You’ve lingered along the Embarcadero gazing at sailboats gliding through San Diego Bay, waves lapping gently against the hulls, and fantasized about life on the water and ocean breezes ruffling your hair. And you’re contemplating novel ways to make that staycation the trip of a lifetime. Fulfilling that dream can be just a phone call away. Sail San Diego, based at the Best Western Island Palms Hotel at the Shelter Island Marina, 2051 Shelter Island Dr., offers three-hour or longer customized, intimate afternoon or sunset sails for small family groups, special occasions or corporate events. Each of the firm’s 40-foot Catalinas can accommodate several groups of duos and fours or a larger group of 12, operated by a Coast Guard-certified captain. This 20-year-old firm, which also offers whale-watching tours, sailing lessons and bareboat charters, is owned and managed by Tim and Michele Hanley. Lately, their cruises are attracting more locals eager to explore their hometown’s waterfront. Tim, a licensed captain and former yacht broker who ran boats in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas, and Michele, who worked in customer service for Nordstrom in Seattle and for marine-related businesses, moved to San Diego in 2004 and settled into boating-related jobs. While selling yachts, Tim worked part-time as a captain for Sail San Diego. The Hanleys jumped at the chance to buy the business in 2006. Upgrading the boats and accouterments, they chose to emphasize personalized service and customized tours, reflecting Michele’s Nordstrom background. Daughter of a marine biologist, animal-loving Michele introduced “green” business practices, using biodegradable products and channeling recycling proceeds to support community animal welfare and environmental causes. “I wanted to take it up a notch, make the experience more upscale. We make (guests’) trips look as they want them to look. I like the boats to be arranged so guests feel they’re coming to sail on a friend’s boat rather than on a bare rented boat,” she said. Their tours include soft drinks, beer, wine and snacks as well as use of jackets, hats, blankets, sunscreen, books and children’s toys. Michele explained that the Shelter Island location makes it feasible to reach the ocean in only 20 minutes, enabling patrons to combine a visit to the Pacific with a San Diego Harbor tour. Unless preplanned, the captain and guests begin their day-sail by designing their route while seated in the roomy cockpit. Most opt for a visit to the ocean. Guests can take the wheel, help sail or just relax. This year, Diego, the charismatic juvenile whale who took up residence in San Diego Bay, extended the normal whale watching season by a month. Sail San Diego’s captains were among the first and last to see him in the bay, Tim explained. “I called him Diablo,” Tim laughed. “Every time I had a sailing group who wanted to see him, he wouldn’t be around. Whenever I had someone who just wanted to go sailing, he came up next to the boat.” Capt. Marty Fogel, one of six captains who led the twice-daily tours, spotted Diego and other whales regularly on whale-watch cruises. On one memorable trip, the families of three Arizona sisters came to celebrate the life of their late father, who had introduced them to the water and sailing in San Diego. “It was the best whale-watching cruise of the season. They saw 11 whales, including one breaching,” he says. The company’s Catalinas have hosted numerous marriage proposals and transported many couples to their wedding sites or receptions, Michele explained. Another cruise hosted a traveler with stage-four breast cancer, one of whose “bucket” wishes was to sail and touch her toes into the Pacific. Laid-back sailing cruises produce the occasional surprise, including the eventful rescue of a local woman in a disabled dinghy, which the captain towed to the dock. “Our guests had fun helping the stranded boater and got to stay out longer. She was a live-aboard. She turned out to be a person of interest in a drug-related crime,” Michele related. The guests tend to come back rested and relaxed, even those initially hesitant to go sailing, both Hanleys explained. “The farther you get from land, the farther you leave your troubles behind. When (guests) return, they look as if they’ve come back from a massage,” Tim said. Sail San Diego offers two to four trips daily, costing $85 per person. For more information and reservations, call (619) 297-7426 or visit www.sailsandiego.com.