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Bay Area Bareboats

Missing the pictures? See the April 2013 eBook!

There are roughly 250 bareboats available for rental here in the Greater Bay Area, but the businesses that manage them are not simply rental agencies. Almost all of the boats listed below are offered by sailing schools — usually called 'clubs' — which offer 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 may pay somewhat higher rental prices. Be aware also that the first time you charter with a company you'll probably have to do a 'check-out' with their staff so they'll feel confident that you're not going to run the pride of their fleet into a cruise ship. Getting checked out a few days in advance will save precious charter time.

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.

If you don't own a boat and/or don't have close friends that are into sailing, joining a club can be 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.
As you can see by the listings below, many popular types of late-model production boats are available through Bay Area fleets, which makes them an ideal resource for extensively 'road testing' boat types that you are considering buying.

Chartering a large, fully equipped bareboat in the Bay Area can also help you prepare for future cruising. Once you've taken total responsibility for a good-sized keelboat in Bay waters — including anchoring practice — you'll be able to step aboard a bareboat anywhere with confidence in your abilities, and spare yourself the angst brought on by trying to fake it.

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/community.html. 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: Ranger 23 (2), J/24, Cal 25, Catalina 25, Ranger 26, Islander 28, Seafarer 29
31' - 35': Ericson 32, Columbia 32, Targa 10.1, Ericson 34, Pearson 35
36' - 40': 38' Seawind 1160 cat

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 (7) AL, SA; Beneteau 31; Jeanneau 32 (2) AL, SA; Hunter 320 (2) AL, SA; Hunter 33 (3) AL, SA; Beneteau 34 (2) AL, SA
36' - 40': Dufour 36 (2) AL, SA; Hunter 36 (3) AL, SA; Beneteau 37 (2) AL, SA; Beneteau 40 SA; Caliber 40 AL; Jeanneau 40 SA; Norseman 40 cat AL
OVER 40': Hunter 41 (2) AL, SA; Hunter 49 AL

J/World
Oakland, Puerto Vallarta
(510) 271-4780, (800) 910-1101
www.sailing-jworld.com
30' & UNDER: 26' J/80 (7)
31' - 35': 34' J/105 (4)
36' - 40': 36' J/109, 40' J/120
OVER 40': Dehler 41, Jeanneau 43 DS, Santa Cruz 50, 53' J/160

Modern Sailing School & Club
Sausalito (800) 995-1668
www.modernsailing.com
30' & UNDER: Ericson 30, Catalina 30 (3)
31' - 35': Beneteau 31, Pearson 32, C&C 32, Beneteau 33, Beneteau 35
36' - 40': Catalina 36, 38' Seawind 1160 cat, Beneteau 38, Caliber 40
OVER 40': Beneteau 41, Beneteau 42, S&S 44

Monterey Bay Sailing
Monterey (831) 372-7245
www.montereysailing.com
30' & UNDER: Pearson 27
31' - 40': Celestial 32, San Juan 33

OCSC
Berkeley (800) 223-2984
(membership required)
www.ocscsailing.com
30' & UNDER: J/24 (22), Olson 25 (4)
31' - 35': Catalina 310, Catalina 320 (4), 34' J/105 (5), 35' J/109
36' - 40': Catalina 36 (3), Sabre 362, Mahe 36 cat, Beneteau 373
OVER 40': Jeanneau 494, Tartan 4100

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': Catalina 31, Catalina 32 (3), Beneteau 32, Hunter 33, Catalina 35
36' - 40': Catalina 36, Hunter 36
OVER 40': Beneteau 46.1

San Francisco Sailing School & Club
(415) 378-4887
www.sailinglessonssf.com
30' & UNDER: Ranger 23 (5), Columbia 23, Catalina 27
31' - 40': Islander 36

Spinnaker Sailing of Redwood City
(650) 363-1390
(membership required)
www.spinnakersailing.com
30' & UNDER: Cal 24 (3), Merit 25 (10), Catalina 27 (4)
31' - 35': J/29, Hunter 33, Hunter 34, 40' J/120

Spinnaker Sailing of San Francisco
(415) 543-7333
www.spinnaker-sailing.com
30' & UNDER: 21' Viper 640, Ultimate 20, Ultimate 24, Santana 22 (2), Santa Cruz 27 (3)
31' - 35': Flying Tiger 10, Catalina 320, Catalina 34, Catalina 35, 35' Hunter 356
36' - 40': Beneteau 393, C&C 40
OVER 40': Hunter 410

Sunsail
(877) 651-5610
www.sunsail.com
OVER 40': Sunsail First 40 (8)

Tradewinds Sailing School & Club
Richmond (510) 232-7999
www.TradewindsSailing.com
Brickyard Cove, Marina Bay Yacht Harbor
30' & UNDER: Capri 22 (7), Catalina 270, Ericson 28, Catalina 30 (4), Newport 30
31' - 35': 33' Beneteau 323 (2), Beneteau 31, Cal 31 (3), Dufour 31, Hunter 31, Island Packet 32, Dufour 33, Hunter 34, Beneteau 34
36' - 40': 35' Beneteau 343, 35' Hunter 356, Catalina 36 (2), Catalina 38
OVER 40': Bavaria 42, Beneteau 42, Catalina 42

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

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

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

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