Looking for a prime sailing city (or town)

[sethg688]

Now that I have my first series of ASA certs, I'm looking to relocate to a sailing mecca in order to gain some solid cruising/crew experience. Year-round sailing (or close to it) is ideal. A large sailing community with frequent opportunities to crew, preferably on overnight trips, is also preferred. Can anyone out there give me some ideas? I'm basically looking for marinas and yacht clubs with crowded bars and BIG bulletin boards!

I'm in Virginia right now, so Annapolis seems like a good choice, but it would be nice to hear from people who know the area before I move there. I'm also open to foreign ports if there are good ones, but know even less about sailing cities abroad.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Cal28]

I'd suggest San Francisco ...

tough to beat the experience of sailing on the bay ... and the Pacific is just outside the Golden Gate ...