It was the summer of 1980. I turned 17, landed my first job as a sailing instructor at Harbor Island Yacht Club, and lived on my Dad’s 25-foot Catalina. Occasionally, after sunset, I’d motor Dad’s little sailboat out of the marina into San Diego Bay. I’d cut the engine, hoist the headsail and let the […]

Last updated September 2024 Anthony Bourdain once said, ” When you travel, let the happy accidents happen.” As such, on Riviera, we want our guests to feel like travelers. We want our passengers to feel like they are stepping aboard a hidden gem of a yacht, experiencing sailing in San Diego as authentic and genuine […]

I come from a long line of Irish thieves and poets who never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. The problem with dishonesty is that, eventually, the truth will surface. In 2009 a friend of ours suggested we visit the British Virgin Islands and spend a couple weeks island-hopping on […]

At least once a week I’m asked how and when I started sailing. I usually give the short answer, but for the record, here’s the long answer. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, most likely after running his ship aground in 1542, called it “Bahía Falsa,” or The False Bay. This muddy tidal wash where the San Diego […]

Last week we welcomed Chef David Castro Hussong, the extraordinary executive chef at Fauna, the 5-star restaurant in Valle De Guadalupe, to prepare a private dinner aboard Riviera. With wines from the Valle, Fernando Gaxiola of Baja Food & Wine paired each dish with some of the Valle’s best vintages. Chef David brought down the […]

It’s always a thrill for me as the Captain when I take out someone who’s never sailed. It’s even better if the guest’s only yachting experience has been on a power boat. With both sails deployed, I shut the engine off as we headed past Coasterra Restaurant on the east end of Harbor Island. The […]

The Rady Shell. Our $85 million shining example of the philanthropic spirit, alive and well in San Diego. San Diego has always reminded me of a 12-year boy. For most of my life, it seemed my hometown didn’t know what it wanted to be when it grew up. For decades, the US Navy and defense […]

This morning, I read that being famous on Instagram is like being rich in Monopoly. I suppose that’s true for the 99.9% of us that are not “influencers.” Nonetheless, we are on IG and Facebook and often share our sailing experiences for the world to see. That said, it’s important to reiterate our commitment to […]