Channel Islands

VENTURA TO SANTA CRUZ ISLAND      October 21, 2016

Crossing the Santa Barbara Channel, our destination is Santa Cruz Island.

We pass near one of the offshore oil rigs that dot the channel.

In Chinese Harbor on the north shore, there is really no protection from the westerly swells and the wakes of passing ships.  It is a bumpy night even though we deployed the flopper stoppers, hanging from the whisker pole on the port and the boom on the starboard.

October 22, 2016

Departure today waits until the fog lifts.  The anchor which held fast comes up well and is clean.  We are heading around the island counter clockwise to look for an anchorage with more protection.  Visibility becomes quite limited as we catch up to the fog.  Thank goodness for radar.

As we round the west side of Santa Cruz Island, the fog is kept at bay by the wind.  The sun shines brightly for the first time today. 

As we continue along the south shoreline, the wind decreases and the seas calm.  There isn’t a lot of vegetation to see from this distance, but the striations of rock are beautiful and remind me of a stained glass mural. 

Our final destination is Coches Prietos.  We tuck in between five boats already here and drop the anchor in 30 feet of water. The surf is pounding the rocks near the cliff 120 yards from our stern. 

October 23. 2016

Our first night is not too bad as far as motion.  We consider getting the dinghy out and going ashore, but the surf seems rougher today.  We're not sure we want to attempt our first surf landing under these conditions. 

As the day turns to dusk, the fishing fleet arrives and one by one they anchor outside our area. 

SANTA CRUZ TO SANTA CATALINA ISLAND     October 24, 2016

 Our second night is worse for boat motion.  I am ready to depart when the alarm clock sounds at 3 AM.  Once again the anchor comes up without a problem and cleanly as far as I can tell in the blackness of night.  There is a break in the lights from the fishing fleet which gives us a clear path for our route to Santa Catalina Island.  While motoring, we see flashes of light in the distance.  The weather report calls for morning thunder storms along the coast. 

The wind is 2-5 knots, so not even worth a sail.

A few cargo vessels pass by.

As Santa Catalina appears on the horizon we alter coarse for the south side and make plans to pick up a mooring buoy in Catalina Harbor. 

At the entrance to the harbor is this interesting vessel moored on the coast guard’s buoy. 

There is plenty of room in the mooring field.  The area is protected from waves. When the wind picks up, blowing from across the isthmus, it doesn’t seem to have much fetch.  The scenery at first appears a bit bleak.  We appreciate the subtle beauty of our surroundings. 

It appears like mostly locals stay here this time of year.  One of the more interesting locals perched on our neighbor’s mast for some time.

October 25, 2016

Staying in Cat Harbor for another day, we get off the boat for the first time.  Once on shore there is a short walk along a dirt road bordered by prickly cactus and an occasional eucalyptus tree.

On the other side of the isthmus is Two Harbors.  Although quite minimal, this is definitely the tourist side.  There is a store, information center, dive and recreational center, pier with fuel dock, a restaurant or two, AND flush toilets.  The water is clearer on this side with more movement.  We buy a couple beverages and watch the pelicans diving to catch a meal before hiking back to Cat Harbor.

 October 26, 2016

Leaving Cat Harbor with the bow stern mooring buoy system is very simple.  We just let go the stern, allow the line to settle, put the float back in the water and let loose the bow.  As we drift away from the buoy, Brad engages the engine and we head for the ocean.  As we travel along the south side of Catalina Island the wind is strong enough to sail for a whole 21 minutes. 

Our destination today is Avalon.  When one thinks of Catalina Island, they usually picture Avalon with the classic circular casino, mooring field, and homes clinging to the surrounding cliffs. 

As we approach the harbor, we are greeted by the harbor patrol boat, which takes our information, escorts us to a buoy and assists us in hooking up.  The captain comes on board to deposit the yellow tablets in our septic system to ensure no leakage in this no discharge zone.  You must pay the moorage fee at this time. 

Who can resist leaving the boat in this picturesque and touristy town.  The patrol boats and taxi boats ferry people to and from shore for a fee.   We are hardly settled before we catch a ride. 

It is off season, so the crowd is minimal.  There is a lovely walkway along the shore out to the casino which is now used as a theater.

Just off the casino is a diving sight with map and compass headings.  The water visibility is good. 

On the walk back we stop at a delightful restaurant with a large sculpture of a double burger out front.  The staff is very pleasant, the food is good, and the view overlooking the water can’t be beat. 

Forty three dollars will get you a golf cart for an hour which allows us to cover more territory.   After a few jogs through town we are heading along the shore and up the cliff for a dizzying view of the harbor.  We wind our way through the eucalyptus trees and homes that dot the hillside.  Keeping to the marked tour, we follow the map with a few stops for photo ops. 

Brad has been communicating with the marina in Ensenada to check on availability and entrance requirements.  We may not be allowed entrance if the permit (TIP) taken out by the prior owner of this vessel is still in effect.  So while we are a waiting to find this out, we have decided to take advantage of the off season rates in Avalon, which are pay for two nights and get five nights free.

October 27, 2016

A good night’s sleep with only mild bouncing from passing wakes and swells.  Having decided to stay awhile, it’s time to put the dingy in the water.  We are using one of the halyards to pick it up off the deck.  Another halyard is fastened to the hanging harness which is already attached to points inside the dingy.  After the dingy is turned over, Brad puts the two horse motor on before lowering into the water.  A real energy saver is the heavy weight drill with the wench handle bit we use to do all the lifting. 

October 28, 2016

Another excursion into town today, this time to do the laundry.  At the laundry which is a good walk into town and down a side alley, we run into the couple from the boat, the Redwood Coast who we met at Coches Prietos and then saw again at Catalina Harbor.

October 29, 2016

 The dingy dock is crowded.

Avalon has a wonderful miniature golf course.

 
Each hole is designed to match a fun fact about the island.

The carillon on the hillside above the mooring, chimes every quarter hour.  Saturday evening, in addition to the usual chime it played several familiar songs.