Five Charter Destinations in the United States
Doe Bay on Orcas Island, a popular destination in Washington’s San Juan Islands
You don’t need a passport to enjoy a spectacular sailing vacation. There are plenty of great places to charter right here in the States. Whether you want to go north, east or west, you’ll find fantastic cruising areas just waiting to be explored.
Here are five of them...
San Francisco Bay
Best Time to Go
The weather is pretty mild all year, though it gets chilly in the spring. If you dress appropriately it’s always a good time for sailing.
What to Watch For
In addition to the fog, there is plenty of commercial and ferry traffic to watch out for. Due to the area’s geography, conditions can change quickly from calm to blustery.
Anchoring & Mooring
North of San Francisco in the Marin County area there are several places to anchor or grab a slip.
Charter Companies
Club Nautique, clubnautique.net
Modern Sailing School and Club, modernsailing.com
Pacific Yachting and Sailing, pacificsail.com
Read more about chartering inSan Francisco
San Juan Islands
Photo courtesy of San Juan Islands visitors bureau
Best Time to Go
June to October, but book early as August and September can be sold out way in advance.
What to Watch For
Fog. If possible, charter a boat with radar.
Anchoring & Mooring
Plenty of free anchoring available everywhere. Mid-week, slips can also be found at the main marinas.
Charter Companies
Anacortes Yacht Charters, anacortesyachtcharters.com
Ship Harbor Yacht Charters, shipharboryachts.com
San Juan Sailing (Bellingham), sanjuansailing.com
Read more about chartering inSan Juan
Grand Traverse Bay
Photo by Adam Cort
Best Time to Go
June through September are best, but for those who don’t mind layering, “shoulder season” can be great.
What to Watch For
All-in-all a pretty easy and straightforward place to go sailing: navigation is line-of-site and there’s little, if any commercial traffic. Fog can be a problem on occasion.
Anchoring & Mooring
Plenty of free anchoring available everywhere. Mid-week especially, slips can also be found at the main marinas.
Charter Companies
Great Lakes Sailing Co, greatlakessailingco.com
Read more about chartering inGrand Traverse Bay
Chesapeake
Photo by Peter Nielsen
Best Time to Go
May to September are the peak season. If you don’t mind bundling up, April and October can be outstanding.
What to Watch For
Shallows in the creeks and crab pots, which unlike their New England brethren have small, hard-to-see buoys.
Anchoring & Mooring
Anchorages abound, but slips can be scarce in the high season, so call ahead.
Charter Companies
Annapolis Bay Charters, annapolisbaycharters.net
Cruise Annapolis, cruise-annapolis.com
Dream Yacht Charters, dreamyachtcharter.com
Fair Wind Sailing School, fairwindsailing.com
Horizon Yacht Charters, horizonyachtcharters.com
Sail Away Catamarans, sailawaycatamarans.com
Read more about chartering inChesapeake Bay
New England
Photo by Peter Nielsen
Best Time to Go
June through September. In July and August, these waters can be crowded. Locals know that September is a great time to cruise here.
What to Watch For
Occasional fog, strong currents
Anchoring & Mooring
You can pay $2 or more a foot for a slip in the peak summer months, and moorings can be pricy too. Either way, you’ll need to book ahead. Anchoring, thankfully, is still free.
Charter Companies
Bareboat Sailing Charters, bareboatsailing.com
Bluenose Yachts, bluenoseyachts.com
Horizon Yacht Charters, horizonyachtcharters.com
Swift Yacht Charters, swiftyachts.com
Read more about chartering inNew England
