Santa Barbara to San Francisco

[roril]

First time on this site.

Please direct me to a thread on the best time for sailing from Santa Barbara to SF on a 45 Morgan CC. I get the drift that this is not a good time of year for this adventure.

Thanks

Bob

[Richard5]

Why not this time of year? Are you concerned of the marine layer? I've been along that coast many times and all times of the year. Enjoy the downhill ride, go today.

The worst fog I had seen was Feb-April. An unbroken bank from BC to MX and out 800 nm. If you are concerned just stand out from the coast. If you want to go harbor hopping you should have a loose schedule.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Richard5

Why not this time of year? Are you concerned of the marine layer? I've been along that coast many times and all times of the year. Enjoy the downhill ride, go today.

The worst fog I had seen was Feb-April. An unbroken bank from BC to MX and out 800 nm. If you are concerned just stand out from the coast. If you want to go harbor hopping you should have a loose schedule.

Uhhh, Richard, if you have done that trip so many times you should know that from Sta B to SF is NOT a downhill ride... quite the contrary!

For the OP, in late summer it will likely be fairly consistent NW winds once past Conception. Careful perusal of the f/c may show a period of lesser wind strength which can make the trip a bit easier, but do expect to have noserly winds up to 30 or even 35 knots at times.

Cheers,

Jim

[Charlie]

Did that trip a few months ago and was lucky enough to get a southerly most of the way to SF. Here is a good book on the "tricks" of getting to SF with the least amount of damage. Amazon.com: The Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California: Golden Gate to Ensenada, Mexico, Including the Offshore Islands (0639785801825): Brian Fagan: Books As I remember September and October can have some good weather windows for sailing up the coast.

[rebel heart]

Barring some special conditions along the way, which happen rarely, the best time is August - September. Flat water, low winds. You'll be motoring almost the entire way. You can eat a 1-2 knot current the whole time and the winds will be just about on your nose. The Pacific high is huge that time of year so you don't need to worry about storms, but there will be little help offshore for you.

Alternatively you can wait for the winter when low pressure systems blow out of the south. Bumpy and crazy ride, but you'll definitely be sailing.

[roril]

Hey thanks guys. Good info.

I have been watching www.passageweather.com, www.marinetraffic.com plus several other weather sites and it has been, as stated, winds on the nose and a current headed south. Marinetraffic.com ships can give real time weather right from the ship underway.
We don't want to beat up the boat just to get her back to SF.
6 Knots forward and 2 knots back make for a LONG and costly trip$$$!

[capta]

Hey, how about doing it the EASY way?
Sail to Hawaii (an old lady in a bath tub can make to Hawaii from the west coast)(no navigation needed; just follow the jets), then Vancouver staying north of the high (do not turn too soon or you could spend YEARS getting out of the high) the down the coast to Frisco riding the wind and current.
Sounds kinda long, but should you get caught in a NW blow, you'll WISH you'd taken the other route!

[Richard5]

LOL, I slay myself. I know north from south, honest I do.

[Dos Gatos]

In flat water/breeze it's a two night trip nonstop. If NW winds to 15 you can motor-sail just off the wind using a reefed mainsail for stability. Hopefully you have a dodger. Watch the weather trends and you can pick a time to get around the point without much trouble.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by capta

Hey, how about doing it the EASY way?
Sail to Hawaii (an old lady in a bath tub can make to Hawaii from the west coast)(no navigation needed; just follow the jets), then Vancouver staying north of the high (do not turn too soon or you could spend YEARS getting out of the high) the down the coast to Frisco riding the wind and current.
Sounds kinda long, but should you get caught in a NW blow, you'll WISH you'd taken the other route!

Or he could just burn $500 worth of diesel, tops, and get up there without going to freaking Hawaii.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Or he could just burn $500 worth of diesel, tops, and get up there without going to freaking Hawaii.

Do I hear a Hans Crustacean owner speaking??? (Just kidding, RH!)

But really, many of us prefer to sail, even to windward. I've done that trip a number of times (years ago now) in a Yankee 30 and a PJ 36, and we sailed the whole way each time (less entering and leaving anchorages, etc).

Cheers,

Jim

[Dsanduril]

I've done this trip all of the ways mentioned (north to south, south to north, and via Hawaii). I recommend the Hawaii route. Knowing that the time required isn't available to everyone, from Santa Barbara I wait for what looks like a good weather window (high dropping south, light winds). If there is any kind of breeze around Conception I'll head from SB to Cojo Anchorage (usually stopping at Santa Cruz on the way just because I like it). Hang out at Cojo until midnight or 1 AM, then motor around Conception close to shore.

If you want to harbor hop then you can usually make San Luis or Morro Bay before the wind comes up the following afternoon. After that it's just waiting for the right time and deciding how much you want to motor and how much you want to sail. During the summer months it will be on the nose. Afternoons are always the windiest, if you are comfortable with night time near shore work you can get a land breeze most evenings and motor sail until the next morning. For that to work you generally have to be within a couple of miles of shore, so a good watch and navigation system are necessary.

Winter and spring are much more variable, if you time it right you can pick up some favorable winds, but you're usually be moving against some northerly waves, so not always comfortable. Also can have a longer wait between good windows, and several of the anchorages/harbors along the way aren't as nice in a southerly. If you time it wrong, well...

If you have all the leisure in the world to plan then I think the shoulder months are probably the easiest. Something like late September to October, or April/May on the other side. Times when the Central Valley isn't too warm, and the storm door from Alaska isn't open. Problem with that is that it changes every year. Sometimes it might be March, and sometimes could be November.

Lastly, there is the offshore route option. The worst of the California Current is usually only about 50-75 miles wide, if you head offshore from Santa Cruz and San Miguel you can get to the other side of the current, then head NW. You'll also avoid the worst the orographic wind effects every day and sail in a steadier breeze. Still on the nose, but not terrible. If you go that way you'll want to watch the current location. You can do that from several reports or by watching the sea water temperature (not as reliable as the Gulf Stream, but still a visible change).

[Charlie]

Just looked at my log last trip I did that way was March of 2011. Santa Barbara to the Golden Gate Bridge averaged 7 knots took 41 hours. Wind was too light to sail except for across Monterey Bay where we had a SW wind that we sailed. Conception it was 0 to 10 from NW. When I got on watch 8 hours later it was 5 out of the S. Easiest trip up the coast I have ever done. The book I re3commended has a lot of good tricks.

[donradcliffe]

I'd wait for the forecast to drop to 15 or less from the NW, and leave Santa Barbara about 10 pm. That gets you to the points about 5-6 am, which is the least windy time of day. The seabreeze starts to blow about 10-11 am, and builds through the afternoon--big breeze in the evening, and after about 2 am it starts to get spotty.

Of course if you get a southerly forecast, go immediately, and be prepared to hole up if and when the wind turns around, as the NW wind usually then blows 50% higher than normal for 16-24 hours.

One last thought--the buoy readings are more accurate and critical than the forecasts.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by roril

Please direct me to a thread on the best time for sailing from Santa Barbara to SF on a 45 Morgan CC. I get the drift that this is not a good time of year for this adventure.

This can be a great time of year if there's a tropical storm to the south. At that point a southerly will often set in for a few days, making it a milk run.

If you were out there today you'd be getting a lot of fog as you came north. I've done that run at least a dozen times, and I'll no longer attempt it without radar.

September & October are ideal months for the trip. Less fog and the weather windows are longer. I've done the passage twice in November/December, and don't enjoy it as much. Nights are too long and you can get caught it gales that none of the forecasters saw.