Nice...did a similar trip down from Portland to Astoria then out the bar to Tillamook and then back up to Portland. We were lucky to have some great wind and went 30 miles off the coast. Once you are out there you realize how small you are and how big the Ocean is. Huge amounts of Commercial shipping on the Columbia much more then Puget Sound and a lot of logs to hit, also old piers just below the surface to impale you on the Columbia...well done...SV Aquila...Seattle.
Sweetheart I subscribed to your channel on your video sailing on the Columbia River!!! You know when you heard that roar!!!! I that a Perkins diesel sweetie???
we have a radar reflector that is hoisted up the port flag halyard. In Mexico, the only boats with AIS are the foreign cruising sailboats, cruise ships, and some cargo ships. None of the fishing/shrimping boats, none of the locals.
We waited two weeks anchored a few miles east of Astoria for the weather we wanted, so it was calm when we crossed at slack tide. Nature decided to wait a couple hours to kick our butts, though, south of the bar
Best time is at high slack tide ...worst time is at maximum ebb as you have opposing forces i.e. Wind and waves coming from the West (Ocean) and rushing current going out the Columbia (East) to the Ocean. It is the same with all bar (river) crossing into any Ocean. If the weather is passive and at high slack there is nothing to it if you do it with bad weather and at maximum ebb you will likely die.
in the PNW, anchoring is tricky because you can't see the sea bed...and very good luck if you drop your hook in a patch of kelp!! The big consideration in most places we anchored in the American West Coast was tidal flow (in some cases, the wind and the tide want to do very different things to your boat).
Nice...did a similar trip down from Portland to Astoria then out the bar to Tillamook and then back up to Portland. We were lucky to have some great wind and went 30 miles off the coast. Once you are out there you realize how small you are and how big the Ocean is. Huge amounts of Commercial shipping on the Columbia much more then Puget Sound and a lot of logs to hit, also old piers just below the surface to impale you on the Columbia...well done...SV Aquila...Seattle.
So many crab pots out there, too! We definitely had to stay on our toes, especially in the poor visibility
I had been dreading the trip down the coast to Mexico but now I'm stoked, it looks beautiful 😍
Sweetheart I subscribed to your channel on your video sailing on the Columbia River!!! You know when you heard that roar!!!! I that a Perkins diesel sweetie???
Thanks for subscribing! The engine is a Yanmar, not a Perkins
Jane Child at the dance party!
yes! that song is great!
I didn't see a radar reflector anywhere on the mast. Do you find with AIS that you don't need it anymore?
we have a radar reflector that is hoisted up the port flag halyard. In Mexico, the only boats with AIS are the foreign cruising sailboats, cruise ships, and some cargo ships. None of the fishing/shrimping boats, none of the locals.
@Miette lol yeah, I was going to spend $2500 on a VHF AIS combo unit until I realized it's useless most of the world around.
What was it like crossing the bar?
We waited two weeks anchored a few miles east of Astoria for the weather we wanted, so it was calm when we crossed at slack tide. Nature decided to wait a couple hours to kick our butts, though, south of the bar
Best time is at high slack tide ...worst time is at maximum ebb as you have opposing forces i.e. Wind and waves coming from the West (Ocean) and rushing current going out the Columbia (East) to the Ocean. It is the same with all bar (river) crossing into any Ocean. If the weather is passive and at high slack there is nothing to it if you do it with bad weather and at maximum ebb you will likely die.
How long did it take
It took us 5 days to complete the trip, which included a night in La Push, one in Astoria and another anchored in the river.
Is anchoring pretty easy at most of these spots? I prefer anchoring over marinas any day
in the PNW, anchoring is tricky because you can't see the sea bed...and very good luck if you drop your hook in a patch of kelp!! The big consideration in most places we anchored in the American West Coast was tidal flow (in some cases, the wind and the tide want to do very different things to your boat).