If you want a quick getaway to a place that feels far away, we recommend cruising to Santa Catalina Island, most often called simply Catalina. For anyone living on the coast between Newport Beach and Santa Monica, it is probably the No. 1 destination to sail to. The main reason for that is simple: it’s within reach. Depending on the kind of boat you have it takes between four and six hours to sail the 30 nautical miles between Marina Del Rey and Catalina making it a nice, easy day sail.
Once there, the accommodations are premium and by far the coziest of all the Channel Islands of California (There are other, better known “Channel Islands” in the nautical world but they’re halfway across the globe between the U.K. and France’s Brittany Coast, so it’s best to specify). The Catalina Island Company has a very informative website for visitors; check out the boating page.
Once there, tune to VHF Channel 9 to contact the Harbor Patrol to pay your mooring fees but also to get a hold of a shoreboat service (around $3 per person) so you can get to shore even if you don’t have a dinghy. The deluxe accommodations on the island include several hotels, shops and restaurants, including a bar that does karaoke on some evenings. Boaters will find convenient the shore side services that include public bathrooms, showers, water & ice, a gift store, a parts shop as well as fuel docks, trash collectors and marine service shop. Also, be sure to read the harbor rules so you don’t do something that could spoil the vacation.
For your convenience we’ve put up a link to a web cam on our site, giving you a nearly live look at conditions on Catalina. You may also access live statistics of mooring availability at Two Harbors in Catalina. The harbor can get pretty busy particularly in the summertime.
