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When it comes to water sports and boating, there are few places in Oregon that top Clatsop County. There's an ocean to the west and a large river on the north, with lots of small, freshwater lakes, streams and rivers in between. Boating in the winter is a little rough-going, but the spring, summer and early fall provide prime weather for the casual boater, sailor, canoeist or kayaker.

We're heading to San Diego for today's West Coast Sailing Destination because we've realized that every city we've covered so far starts with "S"! San Diego has an average of 300 sunny days per year. How could you not want to sail here? San Diego's three harbors - Oceanside, Mission Bay and The Big Bay (including Point Loma Peninsula, Coronado, the Downtown Waterfront and Chula Vista) - all offer marina facilities, boat rentals, private charters, boat tours, scheduled excursions and boating classes. Small boats and kayaks can also be rented along the coast and at some of San Diego's inland lakes. Boat owners will find ample locations to launch, moor or repair their vessels, whether they're taking a spin around the bay, or making a stopover on an around-the-world cruise.

San Francisco is full of great tourist destinations, and most of the world-renown sites are located right on the water! Sailing around San Francisco Bay offers sites of San Francisco’s breathtaking waterfront. You can sail around Alcatraz or pass under the Golden Gate Bridge, but this boater's paradise offers more great sailing destinations than what you've seen on a postcard. Here are some great places to check out:

Destination #2 in our West Coast Sailing Series is sunny Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has a wonderful mix of calm waves and rugged coastline, making it a perfect cruising destination. You can expect the conditions on Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz to be ideal with winds from 15-20 knots and a moderate swell of 2-4 feet. 

We've got cruising on the brain, and especially with all of the recent stay-at-home orders, we're itching to get away. Welcome to our new series of west coast sailing destinations! Seattle is located on Puget Sound and surrounded by water, making it a top sailing destination on the West Coast. 

If you caught last week's article about The Best Books for Cruising, you're off to a great start. Physical books are always a plus to have when you're cruising because you never know when you'll have cell service. However, there are an infinite amount of amazing resources online that will help you plan for cruising. Here are some of our favorites, but if you see something missing, let us know so we can add it to our list!

Some of our friends are gearing up for a Pacific crossing, so I spent some time trying to compile my favorite resources for them. A few years ago, we sailed down the West Coast of Mexico, and while I'll say we were actually pretty prepared, we definitely still learned a lot. Here are some great books to check out if you're planning on cruising. If you don't see one of your favorite books here, let me know and I'll add it to the list!

If you’re considering buying a used boat, boat surveys are generally a must.

Taking a boat for a sea trial is an essential part of the boat-buying process. It's your chance to take it for a "test drive," but sometimes it's hard to know what to look for. Here are a few main things you should check:

The holidays are almost here! If travel restrictions have thwarted your plans to visit out of town family, there's still plenty to do right here in our very own marina. Who needs a vacation when you can have a stay-cation?