Kayaking to Anacapa

by Bill Becher 

I’d heard about the strange things that can happen to people when they get together with someone they meet on the Internet.  Well, those stories are true, I thought, as I sat in my kayak at Channel Islands Harbor at 5:30 am, about to start paddling the 12 miles to Anacapa Island with six other people, most of whom I’d met via the Internet.  I was trying not to think about rogue waves, the bonk, or the Exxon Valdez cruising the shipping lanes we had to cross, not to mention the “s” word.  

We shoved off, Taylor - an architect, Gregg - a technical writer, John and Mark – a couple of new economy Internet guys who liked to explore sea caves in their kayaks, Craig and Steve - two post-doctoral chemists from UCSB, and me, a retired insurance broker.  We’d arraigned the trip via email after signing up for an on-line kayak club.  The plan was to paddle to Anacapa, then take the Island Packer’s boat back.

I was taking a lot of gear: spare paddle, GPS receiver, marine transceiver, signal flares, dye markers, mirror for flashing passing aircraft, food, water, a sleeping bag and bivy sack incase we missed the return boat, and a six pack of Coors. Hey, a scuba boat dive master who couldn’t count had left me at the islands once. But this was the first kayak channel crossing for any of us.  The rising sun was behind us as we passed the buoy marking the harbor entrance, also a sea lion hangout.  Our course was via the Gina oil platform at 3.5 miles, where we would decide if we were going to go all the way or not.  The key to this trip is to be patient for good conditions as the Santa Barbara Channel can change quickly from nice to ugly.

Somehow I had been elected to lead the fleet.  I settled into a steady paddling rhythm - we were expecting a 5-hour tour, no reason to peak too early.  Gregg, who had instigated the trip, was in the back, like a general directing his troops from behind the lines.  “Look, dolphins,” he yelled. A pod of Flippers cruised by at high speed near by.  “That’s good to see,” said Gregg. “It means no sharks.”  Dah-dum…dah-dum…dah-dum…. There it was, the “s” word.  I’d heard about a couple that had disappeared while paddling their kayak off Malibu a number of years ago. No bodies were found, only their kayak with great white shark teeth imbedded in it. No proof that a shark ate them, just circumstantial evidence, as Johnny Cochran would say, but still something to think about as we paddled on.

One of the guys in the double kayak was returning his breakfast to the food chain. Soon his partner joined him in the chumming, but then they paddled valiantly on. An oil tanker steamed by on the horizon.  Paddlers avoid getting anywhere near big ships - they often can’t see kayaks in the water, which doesn’t really matter since the ships can’t stop until sometime next week. A couple of sea lions surfaced ahead of us, looked us over, and swam away.  I was using the GPS to check our drift. I had talked to a commercial fisherman who, besides saying I was nuts to do this in a kayak, warned me that there is typically current as you leave the mainland that tends to push you east, and a current near Anacapa that wants to move you west. 

The swells were getting bigger, but it’s hard to say exactly how high. I’ve noticed that kayakers’ estimates of swell height are like fishermens’ estimates of fish sizes, they tend to err on the high side and grow with retelling.  But according to Gregg the swells were in the 4-5 foot range with occasional 6-7 footers.

After a few hours, Anacapa was also growing larger; we were going to make it.  The cave guys started sprinting for the island. Apparently they were getting queasy too, and wanted to get on land soon!  East Anacapa Island rises abruptly from the ocean – brown earth and rock with a light frosting of guano from the seagulls and brown pelicans.  The water at Landing Cove is a jade green.  We saw fish and giant kelp floating in the clear water and spotted halibut and the bright orange of garibaldi fish.  The trip had taken only 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Landing your kayak is permitted on East Anacapa and Middle Anacapa beaches only. Camping is only at the campground on the East Island.  Exploring away from the beach on Middle Anacapa requires a ranger escort. Landing on the West Island, a Research Natural Area, is prohibited except at Frenchy’s Cove.  From January 1 to October 31 the shoreline between Frenchy’s Cove and Portuguese Rock and out to a depth of 120 feet is designated the California Brown Pelican Fledgling Area and is closed to the public.

There is no beach at Landing Cove - you need to hoist your kayak onto the dock using a sling (not provided), and haul it the 20 or so feet out of the water with a block and tackle apparatus (provided).  The Sunfish, the Island Packer boat, was in, and the skipper told us it was easier to haul the kayaks directly onto his boat, so Taylor and I stayed in the water. Taylor paddled a ways into the cave at Landing Cove, though helmets and strong lights are suggested for serious kayak spelunking.  We paddled around the east end of the island to Arch Rock, big enough to paddle through, and continued around to the backside of the island, where a chorus of sea lions barked, the sound magnified by the caves.  On the way we met up with a catalog photographer and a couple of models paddling kayaks around Arch Rock.  Not exactly a Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot, but fun to watch anyway.

We paddled back to Landing Cove in time to meet the noon boat, and made the transfer to the Sunfish with Gregg. The rest of the group was spending the night camping, and would take the boat back the next day.  I left them the beer I had brought for our crossing celebration.  The trip back to Channel Islands Harbor on the Sunfish took about an hour, time to see how far we’d come, and what we’d accomplished.  And still no sharks.

IF YOU GO:

The crossing is not a trip for beginners. Have experience in open water paddling, know how to navigate and get back into your kayak if you go over, forget it if it’s foggy, windy, or rough. See the sbka.org website for weather information. It should go without saying that you will wear a PFD (lifejacket) at all times and use a spray skirt if you’re in an enclosed kayak. Two of our party were in sit-on-top-kayaks and wore wet suits. Sit-on-tops, especially the shorter ones, are easier to get back into if you go over, but tend to be slower on long paddles. Take and drink plenty of water and don’t forget some energy food and drink. A seasick pill the night before was a good idea for me.  Let the Park Service know you’re coming.  You can phone them at 805 658 5730.  Be sure to make a reservation for camping if you plan to spend the night, (there is no water on the island) and don’t forget a reservation on the Island Packer’s boat, it’s a tougher paddle back. Taking a GPS receiver and a compass and knowing how to use them in case the fog rolls in and carrying a VHF marine radio are good ideas.  The ranger on Anacapa monitors Marine Channel 16, as does Island Packers’ Sunfish who also use Channel 71. Probably the best idea is to go with an outfitter and guide. Southwind Kayak Center does channel crossing trips. You can also transport your kayak both ways via Island Packers and enjoy Anacapa without doing the crossing yourself. Note that according to the NPS,  Hantavirus has not been found on Anacapa, though it is present on Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and San Miguel Islands.

Adventure Kayaking, Trips from Big Sur to San Diego by Robert Mohle, Wilderness Press 1998 has lots of information about kayaking the Channel Islands and excellent maps.

Island Packers www.islandpackers.com   805 642-1393 runs trips to the Channel Islands and will take your kayak there both ways.  Be sure it’s unloaded and has a bowline.

Channel Islands National Park www.nps.gov/chis   805 658-5730 has information for kayakers.  For camping reservations call (800) 365-CAMP

Southwind Kayak Center  www.southwindkayaks.com  has instruction in basic to advanced kayaking, as well as guided crossing trips to Anacapa 800-768-8494

Channel Island Kayak Center 805 984 5995 does not do crossings, but has a package day trip to Anacapa suitable for beginners which includes transportation both ways via Island Packers, gear rental, instruction, and time to explore some of the island.

Santa Barbara Kayak Association www.sbka.org  does local trips out of various spots from Malibu to Santa Barbara as well as an occasional Anacapa crossing. There are links at their website to wind and weather [30]