Welcome to Crescent City, CA

The W breakwater gives good protection from NW winds for vessels anchored in the outer harbor, but the harbor is open to the S. The basin N of Whaler Island provides excellent anchorage for small craft.

The basin just N of Whaler Island is formed by the inner breakwater extending NW from the island and the sand barrier from the island to the E shore. Citizens Dock, the Y-shaped pier at the N side of the harbor, extends out to a depth of about 9 feet. Several fishhouses are on the pier. Fishing boats unload their catch along both of the outer spurs of the pier. Water and ice are available on the pier. Gasoline and diesel fuel are available. Many mooring floats for commercial fishing boats are in the inner basin N of Citizens Dock. Berths with electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, wet and dry winter storage, a pump-out station, a launching ramp, and marine supplies are available.

The harbormaster has an office at the basin N of Whaler Island. The harbormaster assigns berths and monitors VHF-FM channels 9 and 16, Monday through Friday from 0700 to 1700.

• A boatyard in the basin has lifts that can handle boats up to 110 feet, 270 tons. Engine repairs are available from several local firms.
• A Coast Guard vessel is stationed in the basin N of Whaler Island.
• The inner small-craft basin just N of Citizens Dock can accommodate about 250 boats with an additonal 100 boats at the small sport dock. In 2002, the controlling depths were 8.7 feet (12.3 feet at midchannel) in the entrance channel to the basin.

Navigation:
Crescent City Entrance Light (41°44’11″N., 124°11’28″W.), 55 feet above the water, is shown from a pile at the seaward end of the W breakwater. A sound signal is at the light. A historic private light is on the islet S of Battery Point. The entrance to the harbor is marked by lighted buoys, lights, and a lighted range.

The entrance range should not be followed past a point approximately abeam of Whaler Island, as it leads close to the end of the breakwater extending N from this island.

A dredged entrance channel leads N into the harbor to an inner harbor basin which extends around the outer end of the inner breakwater. In 2008, the controlling depth was 14 feet in the entrance channel; thence in 2008-2011, 12 feet in the basin.

Care should be exercised in approaching Crescent City Harbor because of the many rocks and shoals. Chase Ledge, covered 21 feet, lies 0.9 mile S of Round Rock. Mussel Rock, only a few feet high, is 0.6 mile SE of Round Rock; a rock covered 8 feet, 700 yards to the S, breaks only in a heavy swell. Other covered rocks extend N to Whaler Island. Foul ground with many bare and covered rocks extends nearly a mile offshore along the low but rocky coast NW of Crescent City Harbor for 3.5 miles to Point St. George. This area should be avoided.