Sailing/Boating

Among the many ways to get out onto the beckoning Pacific Ocean are Channel Cat Charters (www.channelcatcharters.com), a fully crewed luxury catamaran that holds up to 149 and can be chartered for special events. The Condor Express (www.condorcruises.com), a seventy-five-foot hydrofoil-propelled catamaran that offers whale-watching tours year-round and can be chartered for private events. The Santa Barbara Sailing Center (www.sbsail.com) runs regular whale-watching tours on its Double Dolphin cruises, as well as private charters, sea lion tours and kayak sailing and stand-up paddling excursions. Locals recommend Le Grand Bleu (www.santabarbarayachtcharters.com); Captain Paul Nehry will take you on the vintage Grand Bleu or the 62-foot long Tao for a visit to the Channel Islands.