A fun activity in Santa Cruz
If you’re going to Santa Cruz this summer, you should consider booking a sailing charter with Chardonnay Sailing charter, Santa Cruz. It’s a great experience that will make your time in Santa Cruz even better. This sailing charter is one of our favorite things to do with our visitors. We’ve done it three times now and every time was special.
What you get
The Chardonnay Sailing Charter leaves from the Santa Cruz Harbor and goes northbound along the coast towards the Santa Cruz Pier. You pass Seabright State Beach and get a great view of the Boardwalk. They sail along the wharf and you can see the seals taking a break underneath on the big bars. You can smell and hear them as well. After that the start sailing on a faster pace out away from shore. After a while they turn around and sail back to the Northside of the wharf into Cowell’s where you have a nice view of the surfers and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. They keep cruising along the coast and you’ll come back looking at the Santa Cruz Breakwater Lighthouse.
The Tuesday/Thursday Night special charters are BYO excursions only, but on every other charter there will be food (finger-food style) and they serve beer and wine. They actually make up to 4 rounds serving alcoholic beverages, so you might leave the boat a bit tipsy, but happy!
Children are welcome! Our children were always the only ones on board, but they loved it every single time. There is music and the crew members are fun. They share stories with the passengers and if you’re lucky you’ll get a turn on the steering wheel.
What to know
You can book the charter online and check out the availability on their calendar. They usually offer 2 to 3 charters/day. You can find a variety of sailing charters on their calendar, for example the Afternoon Pizza charter, a Sush or a Wine Maker charter.
We did the Brewmaster charter when different beers were sampled, the Sunset charter which had a special atmosphere with the sun going down and the fog coming in. My favorite was probably the Pono Hawaiian Grill charter. It was our first one, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and the food was pretty good and plenty.
On request you can book a private charter, a team building, a burial at sea or a wedding charter.
Also they offer a Memorial Day Champagne Brunch Charter next Monday and there are still open spots!
Chardonnay’s FAQ’s
You can park in the visitors parking spots of the Northside of the harbor. The parking can be challenging and you might have to park in the streets on top of the harbor.
For the check-in you need to bring a photo ID and sign in, then you’ll receive a boarding pass that you will deliver to the crew members entering the yacht. The maximum capacity of the boat is 49 passengers. Everyone under the age of 14 is considered a child. Children under the age of 3 need a reservation but will receive a complimentary spot on the vessel. Every child under 12 years old has to wear a life jacket. You can cancel up to 48 hours in advance.
Happy Sailing!
If you are hungry before or after the charter, I can recommend a few great places close by. Aldo’s is great for brunch, Betty’s are our favorite burgers in Santa Cruz or Crow’s Nest for good food with more great views.
