Dec 17 2008
Winter sailing in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands
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Rob Walton’s most excellent picture of Anacapa shows why I’m a big advocate of winter sailing in SoCal
Sailors in Illinois report that they are very frustrated. The temp is up to 40 and their boats are not in the water. Seems Frostbite sailing season ended for them at the end of November. There are no races right now, but there are guys who will chip away at the ice to launch dinghies and other small craft all year. In fact, there are guys who are jealous of east coast saltwater sailors who enjoy ice-free water when temps get into the 20′s.
No thanks. I’m a Californian, and now a Southern Californian and there isn’t a month of the year when the average maximum temp is below 64. In fact, the lowest average.
Average Temp in these parts is 56. No need to chip ice here.
The real beauty of winter sailing here is the excellent visibility. When a cold front passes through, the the air is so clear you feel you can touch the Anacapa Light from Oxnard Beach. Skies are clear to partly cloudy about half the time, which is better than June.
Probably the best part is that few other people are out on the water. Drop the hook in Fry’s or Willows and you’re likely to be the only boat in the anchorage.
Cautions
When a strong low comes ashore in the Oxnard-Ventura area or somewhat to the south, expect south swells and southerly winds. Morse Point and Forney’s are the only anchorages on the south side of Santa Cruz that afford any protection. Our standbys for heavy weather during most of the year – Yellowbanks-Smugglers can get quite uncomfortable with a south swell. North shore anchorages such as “Prisoners, Pelican and Frys are very tame under these circumstances.
Obviously, checking wx every few hours on the VHF is prudent as is careful pre-sail weather planning.
If you have more to add to this discussion, please post a comment below. And, if you want to examine the climatological charts, click Climate Tables
An aside – We still have a couple of open spots for ASA 105 Coastal Navigation, which starts 17 January.
See you on the water
If you only sail when it’s sunny and 70 degrees you are missing the incredible beauty of the seas, the skies and the islands at this time of year. Bundle up, it’s not that cold, all the SailTime boats have dodgers. Not a member of SailTime? No worries, talk to Captain Dan about a charter on Sancerre. You honestly won’t believe your eyes when you experience how breathtaking our little slice of paradise, the Channel Islands are.
[...] Winter sailing in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands | Southern … [...]
We were out yesterday, and it was easily the most spectacular day on the water I’ve experienced to date. Winds and seas up enough to make it a real hoot, yet everything still controllable. But it was the scenery that really made the day–crystal clear, pristine, and just incomparable!
I always say, in between the winter fronts is probably the best sailing conditions this area has to offer all year around. Get out there and do it !