Harbor Island Yacht Club – San Diego

Ok. This is the last straw for this place. I just planned a once and a life time trip, 6 months in the making. Two people flew in from east coast and 5 total drove to Long Beach from SD (2hrs, $ 150 in gas). We provisioned for three days at Catalina ($ 200 in food/​H2O).
Not three hours into the trip the engine (wind had dropped to zero) starts and sputters and dies. Restart. Sputters and dies. Turns out they were rush fixing an engine problem and didn’t get it quite fixed before sending us out on a THREE DAY TRIP TO CATALINA!!! The problem? A fuel leak into the cabin. A huge puddle of gasoline pooled onto the interior of the boat. The engine died and we were stranded floating (still– no wind). So we had to get towed back to Catalina after waiting for an hour and a half with no emergency power, no wind, floating in a shipping channel. In the meantime, two of the three got insanely sick, throwing up/​headaches, etc from breathing in gasoline fumes! The boat was rendered totally unusable and we had to turn around and drive BACK to SD. No trip. No re-​do
This is typical of this place. The last Catalina trip they «forgot» to check the propane levels and we ran out after ONE pot of coffee! All our food spoiled because we couldn’t cook anything!
Their maintenance is terrible! This is the third time I’ve needed a tow back from using their boats! I’m sick of it.
This trip was a complete waste and they NEED to make this right. I am out over a thousand dollars and NO TRIP!

We have been chartering with the HIYC for years. I crew and am not at the helm. The staff are always friendly and we can usually get a boat quickly. I give them 4 stars because sometimes the boats are not rigged correctly and some are worse for wear and tear. We usually take out a 32 to 36 Catalina or Hunter. Be sure to bring all supplies for the cabin (plastic cups, bottle opener, ice, paper towels, paper plates, utensils, etc.) Enjoy the bay!

I took the 373 out for the day last Saturday, all was perfect .
Boat performed great, nice and clean.
Easy to sail and perfect for my 7 guests.
Keep up the good work.
I am happy to be a member for the last 16 years.
Office was great a computer cliché was going to slow me down in the paperwork dept. But they let get on my way.
Thank you

Wow what a great day on the bay again thanks to the lessons I got from the club. I am a member and enjoy renting a sailboat for the day at least once a month.

I rented a slip for 1 night and got charged 2 nights for being an hour late. Keep in mind I wasn’t even informed that I had to leave by a certain time. They didn’t even give me a receipt or contract. They didn’t wanna take any other payment besides cash. I tried to bring the situation up to there manager (lance), he was very rude and unhelpful. I had to call 8 times to get a hold of him and once I finally did, he told me he can’t do anything about it, DONT COME BACK, and hung up on me. Very very rude and unprofessional. I will never be back here again and I definitely don’t recommend anyone else coming to this place.

We have rented sailboats near many times, through a good friend who has a membership here. Always have a great time. This time, our boat had several maintenance issues, but still great day at sea overall!

I took lessons here with a Groupon and then decided to join the club with monthly dues and the ability to rent. I’ve been sailing for one year now and I love it. The staff are friendly a patient even with novice sailors. It’s a great value and a consistently fun time.

Date of visit: 6÷7÷2015
Laurie owns a sail boat that she regularly sails, so Cam decided to coordinate a sail boat rental while she was visiting in San Diego. Although I didn’t coordinate any of the rental information, I wanted to post up a review about our experience and why we’ll probably pursue a different rental company in the future.
While I was at my aunt’s career celebration, Cam and Laurie wandered around San Diego looking for a sail boat rental company. They found Harbor Island Yacht Club online and decided to drive over to take a look at the boats. Since we were only expecting 5 people, they decided to rent a «Cat 22» for 4 hours. Max capacity for the boat is 6 people and the rental cost was $ 135.
In order to rent a boat, the captain (Laurie) had to answer a short quiz, which she aced. From there, they processed Cam’s credit card and they were good to go. They asked Laurie to just review the right of way rules and that we would be good to go for the next day.
When we arrived to the Yacht Club, the administrative clerk gave us a parking pass for the day, and helped Laurie choose a pair of gloves. She gave us a key to the dock gate and the location of the boat. Up to this point everything was going well. All of the personnel we talked to were very friendly and helpful.
When we got to the dock, the employees there were less than helpful. Although Laurie has a Cat 22, this one was a different model and there were a couple of components that looked in questionable condition to her. Now, I have no idea how a boat even works, so I was a little alarmed at how nonchalant the employees were. They didn’t even look over our papers and pointed out the closest boat to him as the one we could take.
It was a little windy, so Laurie would have felt more comfortable reefing (?) the sails, but one of the employees laughed and said it wouldn’t be necessary. When we got out on the water, the winds picked up, but there was not enough rope to reef the sails. Luckily, Laurie is an talented captain and adjusted her techniques quickly.
The sailing trip was fun — we went back and forth on the bay and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was a bit cold though, so I wore my fleece most of the time.
When we got back, we tidied up the boat as best we could, but the employees couldn’t care less. Overall, while the sailing part was awesome, our experience with this company was just okay. I would have felt more comfortable if the employees were a little more helpful when Laurie was asking them questions.

The lady at the San Diego front desk is awesome which is why we give 2 stars. Frank sucks as an instructor. He had us motor more than sailing so he could catch an early ferry home from Catalina. Over the last two years we have rented about once a month and the boats are consistently in disrepair. Dead batteries, inop running/​nav/​deck lights, motors that won’t start, sails that aren’t maintained, and heads that are never emptied or cleaned. It is cheap though and the dock guys are helpful!

Went in on a group rental for a 38-​foot cat. We left late because the company had forgotten to attach the dinghy and winch handles, which we had to go ask for specifically. Belowdecks reeked of literal shit, which only got worse and worse throughout the course of the trip, as it turned out Harbor Island Yacht Club hadn’t cleaned out the bilge from the last trip.
Since they’d attached the dinghy incorrectly, it swung around way too much, banging into the boat, the motor cap popped off the dinghy almost immediately and rattled around inside it for the entire trip, and when we arrived at our destination, we discovered that the tow rope (which had been improperly installed and fallen off) had gotten wrapped in the prop. By the time we sorted that out, it was dark and the entire reason for our trip had been invalidated. Never again.
Harbor Island Yacht Club, do you really want all twelve of us to leave reviews like and drive your rating completely into the ground? Fix this.

We have had a membership for over 10 years and my husband believes that HIYC has the «best» rentals in San Diego. Do not expect the cleanliness of a private chartered boat. These boats are true rentals and there have been a host of small inconveniences every time we rent.
I would venture to say that the boats interiors/​fixtures have become substantially worn over the past 10 years and we have experienced problems with running out of water, batteries being ill charged, and one time a VERY blown out sail. The last time we went there were shrimp shells in the sink and the boat was horrible dirty. The boats always have a smell (probably from the head) but I am sure this is standard even with private boats – bathrooms smell PERIOD!
The staff on the docks have always been the right amount of helpful/​friendly and the people that answer the phones are informed on the boats, although they are not the friendliest bunch.
We cancelled our membership last week because we have not been able to get out more than 3 or 4 times MAX in the past 5 years.
We never officially complained to any management of HIYC for any of our dissatisfaction. I had a detailed conversation with management just now and they assured me that IF I had complained about any major issues then they would have «taken care of it». It is fair to say that if they don’t know something is wrong they can’t fix it. On any given sailing day my rating for them could go from a 1 star to a 5 star and back.
I wish we would have gotten more of OUR money’s worth out of this club since we have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars over more than 10 years (we probably went out 6 or 7 times) – but that blame can rest entirely on MY shoulders.

When there for a company team building event. We rented three sail boats and raced against each other and then cruised the San Diego bay. I didn’t setup the event. Overall fun experience and of course the San Diego bay on a sunny day is though to beat.
The race could have been organized a little better and they did not include a prep-​course for the inexperienced. They could have at least gone over the names of the different parts of the boat. The captains were ok.
If you’re trying to organize a company event, make sure you include a prep-​course with the package. Food and drink were good.

We had a few problems with the boat. Engine stopped on us and a lot of things were not not in tip top shape. Loved the location. I am not sure if it beats Seaforth rentals on the quality of their boats. Safety first.

I was invited aboard a sailboat from this yacht club. It was their 42 foot Catalina. In the morning, when we tried to start the engine, the batteries were dead. They were quick enough to come over, top the batteries with some water, give us a jump and then send us on our merry way. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, there were no other boats available to us or they would have switched us to another boat. When the wind died and we tried the engine again, it wouldn’t start. We had to be towed in… on the 4^th of July. I guess in all fairness, we should have ascertained that the batteries were charged before we shut them down.
The main sheet lever didn’t lock down. The only gauge that worked was the depth meter. We had to barricade the refrigerator door so that it would stay shut and we had to jerry rig the table outside so that it would stay up.
HIYC did comp a ½ day sail for the crew on another day to make up for it.

When I received an invitation to go sailing on San Diego bay, I couldn’t say no.
That’s what brought me to the Harbor Island Yacht Club.
No matter what kind of sailor you are, you can find what you need here. Are you a gazillionaire looking for a place to moor your personal yacht? That can be arranged. Are you just a regular lowlife looking for an inexpensive rental? Yeah, that’s more my speed.
The standard rate for a day-​long rental for a 6-​seater sailboat is ~$ 200, but we were able to score the members’ rate of $ 160. Split that 6 ways and it comes down to under $ 27 per person. Not bad for a day of entertainment.
Obviously, sailing makes a boy hungry. I recommend bringing a cooler with sandwiches, wine, fruit, chips, and whatever else you like, and you’re all set! (Avoid the overpriced and low-​quality deli in the yacht club itself. It’s definitely worth brown-​bagging for this trip.)
Our boat was the Easy Goer. We didn’t take it far — just out of the marina and back-​and-​forth between Point Loma and downtown San Diego. It gets a little scary when a strong wind makes the little boat tilt over, but that’s part of the adventure, I suppose. Someday we’ll sail right up into the back entrance of C Level or Bali Hai for happy hour.
I did wish the boat were in better condition. The interior really needed a deep-​cleaning, and the drafty windows provided little protection from the cold winds. (Note to self: even if the weather report says it’ll be in the 70s, bring a jacket anyway.)
All in all, this was a blast of a day — I can’t wait to hit the waves again.

I orginally joined this yacht club when I started my first sailing class here a couple of years ago. Since then I have continued my classes and find that the instructors have been great at helping you learn the proper ways of sailing and using the proper terms.
They always have boats available for rent and they are always in great shape when you get there tp pick up your boat for the day. If you are a member of the club, you get a very good discount on the rental rates.
I would definitely recommend this yacht club to others for classes and boat rentals.

I’ve been extremely happy chartering boats at Harbor Island Yacht Club. They’re constantly adding new boats and their prices are very good. Couldn’t be happier.

I’m no longer a member of HIYC but I’ve had nothing but good experiences there. The boats are usually in pretty good condition and the staff is helpful. Dave V is correct about the «new» marina; I much preferred the Sunroad.
One of the nice things is that the staff doesn’t «clock watch». If you come in a tad late they don’t ring it up on your card. Charter a boast towards the end of the day and you can feel comfortable coming in after 5 o clock.
HIGHLIGHT: the new location is closer to Bali Hai

I’ve been a member of HIYC for about six years.
The boats are generally sound, although you need to check them over carefully before going out. There have been times when the batteries were low or the motor was iffy.
If you want to learn to sail, this is a great place for it. They have weekend classes that are well run, and the class fee counts toward membership
The only down side is the location of the marina after they moved locations a few years ago. It’s a long walk from the office down to the boats, and it’s a long sail from the dock out to the bay.
The people in the office aren’t overly friendly either, but then again, they aren’t aholes. It would be kind of nice for the girl at the desk to smile and say «Have a nice sail!»
Good selection of boats, and rates are pretty competitive.

I guess since I’m a member, it’s the least I could do. I was originally supposed to learn to sail at another club in Oceanside because it was closer. I waited more than a month, then they called me a week before the class and canceled it. I was hot! I called HIYC and they got me in a class that same weekend! I decided to join and I love it.
I pay about $ 50 per month in dues which entitles me to rent their boats at a discount and use the facilities, etc. The people have been really nice, the fellow club members always seem to wave out on the bay. They have boats ranging from 22 to 42 feet that can be rented for days at a time. I know there are some cheaper clubs and some closer clubs, but I’m happy here. If anyone wants to check it out, just message me.