Dana Point Harbor is Orange County's only small-craft harbor — a well-protected port carved into the headland that Richard Henry Dana immortalised in 'Two Years Before the Mast.' Rebuilt after renovation, the harbour offers two marina basins, a vibrant marine district with restaurants, shops, and the Ocean Institute, and reliable year-round access to the Santa Catalina Island passage (26 nm) and the offshore Channel Islands. Transient visitors enjoy excellent shore amenities and a sheltered anchorage in the outer basin.
Harbor Island sits on a man-made peninsula just inside the San Diego Bay entrance, directly across from the airport and minutes from downtown. The island's west side hosts marine businesses, restaurants, and yacht clubs; the east basin has dedicated visitor docks managed by the Port of San Diego — the closest transient berths to downtown. The approach from the bay is straightforward in all conditions. Tom Ham's Lighthouse restaurant and the Embarcadero waterfront walk are both within sight of the docks.
The largest small-craft harbor in the United States, with a dedicated visitors' dock just inside the main entrance. LA's boating heart — restaurants, chandleries, and Fisherman's Village all within a short walk. Well-protected from ocean swell. Gateway to Catalina and the Channel Islands.
Monterey Municipal Marina sits inside the protected breakwater of Monterey Harbor, steps from Fisherman's Wharf and the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. The harbour is the gateway to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary — one of the largest marine protected areas in the US. Transient slips are available by reservation; the marina hosts live-aboard vessels, commercial fishing boats, and visiting cruisers year-round. Fog is common June through August; September and October bring the clearest skies and calmest conditions for exploring the bay.
Newport Harbor is the largest recreational harbor on the West Coast — 9,000+ recreational vessels in a sheltered estuary between Balboa Island, the Peninsula, and Lido Isle. Balboa Yacht Basin provides city-operated transient moorage in the heart of Newport Beach, within walking distance of Balboa Pavilion, the Balboa Fun Zone ferry, and the famous frozen chocolate banana stands.
Directly across the Golden Gate from San Francisco, Sausalito has one of the most dramatic marina settings in North America. The San Francisco Bay offers world-class sailing in a challenging tidal environment. Transient slips available with ferry service to the city. Gateway to the Sacramento Delta.
A stunning harbor backed by the Santa Ynez Mountains and fronted by perfect California sailing conditions. The breakwater-protected basin handles transient vessels up to 75 ft. Walking distance to State Street restaurants, the historic courthouse, and Stearns Wharf. The channel to Anacapa Island is 12 nm.
The quieter end of Catalina Island — Isthmus Cove on the front side, Catalina Harbor (Cat Harbor) on the back. Both are managed by the Catalina Island Company and offer mooring buoys and a vibrant summer scene with a restaurant, general store, and kayak rentals. 22 nm from San Pedro.
Alameda Marina occupies the western shore of Alameda Island in the heart of San Francisco Bay, offering some of the most sheltered berthing in the bay while remaining just minutes from open water. The marina is a working boatyard and marina combined — one of the last full-service yards on the bay — with 300-ton Travelift haul-out capacity, a large DIY boatyard, and competitive live-aboard rates. Oakland's Jack London Square is a short bicycle ride away. Strong afternoon westerlies funnel through the Golden Gate make for reliable 15–25 knot sailing breeze from June through September.
The closest mainland harbor to the Channel Islands National Park — just 14 nm from Anacapa Island. A large, clean harbor in Oxnard with excellent transient facilities, a full-service boatyard, and every type of marine service. The launching point for Channel Islands National Park liveaboard charters.
Chula Vista Marina sits at the southern end of San Diego Bay, 7 miles from the bay entrance and just 5 miles from the Mexican border. The marina is one of the newest and best-equipped facilities on the bay — a full-service resort marina with the Chula Vista Bayfront development underway on adjacent land. The south bay is the quietest section of San Diego Bay, with minimal commercial traffic, protected water, and the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge as a backdrop. An ideal base for sailors who want calm bay conditions and access to both the open bay and offshore routes south to Ensenada.
Coronado Cays Yacht Club Marina sits on the sheltered backside of Coronado Island, tucked into the calm waters of San Diego Bay away from the busy Shelter Island commercial marinas. The Cays is a residential sailing community with a private feel — quiet, uncrowded, and 10 minutes by boat from the open bay. Reciprocal berths are available for members of affiliated yacht clubs. Sunsets over the Hotel del Coronado from the marina dock are among the best in Southern California.
King Harbor is the closest full-service marina to Los Angeles International Airport, sitting at the south end of Santa Monica Bay. Four basins hold 1,400+ boats; the breakwater provides excellent protection from the prevailing NW swell. The Redondo Beach Pier and King's Fish House are a short walk. Popular departure point for Catalina crossings from the south end of the Bay.
The largest small craft marina in the world by slip count, Long Beach Shoreline Marina sits adjacent to the Long Beach Convention Center and Aquarium of the Pacific. 1,700+ slips in a well-protected basin with direct access to San Pedro Bay and the LA/Long Beach port complex. The Queen Mary is moored 1 nm across the basin. Excellent transit access — downtown Long Beach is a short walk.
Quivira Basin is the small-craft harbor within Mission Bay — San Diego's 4,200-acre aquatic park, the largest man-made aquatic park in the United States. The basin sits at the south end of Mission Bay near the ocean entrance, offering direct access to the Pacific and calm protected sailing within the bay. Mission Bay is a powerboater's and windsurfer's paradise as much as a sailor's, but Quivira Basin's charter fleet and sailing schools make it the most active learn-to-sail environment in San Diego.
Morro Bay is the only harbor of refuge on the 100 miles of open coast between Monterey and Santa Barbara — an essential stop for cruisers making the Pacific Coast passage. The harbour is dominated by the volcanic plug of Morro Rock, a 576-foot landmark visible 20 miles offshore. The bay is shallow and the entrance bar requires careful timing with tidal conditions, but inside the harbour is calm, well-protected, and genuinely welcoming. The town retains its working fishing village character — fresh Dungeness crab, live oysters from the Morro Bay oyster farms, and a waterfront Embarcadero unchanged in decades.
The boating epicentre of San Diego Bay — Shelter Island hosts dozens of marinas, boatyards, and every marine service imaginable. Transient dockage is available at several facilities on the island's south shore. Excellent sailing in the bay with day trips to Coronado, Point Loma, and the offshore islands.