Best anchorages and harbours in California

Channel Island Harbor Marina

Marina inside the man-made Channel Islands Harbor at Oxnard, southern California. Around 400 berths from 24 to 60 ft plus end-ties up to 100 ft.

Moonstone Cove

Anchorage and mooring cove on the north-east shore of Catalina Island, around 20 nm south of Los Angeles Harbour, with a sand bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Alameda Public Dock

Short public pontoon on the Alameda side of the Oakland Estuary, opposite Jack London Square.

Little Scorpion anchorage

Anchorage on the north-east side of Santa Cruz Island, in Channel Islands National Park, California, a short distance east of Scorpion Anchorage, on a sand bottom.

• Sheltered SW, S, SE

Oceanside Harbor

Small craft harbour on the Pacific coast of San Diego County, immediately south of the Del Mar Boat Basin at Camp Pendleton.

Cuyler Harbor

Bight on the north-east shore of San Miguel Island, the westernmost of California's Channel Islands and part of the national park.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S

Sheraton Hotel & Marina

Hotel marina on Harbor Island in San Diego Bay, on the north shore opposite the airport runway, with berths for visiting yachts up to 60 feet.

Holiday Harbor Cabrillo Marina

Marina at Berth 34 of the Cabrillo Marina complex in San Pedro, within the Port of Los Angeles, southern California.

Santa Barbara anchorage (Seasonal)

Seasonal open-roadstead anchorage off Santa Barbara on the southern California coast, on a sand bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Fortman Marina

497 berth marina in a man made rectangular basin on the Alameda side of the Oakland Estuary, opposite Coast Guard Island.

Safe Harbor Ventura Isle

Largest marina in Ventura Harbor, with 580 berths for vessels from 25 to 95 ft, on the east side of the harbour basin.

Emeryville Marina

Public marina on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, on the Emeryville Peninsula at 3310 Powell Street in California.

Ayala Cove, Angel Island

Mooring field on the north side of Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, off Tiburon, with a mud bottom and shelter from the prevailing westerlies.

• Free
• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Stockton Sailing Club

Members' sailing club marina at Buckley Cove, Stockton, opening onto the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California.

Richmond Yacht Club

Members' yacht club marina at Brickyard Cove in Richmond, California, on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay.

Westpoint Harbor

Privately owned marina at the mouth of Westpoint Slough in Redwood City, California, on the southern reaches of San Francisco Bay.

Grand Street Public Dock

Public launch ramp and short dock on the Oakland Estuary at the north end of Grand Street in Alameda, California, directly across from Coast Guard Island.

Schoonmaker Beach

Anchorage in Richardson Bay off Sausalito, California, on the north side of San Francisco Bay. The bottom is soft mud.

• Sheltered SW, W

Scorpion anchorage

Cove with a pier on the north-east side of Santa Cruz Island, in Channel Islands National Park off Ventura, California.

• Sheltered W, SW, S

Seaplane Lagoon

Enclosed 110-acre basin on the San Francisco Bay side of Alameda Point, California, on the site of the former Naval Air Station Alameda.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Safe Harbor Ballena Isle

Full-service marina on the bayfront of Alameda, on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in California, with a view of the San Francisco skyline and the Bay Bridge.

Stillwater Cove

Anchorage on the north shore of Carmel Bay at Pebble Beach, California, in the lee of Pescadero Point.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

Sausalito

Anchorage in Richardson Bay off Sausalito, California, on a mixed rock and mud bottom near the head of San Francisco Bay.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Little Fishermans Cove

Open anchorage on the coast of Santa Catalina Island, California, with a sand bottom. It sits about 20 nautical miles south-west of San Pedro.

• Sheltered SE, S, SW, W

Burton Chase Park Dooking

Public guest dock attached to Burton W. Chace Park in the middle of Marina del Rey, the large man-made harbour on the coast of Los Angeles County.

A9 "Cruiser" Anchorage

Designated cruisers anchorage in San Diego Bay, California, off the eastern tip of Harbor Island, with fresh water available nearby.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Indian Rock

Open anchorage off Santa Catalina Island, California, on a sand bottom. It lies roughly 19 nautical miles south-west of San Pedro.

• Sheltered S, SW, W

Catalina Harbor

Mooring off the West End of Santa Catalina Island, California, near Howland's Landing, set on a sand bottom with all-round shelter.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Cabrillo Way Marina

Large public marina on the West Channel of Los Angeles Harbor, in San Pedro, California.

Paradise Cay Yacht Harbor

Public marina on the east side of the Tiburon peninsula in Marin County, on the north shore of San Francisco Bay.