RESERVATIONS & CANCELLATIONS: Reservations, cancellations, refunds and substitutions are handled by Point Loma Sportfishing (the landing). Policies are detailed below - please review them carefully prior to making your reservation.
GRANDE is a big, comfortable 85 foot live-aboard boat with two heads, bunkhouse, spacious salon/lounge area with restaurant booth style seating, and a full service galley. Grande is the biggest and most spacious boat (85 feet x 24 feet) in the fleet specializing in one- to three-day trips from Point Loma Sportfishing, with more room per passenger and a larger stern area than any other boat in the fleet. Due to its size and stability, it's also the most comfortable boat in any weather conditions. The Grande fishing video gives you a peek inside Grande.
LANDING LOCATION: We will board Grande 35 minutes prior to departure at Point Loma Sportfishing Landing, 1403 Scott Street at the corner of Emerson in San Diego 92106.
MAPQUEST MAP OF THE LANDING: Map and driving directions
DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO FISHERMAN'S LANDING & POINT LOMA SPORTFISHING
GOOGLE MAP of Point Loma Sportfishing
PARKING: There is a large parking at Point Loma Sportfishing for $6 a day. In summer months and on weekends the lot may be full and you'll be directed to a lighted off-site parking lot about a block away. Allow plenty of time to find the landing, park, unload, transport gear, obtain a boarding pass at the Point Loma Sportfishing Landing ticket window and board Grande 35 minutes before scheduled departure. Security gates lock are closed and locked 15 minutes prior to departure. All trips board on-time without waiting for late-comers.
CONVENIENT SAN DIEGO LODGING: Maps and lodging recommendations: Inexpensive San Diego lodging options
FOOD, DRINKS, SNACKS, MEALS: Breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, snacks and beverages (coffee, water, soda, beer) are available for purchase on board in the Grande galley. Full course dinners (salad, vegetable, meat and desert) are available on overnight trips for between $12 and $14.
DAY OF DEPARTURE: Arrive at the landing an hour prior to scheduled departure to allow time to locate the landing, park, unload, transport gear, obtain a boarding pass, sign the manifest, use the landing's restroom and board. Boarding begins 35 minutes prior to scheduled departure and is completed 15 minutes prior to trip departure when security gates are locked. More tips and hints on our trip preparation page.
OVERNIGHT TRIPS: Weekend trips on Grande.
LOGISTICS & BOAT QUESTIONS: Questions about the boat, the facilities, parking, reservations, cancellations, substitutions or weather should be directed to the landing at (619) 223-1627.
BIRD QUESTIONS: If you have questions about expected species, consult our extensive SoCal Seabird Reference to get a good idea of what you may see and might see on this trip. If questions remain, email us at SoCalBirding or email one of the trip's leaders.
REFUND POLICY: All requests for refunds must be directed to Point Loma Sportfishing. You may cancel 45 or more days before the trip and receive a refund less a $10 handling fee per reservation. This is the policy we have worked out with Point Loma Sportfishing even though their policy is "no refunds." There are no refunds less than 45 days before the trip, but you may make a substitution up to the day of the trip - or if the trip is sold out the landing will attempt to re-sell your ticket to somone on the waiting list. Trip insurance is strongly recommend if you have any cancellation concerns.
CANCELLATIONS: When you reserve a space on a pelagic boat trip, a space is reserved and held specifically for you. Most birders reserve their spots well in advance, it is difficult to re-book spots without adequate notice. In the unlikely event that you cancel with less than the agreed days of notice or do not attend the trip for any reason, please understand that there are no refunds. Trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommend if you have any cancellation concerns.
BACKUP WAITING LIST: When a trip is sold out, Point Loma Sportfishing will maintain a back up list. To be placed on the list, telephone Point Loma Sportfishing. Only Point Loma Sportfishing can take or process back-up reservations. The fact that a trip is sold out and has a back up list is no guarantee that if you cancel 6 or 3 or 2 (!!) days before the trip that you will receive a refund because many people on the waiting list have already made other plans when it's less than a week before a trip. Point Loma Sportfishing will make its best efforts to find you a replacement from the list, but if you cancel less than a week before the trip it is not very likely that they will be able to find a replacement.
SUBSTITUTIONS: If you find someone else to take your place, telephone Point Loma Sportfishing and they will make the name change for you free-of-charge anytime up to the day of the trip.
UNDER SUBSCRIPTION CANCELLATION: In the event that it appears unlikely that the trip will meet "break even" numbers, it may be cancelled. We do not take under-subscription cancellation lightly, as we are aware that many participants make travel plans well in advance. Both the Buena Vista and Los Angeles Audubon sometimes risk losing a nominal sum on a trip to take the chance that it will meet break even. If any trip regretfully cancels due to under-subscription, your entire trip fee will be refunded.
ITINERARY CHANGES - Buena Vista Audubon bird trips aboard Grande are planned 8 to 14 months in advance. The itinerary posted in the original trip description is our best guess as to where we will look for birds, but is subject to change depending on a number of different factors: weather, sea conditions and/or bird populations. In the event that unusual or unanticipated species are seen or known about prior the trip, the itinerary will be altered in an effort to record the highest and most diverse species list for all participants.
WEATHER CANCELLATION: All trips depart on time, even in rain, wind or small craft advisories. Weather rarely interferes with boats the size of Grande and can even be quite productive for finding pterodroma petrels. A storm may blow through at any time of year. Trips always go out in rain, wind and choppy seas. We alter our course in winds and seas to make the trip as comfortable as possible for all passengers, which is why our itinerary is a flexible one. Participants fly in from all over North American to be on these trips, so cancelling and rescheduling for "next weekend" is not an option.
We have been running trips from San Diego since 2008 and have never cancelled due to weather. The very rare decision to cancel a trip due to extreme weather will made only by the captain. This decision would be made the morning of the trip, very rarely the evening before the trip, never sooner. In the highly unlikely event that a trip cancels due to weather, your entire trip fee will be refunded. If you have weather questions or concerns for this trip, telephone Point Loma Sportfishing the afternoon or evening before the trip at (619) 223-1627.
FUEL: Prices for all trips were calculated on fuel charges the prior year. In the event that fuel increases substantially from last year to this year, there may be a small surcharge when boarding the boat, not to exceed $10 per person on day trips, $20 per person on overnight trips.
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