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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Monterey Bay wing keel ramp launch sites?

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kbq
1st Mate

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USA
99 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/08/2004 : 20:57:04

Folks -

Looking to do some sailing in Monterey Bay (CA) this summer. Anyone know of launch ramps in Monterey and Santa Cruz that are steep enough for wing keel launches without burying the tail of my poor pickup in the bay? If not, who has the cheapest sling facilities - and who can advise on using same on a 250 wk?

On a side note: is the launch ramp at the Richmond marina steep enough for use?

Thanks!!!

Kevin
'wait for me'
250 wk

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2004 : 23:40:48

The only launch ramps I know of on Monterey Bay that are big enough for a Catalina 25/250 are the primary Monterey Municipal Marina ramp, near Cannery Row, and MAYBE the ramp at Moss Landing (call ahead, it has been many years since I was last there). When using the Monterey Municipal ramp, keep the following in mind:

1. The ramp is very slippery with seaweed at the lower end. Recommend launch only at high tide, and use a tongue extender if you have one. DO NOT let your truck tires get into the green stuff, or you could lose the whole rig.

2. The launch ramp parking lot is woefully inadequate for the number of users that show up on any weekend of decent weather, and to make it worse, there are several restaurants in the area, whose customers park their cars in the pull-throughs that are supposed to be reserved for boat trailers only (but I have never seen this rule enforced). With this in mind, you must get there as early in the morning as possible, get rigged up, and launch by 8:00am, so that you can get your rig parked before the lot fills up. Once parked, you MUST NOT MOVE YOUR RIG, like to make a trip for groceries or whatever, or you will almost certainly lose your parking space and not get another pull-through until after the restaurants close that night (like after 11:00 pm!).
All of the parking spaces are metered and have to be fed quarters, or you can get an all-day parking permit from the Harbormaster. I think this was $10.00/day EACH for your truck AND trailer, $20.00 day total (ridiculous, I know, but Monterey is expensive for saything).

Frankly, There are so many minor annoyances involved with Monterey's marina operation that I became fed up with it several years ago and have not been back since. For my money, San Francisco Bay has better sailing conditions, lots more places to visit with your boat, and at least a half-dozen launch ramps to choose from. The only real draw that Monterey has for me, for activities that I can't do in San Francisco Bay, is SCUBA diving and Whale watching. To answer your other question, Yes, the Richmond launch ramp is perfectly acceptable for Catalina 25/250's, although since the City turned the facility over to a private operator a few years ago, it is no longer free

I think they charge $5.00 to use the ramp for day use, and an additional fee for each night's parking if you are staying out overnight. The parking fee is also $5.00/day, I think.