Santa Cruz / Capitola kayak launch....

Santa Cruz:

http://www.scurfslanding.com/location.html

http://www.santacruzharbor.org/maps/bus_map.html


Capitola:

http://www.capitola.com/parking.html

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&1ahXX=&address=1700+wharf+road&city=capitola&state=ca&zipcode=

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&addtohistory=&formtype=address&searchtype=address&cat=&address=%5b4800%2d4853%5d%20Opal%20Cliff%20Dr&city=Capitola&state=CA&zipcode=95010

Capitola launch ramp info and directions:
  Soft sand at end of primitive steep short ramp to west side of pier near the "Venetian" multi-colored cottages along the creek.  There is also unlimited pay (two bits for 15 mins) parking on the NORTH side of East Cliff/ Stockton St road leading down into the village from the Pleasure Pt/ Live Oak/ Santa Cruz side.  This has the advantage of not having to move your vehicle(or go about 3 more blocks around the mobile home park) if you have good wheels to roll the 2 blocks down and back up the hill to/from the ramp.
   If you want unlimited free parking go north of the RR tracks up the hill.  I checked the Permit parking area saturday 6/10/06 about 9:30 am: looks like there's about a block where there are no such signs but it was full- a lot of habitation up there, perhaps the residents. This is the area just to the east of the mobile home park on Prospect. 
   Detailed description cut from my fish report post the other day:
DIRECTIONS: I live within a couple of miles of the place and had never yakked there, because I didn't know where to park, mostly, tho the surf can get surfable there, too. 
No problems dropping off the yak, going up the hill to Stockton/ East Cliff, thence southwest to  47th, then north to Jade (I think Prospect's terminus with 47th is open but the road is chained off on the northeast end, by 49th, by the mobile home folks), right to south on 49th, left (northeast)  on the public part of Prospect on the north side of the RR tracks, park there in the no meter no limit zone (some of the surrounding area has permit-only parking on weekends maybe beginning at 10 or 11, I don't recall noticing those signs on Prospect).  From there, you walk down across the tracks to Stockton/East Cliff and back to the ramp/sandy beach. This is only about 6 blocks and goes in a U, so you wind up above where you began.
    The steep ramp is only about 20-30 long, beach sand at the end, 30-100 feet to the water.  No point in driving down the ramp.  I have the Rolleez big wheels, but it was still an effort to pull the loaded yak back up the ramp, easy from there.  I just rolled it up the hill back to my truck, going thru the mobile home park part of Prospect and under the chain, tho I could have brought the truck down to ramp, but I needed to unkink my legs.
     Capitola is one of those places the spouse/kids can enjoy the village while you fish.  Little shops, ice cream,  Esplanade, wharf and wharf fishing,nice restaurants and watering holes.  That and the fact it's tucked in between hills a creek and a RR is  also why the parking is limited.
   If you don't like what you see when you drive up, you're only a couple of miles from either the Santa Cruz Harbor, or New Brighton Beach, which is launchable most days but is further from the parking lot and is even further from parking before 8:00 am when the chain is unlocked from the road to the beach parking. 

   

Interesting news on the Capitola scene...

I did my first launch off the wharf recently and Ed was really nice and helpful.  Nobody minds if you drive your kayak out to the end to drop it off -- just drive SLOWLY.  If you're driving faster than someone can walk, you're probably going too fast.  Anyway, the launch was easy and fun from the pad at the end of the wharf.

Also, Ed had a bait receiver there out of the water and was attaching floats.  He says he'll be buying some bait from Bocce Boy and putting it into the receiver for sale -- great news!  Once the swell dies down I can hit the water with some fresh 'chovies without having to sabiki bait before targeting the halibut!