Palos Verdes

I was checking out the Palos Verdes coastline on Google Earth and was wondering if there are any overnight anchoring possibilities there. Portugese Bend, Smugglers Cove and Lunada Bay looked interesting from space, but does anyone have any local knowledge?

Paul
E29 "Bear"

There are boats that anchor at Lunada every now and then, but the entire coast is pretty exposed to a south and southwest swell so it will not be quiet. I haven't seen anyone anchoring overnight and I regularly run that coastline on a daily or near daily basis.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E-32-2 Hull #134
Redondo Beach, CA

Thanks Jim -- just what I was looking for. By the way I was reading about a plan to put in transient boat moorings just inside the breakwater at King Harbor. Do you know anything about this? I'm putting together a plan for an eventual sail from Oceanside to Santa Barbara.

Paul
E29 "Bear"

Palos Verdes.......almost.

Paul, A fun alternative that we enjoy every once in a while is to take an easy sail from Marina del Rey to King Harbor and the Portofino Hotel & Marina http://www.hotelportofino.com/redondobeach-deals.aspx?gclid=CNuRu_24trICFYaDQgod9CcAHg We will have called ahead to the dock master and reserved a slip. With that fee ($25 to $30 per night maybe, can't remember) comes full use of all the amenities of the Hotel such as swimming pool spa, living room with comfy chairs to sit in and read in, etc Of course there are other anchorages operated in King Harbor that can offer slips but we really like the Portofino. All slips mentioned are on an availability basis as they are tenants slips who are elsewhere such as Catalina Island. And of course there is a large transient slip availability in Marina del Rey farther up the coast. Hope this helps, Glyn Judson, E31, hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

Paul,

They don't have transient moorings yet, but many drop anchor nearer the breakwall all the way back to the KHYC. As far as I know, there are no issues if you wanted to park there for a couple of days. If you wanted to bump your way up the coast, Catalina is the way to go. Sailing from King Harbor up to Point Dume, the wind is on the nose. You get a much better wind angle if you make for CI Harbor or Ventura from the Isthmus.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E-32-2 Hull #134
Redondo Beach, CA

Paul,

Some other possibilities for overnight at King Harbor, Redondo Beach:

If you're a member of a yacht club, you can tie up overnight at the King Harbor Yacht Club dock, assuming that they don't have some special event going on.

Port Royal Marina rents slips by the day to transients. You won't get all the goodies you'd get at Portofino, but they have showers and electrical hookups, and there are a couple of restaurants nearby.

Captain Don
Gitana - E26

Thanks again all for the helpful info. I can see the advantage of going from Isthmus with a west wind but after twenty something years of Catalina I was looking forward to seeing new territory. I was sort of thinking that I would round Pt. Dume after an overnight anchor at Paradise Cove if conditions permit.

Paul
E29 "Bear"

Paul,

For the past 9 years we've headed for Santa Barbara in early August (this year, late July) for the annual Santa Barbara-King Harbor race. When we're not busy with work, we take off on Wednesday morning for the friday start and overnight at Channel Islands. The course to Pt. Dume and then up the coast of Malibu, is essentially dead to wind and it can get pretty windy between Pt. Dume and Pt. Mugu. (we had 30-plus knots during the race this year about 1 mile off Zuma Beach.) A stop off in the lee of Pt. Dume is a great idea. It looks like a great cove to park in. Maybe its a little open but with the prevailing winds, the Pt. blocks most of the swell action and you only have to deal with the reflection. Have a great time. Channel Islands is a good place to stop. We always stay at Anacapa Marina. There are several good restaurants within easy walking distance and you can use the pool, spa, clubhouse, showers at the marina as a transient yacht.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E-32-2 Hull #134
Redondo Beach, CA