Public Sail FAQs

The Team O’Neill catamaran is stationed at L Dock, on the southeast side of the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor. Please check in at our office located about 100 feet from L Dock and in front of N Dock at 275 Lake Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062.

O'Neill Yacht Charters Check-in Office

ARRIVAL

Please arrive at the Santa Cruz Harbor at least 45 minutes prior to your departure time to secure parking and make your way to our office to check in.

• Check-in will begin 30 minutes before departure and passengers begin boarding approximately 15 minutes before departure.

• The boarding gate will close 5 minutes prior to departure and the catamaran will depart on time. We are unable to wait for late arrivals.

PARKING

During the summertime and holidays, please give yourself additional time to park, and you may consider dropping off others in your group at our check-in office prior to parking if they have difficulty walking.

There are several parking options:

1) Southeast Harbor Parking Lot (closest to L Dock and the OYC Check-in Office)

• Hourly Parking Permits ($2.00/hour) are available for purchase with a credit card at the pay stations in front of Q Dock (3 docks down from our check-in office) and near Johnny’s Harborside Restaurant. Once you purchase the permit, you may park in a “Visitor” space or a long car + trailer space in the Southeast lot and must display the permit visibly on your dashboard.

• Hourly metered “Visitor” parking spots ($2.00/hour) are located in the Southeast boat launch ramp lot (near L Dock). Meters accept quarters and there is a change machine located near the fish cleaning area.

• All-Day Parking Permits ($20.00/day) are available for purchase with a credit card at the pay stations in front of the OYC office, by the boat launch ramp, and in the Harbormaster office Once you purchase the permit, you may park in a “Visitor” space or a long car + trailer space in the Southeast lot and must display the permit visibly on your dashboard.

2) Lake Avenue/5th Avenue Parking

• Street parking along the one-way sections of Lake Avenue and 5th Avenue is free through 2024 and permits are not required. Please be aware that some spaces are available for a limited number of hours.

3) Northeast Harbor Parking Lot – Accessed via the Brommer St. and 7th Ave. entrance

This option will require walking 15-20 minutes. There are generally many more available “Visitor” parking spots in the paved Northeast Harbor parking lot depending on the time and day compared to the Southeast Harbor parking lot, which can often be full and congested. Parking here is a great option for those ok with a bit of a walk, but please give yourself extra time to get from the North Harbor parking lot (about 15-20 minutes extra prior to check-in time ) to the OYC Check-In Office in the Southeast Harbor.

• Hourly metered “Visitor” parking spots ($2.00/hour) are located by the Northeast Harbor lot. Meters accept quarters.

• All-Day Parking Permits ($20.00/day) and Hourly Parking Permits ($2.00/hour) may be purchased at the pay station with a credit card. Once you purchase the permit, you may park in a “Visitor” space and must display the permit visibly on your dashboard.

NOTE: All parking pricing and parking enforcement is handled by the Santa Cruz Port District staff, not O’Neill Yacht Charters. Parking pricing is subject to change without notice. Passengers are responsible for paying for their own parking and O’Neill Yacht Charters is not liable for any parking tickets that may be issued by the Santa Cruz Harbor.

Our sails depart on schedule at the time specified on your reservation, which is listed in your confirmation email.

For example, if you purchase tickets for a 6:30 PM sail, the sail will depart at 6:30 PM sharp and boarding will close 6:25 PM.

Please arrive at our check-in office 30 minutes prior to departure.

You must check-in and receive a boarding pass before you board the catamaran. Passengers will begin boarding 15 minutes prior to the sail from L Dock and boarding will conclude 5 minutes prior to departure. We strongly encourage arriving to the Santa Cruz Harbor 45 minutes prior to departure to secure parking and board in a timely fashion.

The Team O’Neill‘s maximum capacity is 49 passengers (including infants), plus captain and crew. There are no exceptions to exceeding this number, including infants.

Every person in your party (including children of all ages) needs to be included on your reservation when you book your tickets. All passengers of all ages count towards the catamaran's maximum capacity of 49 passengers, which cannot be exceeded.

On some sails we offer (regular Daytime, Sunset, and Regatta Sails), there is no charge for tickets for children ages 0-4 years old, however you still need to account for them on your reservation and need to add their ticket to your booking during checkout.

You may cancel your reservation and receive a full refund with at least 72 hours notice before your sail time via phone or email. Cancellations made 24-72 hours ahead of time will only be eligible for a reschedule to another sail in the same year’s season (depending on availability, and sails are only offered through the end of October each year). Cancellations made within 24 hours and/or no-shows will not be refunded or rescheduled. If O’Neill Yacht Charters cancels a sail due to poor weather conditions or any other unforeseen circumstances, you will be refunded in full.

Yes. You and everyone in your group must sign the required Individual Liability Waiver prior to boarding the catamaran. The link to your electronic waiver can be found in your confirmation email. Paper copies of the waiver are also available in our check-in office, but we highly advise you and your group completing your waiver ahead of time to speed up your check-in process.

Please keep in mind that it is often windy and cooler on the water and dressing in layers is recommended. We always suggest bringing an extra jacket, sweater or sweatshirt. Sunscreen and sunglasses are also important, as the sun can be intense as it is reflected off the water. No high-heels, wedges, or hard-soled boots are allowed, so please wear flat, non-scuffing shoes. You may wish to bring binoculars and a camera along.

We suggest that you monitor the weather forecast a day or so prior to your sail and wear appropriate clothing. Keep in mind that fog, cool weather, or light mist won’t keep us from sailing.

Your safety is paramount to us and we will not sail in unsafe conditions. If the sail needs to be cancelled due to unsafe weather or sailing conditions, we will notify you immediately, typically 24 hours ahead of time but in some rare instances, up to 1 hour prior to our departure time.

You may bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic beverages aboard any of our public sails. No BYOB.

We also have a beverage bar aboard where we sell a variety of canned cocktails, beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks. Both cash and credit are accepted at the bar.