[Checkov]

We were thinking of chartering a bareboat for a few nights from Marina Del Rey to go to Catalina for a few nights, but reading about the Santa Ana winds scared us. We've cruised about a half dozen trips in the San Juans, Lower Puget Sound and BVI - but no ocean cruising.

Is it difficult to monitor the winds and know when they might come up? How much advance warning would you get?

tx!

 

[westsailpatti]

Check here National Weather Service - NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard. Keep your VHF on , and check with the Harbor Master . Fact, if there is snow on the main land mountains and the Santa Anna's start , sailor take warning . Don't forget the Buffalo Milk , have fun and show us some pics .
This is a fun site , scroll down and click on either Two Harbors , for the Isthmus or Mount Ada for Avalon .http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/island-info/media/two-harbors-cam

 

[windward54]

For the most part, Santa Ana winds are predictable. However, we have been caught over in Two Harbors a couple of times over the years when unexpected winds came up. You can always head for Cat Harbor if you are worried about the winds coming up.

 

[Puddin'_Tain]

The weather gurus will almost always give at least a couple of days warning before strong Santa Ana conditions. Every once in a great while they will predict a mild or moderate Santa Ana and it will turn into a pretty nasty one -- but not very often. The best deal is to ride a mild Santa Ana out to the island, spend a day or two there, and ride the prevailing westerlies back to the mainland.

 

[elgatosunrise]

The marine service report is good, as was mentioned above. But the marine area that includes the LA to Catalina is broad. For more specific wind predictions there's quite a few free aps you can load on your phone. The distance between Marina del Rey and Two harbors is short enough that you will able to know what is coming in that crossing time.

 

[elgatosunrise]

We make the journey from San Diego, which is more like a 73 mile journey, however, from Marina Del Rey, you are down to about 31 nautical miles to Two Harbor. This is more like a 6 hour journey if you can hold 5 knots/hour. So, check the wind models before you go, then you should be good. Most wind models are very accurate for a 6 hour wind forecast. Then give yourself a little flexibility on when you return. So in case something picks up while you are on the island, you always have the option of waiting it out.

With a little luck you will get a stiff NW afternoon breeze on the return trip and you can sail back into your home port!


If it helps, on my sail blog I put together a list of distances from all the main LA harbors out to either Avalon or Two Harbors -

Captain Curran's sailing blog: Sailing to Catalina Island: distance and time from Los Angeles

 

[overbored]

Santa Ana's should be done until october. they are a winter time event. still can get some good wind days but they are not the gusty Santa Ana's. Current weather pattern looks like we are just starting the June gloom. fog and over cast which will clear some afternoons and some days it will clear just in time to see the sun go down. Catalina is usually clear earlier in the day then the mainland.