Crusing the Washington State Coast ?

[evm1024]

Weather - That is the key is it not? If the weather is bad you would not cross the Bar to start with. I've made that mistake and ended up in 18' seas and 45 kt winds. No time to enter Greys harbor or La Push let alone return across the Columbia Bar.

And in good weather the sailing (or motoring) is nice 15 miles offshore. And if you are lucky, Tuna or Salmon.

You can get into Neah Bay in any weather. And if the weather is nice take hole in the wall and cut off a bunch of miles.

In general we plan for a 24 hour passage. I've single handled it but more typically my wife and I do 4 hour shifts at night and get extra sleep in the day.

Ditto for the return. With a good NW wind I've hit 11 kt for hours in an Ericson 39. Just time it so as to arrive at the Bar near slack in daylight.

Regards!

[Printbr]

Hey WEBE I saw your picture on the front of the TriCity Herald a couple days ago. Did you sail up from Portland? How was the going upstream? Too much motoring, or did you get some sailing in?

[webejammin]

Our home port is Clover Island in Kennewick WA 200 miles up stream from Portland. The pic in the Tri-City Hearld was
us out day sailing on
Tuesday this week we got copies yesterday. Thanks for all the good advice on the coast trip keep it coming. We have a chartplotter with XM weather and connection to the off shore buoys for bar and swell info so checking conditions before going across the bar is easy.