Best anchorages and harbours in California

Sportsmen Yacht Club

Private yacht club on the San Joaquin River side of the Delta near Oakley, with the 1894 ferryboat Sausalito moored as historic clubhouse.

Starboard Home Marina

Small private marina on Dutch Slough, south side of Bethel Island, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The Marina at Pier 39

Marina built into Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, with views over Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The South Bay Yacht Club

Private yacht club on Alviso Slough at the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, in Alviso district of San Jose.

Topanga Beach

Open mooring off Topanga Beach in Santa Monica Bay, California, between Santa Monica and Malibu, with a sand bottom and shelter only from NW through NE winds.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Travis Marina

Small harbour at Horseshoe Cove, Fort Baker, on the north side of the Golden Gate just east of the bridge.

Treasure Isle Marina

Marina in Clipper Cove, between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, in San Francisco Bay, California.

UCSC Community Boating Center

University-run boating centre on FF Dock inside Santa Cruz Harbour, used by UCSC students and Santa Cruz residents for sailing, rowing and kayaking on Monterey Bay.

Union Point Marina

135-berth basin at the eastern gateway to Jack London Square, on the Oakland Estuary.

Vallejo Marina

Large municipal marina at the north end of the Vallejo downtown waterfront, on the Mare Island Strait in San Francisco Bay, California.

Ventura West Marina

Large marina inside Ventura Harbor on the southern California coast, about 30 miles south of Santa Barbara and a common departure point for the Channel Islands.

Ventura Yacht Club

Yacht club marina of 91 berths on the west side of Ventura Harbor, between the harbour village and the Channel Islands National Park headquarters.

Villa Cove Marina

Forty-two berth marina at 1099 Bayside Drive in Newport Harbour, opposite Balboa Island, operated by CRC Marinas.

Vintage Marina

Marina of more than 380 berths inside Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, for boats from 25 ft up to 100 ft end-ties.

Waldo Point Harbor

Floating-home harbour at the north end of Richardson Bay in Sausalito, home to the most photographed houseboat community in the Bay Area.

Walnut Grove Marina

Marina of 178 berths on Snodgrass Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, half an hour from downtown Sacramento by road.

Waterfront Marina

Small private marina at 919 Bayside Drive in Newport Harbour, taking boats up to about 33 feet with a maximum beam of 12 feet.

Wayfarer Marina Slips

Marina in the D and E Basins of Marina del Rey, on the Los Angeles coast in California.

Westport Marina

Marina at the northern end of Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, California. End ties, side ties and standard berths for boats from 20 to 60 ft.

Willow Berm Marina

350-berth marina on a private island off the Delta Loop, 140 Brannan Island Road, Isleton, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Wimpy's Marina & RV park

Marina, restaurant and RV park on the Mokelumne River at Walnut Grove, with direct access to the San Joaquin River.

Woods Yacht Harbor

Marina on Dutch Slough at Oakley, opposite the south shore of Bethel Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Zúñiga

Anchorage near Zuniga Point at the tip of Coronado, where San Diego Bay meets the Pacific in California.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW