Capitola

Last time  I was in this part of the coast in the boat I stopped at Capitola, but the pier dock was closed because it was too early in the season. I have been meaning to stop here again, as it looks like a great spot to visit.
I left Santa Cruz Marina in the morning as the fog burnt off and set sail for Capitola. Its only a few miles so even as the wind was real light I sailed at a few knots and enjoyed the scenery. I skirted the edges of the kelp forests and got to enjoy the clear waters of Monterrey bay.

You tie up to mooring balls just west of the pier. Capitola is unique with all the funky colored beach houses.

Access to the pier is easy with a ramp that lowers to a dinghy dock. Sea42 is on the mooring ball in the background.

There is a great  bar/restaurant right on the end of the pier called the Wharf House. Fish n Chips are world class! The whole pier and items in the restaurant sway as the swells roll under the pier. Its surreal!

Its interesting how different it is to Santa Cruz considering how close it is. There is a definite pride of ownership in this town.

I called up an old friend who lives in Capitola and got to go surfing at the local break behind the kelp. Even though its been 16 years since I last surfed I had a great time and actually managed to stand up (briefly) 3 times. I was exhausted after that and slept well that nite. Its pretty rolly off the pier as its open to the Pacific, so I moved to one of the aft berths. It worked out well with a lot less motion than the vberth.

Downtown Capitola is right at the end of the pier with a great beach and lagoon. Lots of nice places to eat right on the bay. This is somewhere I could live.