Ventura, CA to Portland, OR

[matauwhi]

G'day, Colin. We did almost the same trip with our Mason 53. 2 weeks from San Diego to Newport, Oregon in mid May. We used doug86's strategy, pulled into Morro Bay for fuel during the day, rested up a bit and took on fuel. Head back out and night and on to Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz to Brookings, Oregon. Then on to Coos Bay and Newport.

Met the Coast Guard at the bar entrances at dawn and they escorted us in after they took their readings. Nice to get some return on all those income taxes paid and they were nothing but professional with their assistance.

Left the boat in Newport, flew back, finished up work, pulled the "plug" and carried on up to Seattle. So, been there, done that. Much easier trip back to San Diego after we circumnavigated Vancouver Island. All the best. Cheers.

[kamakalama]

Originally Posted by CapnCol

...are there many slips available?

Hi Colin, There were a lot of 40ft. slips available several weeks ago when I checked in. Not sure about the larger sizes so best check with the marina. Here is a link to their website. Another big marina operator here is Columbia Crossings. There are a lot of smaller ones too. Many of them are on water where there is heavy river current for a lot of the year. Be sure to ask about that when making your decision. Salpare Bay and Tomahawk Bay have little or no current, Hayden Bay is exposed in some areas. I can get some local knowledge for you if you need it to make a decision.

~Jeff

[SVHALLEL]

Originally Posted by CapnCol

Thanks for the replies!
@jskiff - thanks for the link and the offer to check out the book. I'm at Ventura West A#86 and will be liveaboard in the next few weeks as our house closes shortly.
@capnorv - 'Spirit' is a full keel, heavy boat and not exactly nimble. Have you heard if the river and wind conditions are OK for recreational sailing of this kind of vessel? A couple of friends have recommended the Olympia area for mooring but I like to 'mess about' so proximity is somewhat important for me.

I know Spirit. That was Dan's boat from Charlotte Schmitt Yacht Sails. Dan sold my last boat and I bought the new one from Charlotte. VWM D17. Maybe I'll stop by and say hello.
Cheers, John

[Capt Phil]

Not sure whether or not you have made your decision on sailing or trucking yet but in my previous response, i neglected to suggest the use of a marine weather routing service on your proposed trip north. I have found them indispensable on deliveries over the years both up and down the coast. The cost is very reasonable and I have found the data they supply is surprisingly accurate. For example, several years ago, our router nailed not only wind direction shift but sea state and wave interval change at a specific lat/long about 30 miles off the coast to within about 15 minutes! When selecting a weather router, questions you might ask are how long they have been in business, percentage of recreational to commercial clients, cost, number of daily contacts included in quote (all routers will have an up charge for more contacts) and percentage of their clients who travel your route. Many offshore commercial marine operators use weather routers routinely which is a good indicator of their value... cheers, Capt Phil

[capnorv]

As a current and previous owner of heavy/full keel boats, the good part of river sailing is minimal damage on grounding, which will happen. Winds are better than Olympia, where I moored for 5 years. If you do come to Puget's Sound, and are not a racer, you might check out Jarrell's Cove Marina on Pickering Passage. It's just a little further than Olympia but often we can sail just off the marina, saving the motoring you'll usually face in Olympia, and Case Inlet is a good daysail with little traffic. There are several Portlandites moored there. They are hard to get ahold of, but worth it.

[CapnCol]

Thanks to all for the replies.
@John - yes, 'Spirit' was Dan's boat and she is serving us well as a liveaboard at the moment.
We will be in Portland by the end of July. I've received a few quotes for transport - approx $9000 inclusive for a captain and approx $5750 for trucking not including haulout and de/recommisioning.
I'm interested in McCuddy's landing in Scappoose (Multnomah channel) and Tomahawk bay on Hayden Island. Both can accomodate me in June.
Still reluctant to spend the money on transport though...
My wife thinks I'm "naive" to think that I could handle this passage and I tend to agree

[Capt Phil]

Don't sell yourself short, Capncol... you have a well built and seakindly boat. I've delivered a few CT's from Mexico to San Diego and LA as well as the PNW and would choose your leg over the 'Baja Bash' in a heartbeat. Remember, you will never be far from a sheltered harbor all the way to the Columbia. You are contemplating your passage in the best window possible, weatherwise. But expect to experience a fairly tough headon buck, seawise, at least on much of the trip although I have passed Pt Conception in a dead calm with no sea running (once). What you learn from such a passage is not only a confidence builder but will give you a much better feel for broadening your cruising horizons.
As an added bit of advice, try and hit the harbor entrances in daylight but not late in the afternoon and leave very early in the am when sea conditions tend to flatten out. This may mean you lay over an extra day waiting for conditions to improve.
Watch the weather constantly, talk to commercial fishermen, Coast Guard personnel and scope out tide, river runoff and sea conditions at least 24 hours before attempting a bar crossing. Remember, there are many folks who live and work the water commercially and cross these bars every day but the discipline of planning and decisionmaking is only learned by practice. Enjoy the trip... Capt Phil

[webejammin]

We stayed at Tomahawk Bay last winter while selling our old boat and it's a nice place, actually most any place on Hayden Island is OK. We hope to sail down the Columbia River cross the Bar and up to the San Juan Islands for a month and after the Brethern Of the Sound party at Sucia Island about 100 crusers and the Lattitudes and Attitudes Magizine Crusers Party Bob Bitchen ( last year 160 boats showed up) and in August we'll be headed back to the Columbia river and to Kennewick WA by Labor day or just after achording to how hot the weather is or how bad the dry desert fires are this year.
I do recomend to tape your shrouds if there tuned ok so finding the origional setup for the new riggers to reinstall when steping your mast, it worked really good for us to have taped the threads so only maybe a half turn brought the rigging back to perfictly tuned. I'm not saying the riggers in Portland can't rig ok but I didn't have to pay for them to totally retune the rigging. Hayden Island has about everything you'll need shopping, food, groceries and it's only a short drive to West Marine or our favirite place Columbia Marine Exchange on Marine drive (better prices than WM or about anyone)
Currently the Yakima and the Snake rivers and others are flooding from melting snow pack and the current is about 5 kt's in some places and in July the river will still have good flow to make our down river cruse easier and by the first of Sept the flow will slow to be able to cruse up stream the 330 miles easier.

[rubyjean]

I'm in the Columbia River now getting ready to head to Ventura. Boat is currently in Warrenton, Or. 7 miles up river from the bar. the stops I alway's use from south to north are Morro Bay, Bodega Bay, Eureaka, Ca., Coos Bay, Newport, then to the Columbia River Bar. Be very careful on this bar. It is also known as the bar of broken dreams. Cross at slack tide so you won't fight the current up river. If you stop at Warrenton, you can catch a bus at Fred Meyers to Portland, stops at union station, 2 hr trip. Slip rates are cheap here until you find one in Portland. I will be in Warrenton till around the first of August. I will have a vehicle here to give a ride. I'm in slip H 25. Feel free to stop and say hi. Michael..

[CapnCol]

Thanks for the info and gracious offer Michael.
I decided due to work commitments etc that I would truck 'Spirit' to Portland. I have a slip in Scapoose waiting. She is currently being decommisioned in Ventura.

Colin

[webejammin]

Where are you launching at ? Is it Schooner Creek on Hayden Island Portland ? That is where we launched last Nov when we moved sv We Be Jammin up from Mission Bay CA. Make sure they can hoist your sails before you leave there place, our hallards were woven thru the spreaders and it took the guy's 4 hours to straighten the lines out and 5 trips up in a bosen's chair and our roller furrler was on backwards. Don't get me wrong there great folks but about all they get to launch are stink-pot power yachts.