Out At Sea: Adventuring Santa Cruz Island

June 5, 2018
Eryn Krouse
Travel
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Woken from a state of deep consciousness by the start of an engine, I was disoriented as to where I was before remembering I was in a cabin aboard the Calefina– a Catalina 42′ yacht that would be home for the next couple days during an expedition of Santa Cruz Island. I felt the boat slowly move out of the harbor in the darkness of the early morning , and we were on our way.

Let me backtrack a bit. The evening before we were to sail for the islands, I arrived at the SB Sail office at the Santa Barbara harbor to check in and move my things into the yacht. Over the next few hours, the rest of my crew arrived and did the same. I was joined by Captain Spencer, Michael Bailey, Louise Maurisset, Naomi Smithwa, and Joe O’ Brien– a solid crew of adventure enthusiasts and surfers. We slept in our cabins overnight so that Captain Spencer could get us going first thing in the morning.The idea was that we would arrive at the islands when we woke up- a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!

The first day of our expedition was grey and chilly, but it didn’t stop us from having a good time surfing, free diving, and hiking. The first thing we did once we arrived at Santa Cruz was scope out a few spots to surf. Once we found where we wanted to surf, we anchored, suited up, and jumped right in. The water was a chilly 57 degrees that immediately rid us of any sleepiness from the late night before.

This was my first time surfing anywhere in the Channel Islands, and it was a memorable experience because of the dense kelp, stunning cliff backdrop, and big waves. The boys had a lot of fun charging the walls of water that came through, but Louise, Naomi, and I preferred to play it safe and watch the action from the channel.

Some Island Adventure Essentials:

Surfboard, Leash, and Wax

Wetsuit

Towels

Fins, Mask, and Snorkel

Waterproof Camera

Hiking Shoes

Warm clothes

Ginger Candy to chew on (for seasickness!)

I woke up with the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean. It was a welcome sight to see blue skies, and I marveled at how clear the ocean could be when the sun rays shined through it. I threw on a bikini and dove into the water to wake myself up and warmed up afterwards with a hot outdoor shower.

All I can say is, thank goodness for the heated outdoor shower on the boat! It may have looked like summer, but the water was still in winter mode. Knowing I’d be able to warm up quickly after I dove into the chilly water made it worth it.

After cooking up some breakfast (avocado toast, eggs, sausages, and oatmeal), I set up my hammock to enjoy the mid-morning sun.

One of the things I love most about Santa Cruz Island are the enormous sea caves that make up the coastline. Michael and I went tandem on a paddle board and joined Naomi and Louise on a kayak to explore. It feels like an epic adventure to paddle through the caves, marveling at how clear and blue the water is once inside of them.

Before heading back to Santa Barbara, we sailed around the coastline to a beautiful harbor where we dropped anchor again to explore the empty beach. During last night’s hike, we had walked along the cliffside to this spot, so it was amazing to see it in the daylight.

This particular cove was one of the most beautiful spots I’ve visited on Santa Cruz. On previous trips I would take a ferry to Scorpion Bay which gave me limited access to the rest of the island, so staying on a yacht was a game changer. This time around, I was able to visit a lot of places that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. This place in particular was only accessible by a private boat and was definitely a special experience.