Port San Luis

Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
We’ve noticed only a few among seafood restaurants that we patron where Manhattan style clam chowder is regularly offered, if at all. Crab Pot and Walt’s Wharf, seafood icons in Long Beach & Seal Beach, respectively, do not. The Fish Tale, which was Long Beach’s oldest seafood restaurant but sold a few years ago, did not at the time it was sold. (It’s now an Irish-themed pub and restaurant; good food.) The Boat House on Alamitos Bay, Long Beach, does but only Friday-Sunday @ $12/bowl :yikes:. However, at Mersea’s here in PSL it’s available daily @ $7.50/bowl and it’s quite good.:dancing: The common substitution at the other places is a red seafood chowder that may, or may not, have much clam ingredient. So, it’s delightful to have me Manhattan only a short dinghy ride away!

Truth-in-Advertising Statement: The “short dinghy ride away” from here in the anchorage is half a mile to the Harford Pier. What you arrive to is a transient-use mooring ball 20 or 30 ft from a steel ladder attached to the pier beneath a sign that says Transient Skiff Tie-Up 48-hr limit. You “tie” a stern line off to the mooring ball, then “propel” yourself forward by whatever mode you choose to grab a worn-out rope hanging from the ladder on to which you snap your painter. Then pull yourself and dink to the ladder itself and step on to it from the dink. After climbing 8 or 9 rungs you emerge onto a wooden platform before a gate that is bolted shut with a rusty barrel bolt. Struggle with that a few moments, opening the gate inward toward the pier, thankfully, and through it you go! Then it’s a short walk down the pier to Mersea’s. DELIGHTFULLY rustic!:thumbup:

BTW. If you are on a guest mooring ball (not at the anchorage), someone will come fetch you for free (on a schedule of rounds; not by demand) to a floating platform, a.k.a. loading dock, under the pier which leads you to a conventional wooden stairway w/rails up to the pier. But it’s against the rules to tie up there and leave the dink.:badbad:
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Say, with all our Southern Cal knowledge, I will be in Santa Barbara next week for a wedding. Any eat place suggestions? We will be staying at the Milo Hotel on the beach. I hear there is a great SB trolley that moves folks up and down the beach.

I also hear that the locals celebrate the Summer solstice on the beach. Not sure what to watch out for?
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Say, with all our Southern Cal knowledge, I will be in Santa Barbara next week for a wedding. Any eat place suggestions? We will be staying at the Milo Hotel on the beach. I hear there is a great SB trolley that moves folks up and down the beach.

I also hear that the locals celebrate the Summer solstice on the beach. Not sure what to watch out for?
Thanks for that vote of confidence! Actually, Santa Barbara is a bit beyond my normal environs. City slips are fc/fs, so if they don’t have one available you’re anchoring outside the breakwater. Not that it is bad all of the time, but if I’m going to be rocking and rolling I’d rather be at Santa Cruz Island, which is a shorter travel distance. By car, you have the 101 traffic to deal with which can be bad in places due reductions in number of lanes, such as near Carpenteria. When we do happen through there, if at the right time, and not going all in for Mexican food as usual, we have dined at the yacht club via reciprocity. Very nice place, good food and service. Practically in the surf zone of the underlying beach. But that’s been only a couple of times for us quite a while back. There are, of course, several restaurants along the boardwalk at the harbor marina and on the wharf. I don’t know about SS activities. Enjoy your stay!
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
KG.. I only wish I was arriving in SB aboard a boat. This is a quick fly in fly out trip... We are staying in near the Marina. Looks like we can view the boats form the hotel. So I may have to take a walk down there and look at how the California Boaters live. I'll check to see if a walk-in gets reciprocity from Seattle.

How are you doing up in the middle of the state? How long are is your trip plan?
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
We are staying in near the Marina. Looks like we can view the boats form the hotel. So I may have to take a walk down there and look at how the California Boaters live.
I wouldn’t regard Santa Barbara harbor as representative of at least how Southern California boaters live. It’s an outlier. But they are all different. Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, now after the rebuild finished a couple of years ago, is more “typical,”along with Marina del Rey. Altogether, with its two marinas, Long Beach Municipal has 5,000 slips, or so. Three thousand of ‘em in Alamitos Bay. It’s true that in most other Southern California harbors the marinas are not City owned. This creates some differences of experiences to be sure. But for the SC yachting “lifestyle” overall, the situation in San Diego Bay best represents the way it should be IMHO, and is, for thousands of boaters.:thumbup:
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Well other than Saturday. I do not see any Low's or much wind in your future till the 22nd. Temps in the high 50's to low 60's. A rather pleasant time on the coast with moderate air conditioning breezes in the after noon each day. It should be a pleasant time. Enjoy.
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Our first anchoring neighbor arriving in a sailboat under sail since my first or second day here just came in this afternoon. A 50-something foot Amel Super Maramu ketch from Morro Bay. :wow3: Don’t see one of those very often. In fact, it’s my first time unless I’ve forgotten or didn’t notice an earlier encounter with one.

This one appears to be rigged to sail DDW under twin headsails with a special configuration of poles in evidence. We discussed this sailing technique in the thread on Accidental Gybing. Look at those poles rigged to the main mast.
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
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Relocated to the transient mooring field further out, along the sea wall. It’s windier than the anchorage but very well protected from seas. No kelp out here so no little otter guys foraging about; but also no kelp flies:thumbup:. Gorgeous afternoon. Picture is looking in toward port around 1730. Sea lion serenades at the sea wall tonight.
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Still here! :) View of the Port San Luis lighthouse and access beach, looking west.

We were joined last evening in the transient mooring field by a French-built/designed Garcia 46 on its way to Alaska via British Columbia. Aluminum hull; custom “exploration” yacht that Kretschmer discusses in his new book. Imagine seeing one for the first time only a few days after reading about them for the first time! Interesting place. Visits from two French world-class cruising yachts (Amel & Garcia) within about a week of each other.
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I suspect it is a benefit partly due to the duration of anchorage in a transit area.

While headed north on 101 from Santa Barbara in route to catch a flight out of the Bay Area, I saw the turn off for Port San Luis. It was one of our last chances to view the beautiful CA Coast.

Thanks for the updates.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Yeah. Transients down the CA coast do stop over here in enroute to Mexico, or to San Diego first. I suppose we might not see them as much in Long Beach because: 1) Long Beach is not on the rhumb line to San Diego from points north even if passing through the East Santa Barbara Channel; 2) Long Beach municipal is so large that we might not notice. I’m not normally sitting on the yacht near the entrances to the marinas enough to notice who’s arriving for a stop over or visit. Pretty obvious here, though.

Heading north toward SF or BC from points south, I imagine that many boats travel nearer the coastline, motoring a lot, to find shelter from the prevailing northwesterly, unless they wish to tack out to Hawai’i first. Once around Las Puntas, PSL is the best, the only some might argue, first lay-over stop.
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I suspect it is a benefit partly due to the duration of anchorage in a transit area.
The fact that a transient can lay-over here in the anchorage indefinitely is a major attraction, even with a fairly nominal fee after a 7-day gratis. However, hardly anyone but perhaps the saltiest of salts would wish to anchor here for long in “winter” (i.e., November to April), so that insures no accumulation of resident “transients.”

Other coastal ports/harbors (urban anchorages) from here to San Diego have announced limits, e.g. 72 hr, if one can anchor at all; or require permits, such as at Cabrillo Beach at San Pedro. Of course, you might anchor near, but outside of, some harbors, such as at Santa Barbara, for extended periods in summer.

Among the islands, you also face threats from the winter storms and follow-on Santa Ana’s. The northern Channel Islands are great in summer; stay as long as you wish but NO services and no pets allowed ashore. You must run to harbor at Ventura or Oxnard for water, propane, or whatever. There are several free anchorages at Catalina Island, best in summer, as well. But most are deep unless you are very near the shore. Usually, bow and stern anchoring is required when so near. The only all-weather harbor among the islands is Cat Harbor at Catalina Island where a transient might anchor indefinitely for free out near the mouth, although winter can still be a challenge, but there is not much room. Sooner or later, generally sooner, another boat will come in and crowd you. Also, Cat Harbor is not really “on the way” to anywhere.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I watched the boats in Santa Barbara. There were quite a few at anchor south of the pier. Wondered about the constant swell? Then there was the power boat that cruised through the anchorage. Stern down surf board wake. Up here that might bring out the unhappy folks at anchor.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I watched the boats in Santa Barbara. There were quite a few at anchor south of the pier. Wondered about the constant swell? Then there was the power boat that cruised through the anchorage. Stern down surf board wake. Up here that might bring out the unhappy folks at anchor.
We anchored out there at SB one miserable afternoon. We decided not to spend the night. I’ve seen only one transient power boat come in here that stayed one night anchored a respectable distance away. The local guys, mostly fishing boats, that zip around allow us a wide berth, I’ve noticed. Nothing like the a-holes in Long Beach Harbor that often buzz right through the anchorage, sometimes only 50 to 100 ft away from us, at Island White.
 
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Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
Fool's Anchorage ? the following is from Santa Barbara City council, interesting history, been some epic rescues there.
Here's 8 at once on the beach

EAST BEACH ANCHORAGE


The open ocean east of Stearns Wharf and just off East Beach is commonly known among local mariners as Fool’s Anchorage, because it is a foolish place to anchor a boat given the total lack of protection. However, many do, and it is thus of some concern to the City and the Harbor Patrol.
And here's the complete Policy from the local government.
http://www.sbcgj.org/2001/2001sbharbor.htm
BTW the coast runs as much east-west as it does south so many times downcoast is more east than south, confuses everyone.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@Calif. Ted I can see how that could happen. Goes to my point that I thought it unusual so many boats were sitting out there. There is a 26 mile fetch between the beach and the Channel Islands. Plenty of distance to get a pretty good break running through the area used as anchorage south/east of Sterns Pier. Let alone the continual swell at anchor.

Oh well it is Southern Cal and why not be out in the water.
 
Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
You've seen how it can be perfectly calm and deceptive, the whole coast is like that. There's a boat right now not 2 miles from my house that has been anchored off Capistrano Beach for about 6 weeks. It's a wide open roadstead all the way to Japan, not a question of if but when is it going to end up adrift and will the owner be aboard.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I guess that is the beauty and the curse of boats. Different owners different plans.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
You've seen how it can be perfectly calm and deceptive, the whole coast is like that. There's a boat right now not 2 miles from my house that has been anchored off Capistrano Beach for about 6 weeks. It's a wide open roadstead all the way to Japan, not a question of if but when is it going to end up adrift and will the owner be aboard.
I wonder if he has his daytime anchor marker up. Black ball. That’s the kind of place/situation where one would be needed. USCG could cite if it wished to bother with it. I saw a few boats, unoccupied, anchored for many months along open shorelines near marinas in FL. Older, smaller (< 30 ft) ill-kept boats. Figure cheap ownership. No requirement for insurance b/c no marina. Boat washes ashore, county cleans it up for you from a special fund. If the fund is empty, and county comes looking for you, skip town if not aleady gone. That is the genesis of many of the new restrictive anchoring rules in some places.