Santa Barbara to Monterey - Port San Luis? or Morro Bay?

[ksanders]

It looks like we can finally leave Santa Barbara on Tuesday morning.

I am thinking about leaving about 0130 in the morning in order to hit Point Conception at daybreak.

This would put us anchor'd in either Port San Luis or in Morro Bay before the afternoon winds pick up.

The plan is to rest, and leave again that night at around the same time, again to avoid the afternoon winds.

The question... is would you choose to anchor in Port San Luis, or Morro Bay?

To me the benefit is Port San Luis is much easier to leave from than Morro Bay where I have a narrow channel, and a bar to cross in the night.

On the flip side it's a couple hours more driving the next day.

From those that have been in both places, your advice is apreciated.

 

[gordytwo]

It looks like we can finally leave Santa Barbara on Tuesday morning.

I am thinking about leaving about 0130 in the morning in order to hit Point Conception at daybreak.

This would put us anchor'd in either Port San Luis or in Morro Bay before the afternoon winds pick up.

The plan is to rest, and leave again that night at around the same time, again to avoid the afternoon winds.

The question... is would you choose to anchor in Port San Luis, or Morro Bay?

To me the benefit is Port San Luis is much easier to leave from than Morro Bay where I have a narrow channel, and a bar to cross in the night.

On the flip side it's a couple hours more driving the next day.

From those that have been in both places, your advice is apreciated.

I've been to both places many times. It's easier to get in and out at San Luis. Actually if were me I'd leave Santa Barbara and anchor at Coho the day before. Leave Coho at midnight and make your way north. I don't stop until I get to San Simeon anchorage. It's about 21 nm above Morro Bay. Easy in and out and very pretty with sand bottom and good holding. No facilities there so if the weather looks skechey up to Monterey from there consider San Luis or Morro.

 

[ksanders]

I've been to both places many times. It's easier to get in and out at San Luis. Actually if were me I'd leave Santa Barbara and anchor at Coho the day before. Leave Coho at midnight and make your way north. I don't stop until I get to San Simeon anchorage. It's about 21 nm above Morro Bay. Easy in and out and very pretty with sand bottom and good holding. No facilities there so if the weather looks skechey up to Monterey from there consider San Luis or Morro.

San Simeon looks like a pretty decent fair weather anchorage. I never thought about stopping there.

 

[mvweebles]

I always chose PSL due to easy in/out, especially for a nighttime departure which is your plan.

@gordytwo offers an interesting suggestion with San Simeon. I stopped there once many years ago, before I was delivering. Nice anchorage. It's a good suggestion. Or if you have sufficient crew and inclination to keep going overnight, might consider leaving that option open and take refuge in San Simeon if you guess wrong. If winds don't build to 18+ (small whitecaps) until early afternoon, chances are decent the afternoon chop won't be too bad before easing at sunset.

Like @gordytwo , I sometimes staged from Cojo too (2x-3x). It's a desolate anchorage but I sorta liked it. Seems odd to be anchored within eyesight of a decent surf break. I'd get in by late afternoon then leave after midnight or so. But I don't remember doing so except on a slower boat than yours with the intent of continuing north nonstop to at least Monterey - might not work for your cadence. But it is an option and a good anchorage.

Good luck Kevin.

Peter

 

[Caballero II]

It looks like we can finally leave Santa Barbara on Tuesday morning.

I am thinking about leaving about 0130 in the morning in order to hit Point Conception at daybreak.

This would put us anchor'd in either Port San Luis or in Morro Bay before the afternoon winds pick up.

The plan is to rest, and leave again that night at around the same time, again to avoid the afternoon winds.

The question... is would you choose to anchor in Port San Luis, or Morro Bay?

To me the benefit is Port San Luis is much easier to leave from than Morro Bay where I have a narrow channel, and a bar to cross in the night.

On the flip side it's a couple hours more driving the next day.

From those that have been in both places, your advice is apreciated.

I'd second the recommendation to set out from Cojo anchorage. Great little cove with sand bottom and good protection from prevailing nw winds. From there, points north are a little closer, whatever you decide. I'm just up the dock from you on Marina 1 in SB. Sorry I haven't checked in. Good luck on the next leg.

 

[ksanders]

We are at the very end of dock 4, and moving to the Santa Barbara YC end tie tomorrow.

 

[Portage_Bay]

I can't contribute much beyond what the others have except to say that options to anchor out at Morrow bay are very limited. A very crowded mooring field. In my opinion your best option at Morrow is the yacht club if they have room.

I've only been there once. The yacht club were was very helpful and accommodating as we dealt with electrical, fuel and mechanical problems.

 

[Caballero II]

We are at the very end of dock 4, and moving to the Santa Barbara YC end tie tomorrow.

We have rodeo in Santa Ynez tomorrow ( Sunday). If you're still here, contact me. I'll try a message to you. I can help you at the SBYC.

 

[ksanders]

Well, the weather continues to look good to continue up the coast.

We will leave early tuesday morning. Probably around 0200 as this puts us entering Morro Bay at around 2:00 PM on Wedensay.

At that time we will make a decision wether to proceed to San Simeon.

If we make San Simion and the winds and waves are not so bad we might just continue.
If we stay at San Simion or Morro Bay we will not be there long, as we will again leave in the wee hours of the morning.

This approach gives us two great stopping points if the winds and waves are up.
It also gives us the ability to continue and make Monterey around daybreak if we continue.

 

[Caballero II]

It looks like we can finally leave Santa Barbara on Tuesday morning.

I am thinking about leaving about 0130 in the morning in order to hit Point Conception at daybreak.

This would put us anchor'd in either Port San Luis or in Morro Bay before the afternoon winds pick up.

The plan is to rest, and leave again that night at around the same time, again to avoid the afternoon winds.

The question... is would you choose to anchor in Port San Luis, or Morro Bay?

To me the benefit is Port San Luis is much easier to leave from than Morro Bay where I have a narrow channel, and a bar to cross in the night.

On the flip side it's a couple hours more driving the next day.

From those that have been in both places, your advice is apreciated.

I dunno. Still blowing pretty good. It will get better. This is the conundrum of getting around Pt. Conception. You can do it now, but it won't be fun. I'd still lay in at Cojo, if you don't mind living off the hook for a little while. You can go or retreat from there. This is what it's like on the central coast in the early summer. It will get better.

 

[lwarden]

Any update Kevin?

 

[ksanders]

We made it safely to Morro Bay, without incident or drama on Tuesday afternoon.

Here in Morro bay the Yacht club was full, but we were able to get a slip at the city marina, which is unheard of.

Tomorrow, Saturday morning we leave for Monterey, another 100NM run.

This time we are leaving at first light, as i am not fond of the idea of leaving here in the dark.

 

[AlaskaProf]

San Simeon looks like a pretty decent fair weather anchorage. I never thought about stopping there.

Looks like you're going to bypass San Simeon, unfortunately. It has only one "facility", but well worth the stop. The Hearst family (yes, that Hearst family) has a wine tasting "room" in a eucalyptus grove on the beach which is one of the great California experiences. Would make an excellent dinghy excursion

 

[hollywood8118]

My last delivery included an arrival from the South in a pitch black night into Morro Bay. We had the fun additional drama of the Coasties coming to meet us in the middle of the channel to see what the boat they had been watching on AIS was up to. They had a hard time believing any boat could be running north at over 35 kts. When satisfied we weren't nefarious law breakers they lead us in to an empty dock.
Pretty much every trip I have made between Morro Bay and the Gate has had some sort of weird unexplainable or strange event.. I don't know what it is about that section of coast. Strange radar targets at VERY high speed invisible in the fog.. and silent. Or what had to be a sub running under us at high speed and emitting a strange sound and hump that was really visible.
Have a great trip north.. Cali looks so sparsely developed from a boat along that coast,
Hollywood

 

[ksanders]

35 knots!!! I suppose I'd be curious as well!

We have double checked the weather and are ready to go at first light!

 

[lwarden]

My buddy is running a Beneteau 44 up from San Diego to San Francisco right now as crew, they were just north of Morro Bay. I've been texting him back and forth this evening (Starlink). Moderate conditions, fog, a 6' swell and wind around 10-12 knots. Looks like it gets better in the morning too and good for a few days. His other two mates are sick (one is the owner) so he's been doing yeoman's work on the watch schedule.
He'll be happy to get in.