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Bay Area Bareboats

Click here for photos and more in the May 2018 magazine.

Multi-Passenger Vessels | Six-Passenger Crewed Yachts | Bareboats

There are roughly 220 bareboats available for rental here in the Greater Bay Area, but the businesses that manage them are not simply rental agencies. Almost without exception, the boats listed below are offered by sailing schools — usually called ‘clubs’ — that provide a full spectrum of courses, from basic sailing to coastal cruising and celestial navigation.

In most cases, you don’t have to be a member of the club to rent a boat, although nonmembers will pay somewhat higher rental prices.

The first time you charter with a company you will probably have to get checked out by their staff so they’ll feel confident that you’re not going to run the pride of their fleet into a container ship. Our advice concerning checkouts is to drop by the rental outfit a few days ahead of time and get ‘signed off’, so you won’t cut into your precious charter time on a busy weekend.

Beyond rental discounts, there’s usually added value to club membership such as dockside barbecues; ‘social sails’, where everyone pitches in a few bucks to cover costs; and charter flotillas to idyllic venues in the Caribbean, South Pacific or elsewhere.

For folks who don’t own a boat and/or who don’t have close friends interested in sailing, joining a club is a smart move. The friendly ambience of a club creates a low-pressure forum for advancing through the hierarchy of classes. And the natural camaraderie that comes with shared activities on the water often spawns lasting friendships.

Even if you already own a boat or have access to a friend's, the Bay's fleet, with its wide variety of boat types, can be a valuable rsource. Suppose, for example, that you go out racing often with friends, but you rarely get time on the wheel. Renting a bareboat is the perfect solution for honing a broad range of skills.

Chartering a large, fully equipped bareboat in the Bay Area can also help you prepare for your dream trip to some tropical sailing venue. Once you’ve taken total responsibility for a big boat in Bay waters — including anchoring practice — you’ll be able to step aboard a bareboat anywhere with confidence in your abilities — as opposed to the angst brought on by trying to fake it.

Likewise, if you’re thinking of buying a boat of your own, there’s no better way to scrutinize the differences among popular makes and models than by personally sea-testing them before you commit.

Please note: Not listed here — due to space limitations — are university and community sailing programs which offer the use of sailing dinghies and daysailers in conjunction with their instructional programs. For a list of those programs, see www.sailsfbay.org/sailing-topics/learn-to-sail. As the following list demonstrates, there is a wide variety of sail-it-yourself bareboats available for rent in the Bay Area. Compiled here are listings from the area's principal companies (listed alphabetically). We've attempted to be as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. We regret any errors or omissions.

Afterguard Sailing
Oakland & Treasure Island
(510) 535-1954; www.afterguard.net
30' & UNDER: Capri 14 (2), Ranger 22, Ranger 23 (2), J/24, Cal 25, Catalina 25, Ranger 26 (3), Capri 30
31' - 35': Ericson 32, Seawind 1000 cat, Targa 10.1, Ericson 34, Pearson 35
36' - 40': Maxum 38' power
Over 40': Dynamique 62'

Club Nautique
Sausalito, Alameda
(800) 343-SAIL; www.clubnautique.net
AL = Alameda ; SA = Sausalito
30' & UNDER: Colgate 26 (7) AL, SA
31' - 35': Hunter 31 (3) AL, SA; Beneteau 31 (6) Al, SA; Mainship 32 (1) SA; Hunter 33 (3) AL, SA; Beneteau 34 (5) AL, SA
36' - 40': Hunter 36 (1) SA; Beneteau 37 (4) AL, SA; Mainship 37 (1) AL, Beneteau 38 (2) AL; Beneteau 40 (2) AL, SA; Jeanneau 40 SA
OVER 40': Beneteau 41 (4) AL, SA, Hunter 41 (1) AL, Mainship 43 (1) AL, Jeanneau 52.2 (1) AL

J/World
Alameda, San Diego, Puerto Vallarta
(510) 271-4780, (800) 910-1101; www.sailing-jworld.com
30' & UNDER: 22' J/70 (4), 26' J/80 (10)
31' - 35': 34' J/105 (4)
36' - 40': 36' J/109, 40' J/120 (2)
OVER 40': Santa Cruz 50, 52' J/160

Modern Sailing School & Club
Sausalito (800) 995-1668; www.modernsailing.com
30' & UNDER: Catalina 30 (3)
31' - 35': Beneteau 31, Pearson 32, C&C 32, Beneteau 35
36' - 40': Catalina 36, Beneteau 36.7, Beneteau 37 (2), 38' Seawind 1160 cat
OVER 40': Beneteau 41, Beneteau 42, Lagoon 42 cat, Beneteau 43, S&S 44

Monterey Bay Sailing
Monterey (831) 372-7245; www.montereysailing.com
30' & UNDER: Catalina 22, 30’ Windward, 37 Baltic

OCSC
Berkeley (800) 223-2984; www.ocscsailing.com
(membership required)
30' & UNDER: J/24 (22), Olson 25 (4), 26' J/80
31' - 35': Catalina 320 (3), 34' J/105 (5), Catalina 355
36' - 40': Catalina 36 (2), Lagoon 380 cat, Beneteau 373
OVER 40': Hans Christian 43, Tartan 4100, Beneteau 43

Pacific Yachting/Sailing
Santa Cruz (831) 423-SAIL (7245), (800) 374-2626; www.pacificsail.com
30' & UNDER: Santa Cruz 27, Catalina 28, 30' Olson 911s
31' - 35': Hunter 31, Beneteau 31, Catalina 32 (2), Beneteau 32, Beneteau 34, Catalina 35
36' - 40': Catalina 36, Hunter 37
OVER 40': Hunter 41, Beneteau 46.1

San Francisco Sailing School & Club
(415) 378-4887; www.sailinglessonssf.com
30' & UNDER: Ranger 23 (5), Ericson 28 (1)
31' - 40': Islander 36

Spinnaker Sailing of Redwood City
(650) 363-1390; www.spinnakersailing.com
(membership required)
30' & UNDER: Merit 25 (13), Catalina 27 (5)
31' - 35': Hunter 33 (1), Beneteau 39 (1)

Spinnaker Sailing of San Francisco
(415) 543-7333; www.spinnaker-sailing.com
30' & UNDER: Santana 22 (many), Santa Cruz 27 (many), Catalina 30
31' - 35': Catalina 320 (many)
36' - 40': Catalina 36, Beneteau 393, C&C 40, Jeanneau 349, Jeanneau 379
OVER 40': Jeanneau 409

Tradewinds Sailing School & Club
Richmond (510) 232-7999; www.TradewindsSailing.com
Brickyard Cove, Marina Bay Yacht Harbor
30' & UNDER: Beneteau 22 (2), Capri 22 (7), Catalina 270, Catalina 30 (2), Newport 30
31' - 35': 33' Beneteau 323 (2), Beneteau 31 (2), Hunter 31, Hunter 33, Catalina 34, Hunter 34, Beneteau 34, Hunter 356, Catalina 35, Beneteau 35
36' - 40': Jeanneau 36; Catalina 36, Beneteau 37, Catalina 38
OVER 40': Catalina 42 (2)

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Cal Sailing Club
Berkeley
www.cal-sailing.org
(membership required)
Small Boats: Laser Bahia (8), JY15 (7), RS Vision, Precision 15 (2), Laser (2), Byte (2)
30' & UNDER: Merit 25 (2), Capri 25 (2), Pearson Commander (3)

Sailing Education Adventures
Sausalito (415) 775-8779
www.sfsailing.org
30' & UNDER: Laser (12), Catalina 16.5 (4), Santana 25 (2)

Sacramento State Aquatic & Boating Safety Center
Gold River at Lake Natoma (916) 278-2842
www.sacstateaquaticcenter.com
30' & UNDER: Laser (12), Pico (15), Holder 14 (9), Holder 20 (2)

This feature was last updated on May 8, 2018.

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