are differences in construction.

I'm not looking to go 50 miles offshore, just stay near the coast. Am I completely out of my mind? Is it just a matter of sticking to the best conditions? Seems like the HMB buoy is always indicating swells of at least 3 or 4 feet, often more.

The boat is a V-hull with 17 degree deadrise and weighs about 6800# dry. Single 5L mercruiser engine with a Bravo 3 sterndrive.

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
tides and inlet considerations are very important in that area yet it can be an easy cruise. Leave the gate on the flood. You will be passing close to one of the most famous surf areas in the world, Mavericks, at pillar point yet a few hundred feet away the waves may be calm. I suggest you learn the local conditions and try it first in settled weather in summer.
 
Most favorable conditions will be i the fall when the westerly winds have calmed down. I went from GG Bridge to HMB and back one time in a 28 ft Bayliner very similar to yours. However, the boat owner/operator had many years of navigating experience in the Navy. Do you have an experienced friend to go with you?

What we did was stay out of the shipping channel and away from the rocks by following the 100 fathom line on the chart using our depth finder. [th] It was a fun trip even though we hit some fall storms which had not been predicted. I would never consider doing this trip without someone experienced in coastal boating on board.

If you go, please post your trip here for all of us to enjoy vicariously!
 
I have made that trip numerous times in my own various boats from 24' to 34'. Yes, I have experience at it now, but the first time I took an experienced buddy of mine with me. It is certainly do-able when the conditions are right.

I'd recommend that you hold off until the fall when the wind and water will be much calmer and consistent.

Our usual trip would start out in Disco Bay and lead to Pier 39 for the first night. The next day it is out the Gate and down to Pillar Point. The day after that is down to Santa Cruz. Then Monterey. The return trip we usually skipped Santa Cruz and maybe even Pillar Pt if the weather (water) held up. Then back to either Pier 39, Sausalito or Oak/Alameda for the night. Then the final leg back to DB.

You can't ask for much more than that! [:-captain]
 
Your boat needs to be equipped properly for the trip too. Starting with ALL of the required safety gear and then some. A properly working VHF radio with a waterproof handheld as a back-up are necessities. GPS too. Radar would be nice too, but my first few times I made the trip without it. Your cell phone should be within range the entire trip, but don't skip the VHF just because you have a cell phone... Always program the phone numbers of the various marina's along your route as well as the coast guard and even the local police depts. You never know...

And the best form of safety equipment: A float plan!
 
Wow, great advice guys ... much appreciated! I know some bay and delta boaters, but not ocean-going folks. I will make a concerted effort to seek out someone like that. I already have most of the safety and navigation equipment, might just need a second VHF radio.

Before making a full blown trip, I'm thinking I should just launch from Pillar Point and cruise around nearby to get the feel of it. It sounds like the major concerns are the winds, and unpredicted bad weather. The swells kind of have me worried. I've been doing some voracious research, and it sounds like big enough and frequent enough swells can make life miserable on a small boat.

BayAreaBoater: a cruise down to Monterey and back would be fantastic! I'd love to work up to that someday.
 
If you are on a trailer then launch in Santa Cruz or Moss landing and all of Monterey bay is an easy cruise.
Pillar point entrance, like many, is not obvious from seaward and mistakes are serious. Be absolutely certain that you know where you are and where the proper channel is located.
 
How far out the Gate you have to go before turning south?
 
depends on conditions. Everybody will say follow the channel but crossing the bar to the south can be done in settled conditions on the flood and with out strong wind. The "south channel" was more a figment of chart makers imagination years ago but I crossed there frequently.
 
Your boat will be fine for this trip if you pick your days wisely. Another fishing site that I belong to has several good discussions on navigating these two entrances. You can find them here:
http://www.coastsidefishingclub.com/Navigating-Pillar-Point-Harbor
http://www.coastsidefishingclub.com/The-San-Francisco-Bar

I often boat out of Pillar Point in a 20 foot walk around. Once you know the entrance and pick your days, you'll have no problems. I have also made the trip in our 48 foot Californian (with Discovery Bay Yacht Club) from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, then on to Monterey Harbor and then due to incoming weather made the trip direct back to San Francisco directly. The one thing I would recommend strongly is radar; when the fogs rolls in quickly it is easy to become somewhat disorientated. If you are looking for more guidance, the Sausalito Yacht Club has a section for their BlueWater cruise that includes waypoints and recommended courses. My office blocks access to their web site, but if you poke around a bit you should be able to find it.
 
Dave - those are great references, thanks. I'll be sure to study them. It sounds like I need to make some short, close-by trips to get some experience with recognizing the landmarks.

There are times when I look out here and the ocean is flat. Now that I've been checking the buoy data every day, I see some times when the wind is 25+ knots and the swells are 10 feet, and other times when the winds are 5 knots and the swells are 3 feet. I can't imagine the latter is a problem.

Anyway it's good to hear from someone experienced that it can be done!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top