Cruiser’s Weekend Features Seminars, Barbecue

Byline: The Log Staff

TWO HARBORS — For boaters planning to cruise south for Mexico, the South Pacific or Central America, Adventure Voyaging is rolling out the welcome at a suggested pit stop: Catalina Island. From Oct. 18-20, Two Harbors will be filled with exhibitor booths, cruising seminars, barbecues and live “island” music performed by Brent George and the Fat Masts, during the annual Catalina Cruiser’s Weekend.

Event organizer Adventure Voyaging has added a new option this year for cruising to Catalina during Cruiser’s Weekend. Rather than take your own boat, you can board a tall ship — the Brigantine Irving Johnson — chartered for the weekend.

Boaters can learn more about tall ship sailing from the vessel’s crew, and they can eat and sleep aboard the historic ship — at $495 per person. It’s no luxury cruise, but cruising on this tall ship offers interested parties the opportunity to experience the flavor of an earlier time in nautical history.

Irvine Johnson rolls out at 11 a.m. Friday, from the Los Angeles Maritime Institute dock, at the southern end of Ports o’ Call in San Pedro. The vessel will return to Los Angeles around 2 p.m. Sunday.

Events for this year’s Catalina Cruiser’s Weekend include a Happy Hour and live music at the Harbor Reef bar on Friday, followed by a full day of cruiser-oriented activities on Saturday.

Participants will find many exhibitor booths showing cruising essentials, a wide variety of cruising seminars and a free concert by Brent George and the Fat Masts. There will also be a free barbecue with tri-tip cooked by Port Royal Yacht Club and drinks poured by Adventure Voyaging.

A raffle and giveaways are planned, with proceeds to benefit Heal the Bay and the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program.

For more information, visit adventurevoyaging.com.