Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz Island

Made the hop out to smugglers cove on SC island Saturday. Boat did well, pulled back on the throttles to 2K RPM and about 6 knt and got about 2 Mi/gal. Kinda rough in windy lane with the beam sea. We headed up into them a little more, then ran down the island past scorpion bay. It was clear all night, no fog or stratus. Left to go back to SB at 5:30 AM and at 6:00 windy lane was already at about 15 Knt and 4' 9sec wind swell. A couple of them rolled us pretty good, tossed some plates out of the cabinet. Need some positive latches on the cabunet not the detent type. Ran back at 2.5K RPM and 8 knt and got about 1.8 mi/gal. Saw lots of dolphins, they like 8 knts better than 6. Good warm up cruise. We will be doing a week + trip in mid september. Santa Barbara --> Santa Cruz island --> Catalina--> Paradise cove and back. Checked the log and we have put about 325 mi. on since we got her on Dec 28 2011.

I will be waiting for your cruise report in September. Great photo. We need more cruising stories from that area.

Moonstruck said:

I will be waiting for your cruise report in September. Great photo. We need more cruising stories from that area.

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Ditto on that! Sounds like a great trip.

We will be going to to Prisoners tomorrow afternoon stopping on the way to try and find a seiner to cuddle next to and catch some White Sea Bass to bar b que. Third Reef, you know about Buccaneer Days in October right?

I am not familiar with Bucaneer days. I have only been boat owner in SoCal since December.

Buccaneer days at Two Harbors is the biggest yearly boat party in SoCal. It's the first Friday and Saturday of October. Google it. This is a need to do at least once.

late Fall Santa Anna's

Since this is your first year in boating in the channel islands, if you hadn't heard you need to take those Santa Anna wind seriously. Santa Cruise Island is a spectacular cruising area. Winter cruising is a special time on the outside of the island. Great hiking and private coves. When you get a chance give Painted Cave a try, we had one of our favorite family adventures inside that cave. We took our 14' Achilles dingy into the cave As the cave is very large and quite deep" 500'or more" tapering to a ninety degree bend and extending 500' or so parallel to the coast. Because of the taper the surge tends to build as you get deeper into the cave. 3/4 of the way in my crew began to doubt the wisdom of the adventure but the surge carried us into the turn and into the inner grotto before they could mutiny. My youngest daughter holding the dive light whose light is totally disappearing into the darkness of the cave, the roar of the barking seals and their glowing eye's shinning back, with seals splashing into the watery darkness all around us. Our heart rates had pretty much pegged at this point, my shorts were getting pretty wet as well. I don't even remember getting the Dingy turned around in the cave but I did. There wasn't much said until we got back into the light of the entrance. The mouth of the cave is large enough to drive a tour boat into, in fact they do, but don't let that fool you, the back of the cave is pretty exciting. This something to do on calm non-surgy days only. There are several other caves as well to explore. This story is guaranteed to bring a laugh from my daughters when ever I bring it up.

Good cave story. I have been in painted cave but did not know about the turn, we did not make it that far as the surge was up. I have cruised the area long ago in my sailboat. I have also been bareboat chartering over the years out of Marina Del Rey and i am familiar with the Santa Anas. Note about Smugglers cove, we read Fagiens crusing guide to anchor off the olive grove. However a small south swell came up and the crescent shapped beach focused the wave energy back out into this area.We had to move to the south end of the anchorage at about 8 PM because i got so bad. Alot of other boats seemed to already now this.

Great report. Sounds like a beautiful area. I'd love to check out the Channel Islands someday after I gain the experience (and the courage) to travel outside the gate.

Scary said:

Since this is your first year in boating in the channel islands, if you hadn't heard you need to take those Santa Anna wind seriously. Santa Cruise Island is a spectacular cruising area. Winter cruising is a special time on the outside of the island. Great hiking and private coves. When you get a chance give Painted Cave a try, we had one of our favorite family adventures inside that cave. We took our 14' Achilles dingy into the cave As the cave is very large and quite deep" 500'or more" tapering to a ninety degree bend and extending 500' or so parallel to the coast. Because of the taper the surge tends to build as you get deeper into the cave. 3/4 of the way in my crew began to doubt the wisdom of the adventure but the surge carried us into the turn and into the inner grotto before they could mutiny. My youngest daughter holding the dive light whose light is totally disappearing into the darkness of the cave, the roar of the barking seals and their glowing eye's shinning back, with seals splashing into the watery darkness all around us. Our heart rates had pretty much pegged at this point, my shorts were getting pretty wet as well. I don't even remember getting the Dingy turned around in the cave but I did. There wasn't much said until we got back into the light of the entrance. The mouth of the cave is large enough to drive a tour boat into, in fact they do, but don't let that fool you, the back of the cave is pretty exciting. This something to do on calm non-surgy days only. There are several other caves as well to explore. This story is guaranteed to bring a laugh from my daughters when ever I bring it up.

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Years ago on a really calm day we went into Painted Cave on a 65’ dive vessel, the Truth out of Santa Barbara. The skipper, Mark, took us in pretty far. There is a wide spot a ways in. It was enough room to spin the vessel around and we went out forwards. I wouldn’t take my Trawler (42’ GB) in there, but it is possible.