Going to Avalon with Your Boat

Santa Catalina’s beautiful scenery, award-winning restaurants, romantic hotels, pristine water and abundant boater services make it the premier Southern California’s boating destination.

In Avalon Bay, there are more than 250 moorings available for rent; all a short dinghy-ride from the City of Avalon. Each mooring is privately owned, but leased on a nightly basis by the Avalon Harbor Patrol. Availability is first come, first serviced. When traveling to Avalon during the summer, and especially during major holidays, it is essential that you plan to arrive early-if not a day in advance.

When you arrive just outside the harbor, use VHF Channel 12 to contact the Harbor Patrol. The temporary mooring assignments are based on the overall length of your boat and how many nights you plan to stay. Pay mooring fees upon arrival.

One of the friendly officers will meet you just outside the mooring area to assign a mooring number and provide assistance to you if required. If you are unsure about how to secure your boat to a mooring or are inexperienced, do not be afraid to ask for help.

Avalon Bay has a strict No-Discharge policy! Harbor Patrol officials require you to drop a dye tab in your waste tank. If you do pump overboard, the water around your boat will change color, alerting authorities. You will be fined and asked not to return for an entire year-even if it was an accidental discharge or mechanical failure.

Visitor Services:

Shoreboats-VHF channel 9- Fees may apply

Marine Mechanics- VHF channel 16- “Marine Repair”

Important Rules and Policies:

1. Upon arrival, please idle by the harbor entrance for mooring assignment from a patrol boat. No mooring work is done over VHF. The mooring you are assigned is not guaranteed. You may have to relocate daily. If you are required to relocate, a patrol boat will contact you between 7:30am-9:00am the day you are required to move.

2. On the day of departure, moorings must be vacated by 9:00am.

3. Five MPH speed limit or wakeless in all moorage and anchorage areas.

4. Service boats will make daily trash pick-ups free of charge twice daily during the summer months and on weekends in winter months. Plastic trash bags may be obtained from the service boat or Harbor Master’s office.

5. To ensure peaceful coexistence, all generators must be turned off from 10:00pm to 7:00am.

6. It is illegal to leave Avalon and your vessel unattended.

7. Anchorage responsibility outside of Avalon Bay is left to the discretion of the boat owner/operator. The anchorage is located west of the red jetty light. You must anchor at least 300’away from any dive park or mooring can. Plan on a depth of 80’-100’. This area is not patrolled and you can anchor at your own risk.

8. Avalon Shoreboat service monitors VHF 9

9. All floats, with exception of the Shore-boat Float, may be used for loading and unloading. Time on the float is limited to 10 minutes. Do not leave any vessel unattended on a float.

How to use Mooring:

Under power you’ll usually approach a mooring slowly from dead downwind/current, which provides better control and maneuverability. Once the mooring ball is at the bow, slow or gently reverse the engines to halt forward motion. The goal is to gauge boat speed and wind so that once the boat is placed into neutral it coasts to a stop with the bow above the mooring, at which time you (if single handing) or your crew grabs the pickup pole and cleats it off before the wind pushes you away.

The most common mistake while picking up a mooring is approaching too fast, you can’t go too slow (as you then simply increase throttle as needed to overcome the affects of wind or current)  but you can over shoot the mooring, which can lead to fouling of the mooring rode on the boat’s keel, rudder, or prop.

1. Pickup pole; attach Bow Hawser to Bow Cleat. (Hawser is located approximately 6’ below the surface of the water) In preparation for doing this, bring work gloves to wear.

2. Run the Spreader Line to the stern of boat. (Spreader Line is attached to Bow Hawser)

3. Take all slack out of Spreader Line and attach Stern Hawser to Stern Cleat.

4. Re-check Bow and Stern Cleats to make sure you are moored securely. Drop slack Spreader Line into water. The tide will effect your mooring. Lines will periodically need to be adjusted to take up slack or to be let out.

Upon leaving the mooring, untie stern, then bowlines and drop into water. Allow enough time for the lines and spreader to sink completely free and clear of the propeller to prevent fouling.

NOW RELAX AND ENJOY!