Good sailing buddy has made the trip twice in recent years.
One harbor hopping & the other offshore (>30miles)
His advice would be to do the latter.............being offshore avoids wind/water compression points ie; Point Conception, minimizes impact of current, etc
He felt the trip was smoother & safer..............they used the Farallon Islands as waypoint area to start their course/heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge.......which approaching the entrance will also require care / planning given the currents/tide effects, shallow areas north & south plus shipping traffic.
NOAA is a great source for weather & surface data.
Fair Winds
