EYE ON SAN DIEGO BAY — S
I'd never before experienced all that San Diego Bay has to offer visiting cruisers who are traveling independently. Both my wife Julie and I came away genuinely impressed.
JULIE TURPIN
ome people's approach to traveling seems to be to visit as many destinations as possible within the shortest period of time, as if the goal were simply to tick them off a list. You know, "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt." But as every experienced cruiser knows, it's only by traveling slowly and
Even without its holiday lights, the 205-ft tall ship 'Star of India' is the centerpiece of the downtown cityscape.
lingering at stops along your route that you get to know the true nature of a place and its people, and gain a full appreciation for all that it has to offer. That fact holds true whether you're visiting exotic, far-flung destinations halfway around the world or cruising grounds that lie just a few days' sail from your home waters — such as San Diego Bay, where we recently made a three-week pit stop while en route to Mexico. Having participated in more than 20 Baja Ha-Ha rallies, I already knew where to buy fuel, propane, groceries and excellent sushi — and I probably could have located West Marine's Shelter Island superstore blindfolded. But
ALL PHOTOS LATITUDE / ANDY EXCEPT AS NOTED
Built around an eight-mile bay, San Diego is a city of contrasts where skyscrapers and tall ships might share the same photo frame.
W
e like to think San Francisco Bay is the most sailing-obsessed port on the West Coast, with San Diego being the indisputable runner-up for that salty distinction. But when it comes to cruiser-friendly infrastructure, SF Bay
This quiet natural cove is well protected from wakes, wind-blown chop and the hubbub of the city. government bodies and sailing organizations could learn a lot from the way our southern cousins lay out the welcome mat for visiting sailors all year round. In addition to the dozen marinas that may have guest slips available for transient boats on a short-term basis, the Port of San Diego, in cooperation with the local Port Tenants Association, has gone to great lengths to organize a clear-cut system of anchoring, mooring and berthing options that are laid out on the
Port's easy-to-navigate website, www. portofsandiego.org. To us, it's clear that government bodies in our state's southernmost port must understand the seemingly obvious correlation between making visiting boaters feel welcome and a substantial quantity of 'boat bucks' trickling down into many aspects of the local economy, from dining and entertainment to boat repairs, upgrades and provisioning. San Francisco Bay's Gold Rush-era legacy arguably trumps San Diego's maritime heritage. But it's long been a head-scratcher to observers like us, why generations of SF Bay governments have failed to fully embrace the significance of the region's nautical roots, especially in terms of supporting special yachting events such as tall ship festivals, as San Diego does, and promoting 'nautical tourism' to West Coast mariners. The layouts of both cities focus on their respective waterways, of course. And it's probably fair to say that at both places, simply gazing out over the water as sleek sailboats scoot along on the afternoon breeze enhances the quality of life for locals and visitors alike — even if they never actually set foot in a boat. In San Diego, city leaders as well as port commissioners seem to get that, demonstrated by the variety of berthing options available for visiting cruisers like us. Boaters from out of town can reserve space online in any or all of three free anchorages as far as a year in advance or the day before their arrival. And, believe it or not, a real live human will actually answer the phone at the Mooring Office (619686-6227) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays (except every other Friday). If you miss them, or you've got an after-hours problem, you can also call the Harbor Police for assistance (619-686-6570). Over the years we've heard some grousing about these well-funded water cops from both local boaters and cruisers. But in my own dealings with them, I've always found them to be courteous, ef-
