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.

Tourist trap selling cheap Amazon rods and reels at over 100% mark up with someone with 0 fishing…read moreknowledge working the counter. Bad business model. Find a better place and people to spend your money with

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!

Love it. Gone 3 times now and all were great…read more Looks like they no longer have the brunch sail which is too bad because that was my favorite, but both of the afternoon sails I've gone on too have been great. Staff are super nice. It's just gorgeous out there. Bring warm clothes! It's windy and sometimes you get wet!

Such an amazing experience! Came with a group of 8 people on a Sunday for a 1 pm tour. We all…read moreenjoyed it a lot: the weather was beautiful and the vessel looked very well kept. The crew itself was very knowledgeable and nice and the customer service was top notch: check in was easy and fast, we were given a lot of explanations about what the capital was doing and what is safe, the wine and beer was generously poured, and we were even given blankets as it was windy. separate thanks to the capital for letting a few of us hold the wheel. also saw an otter on the water and a seal chilling on the docks. we made amazing memories and will reccomend this place to others. will try to be back!

Krista and Joe at LifhtHall Yachts has our loyalty. We made the reservation on short notice to…read morescatter my britgers ashes at sea. They were good with communication, met us at the top of the dock promptly, welcomed us onboard, laid out the trip plan, kept the boat on a very level keel, calmly set the foresail on a comfortable tact, was social but unobtrusive as we shared memories, songs and released my brothers ashes and flowers into the beautiful bay. He then offered us a bag of rose petals to cast in and gently followed the trail of flowers so we could be with my brothers ashes longer. A real pro. When we returned to the dock, Joe provided us with a personalized memory card with my brothera name and the coordinates of where we released him. He did a great job of a very comfortable ride for all us in slightly uncomfortable conditions. We now have lovely memories of our shared send off. Thank You both very much. Suzanne and family

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

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!

Had a great time deep sea fishing on the 7 hour adventure leaving from Santa Cruz on Stagnaro's…read more Came with the scout troop and the staff helped for any snags, and the captain kept putting us on the fish. We all caught our limit, and really enjoyed the day. The staff also were able to clean and fillet our fish on the way back to shore to make it easier on us. Will definitely do it again.

Mind blown. No words. Amazing time with the most knowledgeable naturalists and a Captain who…read moreknows her stuff! Truly an experience I'll never forget.

I have gone on many whale watching trips in this region, and today was honestly beyond wonderful…read more Sanctuary cruises does it all well! Brian was super helpful and kind with our booking and called us back promptly. The captain Joey knew right where the action was, allowing us to spend a whole hour watching two families of Bigg's Orca whales celebrate a successful hunt with breaches, tail slaps, and other incredible acrobatics. We also watched humpback whales put on a show and lunge feed off to the side of the boat! Naturalist Luke shared fascinating stories about these amazing creatures. I have regularly taken my science students out on this boat because they always provide personalized, phenomenal service, and make everyone feel at home and safe. You won't regret booking a trip with this outfit!

This was our first whale watching experience and it was wonderful. We did 8am Mother's Day morning…read moreand spent a little over 3 hours on the water. We seen 4 different species dolphins, 2 baby humpbacks near the harbor and a trio of full grown humpbacks further out. Chase was great and even let our little one go in steer the boat on the way back. We bought one of his framed photos before leaving and would for sure do this again. The smaller boat allowed them to get the dolphins to "surf" along the bow and that was a super fun experience.

Very fun My daughter landed the largest fish ever on the…read moreboat probably a 350 to 409 lb sunfish. (We released it unharmed) Caught tons of fish. Captain and crew excellent. Would go again.

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.