Sailing Charters and Boat Tours in San Diego

About Our Full Day Sailing Yachts

Pacifica Sailing Charters provides amazing sightseeing yacht charters and tours and will provide you with a full day of sailing around San Diego bay or just anchor and swim.

We start at Harbor Island and make our way offshore past the Sea Lions and bait barge, around the Submarine Base, and past Ballast Point, which is what our famous San Diego beer is named after.

Once out the channel, we sail past the the two lighthouses on Point Loma and out towards the SD-1 Channel Marker Buoy. This is also known as the whistle buoy by locals due to it's haunting moaning sound it makes from the tidal motion on the water.

The whistle buoy, labeled as a safe water mark, is located southwest of the jetty, about three miles off the tip of Point Loma. It was outfitted with a light, which flashed Morse alpha, and a spherical top water mark.

On March 14, boaters cruising around the outskirts of San Diego Bay reported a distinguished buoy missing from the navigable waters of the Pacific. You guessed it. The Whistle Buoy. Measuring 8 feet in diameter and 26 feet in length, and weighing more than 5,000 pounds, the whistle buoy marks the main approach to the San Diego channel.

After a complete retrofit, the whistle buoy is back on station today.

During the day, there's a lot to see on San Diego Bay with all kinds of Navy ships, aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines. We have all kinds of watercraft as well, such as sailboats, military boats and tugs.

It's very common to see several types of raceboats on the bay, like the new PAC-52, the original America's Cup "America", and the newer version "Stars and Stripes USA 11"

San Diego is famous for it's wildlife, like sea lions, seals, dolphins and whales. You'll see Pelicans, Sea Gulls, and  Cormorant. Our boats take you right up close to the sea-lions, and dolphins, so bring your camera to get some great pictures and video.

From our yachts, you will see the lighthouse and the old navy Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, where over 91,000 soldiers are buried. You can actually see the white crosses as they seem to gently roll into the sea on both sides of Point Loma.

Upon our return from the Whistle Buoy, we head back in towards the North Island Navy Air Base, where jets and helicopters soar overhead. We will make our way around the island so you can see the jets takae off and the helicopters prepare for traingin missions around the bay.

Gradually we make our way downtown to see the Star of India Tall Ship, an icon on the San Diego waterfront. It is the oldest still active sailing ship in the world (being built in 1863) and launched 5 days before president Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. She is now part of the San Diego Maritime Museum and has 21 circumnavigations under her keel.

Just past the Star of India is the Aircraft Carrier "Midway" museum. The USS Midway was America's longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, from 1945 to 1992. Approximately 200,000 sailors served aboard the carrier, known for several naval aviation breakthroughs as well as several humanitarian missions. It was the only carrier to serve the entire length of the Cold War and beyond. It is now berthed in San Diego, the original home of the Navy's TOPGUN fighter school.

The museum is berthed at Navy Pier which has more than 300 parking spaces. It also is within walking distance of public transportation and other downtown San Diego waterfront attractions.

After sailing past the USS Midway, we can see the Coronado Bay Bridge. In 1926, John D. Spreckels recommended that a bridge be built between San Diego and Coronado, but voters dismissed the plan.

The U.S. Navy initially did not support a bridge that would span San Diego Bay to connect San Diego to Coronado. They feared a bridge could be collapsed by attack or an earthquake and trap the ships stationed at Naval Base San Diego.

In 1935, an officer at the naval air station at North Island argued that if a bridge was built to cross the bay then the Navy would leave San Diego.

In 1951–52, the Coronado City Council initiated plans for bridge feasibility studies.By 1964 the Navy supported a bridge if there was at least 200 feet (61 m) of clearance for ships which operate out of the nearby Naval Base San Diego to pass underneath it.To achieve this clearance with a reasonable grade, the bridge length was increased by taking a curved path, rather than a more direct path to Coronado. The clearance would allow an empty oil-fired aircraft carrier to pass beneath it, although it is not sufficient for Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carriers in light load condition.

A decades-old local urban legend claims the center span of the bridge was engineered to float in the event of collapse, allowing Naval ships to push the debris and clear the bay. The myth may have developed as a result of the hollow box design of the 1,880-foot center span, combined with the low-profile barges that made it appear to float on its own during construction. However, Caltrans and the bridge's principal architect, Robert Mosher, maintain that the legend is false.

Charter this cruise with Captain
for a 4 hour private sight seeing cruise

$199 / Per Guest - Up To 12 Guests - Weekeday
$250 / Per Guest - Up To 12 Guests - Weekend
(minimum 6 guests)

Marina and Port Fees / Credit Card Processing Fees / Gratuity Not Included

Ask About Our Amazing Catering

Cruises: 11:00am and again at 4:00pm
Departs: Marina Cortez (Harbor Island)

Cancellation policy: 24-hour notice needed for any cash refund

Advanced Purchase Required Cruises Sell out Quickly
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Call Us Today: (619) 887-5443