California Coast | San Francisco – Ensenada
Sept 24 – Oct 6 | $4700
This trip is a great blend of inshore and offshore adventure. The longest passage is less than 48 hours, but we should get the full offshore experience with strong winds, open ocean exposure and overnight sailing. If you’ve been thinking about one of our longer trips, this is a great trial run. With stops in Half Moon Bay, Morro Bay, Catalina, and San Diego, we’ll have plenty of shore-side action for everyone – towns, wilderness, and everything in between. Our final destination, Ensenada, has some of our favorite things – great hot sauce, great tacos, and the Valle de Guadalupe, home to vineyards that rival Napa in quality. This is the nicest time of year to be in California, so come join us for this journey down the coast! Click on the drop down menus below for more information.
All meals on board Sea Dragon are delicious and vegetarian.
This is not a trip for the infirm or physically unfit – you MUST be able to go up and down the companionway and move safely about the boat while in rough conditions, have good balance, and be in reasonably good health. Please contact us with any health questions or if you answer “YES” to any of the questions on our health questionnaire prior to signing up for the trip!
Ardent Training is offering a significant discount on the RYA Day Skipper Theory online course to anyone signed up for this trip. If you’re interested in taking the course, let us know when you sign up!
- Cost: $4700
- Date: Sept 24 – Oct 6, 2023
- Start: Sausalito, San Francisco, CA
- End: Marina Coral, Ensenada, Mexico
- Length: 13 days, 12 nights
- Focus: Coastal Cruising | Coastal Exploration | Offshore Sailing
While we can’t guarantee that our protocol will 100% prevent a COVID infection onboard, we are hopeful that it will reduce the risk of a serious COVID infection far from advanced medical care.
COVID Protocol:
While we can’t guarantee that our protocol will 100% prevent a COVID infection onboard, we are hopeful that with these constraints, it will seriously reduce the risk of the possibility of a serious COVID infection at sea, far from advanced medical care.
Everyone on board the vessel must provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19, including a booster shot if it has been more than 6 months since the final dose of your initial course of vaccination on the date you board the vessel.
14 days before trip: I agree to take maximum precautions to minimize my risk of infection with COVID-19 by following CDC guidelines.
72 Hours Before Boarding: I agree to take a PCR or Rapid Antigen covid test at my own expense. This test must be administered or proctored by a medical professional, and the result must be on official letterhead. If a testing site is available that can provide results in less than 72 hours, I agree to get tested as close to the date and time of boarding as is consistent with receiving results before boarding.
Day of Arrival at boat: We will take your temperature and administer a rapid antigen test to you before you come in close contact with the rest of the crew. With proof of a negative pre-trip test result, a temperature of under 100.4 F, and a negative rapid test on the dock, you will be able to board Sea Dragon. Once everyone is on board, we will fall into the normal routine for trip operations. We’ll become a “bubble” with no masks required on board. You’ll choose your bunk, we’ll have a group dinner on board and go through safety briefings for departure.
In the event that you have a fever over 100.4F, test positive on either the pre-trip test or your pre-boarding rapid test, you will not be allowed aboard the vessel, and we will be happy to transfer your payment to a trip of your choosing at a later date.
Reserve your spot now with only a $500 Deposit! This deposit is non-refundable per our crew contract. However, it is transferrable or refundable if we are forced to cancel the trip.
Contact UsCall Us: +1 (305) 330-4212 (Pacific Time)
Taking a trip on Sea Dragon … is a life changing experience. All the adventure, fun team work, food makes for an unforgettable trip. Careful, because you will not want to return to land.
– Nicholas W.
Click on a heading below to learn more!
Tentative ItineraryDay 1: Afternoon Arrival on Sea Dragon
You’ll meet us on the dock in Sausalito anytime between 1500 and 1700 and come on board to settle in. Everyone will come together for our first dinner on board and have the opportunity to get to know your fellow crew members. After dinner, your professional crew will go through life on board and safety procedures in prep for departure the following morning. You’ll be fitted with your own lifejacket and assigned foul weather gear if you haven’t brought your own. We’ll stay the night alongside.
Day 2: Sail to Half Moon Bay
After a delicious breakfast, we’ll get underway down the coast to Half-Moon Bay – it’s a short sail, perfect for learning the ropes. We’ll arrive early enough to be able to explore the small town before dinner. On anchor for the night.
Day 3: Sail To Morro Bay
Today we’ll get underway down the coast to Morro Bay – this is normally a great downwind sail with lots of whales. You’ll get to watch the sun set into the ocean off of Big Sur, and then settle in for the first overnight passage of the trip.
Day 4: Arrive in Morro Bay
After our first overnight passage, we’ll arrive in Morro Bay mid-afternoon.
Day 5: Explore Morro Bay
We’ll spend the day exploring beautiful and quaint Morro Bay.
Day 6: Depart Morro Bay for Catalina
We’ll leave Morro Bay in the morning for the longest sail of the trip – close to 200 miles of downwind blasting to Catalina.
Day 7: Arrive Two Harbors, Catalina Island
We’ll head south to beautiful Two Harbors on Catalina Island. Overnight on mooring.
Day 8: Explore Two Harbors, Catalina Island
We’ll have the day to explore the less visited side of Catalina – hiking, swimming, snorkeling, or just chilling on the beach.
Day 9: To Avalon
We’ll cruise down the coast of Catalina to Avalon, the major town on the island, where we’ll go ashore to explore.
Day 10: Sail to San Diego
After a night on the mooring in Avalon, we’ll be up early to sail to San Diego. We’ll keep a sharp lookout for dolphins and whales as we cross the channel to the mainland, then spend the night on the dock in San Diego.
Day 11: Clear Customs San Diego, sail to Mexico
We’ll need to clear customs out of the US before heading to Mexico, so will do this first thing in the morning. As soon as we’re done, we’ll get off the dock and continue our passage down to Ensenada. This passage should be full of nice sailing and marine mammals. Night on the dock in Marina Coral, Ensenada.
Day 12: Clear Customs in Mexico, Explore Ensenada
After clearing through Customs, you’ll have the afternoon to explore Ensenada – get some tacos, go wine tasting, or just soak in the hot tub at Hotel Coral!
Day 13: After a last breakfast together, it will be time to head home. You should plan to be off the boat by 0900.
What's Included
Contribution Includes:
– 12 nights accommodation on Sea Dragon
– All meals (vegetarian), snacks, and drinks on board
– Sailing Instruction
– Safety equipment and foul weather gear
– Use of inflatable paddle boards
– Shuttle to San Diego Airport on the last day of the trip
– Mask, snorkel, fins
Contribution does not include:
– Transportation to San Francisco and from San Diego
– Ground Transportation and personal expenses while in port
– Additional nights spent ashore
Packing List
The weather is beautiful in late September on the west coast, but it can be chilly on the water, especially at night. Take a look at our Temperate packing list for ideas.
Travel Details
You will join the boat in in Sausalito between 1500-1700 on the first day. You will depart the boat in Ensenada at 1300 on the last day.
San Francisco International (SFO) is about 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by bus and train from Sausalito. Oakland International (OAK) is about 1 hour by either car or transit. In addition, Amtrak has connecting service from downtown SF to its Emeryville depot, with trains to the rest of the country.
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is about a 90-100 minute drive from TIJ, and Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) is about a 70 minute drive north. Please be aware that north-bound border crossings can be slow. We’ll arrange a shuttle from the marina to San Diego Airport on the morning of departure, or you can make your own arrangement. Hotel Coral can arrange an airport shuttle directly from the hotel to either airport, and Five Star Tours operates regular bus service from Ensenada to downtown San Diego.
All crew members will require a passport and visas from their home country that will allow them to travel to/ from the USA and Mexico. Please ensure you have the appropriate paperwork completed before joining the vessel. Please look into the specific type of visa you need for arriving at these destinations by sea, or contact us directly to discuss.
Boat Tour
Your Crew
