We want to get into cruising, arent sure where to start. Looking for advice [So Cal]

[Calif.Ted]

1. Only a few places, Oceanside and Santa Barbara, but not all slips so you must check with harbormaster regardless of what seller or broker says. Otherwise you pay transient rates of 200% normal.
2. Currently $675/ month for my 35' slip (up to 38' boat) supposed to raise to $900 October 1. 6 to 10 year waitlist friends with 40' boats paying $1500 also going up.
3. Those are 3 day private live aboard classes, probably just let you sleep aboard at the dock, most expensive. Better education in Newport is OCC sailing, you can start on Lido's or Harbor 20's and actually learn some sail trim.
https://occsailing.com/
Or join a club and do it for a fraction but you go home to sleep.
https://www.aventurasailing.com/learntosail
or in Newport https://alyc.com/Adult-Sailing-Classes
The actual cert has been worthless to me and in a junk drawer for decades.
For the rest learn to sail then you can decide what you like, property tax 1% same as a house but's it's a pittance in the overall scheme of things.

[Duxa]

Originally Posted by Calif.Ted

1. Only a few places, Oceanside and Santa Barbara, but not all slips so you must check with harbormaster regardless of what seller or broker says. Otherwise you pay transient rates of 200% normal.
2. Currently $675/ month for my 35' slip (up to 38' boat) supposed to raise to $900 October 1. 6 to 10 year waitlist friends with 40' boats paying $1500 also going up.
3. Those are 3 day private live aboard classes, probably just let you sleep aboard at the dock, most expensive. Better education in Newport is OCC sailing, you can start on Lido's or Harbor 20's and actually learn some sail trim.
https://occsailing.com/
Or join a club and do it for a fraction but you go home to sleep.
https://www.aventurasailing.com/learntosail
or in Newport https://alyc.com/Adult-Sailing-Classes
The actual cert has been worthless to me and in a junk drawer for decades.
For the rest learn to sail then you can decide what you like, property tax 1% same as a house but's it's a pittance in the overall scheme of things.

Thanks Ted. So if slip wait times are 5-10 years.... what do people do in the meantime? Where do they keep their boat?

[Calif.Ted]

There used to be some available in outlying areas, Chula Vista in San Diego because they redeveloped the area and added marina slips, but it's at the far end of bay and a long way from the ocean, other places in San Diego also. Ventura and Channel Islands used to have slips but other day someone mentioned Ventura is now full for the first time.
Ads are in The Log newspaper and you'll notice they also have a guide to all marinas on west coast.
https://thelogclassifieds.com/slips-dockage-moorings/
And the guide: https://www.thelog.com/digital_editi...gital-edition/
Some places allow seller to sublease to buyer for 90 days if seller intends to keep the slip. Some can sub lease an empty slip thru management for a boat that is out of the area for extended time, gone for a cruise, much higher rate and you are only guaranteed a place month by month. And some go shady and maintain seller as 51% owner and slip remains in his name, dubious and risky.
I did it decades ago when 25' slips were available, got 27' boat and went on waitlist for 30'. Got 30' after 6 years sold 27' boat got 32' and went on list for 35', got lucky and got 35' after 3 years I was still 30 down on the list but it was do you want it or not and the other 29 people weren't ready I guess.

[George_SD]

Hi, we are in San Diego and did something similar in 2020. I took some sailing classes (US Sailing, not ASA, but essentially the same). Then we got a 32ft boat AFTER ensuring we could secure a slip in the marina. A survey and a viewing later we had our first sail boat.

I found very heavily discounted certification classes on Groupon, which cost me maybe $150 all together. After the class, I've hired our instructor to help me get comfortable on our boat, learn docking our boat and eventually sign off on my proficiency for insurance purposes.

I strongly suggest : classes, maybe charter club membership, one on one instruction time and then buying.

You don't need a broker to buy a boat (we didn't use one), especially if you are not buying an expensive one (which you should not be buying just yet). You should get a professional survey of the boat and inspection of the engine by a mechanic.

[Donnybrook]

I totally agree with Wingssail on racing. Nearly 25 years ago I took a sailing class on J 22s, rented boats for a year, bought 30' sailboat and another class then sailed her for a few years. I thought I knew how to sail until I took a "Crew-U" class through a yacht club and sailed a few races. It was extremely humbling as I learned more about sailing during a three day regatta than I did in two or three years of boat ownership.

I continued to race for several years (6-12 days a summer) while applying what I learned to my own boat. The long distance port to port races are extremely valuable to cruising because you'll learn how to live on a boat (eat, sleep, bathroom while sailing) and you'll be out in weather you wouldn't otherwise.

Learning to ghost along in 3 knots of wind is almost more valuable and rewarding than learning heavy weather sailing. You'll experience why beating into 25kts of wind and 6' waves is uncomfortable on someone else's boat. You'll also learn things like docking etiquette including how to safely raft off other boats and you'll learn how to observe and react to weather.

You'll have every opportunity to learn about boat maintenance and all the other chores with boat ownership.

A bonus is you'll meet a lot of people and form some really good friendships and the only cost of some commitment.

Nearly 25 years later I'm still benefiting from my racing experience.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Duxa

Thanks Ted. So if slip wait times are 5-10 years.... what do people do in the meantime? Where do they keep their boat?

For several years we subleased slips in Seattle from slipholders whose boats were gone. Limited by the marina for 90 days. Often the slip was only available for 1 month or even less. These was a bulletin board where people posted their slips for sublease, and others posted their need.

It was called the Shilshole shuffle. We never knew where our next slip was going to be and we followed every lead. (Like when a boat was seen going into the boat yard you approached the owner to see if they'd sublease their slip to you, or if you hear of someone going on a cruise.) Once I went on a race on someone else's boat and I told Judy, "Find a slip and let me know where the boat is so I can come home." She did, as we always did find slips. Then we finally got to the top of the list and we left on our world cruise and had to let it go.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Donnybrook

...A bonus is you'll meet a lot of people and form some really good friendships and the only cost of some commitment...

Yes, This!

[Don C L]

I know of a 30' slip in Santa Barbara. I think the owner wants to get $50k for the slip and then sell the Cal 29, which is in good shape, in it separately probably. Here's a link to show the costs in Santa Barbara:
https://www.seacoastyachts.com/locat...barbara-slips/
At least in that harbor, new slip owners are sometimes just getting the slip for some other newer boat and then sending the one in the slip out to the anchorage or the crusher.