Cruise to Santa Barbara Island

If you're bored with going back and forth to Isthmus Harbor, a bigger challenge awaits just a few degrees away on the compass at Santa Barbara Island. It was discovered in 1602 by explorer Sebastian Vizcaino who named it in honor of St. Barbara because he arrived on her feast day, Dec. 4.

This one-square-mile volcanic mesa of rock is easy to miss. It’s approximately 205 degrees magnetic from Marina del Rey, about 40 miles away, so double check your own charts or GPS before you set out. Be sure to correct course while sailing or motoring.

Also be sure you have the right Santa Barbara chosen. Skipper Lou Weiss told me, "I knew I was on course, despite what my GPS said, until I realized I was being told to head to the city of Santa Barbara, not the island."

Seas will usually be higher than on a Catalina trip. Weiss often sailed there in his 26 foot Columbia sloop, but you will definitely be more comfortable in a boat 30 feet or longer. You'll have to anchor and rely on a dinghy or kayak to get to shore.

With the exception of the seals, birds and the park rangers the place will be your own. It's a perfect time of year to go with wild coreopsis flowers blooming yellow. The land is graced by larks, warblers and finches, some subspecies found nowhere else. Seaside, you’ll find gulls, brown pelicans and cormorants.

When I visited we anchored in Landing Cove. It’s a bit of climb to get to the ridge, but once there, you can choose from nearly six miles of hiking with views to the horizon. There’s also a nature center paying tribute to the restoration of native habitat, now that ranching and farming have ended and the island has been incorporated into the National Park system.

Seals and sea lions abound. Weiss felt right at home among those sea mammals. In fact he had named his boat Pinniped after them.

The clear waters of Landing Cove are great for snorkeling where you can watch sea stars, spiny sea urchins and California’s state fish, the bright orange garibaldi, all threading through the lush kelp forest.

Since the island is a nature preserve, fishing is not allowed in Marine Protected Areas. Check your chart for details. In late June you might not be allowed on land due to pelican nesting season, so if you’re leaving that time of year it’s a good idea to call the ranger ahead of time to check.

Still the trip is worth it. On most of the island, you'll find yourself immersed in nature the way it was before Europeans arrived.