Advice would be greatly appreciated before I do something foolhardy. Any
words of warning regarding time of year and weather? This would be
undertaken on a Ranger 26', preferably staying within sight of the coast.

Thanks,

Mick

"Mick Davies" wrote in message
...
Advice would be greatly appreciated before I do something foolhardy. Any
words of warning regarding time of year and weather? This would be
undertaken on a Ranger 26', preferably staying within sight of the coast.

Thanks,

Mick

It's a nice, long sail/motor. Going up the coast you will be "uphill" until
you round Palos Verdes. This means you will have be on a close reach most
of the time and, as the day progresses, will get some splash as you fall
into "potholes". Your boat is certainly up to it if you are.

If you get tired as the day progresses, there are LOTS of marinas along they
way where you could stop for the night if you decide to. Head in early if
you start getting fatigued.

Please don't plan to navigate exclusively by watching and following the
coast. Following the curve of the coast will add an hour or two to your
trip and there is never any assurance that visibility won't be lost to
haze/fog. Also, as you get up towards LA/Long Beach there are dozens of
freighters anchored offshore which will make sailing through them
problematic.

It's always a good idea to keep a running plot on a local chart and have a
plan for what to do if visibility disappears or the GPS quits. A "must
have" is a working VHF radio so you can call for help if necessary.

Go for it, it'll be a great adventure.

Luck,
Everett (Long Beach)

"Mick Davies" writes:

Advice would be greatly appreciated before I do something foolhardy. Any
words of warning regarding time of year and weather? This would be
undertaken on a Ranger 26', preferably staying within sight of the coast.

After you have taken and passed a US Power Squadron basic safety class, get
back to me.

Lew

Mick Davies wrote:
Advice would be greatly appreciated before I do something foolhardy. Any
words of warning regarding time of year and weather? This would be
undertaken on a Ranger 26', preferably staying within sight of the coast.

This sounds like a boat delivery.

This will probably be a motor boat ride so make sure your engine
and fuel are in good shape. You'll want a copy of the Southern
California Chart Book, a Vessel Assist (Boat US?) "Captain's"
membership, a working VHF, and a hand-held GPS that you know how
to use and have already entered coords for all the harbor
entrances along the way.

Of course, you already have all the Coast Guard required safety
stuff and know how to use it, right? You'll also want an anchor
and rode "just in case". And that Power Squadron or CG Auxiliary
safety course will make you feel much better about the whole trip.

Add some good food and a couple of knowledgeable friends and it
should be a great trip.

Best of luck!

Cindy

I did this very trip a couple of years ago,,, so a few tips;

It's too long to do in one day,,,,day's are getting short now,,, plan
on tucking into Long Beach Marina [Alamitos Bay, Shoreline, etc] for
the night. They have overnight guest docks, showers and places to
eat.

Stay close [reasonably close that is] to the shore on the way up so if
the fog blows in you can run for a marina. GPS's are fine if you're
experienced in using them,,,,, but they can get you into a lot of
trouble if you don't know how to really use them.

Don't "cut the corner" going around Palos Verde peninsula ,,,, reefs
extend a long way out,,, and are deceptive.

And finally, if you're coming to Marina Del Rey in anticipation of
"finding" a slip,,,,, they are few and far between,,, just about
non-existant [waiting lists, etc]. Be sure you have the slip before
you commit.

Cheers,

Trent Sanders
S/V Cimba
Marina Del Rey


"Mick Davies" wrote in message m...
Advice would be greatly appreciated before I do something foolhardy. Any
words of warning regarding time of year and weather? This would be
undertaken on a Ranger 26', preferably staying within sight of the coast.

Thanks,

Mick

"Mick Davies" wrote in news:z226d.1088$Rf1.417
@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com:

Advice would be greatly appreciated before I do something foolhardy. Any
words of warning regarding time of year and weather? This would be
undertaken on a Ranger 26', preferably staying within sight of the coast.

Thanks,

Mick



Just a little dumb thing I did early in my navigation career. I had a
chart guide where the change of pages was right in the middle of the P.V.
Peninsula, well I set a GPS waypoint a little off shore of the point
without realizing there are actually 2 points. I rounded the point and the
GPS showed direct Dana Pt right through land. Well I'm lucky it wasn't
foggy so I could realize my mistake before I ran aground. Be careful if
you're using the same guide Kirk.

I'd suggest getting a cruising guide for the area and reading it first.

As I recall you want to stay sufficiently offshore when you get in the area
of El Segundo/Redondo Beach because there are pipelines that go
significantly offshore. I don't have the chart in front of me so I can't
provide you with specifics, but you want to be careful to avoid these. Also,
I believe there are mooring cans that you need to keep an eye out for. It's
been a while since I've traversed that section of the coast but I presume
this is still the case.

As has been suggested, your best bet is probably to go from Dana Point to
Long Beach or San Pedro, and then from there to MDR.

--Alan Gomes

"Mick Davies" wrote in message
...
Advice would be greatly appreciated before I do something foolhardy. Any
words of warning regarding time of year and weather? This would be
undertaken on a Ranger 26', preferably staying within sight of the coast.

Thanks,

Mick

As I recall you want to stay sufficiently offshore when you get in the
area
of El Segundo/Redondo Beach because there are pipelines that go
significantly offshore. I don't have the chart in front of me so I can't
provide you with specifics, but you want to be careful to avoid these.
Also,
I believe there are mooring cans that you need to keep an eye out for.
It's
been a while since I've traversed that section of the coast but I presume
this is still the case.

Exactly. Stay outside of "2ES" buoy to avoid the pipelines and mooring
cans. If you follow waypoints from "10PV" to "2ES" to the south entrance of
MDR you should safely avoid these hazards.

This website has a good discussion of the hazards in Santa Monica Bay:

http://www.californiasailingacademy.com/SMbay.htm

Brien,
Great site. I had read that some time ago and had forgotten about it. Glad
you thought to suggest it.

--Alan Gomes

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message
...
As I recall you want to stay sufficiently offshore when you get in the
area
of El Segundo/Redondo Beach because there are pipelines that go
significantly offshore. I don't have the chart in front of me so I can't
provide you with specifics, but you want to be careful to avoid these.
Also,
I believe there are mooring cans that you need to keep an eye out for.
It's
been a while since I've traversed that section of the coast but I
presume
this is still the case.

Exactly. Stay outside of "2ES" buoy to avoid the pipelines and mooring
cans. If you follow waypoints from "10PV" to "2ES" to the south entrance
of
MDR you should safely avoid these hazards.

This website has a good discussion of the hazards in Santa Monica Bay:

http://www.californiasailingacademy.com/SMbay.htm

"Trent D. Sanders" wrote in message
om...
I did this very trip a couple of years ago,,, so a few tips;

snip

Stay close [reasonably close that is] to the shore on the way up so if
the fog blows in you can run for a marina. GPS's are fine if you're
experienced in using them,,,,, but they can get you into a lot of
trouble if you don't know how to really use them.


I guess this depends on what the definition of "close" or "reasonably close"
is. If "reasonably close" means less than 2 miles offshore then I definitely
would not follow this advice. Actually, you should give the area around El
Segundo in particular a wide berth to avoid smacking into an offshore
pipeline. Brien Alkire has posted a helpful link that will repay careful
study.

--Alan Gomes