Cruising - Women's Sailing Association of Santa Monica Bay

HomeCruising

What is the WSA Cruise Program?

The Cruise Program offers members an opportunity to experience overnight trips ranging from one night to more than a week. Cruises are typically to nearby, Southern California harbors or anchorages such as Redondo Beach, Paradise Cove, Dana Point, Long Beach and San Diego, or islands such as Catalina and Santa Cruz. Sometimes cruises may go into Mexico and beyond. Joining a cruise is a great way to get to explore the Southern California waters and get to know other WSA members and skippers while gaining new experience.

The cruise schedule is set for the whole year in early January giving members time to plan for the longer trips they want to participate in.

Most cruises offer members a chance to do other things like snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, shopping and dining or other activities away from the boat depending on the port or anchorage. Often happy hour and sometimes dinners are combined with other boats on the cruise and members might share some of the other activities as well.

Who can participate in the WSA Cruise Program?

All participants must be current WSA members in good standing with a signed waiver on file. Participants may be required to have a higher level of sailing skills and will typically be expected to help with most all aspects of getting from one place to another including docking and anchoring. Crew members share in the cost of fuel, moorings or slips, and will be assigned provisions to bring to share.

WSA skippers will have had their vessels inspected by the WSA Fleet Captain or other Board designates and will provide proof of sufficient insurance. WSA skippers who volunteer their vessels may bring along one non-member guest at their discretion to help in handling their boat to their specifications.

2024 Cruise Schedule

MEMBERS ONLY: Please visit Sign up for Cruise to see all the steps, waivers and forms required to participate.

How it works…

The cruise schedule is available on this website with links and reminders published in the monthly newsletter. Members wanting to participate should register on the website to be put on the potential crew list(s) as soon as possible.
New members should contact the Cruise Chair directly to get "Skipper Certified" first. Sign up for a Day Sail ASAP, complete the Cruising Questionnaire and return it to the Cruise Chair to become Skipper Certified.
Register EARLY. Members may choose one or all of the cruises however spaces are not guaranteed and are dependent upon the number of boats and available crew as well as the skill level of each participant.
Cancel your registration ASAP on the website if your plans change.
The crew list will be sent by email to all potential crew members, usually a month before the scheduled cruise. At this point you are scheduled on the cruise and the Skipper is depending on you as crew. It is your responsibility to notify the Cruise Chair and Skipper if something arises that causes you to cancel right away.
Every effort will be made to find a spot for all who want to go, however, sometimes there is not enough room for everyone who shows interest. In these cases, priority is given to newer members, or members who have not recently participated in a cruise.
Confirmed crew members will receive an email from the Cruise Chair with all the necessary details about the cruise. Provision assignments will typically come from the skipper or first mate.
Remember, crew members are not guests and will be expected to help before, during and after the cruise.
To get the most out of a cruise, be on time, be prepared, follow directions, participate, ask questions, bring only what you are supposed to, help cook and clean up, help keep the boat tidy, be flexible, and have fun.