Funerals memorials and burials at sea-Ventura-Oxnard-Southern California

Captain Dan is also Chaplain Dan. Though many cruises are strictly for fun and entertainment, we carry on the most serious business we humans know – saying the final good-bye to loved ones and friends. Here, on the bosom of the Pacific, we lay to rest the cremated remains of those closest in funerals at sea.

It is a somber time, but for almost every family, it is a time of great beauty, a time for contemplation in the silence of the sea as we sail silently from Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor into the Santa Barbara Channel.

At your behest, I can act as your chaplain or, as most families do, – you can perform your service entirely on your own. I’ll navigate and/or officiate as you choose.

We can take up to four people on our smaller yacht and up to six on Sancerre, our Jeanneau 46.

Include Friends and Family From the Shore:

We can take up to six people with us on the cruise. If you have more than that or you think some people would rather stay ashore, we can hold the ceremony near the Pt. Hueneme Pier.

We can sail to within a mile of the beach, sometimes less if the wind, tide and surf allow. We’ll provide a two-way radio so that you can hear the ceremony and will also provide binoculars.

Fees for Funerals at Sea

final good-bye to my father

thank you for your kindness

memorial sailing trip

kindness and compassion

Funeral ceremonies usually require a half day charter. Please click here for rates

Note that this method makes the service accessible to the infirm and those who simply do not want to sail.

Contact Us for Assistance

Rose Wilcox and Family

We are thankful that you were able to lead us in the final words and scattering of the ashes. We were all at a bit of a loss as to what to do and what to say. I can speak for myself, my sister, and my mom when I say that the rest of that day, we all felt very positive about the experience and felt much more at peace as we were able to reflect back on the day and say a final good-bye to my father.

Thank you again for the experience and for helping us all feel at ease.

Time to Reflect

"Thank you for your kindness during our cruise. As you know, these farewells are very difficult and it helped a lot to work with an experienced captain who knew how to do everything. I am grateful to have the coordinates and the memory of the petals in the wake of the boat." – Kerry Macintosh

"Thank you again for providing such a good experience for us in our task of giving our father's remains back to where we all came from. We were totally satisfied with Sail Channel Islands for the scattering of Dad's ashes. We enjoyed you and your boat very much, and are glad we chose you from all the choices I checked out on the internet." – Liz Horowitz

"Thank you for a very special day for our mother's burial at sea. Mother loved "her ocean" so much, and you and Wiley made the perfect complement for a lovely tribute to her unwavering passion. Wiley's warm intimacy is exactly what we were seeking, when we decided to return mother to the Pacific; combined with your compassion for our loss, we were able to conquer that final moment of closure. I don't know how we could have done this without you.

Your selection of locale, within view of the beautiful Channel Islands, would have made mother so happy. The appearance of her "little darlings" - as she often referred to seals - was a wonderful way to end our cruise. We are forever grateful." – The Chandler Family

Wonderful Time to Reflect

"The memorial sailing trip that we had with Capt. Dan for my Mom was a wonderful time to reflect with a simple service to celebrate her life. It brought peace and closure to our family and time to enjoy God's creation with the certain knowledge of the resurrection of Christ. We have said good bye, but it is only for a short time, and then we will see her again. Praise the Lord!" – Mark Depew

"As Capt. Dan said, enjoy doesn't seem like the right word, and yet it does. We did have an enjoyable day together, had a nice remembrance for Mom, a wonderful day sailing, a time for us to remember in a good way, all of which is what we wanted to do - not have some depressing, sad time. And, Capt. Dan made everything easy." – Kathy Depew Lao

Thank you for your kindness and compassion. You made it a wonderful experience. – Nathandra Boudoi