Best anchorages and harbours in 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

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

Holiday Harbor Cabrillo Marina

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

KKMI Richmond

Working boatyard and dock facility on the south side of Point Richmond in San Francisco Bay, on Brickyard Cove, opposite Angel Island.

Pillar Point Marina

Public harbour at Princeton near Half Moon Bay, California, on the open Pacific coast about 20 miles south of San Francisco.

South Beach Harbor

City-run marina on the San Francisco waterfront, set in the South Beach district beside the Giants' ballpark on the Embarcadero.

Mariners Basin

Anchorage in the south-west corner of Mission Bay, San Diego, with a sand and mud bottom and protection on every side.

• Sheltered N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Emeryville Marina

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Oceanside Harbor

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

Fortman Marina

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

Richmond Yacht Club

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

Stockton Sailing Club

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

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.

Morro Bay State Park Marina

Small state park marina at the south end of Morro Bay, 18 berths and 14 mooring buoys for boats from 7.5 to 12 metres.

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.

Half Moon Bay Anchorage

General anchorage inside Pillar Point Harbor at Half Moon Bay, California, in San Mateo County, with a sand bottom and shelter from NW through SW winds.

• Sheltered NW, N, 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

Bechers bay

Broad semicircular bay on the north-east side of Santa Rosa Island, the main point of entry to the island in Channel Islands National Park, California.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S

Big Drakes Bay

Anchorage off Peacock Park in Coconut Grove, on the western shore of Biscayne Bay, Miami.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE