Sailing San Diego via charters is a great way to experience the Pacific Ocean or San Diego Harbor with marine animals and awesome sunsets.

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American Flag Sailing in San Diego Harbor

Why Sailing San Diego Happened This Summer

Whether you live in San Diego or are visiting, a sailing charter is easy to book, not as expensive as you might think and refreshes the mind and body.

Yes, I love the ocean and breathing in that salty air but I don’t have a boat myself. I am usually sequestered to the shoreline like everyone else. On occasion I have friends that invite me along for a fabulous afternoon.

Now, this time, my husband and I were invited by our financial advisors as a treat for working with them for so many years. Over time, they have become friends planning our retirement and spending time away like this is definitely a perk of San Diego living.

A Few Sailing Tips and Benefits

From the fresh air to misty, refreshing breezes it’s amazing to be able to enjoy the ocean away from all the noise and busy shuffling on shore! Just remember to bring a few things with you. My bag always includes sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, a sweater or wrap, crackers and a Seven-Up. The reflection off the water, whether it’s sunny or not will burn you rather quickly. As the wind picks up, it can be chilly even with full sun.

Silence Is Golden

While you hear it in movie theaters, silence is golden, expect the silence to be especially wonderful when sailing. When they cut the motor as they enter the main harbor area, the engine noise falls away. You hear the splashes against the hull, the wind whistling, birds chattering, even a buoy bouncing with that strange bell sound.

Keep Your Eyes On the Horizon

While I am not usually subject to seasickness, many are so make sure to bring dramamine or even just crackers. The last thing you want to do is put on an unexpected show for fellow passengers! If someone looks a little green around the gills, offer a cracker or bread, maybe that Seven-Up I mentioned to ward off the nauseous feeling developing.

Buoy in San Diego Harbor

Sailing San Diego Harbor and Pacific Ocean Sights

The ability to get away from the shore and wander into the blue void aboard our vessel was phenomenal; however, checking out all the other vessels was particularly fun this day. There just happened to be a sailing competition so there were a ton of different sails passing by. Since it was a race, they each passed by multiple times! I pictured two here for you.

Superman Sailing Vessel
Red and White Sailing Vessel

The Big Ships

In addition to all the sailing vessels, there are any number of massive ships moving in and out of San Diego Harbor. The Dole ships have regular deliveries of bananas and pineapples and are a regular sight here Rarely do you get to see this ship up close and personal though. Sometimes I forget how truly massive containers ships really are these days.

On top of all the commercial traffic, San Diego is home to a major Navy military base. There are submarines, aircraft carriers, destroyers and more. Today, we cruised by a huge submarine. Somehow I pictured them being smaller. I’m sorry but I couldn’t get a picture as each time we passed there was a vessel in front of it. A refueling ship also cruised out to sea as we headed in. We captured that ship at least!

Dole Container Ship Arriving in San Diego
Navy Refueling Ship Leaving San Diego

The Views of the Shore

So you may be wondering what that San Diego shoreline can offer. The Naval base is just one sight but others include Point Loma. There is a spot just off the point, where you can surf if you have access to a boat, nicknamed Ralph’s. Other areas along the harbor like Bail Hai Restaurant as well as several small beaches. I wish I had my Nikon this day as the shots would have been of a far better quality! I did try to touch them up so you could see details better, especially of Naval Base Coronado as you can see bunkers as well as the Coronado Bridge in the distance. 

Point Loma
Bail Hai Restaurant
Naval Base Coronado

Sailing San Diego Charters Available Year Round

You may have heard, but San Diego is known for its temperate climate. That means activities like sailing are possible practically all year!

For this particular trip, we sail with Sail San Diego with a group of six plus our captain. It was three hours and less than one hundred dollars per person. While it may seem a little pricey, it is on par with regions and a far more personal experience than a giant boat harbor cruise. You can even choose a sunset cruise if you want to plan something a little romantic. I’ve provided a link to the charters page here for you.

On our trip, most of the passengers opted to help “steer the sailboat under the direction of our captain. It was cool watching him handle all the sails from a single spot on the boat!

On top of running the boat, the captain provided as much or as little information for the guests. Some were really interested and wanted to know everything about what was what and other cuddled up on the bow.

Directions and Contact Details for Sail San Diego

For more extensive directions from different parts of San Diego, parking, or rideshare options follow this link.

Sail San Diego (619) 297-7426
2646 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92106
www.sailsandiego.com

Map to Docks for Sail San Diego
Sail San Diego Marker To Find Docks
Sail San Diego Dock Entrance

The San Diego Bay and Waterfront

If you have more time along the harbor, before or after you go sailing, there is so much more to explore. The San Diego Bay Waterfront has great exhibits like the retired aircraft carrier or old sailing ships like the Star of India.

In addition to the attractions, there are also lots of places to grab a bite to eat or enjoy a cocktail or two.I wrote it up this summer as we explored our own “backyard” opting out of other travel plans. Check it out if you need a nice cool spot to eat, drink, and explore in San Diego.

San Diego Bay Waterfront Attractions