Excellent time last weekend. Friendly staff, nice boat, good drink selection, and smooth sailing…read more The sunset cruise was nice. Make sure to bring a blanket or some layers

This sail exceeded my expectations. In addition to Liz and the rest of the crew being great, we saw…read moreseveral whales within minutes of setting sail. We continued to see whales during the entire trip. My six year old daughter was the only child, but she still had a great time. I highly recommend this experience. We had an amazingly fun and peaceful experience and now have a great memory! So wonderful.

Great value compared to booking a charter. You can rent equipment or bring your own, and it works…read morewell for groups of up to four people. The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. They provide everything you need to catch fish, point you to the right spots, keep you updated on what's working, and remind you which fish are in season and worth targeting. Overall, a really smooth and helpful experience.

Couldn't have asked for a better day in the water at Santa Cruz boat rentals they never miss the…read moreshop keeper Frankie is one of the sweetest and most caring ladies I e ever had the pleasure of meeting and her staff is just as amazing if your ever looking for a good way to just get away from the stresses of the work week or of life I would highly recommend getting a boat from Santa Cruz boat rentals their always knowledgeable on where the best places to fish are and always go above and beyond to help anyone and everyone definitely one of the best places if not the best place in Santa Cruz can't wait to keep coming back once or twice a month best way to connect with people and with nature thank you guys again for another amazing experience

Absolutely phenomenal ASA 101 experience with Pacific Sail!…read more I had the pleasure of learning from Dylan and Darrel, and I couldn't have asked for a better team. Both instructors took the time to thoroughly cover the material--balancing hands-on learning with classroom-style instruction (Darrel even led lessons right in the hull of the boat!). We practiced tacking, jibing, tied a variety of useful knots, and learned all the parts of the boat in a way that was both fun and deeply informative. Even during wild weather (30+ knot gusts that caused racers to retire their boats!) and a brief engine hiccup, the experience was safe, empowering, and invaluable. I learned not just the textbook approach to handling situations like a man overboard, but also real-world knowledge--like how to troubleshoot engine issues (thanks, Dylan!) and who to call in a marine emergency (thanks, Darrel!). Dylan's patience and steady encouragement made sailing feel approachable, even when conditions were intense. Darrel brought humor, depth, and thoughtfulness to every moment--together, they're a truly outstanding teaching duo. I also had the chance to meet Kate, another instructor, who was all smiles and incredibly helpful, waving while passing up on her tow boat and then cracking jokes to Darrel when she prepared for her Chardonnay crew to take off. On land, Natalie and Ethan from the front desk were warm and welcoming. Natalie and Ethan even walked me over to the boat with my coffee in hand to make sure I didn't get lost. I left this course genuinely feeling like I have a solid foundation in sailing--both in skill and confidence. I highly recommend Pacific Sail to anyone looking to start their sailing journey. This team is the real deal!

Just finished my asa 103 lessons. Dylan is a really great captain! He's very encouraging and…read morepatient for my tons of weird questions. There is nothing he doesn't know he even knows the best fresh restaurant in Santa Cruz! You should all try his lessons and start to love sailing in the blue ocean with beautiful creatures!

i am a seaaa kittyy i feel the breeze on ma faceeeee! i wish i wore some sun creammm! i wanna do…read morethis everyday. don't forget ur binoculars. but if u do, the crew miiight lend you theirs if u r cool (*u*) they give u wine or beer while you traverse around the monterey bay. and u feel like a million dollars. very special time for me.

Beautiful sail last night, good Sones wine/pizza . The crew is great and…read more very attentive and made sure we had a wonderful time . Wind perfect for the sail. Spectacular views and sunset. We had so much fun . Saw thousands of shearwater birds and whales . Would highly recommend!

I texted Scott, Lighthall for Ash scattering of our mother. This is the second time I asked Scott…read moreand Krista to take us for the Ash scattering. I had to postpone our first attempt and rescheduled one week after. Scott or Krista sent us the detailed email message. It was very helpful. Mike was the skipper. He was very nice and polite. He did the Naval bell ringing. He brought some roses. First, I let go off the Urn while both of us scattered the roses we brought. He brought yellow roses. I took Red rose petals. After we scattered them, we were able to see and follow the Urn with the red rose petals and the bright yellow roses closer to the Urn. He navigated the boat very gently and able to see the Urn. The morning was quiet, sunny and calm. It was extremely calm during the entire time, he navigated around the Urn, getting closer to the floating Urn. It was calming me to see her floating surrounded by flowers. My mother was slowly but surely sinking. I watched her floating, while Mike took few photos and sent them to me. Mike also honored my mother with "Naval Bell Ringing". It was a very nice, beautiful, sunny and calm morning for my mom to be floating on the ocean water. Thank you, Mike, Scott and Krista for sailing my mother and me to the Sea and sharing the most precious moments in our lives. Lighthall Yacht Charters Licensed Cremated Remains Disposer# CRD627 (831) 429-1970

Krista's communication with me was impeccable from the start making the whole experience less…read morestressful. Jason our skipper was a joy. He made us feel so relaxed by his friendliness, his smiles and his stories about his sailing experiences. He even brought fresh rose petals for us to toss where the ashes were scattered. I just can't say enough wonderful things about the whole experience. Lighthall Yacht Charters are very reasonably priced. I really felt it wasn't all about the buck but about compassion and understanding the needs of their customers. Thank you all! The Billings family

Thinking of something to do for my dad's 70th b-day & mom's b-day the same month. I came across…read moreCCSail on Google. We've done the Specialized Helicopters twice, did the O'Neill Catamaran Yacht with 20 other people on the boat. So why not try this smaller sailboat ride. 8/8/15 We took the 2 HOUR SHARED SUNSET SAIL Saturday night at 6:00 pm. Park in the Visitor Spaces and Pay at Parking Meter right outside of Dock F to the left. ((Give yourself time If you need to use the restroom under the overpass, there might be a line.)) Captain Forest came out from his boat the "Sarah" at Dock F to welcome us promptly at 6 pm. The three of us plus the captain and his 1st mate Amit, had the boat to ourselves. Four passengers max. We had our own private, intimate sailing yacht with no other people - parents Loved It!! I was happy just taking pictures (that's what I do.) Ocean Air, Quite & Peaceful, just the screams from The Boardwalk rides :) The Captain and Amit were friendly and sociable people. He taught and let my dad steer the boat for a long time. The ride was fun, a little breezy, not hot, not cold - smooth sailing. A 2-hour boat ride around Santa Cruz in the Monterey Bay for $53 (+ a tip, much deserved) per person is a really good deal. A Must Do in Santa Cruz + it gets ya away from the crowds. Had a great time aboard the sailing yacht "Sarah".

This was the best sailing experience EVER!…read more I usually only go yelp to leave bad reviews of crappy places but this was SO good I am yelping as I head to the car!! Capt Forrest is one of the coolest people ever and it was a total 5 star experience all the way through! Sorry Chardonnay, I'm only sailing on here from now on!!! Thank u Forrest we are all smiles!

We went whale watching from Santa Cruz earlier this week and Stagnaro's did not disappoint. Booking…read moreonline was straightforward and the directions to the harbor and the slip were easy to follow. The boat was clean and in good repair. The crew (Sydney, Megan and Abby) was professional, personable and knowledgeable. Sydney was an excellent naturalist and Megan was an able captain, ensuring a smooth journey. We saw humpbacks. Lots of humpbacks. We saw other marine life, including a lone sea otter on the way back into the harbor, but the whales outweighed (no pun intended) everything else we saw. It was an awesome experience and I'd definitely go out with Stagnaro's again.

Our experience more than exceeded our expectations and we will only use Stagner's for future trips,…read moreon the water theywere much more respectful of the wildlife then other charters and we had incredible looks - views of whales, orcas and more! It was beyond fun and special, the marine biologist who was the host ensured a safe and wonderful time, Thank you!

Found this cruise last minute due to holiday travel plans changing. We saw humpback whales and…read moreorcas! We found then both real fast and so we chased the orcas for a while and spent time with the humpbacks at the beginning and end. Only wish was maybe not chasing orcas because my nieces really wanted to see dolphins closer (bow riding) and bigger pods than orcas. It was an amazing trip and I'll definitely take any of my friends that come to visit.

Had a great experience whale watching on Mother's Day with my Wife and Son. Chase and Captain Joe…read morewere great and I would recommend. Heed the preparatory message about sea sickness if you (or your party) is not experienced. The wrist band is good for those that might be susceptible.

Wow, what a trip!…read more My son and I came to Santa Cruz for a beach weekend and a little fishing off of the wharf. When we arrived on a Friday night, I got a wild hair and started looking around to see if we could hop on a chartered boat to up our chances of catching anything. I am SO GLAD I found Monterey Bay Charters!!! I was lucky to find spots on Sunday morning for the two of us, and Tom called to confirm the trip on Saturday afternoon. Tom answered all my questions via text the night before, was prompt at the meeting spot the next morning, and was an amazing captain. He was affable, fun, and awesome with my kid. We caught over 15 fish and had a blast. The boat is very comfortable, with a proper bathroom and hot water for the sink. The indoor seating was great and plentiful, and on the deck we had plenty of room to move around and fish. My son and I enjoyed the views of the different seabirds as well as sea lions who rolled around behind the boat as we left the docks. We will definitely be back, and often. Tom and Tyler were superb in their patience, courtesy and support. Thank you both for making our vacation absolutely fantastic.

2023 is the first time in decades that the deepwater rockfish grounds have been open. Took the…read moreopportunity to charter a trip with Capt Tom Dolan and check out the "new" fishery. Leading up to the trip, Tom was very responsive, informative and flexible. This helped greatly with preparations. Definitely recommend renting one (or more) of the electric reels if you are going on a deepwater excursion. On our trip we had an 11 and 15 year old, neither who had ever fished before. The capt and crew are very friendly with kids. The boat is very well equipped from a navionics perspective. We caught plenty of deepwater rockfish and picked up pelagic rockfish on the way home and a bonus of multiple petrale sole in the box.

The best fish around! Lots of options to choose from. A busy local find that you won't want to miss!read more

JT and JP are the real deal. We took my 5 and 7 year old sons out for their first off shore…read morefishing trip and JP and JT made it a special day. They are laid back guys but very professional and enthusiastic. I have taken other 6-pack charters out of the harbor (my father, uncle and brothers are locals) but these guys are the best. They are very cool guys and, by the end of the day, you just want to keep hanging out with them. The boat was fine and they were well equipped but their attitude (or lack thereof) is what sets JT and JP apart. It also helps the bite was incredible and we caught 62 fish in 2 hours, but they put us directly on the fish. Very highly recommend this outfitter and we will be back. Zac