This is the leg people dream about.
About two weeks of California at its very best: easy harbor hops, kelp forests and sea lions, and a chain of wild islands that few visitors ever reach.
Catalina and the islands · April 1 to 8
Channel Islands National Park
We start with Catalina: a mooring off Avalon, a stroll into town, dinner ashore.
Then out to the northern Channel Islands, a national park best reached by boat. Santa Cruz Island has sea caves you can explore by dinghy, including Painted Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the world, plus empty coves, clear water and trails over the ridgelines. If the rangers are on the island, we push on to San Miguel, the wild western end of the chain.
Point Conception to the Golden Gate
The famous corner
Point Conception is where Southern California ends and the coast turns north, and rounding it is a milestone every California sailor remembers.
We pick our moment from the quiet of Cojo Anchorage and round it under the stars. Beyond it lies the Big Sur coast, close to a hundred miles of towering cliffs that look even better from the water, then Monterey Bay, and finally the thrill of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.
The plan
Six stages, and a week in the islands
| Stage | Route | Distance | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | San Diego to Avalon, Catalina | ~67 nm | A mooring off Avalon and dinner ashore. |
| 02 | Catalina to Santa Cruz Island | ~73 nm | Arrive in Channel Islands National Park: Smugglers Cove and Scorpion Anchorage. |
| 03 | Santa Cruz Island | Island days | Painted Cave by dinghy, Pelican Bay, Prisoners Harbor, hiking and kayaking. |
| 04 | Santa Cruz to San Miguel | ~40 nm | The wild western end of the chain, anchored in Cuyler Harbor. |
| 05 | San Miguel to Cojo Anchorage | ~25 nm | A quiet anchorage in the lee of Point Conception. |
| 06 | Cojo to San Francisco | ~240 nm | Point Conception under the stars, the Big Sur coast, Monterey Bay and the Golden Gate. |
Depart San Diego around March 30. Island time roughly April 1 to 8. Arrive San Francisco around April 10 to 15.
How we sail it
Passages as good as the anchorages
Weather first
We move on good forecasts, so the passages are as enjoyable as the anchorages.
Point Conception under the stars
We round it from Cojo in the calm hours of the night.
Big Sur in one great run
One long passage with the whole coast in view.
Under the Golden Gate on a flood tide
The best way to arrive in San Francisco.
Sail this leg with us
Want to sail this leg with us? Berths may be available for all or part of it.
How to get in touch about a berth: email address or contact form.
Spring Legs 2027
Cabo to Seattle in three legs
The Baja Bash
Cabo San Lucas to San Diego. Mid to late March.
Channel Islands and Big Sur
San Diego to San Francisco. Late March to mid-April.
Home Waters
San Francisco to Seattle. Mid to late April, home by May 1.