Anacapa Island is really one that is just viewed from offshore; only once did we anchor and go ashore by dingy to enjoy the beach at Frenchy's cove. Anacapa Island, really Islands, is composed of incrediby shaped sentinal rocks and then three nearly joined islands one of which is home to endangered pelicans. It is a wonderful dive area and also the remains of the Winfield Scott which crashed into the island about December 1, 1853 are offshore as a dive site. Was the gold recovered? Probably; but it is always the subject of speculation.
Santa Cruz was generally our destination while boating the Channel Islands. Under sail, it was several hours, just allowing enough time to enjoy some daylight onshore or diving and then return the next day. Over the years, we sampled most of the anchorages; however, I do not recall staying at the West End.Until purchased by the Nature Conservancy, Santa Cruz was privately owned. Once, long ago, we were able to tour the private Stanton ranch and chapel as part of a tour.
An island owned by the Vickers and theVail families. Some years ago, we saw some of the ranching operation at the Vickers part of the property. Mostly sheep. Tales of old, wild sheep unshorn in many years were told us by the ranch personnel. Then, there was the last trip on the return from San Miguel. We anchored beneath the ruins of a military base along with a lot of other boats, probably at Johnson's Lee. When the Coast Guard sends out its cutters to patrol the islands, it is often because of high wind warnings. It got bad! And, we nearly died.
It is said that the island was the epicenter of a terrible earthquake in 1812. So severe was the quake, that it generated at least two tsunami waves, emptied the waters from the channel between the island and Santa Barbara, and sent a ship up a canyon. It is estimated that the wall of water that rushed to Santa Barbara was in excess of thirty feet. While this page is hard to read, it does have a lot of information about the quake taken from contemporary sources.
The trips to Cuyler Harbor were wonderful but the return trip on the last voyage almost finished us; in fact, we consider ourselves lucky to be alive. I cannot recall when the first trip was made, nor the boat used. But I do recall hiking over the hill from Cuyler Harbor to the seaward side and being fascinated by the caliche forest and the fantastic rocks on the seaward side. The second trip, a few years later, was in a friend's power boat. That time, there were botanists/naturalists whose summer job included herding visitors in a manner to minimize the damage to the very sensitive eco-structure.
It is difficult not to speculate on the final resting place of Cabrillo and a plaque to him is on the island. Was he buried on San Miguel or on Prince Island? Legend is that it was one of the two; however, either Santa Cruz Island or Santa Rosa Island is also possible.
Also a part of the Channel Islands but not accessable to civilians. However, in some of the fierce winds, small boats have been known to blow towards the island.