Photo by Santa Catalina Island Compnay

Even though the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles is just over the horizon, Avalon Harbor is an alluring destination for even the most stalwart landlubber.

Just 22 miles off the coast of Southern California lies the resplendent destination of Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island. A mere four-or-so hour sail from Los Angeles ports, I dare say that Avalon alone has inspired many a landlubber to take up the sport of sailing in order to experience the delicious flavor of being a yachtsman taking in the view of this delightful harbor from the deck of his boat. The passage is just long enough to feel like you’re on a real adventure, but not so far that the task is too daunting to undertake for the novice cruiser.

Avalon’s Mediterranean-like harbor cradles the fleet of visiting yachts in a waterfront sprinkled with boutiques, restaurants, couples walking arm in arm, and children building sandcastles in the sand. The downtown area is approximately a mile square with most amenities and amusements within walking distance. Not a traffic light, a billboard, or even the growl of a car engine will threaten your mental oasis from the bustle of your everyday life: cars are a rarity here--electric golf carts are the prescribed mode of transportation.

The island has been owned by the Santa Catalina Island Company since 1894. Present ownership of that company stems from stock purchases made by William Wrigley Junior in 1919 through which he acquired majority interest. In 1975, the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, a non-profit operating foundation, acquired approximately 88% of the island's 76 square miles, insuring the preservation of the flora and fauna and keeping development at bay.

Statistics
Population: approximately 3,500 (summer and weekend numbers rise to over 10,000)
Climate: Summer averages are 75 degrees, winter average is 65.
Sunny days: average of 267 days a year.
Average rainfall: 14 inches annually.

Photo by Santa Catalina Island Compnay

One of the many cute and boutique lined streets of Avalon. Who says shopping and nautical adventure can’t go hand in hand?

How to Get There Avalon Harbor can be found on the southeastern side of Santa Catalina Island. As you approach, your first sight will be the towering white cylinder of the Catalina Casino at the northeastern corner of crescent shaped harbor. When you arrive, call for the Harbor Patrol on VHF Channel 12. They will meet you just outside the perimeter of the breakwater to assign you one of the 320 "first come, first served," moorings. Your fee will be based on the size of your boat, per day. Be prepared to present your boat’s registration. Fees range from $21.00 per night for boats 39’ and under, to $37.00 per night for a boat from 50’ -59’, and on up. You should know that the mooring you will be using is leased annually by a private party and should this leaser arrive on any given day, you may be asked to move. If you are asked to move, a patrol boat will contact you between 7:30 am – 9:00 a.m. the day your change is required.

Avalon Harbor utilizes bow and stern moorings, keeping the boats in neat rows. The prescribed manner for use follows. You’ll want to wear heavy gloves as the lines are often littered with barnacles:

The tide will affect your mooring, so adjust your lines periodically. When you’re prepared to leave, untie the stern first, then bow lines, and drop the bow hawser into the water, allowing enough time for the lines and spreader to sink free and clear of the propeller and keel to prevent fouling.

Photo by Santa Catalina Island Compnay

Familiarizing yourself with the drill before you arrive will prevent your boat from becoming a spectacle for the anchorage.

Once you’re secured to your assigned mooring, a Harbor Patrolman will come aboard to collect the fees, record your boat registration, and place a dye tablet in your head to insure you don’t discharge waste from your toilet. If you do pump overboard, the water around your boat will turn a proof-positive color, you will be steeply fined, and barred from returning to the island for one year (pump out facilities are available in Avalon - ask the Harbor Patrol for details).

Mariner’s Services Once you’re settled in, you’ll find dinghy docks throughout the harbor, accommodating tenders 14’ and under. There is also a Shore boat monitoring VHF channel 9 that will pick you up hull-side and deliver you to the main pier. Fees are per person, per way. They also offer ice for sale. Service boats make daily trash pick-ups free of charge, twice daily during the summer months and on weekends in winter months.

If you’re fortunate enough to extend your visit longer than a weekend getaway and in need of some of the amenities of home, Avalon can keep you more than comfortable. A supermarket and mini-market offer all the usual groceries you’re used to filling your food and liquor lockers when back home. Clean, coin-operated public showers are located along the Casino Walkway (including a small area with electrical outlets, sinks, and mirrors). Catalina Coin Wash and Cottonwood Coin Laundry are Laundromats which are both open daily, and Catalina Computers can even hook you up with wireless internet access in the harbor! Fees vary from hourly, to annual rates.

Photo by Santa Catalina Island Compnay

You may find the surroundings enchanting enough to forget exploring the rest of the island, but there’s plenty to see and do.

What to Do Avalon’s waterfront is so beautiful, it’s easy to find yourself wiling away your time there without much consideration for what lies beyond this neatly coved enclave. To get the most out of your visit and experience everything that makes Catalina so special, there is a wide assortment of interior tours available. Choose from tours of the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden, the Catalina Casino, the Catalina Island Nature Conservancy, or a trip to another great sailor’s destination, the Isthmus (or Twin Harbors). You can also rent bicycles or golf carts and go exploring on your own.

Avalon hosts public basketball courts near the main pier and the ferry dock, and volleyball courts are available just a short walk away at Descanso Beach. Here you’ll also often find live bands playing on the weekends and plenty of grass to stretch a blanket out on in the warm sun. Catalina offers great hiking, but requires a free hiking permit. You can obtain one at the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy's Visitor Office.

If your passage over didn’t fulfill your saltwater fix, there are also plenty of water based activities to participate in. You can enjoy kayak rentals, parasailing, submersible submarines, glass bottom boats, harbor and coastal cruises – all from the harbor at Avalon.

If you’re feeling intrigued by Avalon but disappointed that you’re an East Coast sailor, and may have to miss out on the experience of Catalina from the deck of a sailboat, well, they have that covered too. Several charter companies can be found in the Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County areas. Be sure to make reservations far in advance and inquire about any testing that will be necessary for you to bareboat charter.

Avalon will offer something fun for everyone on board; shopping, dining, nightlife, sports on land, sea and air. And best of all you can combine it with a sailing fix!