Jeff Asbury
Principal Partner
I have actually reluctantly anchored at the Isthmus on Memorial day weekend. I came in on a Friday afternoon around 3pm and got a can but they said I could only be guaranteed that one night. Sure enough before 8am they kicked me off the can. I hadn't even had my coffee yet. I did get on the waiting list for the next available can though.
So we motored over to the east end of the Isthmus near the camp grounds below the cliffs. Put out fore and aft anchors in 60 feet of water. Probably 7 to 1 scope. Then as time went by, a lot of other boats started coming in and trying to anchor around me. Some of them with only one anchor. You must have two anchors when your in close proximity to so many others. Lots of these boaters were asking me advice on how to anchor as well as "how deep is it?", "how much scope?", and so on. It was not a comfortable situation with so many inexperienced boaters. I was just about ready to sail back to the mainland when the Harbor Patrol called and said they had a mooring for me.
That's my only anchoring experience at the Isthmus. I have anchored at Cat Harbor and Little Harbor. Both times with two anchors and in shallow water, between 8 and 10 feet. I anchored a lot more at Santa Cruz Island with my old boat and was always able to get away with only one anchor. Lot's of room to swing.
If you go and can't get a mooring, just ask the Harbor Patrol about where they recommend is best to anchor.
Beam Winds Sven. I'm sitting out the busy holidays as always.
So we motored over to the east end of the Isthmus near the camp grounds below the cliffs. Put out fore and aft anchors in 60 feet of water. Probably 7 to 1 scope. Then as time went by, a lot of other boats started coming in and trying to anchor around me. Some of them with only one anchor. You must have two anchors when your in close proximity to so many others. Lots of these boaters were asking me advice on how to anchor as well as "how deep is it?", "how much scope?", and so on. It was not a comfortable situation with so many inexperienced boaters. I was just about ready to sail back to the mainland when the Harbor Patrol called and said they had a mooring for me.
That's my only anchoring experience at the Isthmus. I have anchored at Cat Harbor and Little Harbor. Both times with two anchors and in shallow water, between 8 and 10 feet. I anchored a lot more at Santa Cruz Island with my old boat and was always able to get away with only one anchor. Lot's of room to swing.
If you go and can't get a mooring, just ask the Harbor Patrol about where they recommend is best to anchor.
Beam Winds Sven. I'm sitting out the busy holidays as always.
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Jeff Asbury
Principal Partner
Thought you might catch that. Hind sight after we got secured and pulled in the rode it was more like 4 to 1.
Memorial Day at Catalina? No thanks. The so called "anchorage" at
Isthmus sucks big time. I would head straight to cat unless you own
a mooring or know someone who does.
Isthmus sucks big time. I would head straight to cat unless you own
a mooring or know someone who does.
Sven
Seglare
Hi Martin,
We've talked to Debbie and Megan on the phone and they say they think they can get us a can if we get there in the AM. When we're 2/3rds of the way across we'll call again (on the phone) and head for Cat harbor if it doesn't look good. Isthmus anchoring is the last option, other than just coming back home.
Appreciate the advice !
Thanks,
-Sven
We've talked to Debbie and Megan on the phone and they say they think they can get us a can if we get there in the AM. When we're 2/3rds of the way across we'll call again (on the phone) and head for Cat harbor if it doesn't look good. Isthmus anchoring is the last option, other than just coming back home.
Appreciate the advice !
Thanks,
-Sven
Sven
Seglare
It wasn't full !
We got up at 4 AM on Saturday morning and motored after casting off at 5:30 with Nancy's sister joining us for the first few days.
By 9 AM we were tied up at November 9 and with the exception of day-excursions we stayed there until yesterday, a week later. We also got in some hiking, maintenance, more varnishing, some successful fishing, planning and reading. Got to observe an all-out effort to get a heart attack patient care, ending with an air evac from the USC center, with fog rolling over the island. Hope he was ok.
During the Memorial day weekend it was never more that 90% full at any time and we almost had the East side to ourselves after the big holiday weekend.
It was a great time and we're sorry to be back
-Sven
We got up at 4 AM on Saturday morning and motored after casting off at 5:30 with Nancy's sister joining us for the first few days.
By 9 AM we were tied up at November 9 and with the exception of day-excursions we stayed there until yesterday, a week later. We also got in some hiking, maintenance, more varnishing, some successful fishing, planning and reading. Got to observe an all-out effort to get a heart attack patient care, ending with an air evac from the USC center, with fog rolling over the island. Hope he was ok.
During the Memorial day weekend it was never more that 90% full at any time and we almost had the East side to ourselves after the big holiday weekend.
It was a great time and we're sorry to be back
-Sven
Jeff Asbury
Principal Partner
Wow a week! You lucky kids! Great weather you must have had crossing on Sat. Memorial Day Weekend. That was the clearest day in the am. I am just guessing that the economy has resulted in less crowding at the Isthmus on such a busy holiday. I hope the heart attack patient came through it okay as well. The Bay Watch guys do a great job over there. I had a crew member that was having a diabetic episode once and they took great care of him.
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Sven
Seglare
Jeff,
We're guessing it must have been the economy that kept boats away. While we loved the relative quiet with a less than full Isthmus we wonder what it might do to their economy.
The June gloom was a bit chilly some mornings but all in all the weather was spectacular !
We just have to start lucking out with the wind again, this motor-sailing is too noisy !
-Sven
We're guessing it must have been the economy that kept boats away. While we loved the relative quiet with a less than full Isthmus we wonder what it might do to their economy.
The June gloom was a bit chilly some mornings but all in all the weather was spectacular !
We just have to start lucking out with the wind again, this motor-sailing is too noisy !
-Sven