Fagans Lunch - Sail Channel Islands

Dennis Dreith, Dave Lumien and Brian Fagan explore Fagans Lunch — The Bosun, aka Dennis Dreith, Dave Lumien and Brian Fagan set out to explore Fagans Lunch and have lunch

Chart18729 Anacapa PassageGoogle Map

Loc: South Shore Anacapa Island	Lat: N34-00.9	Long: W119-21.5	Last visit: June 2024
Tide/Sun/Moon/WX	Dist: 11	Port Hueneme	WX
Skipper: Capt. Dan	Boat: S/V Sancerre	Capt. Dan	Port: Channel Islands
Landing	See Restrictions below	Local Notice to Mariners	NPS Alerts

Fagans Lunch is not on the NOAA chart … yet.

But we go there so frequently and have recommended it so often, it probably should be.

The Plusses –

It is well sheltered from West – Northwest – and North winds and swell.
It’s close to Oxnard/Ventura.
It’s usually one leg out on a close reach
And one leg back on a beam reach
It’s easy to find – just below the Anacapa Light on the south side of the island
The bottom is sand with the occasional small rock
Brian Fagan likes it here.

Approach

East end of Anacapa. Landing Cove, just to the right, East Fish Camp below the headland on the left. Fagans Lunch just left of the light.

Head for a spot a half mile east of Anacapa Light. Check your chart and your track to avoid numerous rocks near datum (i.e. just below the surface and therefore invisible) that surround pinnacle rock at the east end of the island.

Anchoring

It is frequently possible to sail directly into the anchorage and kind of a fun exercise.

Anchor on or outside the 7 fathom curve. Anacapa Light should bear about 350M. Click chart to see all of 18729.

While you can anchor just about anywhere on the south shore of east island, our favorite spot is slightly SW of the light on or outside the 7 fathom curve.

That may feel too close to the rocks for you, so go to 50 or even 60 feet.

With Sancerre’s all chain rode, we use 3:1 in a day anchorage. With Wiley’s rope and Fortress ground tackle we generally use 5:1, which means we’ve got enough to anchor in 70 feet. Should you nod off and drag anchor, your next stop is Malibu.

Brian Fagan

Brian is the author of scores of books on diverse subjects and is the author of the bible for sailing this area “The Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California.”

Brimming with good humor and with an endless supply of sea stories, he’s also one of our very favorite sailing companions.

Contact

If you’d like more information or have some for us, please write to Captain Dan or call 805.750.7828.