I have always enjoyed trips down this leg of the mighty Columbia River. The first time I did this was in 2009 aboard Messenger, a Pearson 39 as part of an early learning journey about river navigation and sailing just outside the bar (I also shared that trip with the owner of Willamette Week, which led to a web development deal with them and OpenSourcery at the time).
I have also traveled this leg a couple times with Gary Bruner
, as part of deliveries of Shamrock in preparation for offshore races such as the Bridge to Bridge and Oregon Offshore.
This trip we had a few days so we took our time and hoisted sail (all my previous trips were mostly under engine power). The boat was having bottom paint done at Schooner Creek – we left right from their dock to a well timed opening of the railroad swing bridge.
Day 1: Sailed to St. Helens Sand Island Marine Park the first night. That day we crossed tacks for a while with a Farrier who we kept ahead of in light winds but lost ground once winds picked up. We encountered some shipping traffic and heavier winds as we rounded Warrior Rock Lighthouse. Due to the wind direction, current and water slapping against the hull, we got absolutely no sleep and were a bit disgruntled that morning.
Day 2: At sunrise we decided to find someplace quiet to sleep, so we motored an hour to the Martin Island log pond (
http://columbiariverimages.com/.../burke_island_martin…). A very calm spot and a favorite amongst local cruisers. I have always seen boats in here while driving south on I-5.
Mid-day we awoke and began the next leg, stopping at the Rainer public dock for a restroom break, sailing under the Longview bridge, and plotting our next anchorage.
Walker Island has a non-land-connected dock owned by a Portland yacht club that I have moored at before on Shamrock (
http://columbiariverimages.com/.../Places/walker_island.html). Given the political leanings and age group of the motor boaters that would probably be there we kept a great distance and tucked ourselves in behind a row of large pilings with a eye on our depth and swing radius (the river does have currents that flow backwards on tidal floods). After the winds died down around midnight it was perfect for a nice, comfortable sleep.
Day 3! Once beyond Longview you are free from large cities until Astoria and the most beautiful section of the river from Portland to the mouth. Calm motoring that morning with some stops along the way to get a closer look at some ancient cannery ruins. The long passage by Puget Island with lots of natural gas pipeline work being done. The beauty of Tenasillahe Island with the beaches of Skamokawa in the distance. The big turn to the West with Astoria in the distance. Passing Woody Island, the site of the dramatic Camping Trip of 2011. A slow buzz by Pillar Rock, dodging the anchoring and transiting cargo ships as we entered the Astoria area. Passing under the Astoria-Megler bridge, and the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse in the distance as we negotiated the Ilwaco Channel to Spar Trek's new home until the wait-list clears for us at Astoria West Basin marina.
Day 3 was a lot to take in including motoring through what seemed like every bird on the planet hanging out on the water to the North of buoy 14. We also entered the Ilwaco Channel near sunset which had a trail of speeding motorboats and commercial fishing boats backed up behind us as they came in from fishing (our little 6HP can only push us so fast).