Missing the pictures? See the April 2009 eBook!

Here in the Bay Area, there are roughly 250 bareboats available for hire, but the businesses that manage them are not simply rental agencies. Almost without exception, these boats 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 sailing club to rent a boat, although non-members will pay somewhat higher rental prices.

The first time you charter with a company you will generally 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 waterside restaurant. Our advice concerning check-outs 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 their own 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 resource. Suppose, for example, you can go out racing with a friend whenever you like, but you rarely get time on the wheel. Renting a bareboat is the perfect solution for honing the full range of skills. We'd bet that virtually every Bay Area sailor has fantasies about chartering a boat in some tropical paradise, but if you never get a chance to take total responsibility for a boat — including anchoring — how will you ever be qualified to charter abroad? Trust us, it's a whole lot more fun to begin an expensive vacation charter if you have confidence in your abilities, as opposed to the continual 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 between popular makes and models than by personally sea-testing them before you commit.

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.

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.gosailingsf.org/community.html

Club Nautique
Sausalito, Alameda
(800) 343-SAIL
www.clubnautique.net
AL = Alameda ; SA = Sausalito
30' & UNDER: Colgate 26 (7) AL, SA; Hunter 290 AL; Hunter 306 AL
31' - 35': Hunter 31 (8) AL, SA; Jeanneau 32 (2) AL, SA; Hunter 320 (3) AL, SA; Hunter 326 (2) AL; Hunter 33 (2) AL, SA
36' - 40': Dufour 36 (2) AL, SA; Jeanneau 36i AL; Hunter 36 (3) AL, SA; Jeanneau 37 SA; Caliber 40 AL; Jeanneau 40 SA; Norseman 40 cat AL
OVER 40': Hunter 41 (3) AL, SA; Hunter 410 AL; Jeanneau 43 AL; Gib Sea 43 AL; Hunter 44 DS AL; Jeanneau 45 DS AL; Hunter 49 AL

J/World
Alameda (510) 522-0547
SF Bay, Puerto Vallarta
www.sailing-jworld.com
30' & UNDER: 26' J/80 (7)
31' - 35': 34' J/105 (3)
36' - 40': 40' J/120 (2); C&C 38
OVER 40': Dehler 41, Jeanneau 43 DS, custom 70' catamaran

Modern Sailing Academy
Sausalito (800) 995-1668
www.modernsailing.com
30' & UNDER: Islander 30, Ericson 30
31' - 35': Beneteau 311, Pearson 32, Ericson 32, C&C 32, Beneteau 33, Beneteau 35, Hanse 350
36' - 40': 38' Seawind 1160 cat, Beneteau 38, Beneteau 381, Beneteau 393, Caliber 40, 40' J/120
OVER 40': Beneteau 423

Monterey Bay Sailing
Monterey (831) 372-7245
www.montereysailing.com
30' & UNDER: Catalina 22, Columbia 27, Coronado 30, WylieCat 30
31' - 40': Celestial 32

OCSC
Berkeley (800) 223-2984
(members only)
www.ocscsailing.com
30' & UNDER: J/24 (22), Ultimate 24 (1), Olson 25 (4)
31' - 35': Catalina 320 (4), 34' J/105 (5), 35' J/109
36' - 40': Catalina 36 (4), Sabre 362, Caliber 40, 36' C&C 110
OVER 40': 82' schooner Seaward

Pacific Yachting/Sailing
Santa Cruz (800) 374-2626
www.pacificsail.com
30' & UNDER: Santa Cruz 27, Catalina 28, Olson 911s
31' - 35': Beneteau 31, Catalina 31, Catalina 32 (3), Beneteau 33 (2), Hunter 34, Catalina 35
36' - 40': Catalina 36, Hunter 36
OVER 40': Beneteau 46.1

Tradewinds Sailing School & Club
Pt. Richmond (510) 232-7999
www.TradewindsSailing.com
Brickyard Cove / Richmond Marina Bay (boats also at Folsom Lake*)
30' & UNDER: Capri 22 (7), *Newport 24, *Catalina 25, Catalina 250, Ericson 27 (2), Catalina 270, Catalina 28, Catalina 30 (3), Newport 30
31' - 35': Beneteau 323 (2), Beneteau 31, Cal 31 (2), Dufour 31
36' - 40': Beneteau 343 (2), Catalina 36, Hunter 356, Islander 36, Catalina 38
OVER 40': Beneteau 42, Jeanneau 43

Spinnaker Sailing of Redwood City
(650) 363-1390
www.spinnakersailing.com
30' & UNDER': Santana 22 (3), Cal 24 (3), Merit 25 (8), Catalina 27 (3)
31' - 35': Hunter 33, Hunter 336

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

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