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About Island Packers Cruising the California Channel Islands for education, recreation, and research since 1968. Island Packers has over 36 years of experience as a tour operator in the waters around the California Channel Islands. Island Packers provides transportation services for island hiking, camping, kayaking, whale watching, school field trips, sightseeing and harbor cruises with a fleet of three excellent vessels. We travel to all five islands in the Channel Islands National Park, and we are an authorized concessionaire to the Channel Islands National Park. Phone (805) 642-1393, Fax (805) 642-6573 Want to learn more? Links related to resources in the Channel Islands National Park & Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Need a place to stay while visiting? Hotel Packages |
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Locations Island Packers serves you from two loactions: Ventura Our Main office and the home dock for the ISLANDER and the ISLAND ADVENTURE is located in Ventura Harbor 1691 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105B Ventura, CA 93001 (GPS 34 14.699N 119 15.920W) Map This Location |
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Oxnard Our satellite office and the home dock for the VANGUARD is located in The Channel Islands Harbor, 3600 S. Harbor Blvd. Oxnard 93035 (GPS 34 10.099N 119 13.705W) Map This Location |
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Island Packers Gift Shop Island Packers has a small retail section at both of our office locations. We carry many small items such as maps, books about the islands and local environment as well as nautical souvenirs, and logo wear. If you forgot to bring an essential item such as sunscreen or camping fuel, we have a small selection of necessities as well. Gift certificates for any of our trips can be purchased at the Ventura location. *Visit our Ventura retail section recently expanded, nice selection of holiday gifts for your nature enthusiast. |
| Download a map in pdf Adobe Acrobat required |
Island Packers recommends that you use the "Map this location" link above to get specific directions off the internet from your location to ours, either in Ventura Harbor or the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. |
| For Ventura Harbor Departures, 1691 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105B | ||
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Southbound 101: Take Seaward Ave. exit. Turn left on Harbor Blvd. Go approximately 1 ¾ miles, turn right onto Spinnaker Dr. We are ½ mile in on Spinnaker Dr. on the right. Northbound 101: Take Victoria Ave. exit. Turn left onto Victoria Ave., go ½ mile, turn right onto Olivas Park Dr. Olivas Park Dr. takes you to The Ventura Harbor and becomes Spinnaker Dr. We are ½ mile in on Spinnaker Dr. on the right. |
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| For Oxnard (Channel Islands Harbor) Departures, 3600 S. Harbor Blvd. | ||
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Southbound 101: Take Seaward Ave. exit. Turn left onto Harbor Blvd. Take Harbor Blvd. for approximately 7 miles. The road will fork and two lanes go to the left and one lane to the right. Take the right lane onto the continuation of Harbor Blvd. Take S. Harbor Blvd. ½ mile to the Marine Emporium Landing at 3600 South Harbor Blvd. Northbound 101: Take Victoria Ave. exit. Turn left on Victoria Ave. Take Victoria for approximately 5 miles, to Channel Island Blvd. Turn right on Channel Island Blvd. Go over bridge turn left on South Harbor Blvd. Take South Harbor Blvd. ½ mile to the Marine Emporium Landing at 3600 South Harbor Blvd. |
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| Download and print map and directions | ||
 *Map not to scale |
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| Map is not to scale, it is for reference only. We recommend MapQuest for directions to Island Packers two locations. |
| Meet the Island Packers Fleet | |
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| Our Catamarans run on a more environmentally friendly fuel known as Biodiesel | |
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All of Island Packers vessels are US Coast Guard inspected and approved for passenger safety and comfort. Each vessel has two marine heads (restrooms), and are equipped with a small galley serving snacks and beverages. Setting the standards for travel to the Channel Islands National Park M/V Islander & M/V Island Adventure are both state of the art 64' Teknicraft Catamaran Excursion Crafts. The Islander and the Island Adventure were specifically designed by Island Packers to handle the local ocean conditions with speed and comfort during crossings from the mainland to the Channel Islands National Park 12 – 60 miles offshore. |
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The Islander and Island Adventure carry up to 149 passengers, with traveling speeds of 20 – 22 knots. Seating is provided in a large indoor cabin or outside on a canopy covered upper deck. These boats also are designed to carry a wide range of equipment such as skiffs required for some island landings, to recreational equipment like kayaks, and camping gear. The Islander and the Island Adventure are wide stable catamarans with a flat bow. The flat bow design easily nestles up against piers at the islands, making stepping from the boat to shore a breeze. The removable seating makes the boats versatile and they can be configured for a variety of activities including dinner and dancing events. |
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Built in 1991 at the Oxnard Airport, the Vanguard is a 68-foot wood and fiberglass vessel, specifically designed by Glen Galbraith, for the ocean conditions around the Channel Islands. In the fall of 2003, the Vanguard was repowered under the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District/ Carl Moyer Fund Program with new-low-emission Cummins QSM diesel engines. The Vanguard cruises at about 15 knots and carries 80 passengers. Most of the seating is outdoors on the main deck or sundeck. The open-air deck seating provides excellent views for sightseeing and unobstructed opportunities for photographing whales and dolphins. |
| Island Packers (805) 642-1393 | |