In 1912 Captain Joseph McAfee sailed his flat bottom houseboat from Venice Beach to Santa Catalina Island with the intention of making Avalon his home. Captain McAfee purchased a parcel of land with a wonderful view of the bay located on what is now called Marilla Avenue.
Maintaining a strong attachment to his houseboat, as well as the desire to have a home overlooking the bay, Captain McAfee devised an ingenious plan to haul his houseboat up the hillside to his newly acquired property. Using only horses, logs, rope and sheer determination, the Captain and a group of friends hoisted the boat inch by inch up the dusty road to its new location. Captain McAfee’s houseboat was now referred to by one and all as “the Captain’s Beach House”.
Captain McAfee, a lover of the sea, capitalized on an idea that would enhance his income while sharing with others the unusual spectre of flying fish
leaping gracefully above the ocean’s surface. He built the island’s first Flying Fish boat, the Catalina Flyer, and began taking out passengers on nighttime excursions just off the coast of Catalina Island. The boat was equipped with a powerful searchlight that would attract and capture in its hypnotic beam the beauty of these unique flying fish.
As the years went by, the enterprising Captain McAfee built additional rooms to take advantage of the booming island tourist trade. These rooms were attached to the original houseboat and tiered down the hillside. The houseboat hotel became known as the Driftwood Inn, and in the early 1960s it was renamed the Catalina Beach House Hotel.
Today, the Catalina Beach House has been updated and remodeledinto one of Catalina Island’s most charming and delightful places to stay. Modern kitchenettes, Jacuzzi or whirlpool tubs, cable TV and sunny patios for relaxing barbecues with family and friends are all now available for your vacation pleasure.