Getting your 'ticket' to visit santa cruz island

Sailing to Santa Cruz Island and going ashore to the Nature Conservancy’s private wilderness portion of the island is a privilege as well as a fabulous experience.

To take advantage of that privilege, Celtic Song must acquire a landing permit. All crew members must read it. You can do so now: 
 
Each person must also have obtained, printed, signed, copied, and returned The Nature Conservancy Acknowledgment, Release, and Indemnification form to the address on the landing permit. In addition to sending it, you must also keep a copy as proof. This becomes your “ticket,” and you won’t be allowed ashore unless you have it. 

Here is a summary for Celtic Song crew to help with — not replace — reading the form and its rules. This is not meant as advice, interpretation or a legal opinion. 

You could be injured or take ill in a way that could cost you your life or cost lifetime expenses for medical care. 

Some examples of specific dangers of this island in addition to the general dangers of going ashore from a sailboat to any island: 

• Steep cliffs, slippery rocks and soils, landslides. (People have died). 
• Rodents with diseases including hantavirus. Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantavirus is at risk of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome or HPS, a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with a hantavirus.  
• Wild animals, mold, yellow jackets, bees, ticks.
• Falling branches. Example of fatality from tree in San Diego.  
• Cactus spines, poison oak, stinging nettles.
• Non-potable water.
• Unstable building structures.
  
  

The Nature Conservancy will not pay you anything if you are injured or killed on the SCI Preserve (release of liability) and you will reimburse it and those associated with it for claims made against them by others because of your actions on or about the SCI Preserve (indemnification).

SUMMARY OF RULES for use of the SCI Preserve. (Please read the actual rules). Remove dirt, seeds and insects from shoes etc. before arriving at island.

Prohibited Items: cardboard (because it can harbor insects), pets, plants, unprocessed wood, fireworks, firearms, weapons, bicycles.

​Prohibited Activities: 

• Leaving any of your stuff behind on the island. Examples: Orange peels or paper (unsightly), apple cores (seeds), plastic (environment).
• Collecting (taking) any of the island stuff such as flowers or rocks.
• Photography. Exception: Photography OK if:  
  • it is only of nature with no buildings or facilities shown  
  • it is for personal non-commercial use and  
  • it is not shared or published unless done with “appropriate restrictions which prohibit the commercial use of the images.”
• Entry to the central valley of the island including Christy Beach area at the west end of island and Canada del Puerto road located to the south of Prisoners’ Harbor at the east end of the preserve. See landing permit map.
• Fire, cooking, smoking (fire hazard). Note: Cooking onboard vessel is OK.
• Disturbing animals, fishing, hunting.
• Cutting vegetation.
• Entering into any structure (building).
• Camping