Santa Cruz Harbor
Northern Monterey Bay · near Santa Cruz · SF Bay Area
Sailing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best season
- Spring–fall (afternoons)
- Water temperature
- Cold (mid-50s°F) — dress warm
What is here
- Amenities
- Santa Cruz Yacht Club & racing · Sailing school & rentals · Small-craft harbor & launch · Classic beach-town setting
- Best for
- Beer-can racing & fun day-sailing
- Features
- Fun Wednesday-night racing scene · Northern Monterey Bay day-sailing · Classic Santa Cruz beach town · Harbor launch & rentals
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Shoaling harbor entrance (dredged; mind conditions) · Cold water & fog · Afternoon chop · Surf zone off the harbor mouth
- Good for a first timer
- No
Guides, rentals and operators
- Lessons
- Yes
Sailing detail
- Styles
- day-sail · racing · learn
- Breeze
- moderate
- Venue
- bay
- Exposure
- 3
- Sailing
- A lively small-craft harbor on northern Monterey Bay — reliable afternoon sea breeze (10–20 kt), a fun beer-can racing scene, and easy day-sailing
- Intl tip
- A lively, unpretentious small-craft harbor on northern Monterey Bay — Santa Cruz YC, a fun beer-can racing series, school and rentals, in a classic beach town. Reliable afternoon sea breeze (10–20 kt). Cold water, summer fog. NOTE: the harbor entrance shoals (dredged — mind conditions/advisories in swell). Combine with the Boardwalk. Great for racing and easy day-sailing with a mellow vibe.
The guide
Santa Cruz Harbor, on the northern shore of Monterey Bay, is a lively small-craft harbor with a fun, unpretentious sailing scen…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Santa Cruz Harbor — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.964, -121.999