San Diego Boat Tours

It was a beautiful night on the Pacific and magical as all watched the sun sink below the horizon.  There was family, food, libations as well as music as the group was serenaded by guitar.  All said their final farewells to Shelly and her life was celebrated - she even had a drink of wine as all in the party raised their glasses to toast her.  She will much missed by her family.

To celebrate my birthday, I invited a group of friends to join me on the San Diego Boat Tours yacht for a sunset tour of San Diego’s Big Bay. Everyone brought food … including Corbin’s gourmet baguette sandwiches, Karen’s homemade Bailey’s chocolate cupcakes (with a candle for each one), Frances’ de-lish sausage balls, fruit and vegetable trays, and appetizer-sized wrap sandwiches. I am sure I’m missing something, but I’m equally sure that I sampled everything! Oh, and of course there was some fabulous champagne flowing.

Before sunset the captain took us over to the bait docks to check out the sea lions who lounge about – seemingly all day, either catching some rays or hoping for leftovers from the fishing boats as they load up. We then cruised to the edge of the channel, just before the open ocean, in an attempt to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, a marine layer had rolled in, obstructing a clear view – but it did create an amazingly colorful “cloud show,” which we all enjoyed.

Next up … the aircraft carriers docked at Naval Base Coronado. No matter how many times I see these gargantuan ships, I am still amazed when we pass by and think of all the tidbits of info I’ve learned about them, such as the fact that they carry a crew of some 5,000 troops! These things are huge and there is nothing like seeing them up close and personal from the yacht.

We leisurely meandered over to Glorietta Bay for a look at the magical turrets of the Hotel Del as it got dark. I also love how the lights of all the moored boats twinkle as they gently bob around in the easy wake the yacht leaves behind.

The party was in full swing by now; some people stayed on the sundeck and got into the music. I had made a couple of CDs with my favorite tunes! Other friends hung out on the fly bridge, and some – including me – went out onto the bow to feel the warm evening breeze while we passed the USS Midway museum, the Star of India, the HMS Surprise (the ship used in the Russell Crowe movie “Master and Commander”), and all the other cool sights at the Embarcadero.

A few of us stayed a while after we reached the slip to enjoy the atmosphere of the quiet dock and the sound of the water lapping against the boats. The night was a huge success; everyone left happy. A great time was truly had by all!

What are your plans for Labor Day? With the economy in the shape that it is and with the price of gas in the stratosphere, more families will be staying closer to home this year. In fact, a new term “Staycation” has been coined to reflect this trend.

Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday in September, actually begin in 1892 when New York workers took the day off and marched in protest of their harsh working conditions and a desire to have a special day off for the working man. Two years later President Cleveland passed legislation to officially create Labor Day. It was an election year and he hoped to garner favor with the working classes – it did not work as he was not reelected.

Today the holiday as turned into a day to spend with family and friends and to celebrate the end of summer. As such there are picnics, barbecues and a last opportunity for families to travel before the kids go back to school.

This year why not celebrate by spending some time on the water. A charter on a private yacht is an event that the family will remember for years. San Diego has many attractions that are naturally seen from the water and Labor Day is a great time to experience them with your family.

Comic Con, an annual event in San Diego, will take place this year from July 24 – 27 at the convention center in downtown San Diego.  With a normal attendance of over 100,000 it is a big event for San Diego and brings many tourist dollars to the region.  It  bringing together many forms of science fiction from movies, books anime and much more.  Both professionals in the field and fans are brought together for a blowout event

If you are attending and wish to do something special this year, why not consider a private yacht charter?  You may even come in full costume, if you would like to make it a very special party.  Parties are a great venue to entertain guests or business associates and there is no better forum to use than a private yacht.

San Diego Boat Tours provides luxury charter service and caters to small groups of people.  Have a look at out website and blog for information on our company and how we can make your stay in San Diego more enjoyable.

Today’s charter on the yacht, was a burial at sea that took place on the north side of Point Loma so that the family could lay their mother to rest at the same coordinates their father had been “buried” 30 years earlier off of a Navy sub. The family members reunited on the yacht from Washington state and Arizona for the solemn occasion.

A normal sunny day in San Diego, the charter began typically as we headed on out through the channel. The two sons stayed for a long while on the flybridge of the yacht talking to Capt. W.C. Young about their collective Navy and other military service, while some family members sat in the sun on the boat’s bow, or out of the sun’s rays on the covered sun deck.

This family had opted for a biodegradable “urn,” allowing them to simply lay the ashes on the water as the urn slowly dispersed into the ocean. They had also chosen to have a private ceremony of their own preparation, rather than have W.C. or myself do any readings … that we are always more than happy to do when desired. We honored their privacy, and the yacht got back underway when the family was ready.

I continue to observe that every family that chooses a burial at sea, always seem to make the return trip with a sense of great relief and peace. And, when they charter the yacht for such a service, they have the run of the boat, and are able to do things as they see fit. It never ceases to amaze me how touching and freeing the experience is for everyone … including the crew.

On a beautiful Saturday, the yacht set out on a two hour tour. Heading toward the end of Point Loma, a visit with the seal lions was in store. After beginning to poke our nose into the pacific ocean, we returned to the bay. From there we headed downtown through San Diego Bay past the aircraft carriers and under the Coronado Bay bridge. It was then on to downtown, the “Star of India” (see our article on the worlds oldest ship) and back to own starting place on Shelter Island. A good time was had by all!

San Diego Boat Tours provides burial at sea services for families wishing to say goodbye to a loved one in this manner.  Off the coast of San Diego provides a beautiful backdrop for this event.  This event is much more a celebration of life than a traditional funeral.  If we many be of assistance to you in this manner - please contact us.

San Diego Yacht wedding are a beautiful and unique way to,“tie the knot”. In addition to traditional wedding venues, many couples prefer to make their special day even more memorable by creating a one-of-a-kind ceremony in unique locations, such as beaches, gardens, or perhaps even on a yacht, cruising San Diego Bay.

Weddings aboard a yacht offer couples and their guests a personal, customized event with an unparalleled backdrop. For example, imagine saying “I do” while the sun sets, and the lights of the city begin to twinkle, creating that magical sparkle on both the water and the buildings of San Diego’s beautiful skyline. Yacht weddings can range from the small and intimate, to large and festive … and the captain of the vessel can even perform the ceremony.

We left the dock at 6:30 p.m. on Independence Day, with Capt. W.C. Young at the helm. A local company, had chartered the yacht to experience the incredible sunset on the Pacific Ocean, and of course to see the spectacular 4^th of July fireworks around the Big Bay.

Yuki, who had organized the charter, saw to it that there were plenty of hors d’oeuvres, sandwiches, snacks and beverages for everyone … and the fun began right away. They were even generous enough to offer W.C. and me each a sandwich. Some guests grabbed their goodies and moved out to the bow of the boat, and a few decided to check the view out from the flybridge and keep W.C. company. Both places offer a fantastic view, so everyone was happy.

Of course W.C. regaled his audience with bits of San Diego history and Navy lore (from personal experience!) as we passed the subs at Naval Base Point Loma, the aircraft carriers at Naval Base Coronado, the Maritime Museum and the USS Midway Museum. I always manage to put my two cents in as well, and answered a few questions here and there about all the points of interest along waterfront.

As dusk approached, many more boats made their way into the harbor jockeying for a good spot for the best fireworks viewing. Little did they know that it almost doesn’t matter where you watch from if you’re lucky enough to be out on the water on the 4^th, as there is literally a 360º simultaneous show, consisting of … well, I counted eight – maybe nine – different displays coming from Downtown, National City, SeaWorld, Mission Beach, and just about everywhere else around the county. It truly was awesome.

We cruised around the Embarcadero for a while afterward, while the Bay cleared out a little. Watching all the different kind of boats head back to their docks was a show in itself. There was a lot of laughing on this trip … and everyone enjoyed the night.