Santa Cruz Island Adventure (Part 1)

Channel Islands California

We left Santa Barbara, California on November 4, 2019 and sailed 24 miles across the Santa Barbara Channel for Santa Cruz Island.  According to legend, Santa Cruz Island was named for a priest's staff accidentally left on the island during the Portola expedition of 1769. A Chumash Indian found the cross-tipped stave and returned it to the priest. The Spaniards were so impressed that they called this island of friendly people "La Isla del Santa Cruz," the Island of the Sacred Cross. Today the protection and preservation of Santa Cruz Island is divided between The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. The Nature Conservancy owns and manages the western 76 percent of the island, while the eastern 24 percent is owned and managed by the National Park Service. Our plans were to spend a week at the island visiting those anchorages with unusual and interesting names like Prisoners Harbor, Little Scorpion Bay and Yellow Bank.

"Little Lara's" Anchorages on Santa Cruz Island 

Prisoners Harbor's name comes from a series of events that took place in 1830, which are sketchy and somewhat contradictory, but roughly this is what occurred: Santa Cruz Island lay deserted for many

"Little Lara" anchored at
Prisoners Harbor

years after the native Chumash were removed to the mainland in the early 1800s. In February 1830, the U.S. Brig "Maria Ester" anchored off the village of Santa Barbara. Its captain, John Christian Holmes, sought permission to offload 80 convicted criminals.  Failing to obtain approval to discharge these prisoners, Holmes transported around 30 convicts to Prisoners Harbor with provisions supplied by the padres of the Santa Barbara Mission. The fate of the balance of the prisoners remains unclear. Those convicts left on Santa Cruz initially fared well, constructing crude shelters against the elements. But the men were determined to return to the mainland, so they built rafts from whatever material was at hand. Without sails, oars or paddles they were at the mercy of wind and currents. They might have drifted endlessly if not for a storm that eventually pushed them ashore on the mainland  in the area of the Carpinteria Valley. Local authorities rounded them up in short order. Imprisoned for a time, some of the men were reportedly flogged for daring to escape their island prison. Eventually, they were released and were absorbed back into society.

"Little Lara" anchored at
Little Scorpion Bay

It is unclear how Little Scorpion Bay got its name.  It might refer to the shape of a nearby canyon or to the presences of small scorpions that were found in the area.  Little Scorpion Bay is noted for its well protected waters in most any weather.  Along the east side of the cove small cliffs dropped straight down into the water and a thin line of kelp hints at a rock reef below. To the west of the anchorage is Scorpion Rock (Bird Rock).  It’s fairly obvious that Scorpion Rock is a very popular place to be -- if you are a bird. Super thick seabird guano cakes it as throngs of various seabirds, large and small, roost on the barren slab overlooking the eastern Santa Barbara Channel. Generally a down coast current flows carrying a variety of food for the seabirds to feast on, making it crowded on this knobby rock. While anchored here we saw and heard raucous western gulls, pelagic cormorants, storm-petrels, and oyster catchers.  The Northwest winds can also bring to the boat the smelly aroma of these birds.

Yellow Bank and Smugglers Cove are considered to be all one large bay.  They are located on  the southeast end of the island and offer great protection from all but an east wind.  We had hoped to go ashore here to hike the island trails on this end of the island. We were amazed at the lack of swell and wind when we first arrived, anchoring just off a pebbled covered beach.  Once "Little Lara" was settled, we had lunch and prepared to dingy ashore.  Within those few short hours a surge started to build and waves began to crash on the beach.  Soon the wind increased and we thought we were in for a rough night. Just after midnight, however, things settled down allowing us to get a good night's sleep.

Hiking the trails on Santa Cruz Island

Beach Rock Sculptures at
Prisoners Harbor

The Queen of the Missions

Santa Barbara, California

We enjoyed Santa Barbara, California so much, we ended up staying 17 days. Peggy joined me on "Little Lara" October 25, 2019. Originally, we were waiting on fair weather, but we fell in love with the town and its people so we extended our stay, and extended our stay, then extended it yet again.  Santa Barbara is a coastal city situated on a south-facing section of the California coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States. The city lies between the steeply rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.  Downtown, Mediterranean-style white stucco buildings with red-tile roofs reflect the city’s Spanish colonial heritage. In addition to the architecture, everywhere you see tropical trees, plants and flowers like: palm trees, oak trees, tulip trees, sagebrush, manzanita, lilac, trumpet vines, etc.

Bird of Paradise
With Palm Trees in the Background

The first permanent European residents in Santa Barbara were Spanish missionaries and soldiers under Felipe de Neve, who came here in 1782. They were sent both to fortify the region against England and Russian expansion and to convert the natives to Christianity. Many of the Spaniards brought their families with them, and these formed the nucleus of the small town.  From San Diego to Sonoma, 21 missions were create across California over a 54 year period. The first, San Diego, was founded in 1769; the last, called San Francisco Solano, was founded in 1823.

Mission Santa Barbara
Circa 1900

Mission Santa Barbara
 Today

Mission Santa Barbara, known as "the Queen of the Missions," was founded by the Franciscan friars on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, 1786. It was the tenth California Mission to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans.  It was dedicated by Padre Fermín Lasuén, who succeeded Padre Junipero Serra as the second president and founder of the California Franciscan Mission chain. It remains an active church to this day and  houses Franciscan friars, an archive, and a museum.

Books in Santa Barbara's Archive Collection
Some date back to the 1500's

Santa Barbara Mission Cathedral

Santa Barbara Mission Altar

Resurrected Christ and Mary
Santa Barbara Mission Cathedral

Painting of the Virgin Mary
surrounded by the  Father, Son, Holy Ghost and Angels

San Nicolas Island is the most remote of California's Channel Islands, located approximately 82 miles from the Santa Barbara.  In 1835 the sailing ship "Peores Nada", captained by Charles Hubbard,

Juana Marie
The Loan Woman of San Nicolas Island

 landed on the island and began to load on board all of the Indians living there to bring them to the mainland. A child was found missing and his mother pleaded to be left on the island to find him. She was described as a light complexioned woman between 20-30 years of age. She disappeared into the mist and wasn't seen again for eighteen years. Several efforts were made in subsequent years to find the "Lone Indian Woman of San Nicolas" but none succeeded until Captain Nidever landed on the island in 1853.  Shortly after their arrival they found an "old woman" stripping blubber from a piece of seal skin. According to Nidiver's account, instead of running way "she smiled and bowed, chattering away to them in an unintelligible language." She was "of medium height ... about 50 years old but ... still strong and active. Her face was pleasing as she was continually smiling ... Her clothing consisted of but a single garment of skins." Nidever had been requested by the Fathers at the Mission Santa Barbara to "bring the lost woman off [the island] in case we found her".  Through sign language it was determined that she was indeed the woman left in 1835 and, sadly, that she never did find her child. Juana Maria (the name given her by the padres) became ill of dysentery, and died after just seven weeks on the mainland. She was buried in the cemetery at Mission Santa Barbara.

Juana Marie's Death Certificate
Santa Barbara Mission Archive

Juana Maria's Memorial Plaque
Santa Barbara Mission Cemetery

While in Santa Barbara we took the opportunity to tour the Mission, visit Juana Maria's grave and attend Church.  We hope you enjoy these pictures of Santa Barbara as much as we enjoyed being here.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Santa Barbara Chapel

Mission San Carlos

Mission San Diego

Racing Stormy Weather

Moonrise at Monterey, California  Yacht Harbor 

I continued sailing "Little Lara" southward, arriving at Monterey Yacht Harbor the morning of  October 12th.  There I took a slip in the marina after covering 95 nautical miles in a 24 hour period.  In Monterey, I refueled the boat, caught up on some much needed sleep, and attended church. After church,  Peggy called to warn me of inclement weather north of my position.  A huge winter storm with 25-30 knots of wind and 10-15 foot waves was pressing down on me.  She advised me to get around Point Conception as quickly as possible.  Though I had planned to spend another day in Monterey, I once again dropped "Little Lara's" dock lines and headed out to sea.

Point Conception

Point Conception was first noted by Spanish maritime explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 and named Cabo de Galera. In 1602, Sebastian Vizcaíno sailed past it, renaming this protruding headland Punta de la Limpia Concepción ("Point of the Immaculate Conception"). Vizcaíno's name stuck, and the name was anglicized to today's version.  The Chumash people, who occupied this region well before the arrival of the Spaniards called Point Conception the "Western Gate", through which the souls of the dead could pass between the mortal world and the heavenly paradise.  For modern day mariners, this point is know as "The Cape Horn of the Pacific Ocean" -- a scary place, where scary things happen!

Lost Ships of Destroyer Squadron 11

"The Cape Horn of the Pacific Ocean" is full of maritime disasters.  One of the worst documented cases occurred on a Saturday night, September 8, 1923.  It was foggy and difficult to see.  Fourteen ships of Destroyer Squadron 11 were running south from San Francisco to San Diego at 20 knots in column formation with just a few minutes of sea time between them.  They were too close to each other given the weather conditions. The lead ship, U.S.S. Delphy, mistook the light at Point Arguello as the light at Point Conception, which was twelve miles further to the south.  As a consequence of this navigational error, the Delphy’s captain, thinking he was entering the Santa Barbara Channel, turned inland early.   The other destroyers followed, one after another.  When they realized their error, it was to late. Seven destroyers ran aground on the jagged rock outcroppings close to shore and were lost.  Two ships were damaged.  Only five were able to avoid the rocks. It was the largest peacetime loss of U.S. Navy ships in our history.

Approaching Point Conception in "Little Lara"

I rounded Point Conception just as the sun was setting.  True to its reputation, the "Horn" was cold, wet and gloomy.  The winds were light, the seas were confused, but fortunately it was not foggy.  In the dark, I dropped the hook in Cojo Anchorage just east of Point Conception. I was tired, but I had escaped the fate of Destroyer Squadron 11.

Dodging Ships and Oil Platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel

I was up early the next morning, motor-sailing down the Santa Barbara Channel.  I looked longingly at Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands as I sailed past their inviting bays and inlets, but, that winter storm was still north of me, and closing in fast. Peggy was furiously texting me to hurry and get into a safe harbor.  I arrived at the Santa Barbara Anchorage as the sun was setting on October 16th and the next morning I took a slip in the Santa Barbara Yacht Harbor.  It took me 43 hours to sail the 206 miles from Monterey, but I had beat the storm with its high winds and huge waves by 24 hours.

Storm Wind and Waves
Crashing against the Santa Barbara Breakwater

Sunset at Santa Barbara, California