Columbia River pictures

After a nice day on the river I am finally getting around to posting some pics we got. Yesterday took us around and through some very nice back waters in the Puget island region of the Columbia river. Nothing makes your boat feel smaller than passing next to a giant freighter headed up river. Thanks to Tom Horn for guiding our motley group!! It was very nice to see everyone and meet many of you for the first time. We look forward to seeing you all at an upcoming event. Here are some of the pics we wanted to share. Again thanks to everyone for putting this event together!!

More of our adventure

Even more

Last of ours. Thanks again everyone!!

[Marvelous]

Looked like a real fun time. We will see you on the water soon!

[Steve_Kiesel]

Thanks for all the great pictures Joe. Especially the one with the Burgee in the foreground. Looks like it was a great trip. Hopefully I can get my yard art back on the water and make one of the outings before summer is over.

Thanks for all the great pictures Joe. Especially the one with the Burgee in the foreground. Looks like it was a great trip. Hopefully I can get my yard art back on the water and make one of the outings before summer is over.

Steve, do you think you'll have her ready for Mayfield?

Was Welike there?
Scott and Fran had the Etec mounted and said they were headed out last night, don't see them in any pics so far.

Yes they were there but they could not get their motor to turn over and by the time they realized the situation the group had left. We didn't find out until we got back to the ramp and there they were with the boat loaded. Had I known we were missing someone we would have gone back and they could have rode with us.

[Steve_Kiesel]

Can't make Mayfield Joe. My wife's 40 year reunion is that weekend. She suffered through mine last year, so I can't say no. Besides the boat won't be ready by then anyway. Mayfield looks to be a great outing. Post lots of pictures.

[skagit 25]

Was Welike there?
Scott and Fran had the Etec mounted and said they were headed out last night, don't see them in any pics so far.

Unfortunately the only boat ride Scott and Fran had was a short ride aboard the Skagit 25 in Portland. Mike and Judy Kroncik were also in the neighborhood and joined us.

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Columbia River

We just got home (7 p.m. Sunday)...and I'll upload some photos later this evening, but we had a nice turnout (25 people and 13 boats) for the Columbia River Adventure...which turned into quite an adventure for some.

Scott and Fran had two brand-new batteries hooked up to the eTec, and both were nearly dead at the ramp. Scott barely got the engine running after launching, but then shut her down and couldn't restart--just a faint "click" when he hit the starter. The whole fleet of boats had left the marina by then, so Mo and I got a late start seeing if there was anything we might be able to do to help Scott and Fran...but alas, they were not going anywhere. (We gave Robert Auger--who'd been planning to ride with Scott and Fran--a brief ride aboard the Lady Clipper until we caught up with the rest of the boats as they were emerging from Steamboat Slough, at which point Robert transferred to Bruce Drake's larger Skagit 20 Offshore.)

We then made the strategic mistake of dropping a line in the water to try for salmon, trolling out of Steamboat Slough toward the main body of the Columbia while the other boats jumped on a plane and quickly started to disappear toward the south side of Puget Island. Surmising that they'd just find a sandy beach for lunch, we took our time, finally pulled in the fishing line and gave chase...but by then all we could see was the faint wake of the last boat in the NWCBC fleet. We just kept going along the shore of Puget Island, clear upriver and 'round the end of the island, but still no fleet in sight, so we took a leisurely backwater tour through Puget Island's picturesque Birnie Slough (which runs practically the length of the island) before returning to the Cathlamet marina.

(Later, we learned that everyone had ducked into Welcome Slough, on the Oregon side of Puget Island, and they were out of view when we blasted right past the entrance to that slough...so we missed being with others much of the day, but had a great time exploring on our own with the Lady Clipper.)

This event featured a wonderful mix of boats, including three mahogany inboard runabouts from the Portland area: Tom Horn's 22-footer, Ken Bakke's beautiful white-hulled speedster, and Frank Robinson's all-varnish Gar Wood. (Tom, unfortunately, had his propshaft separate from the engine after catching the bottom near Puget Island, so he had to be towed back to Cathlamet's marina by Don Griffith, aboard his trusty Bell Boy.)

Also from Oregon was new member Allan Hesch and his partner, Amy, aboard their beautiful 1959 Dorsett San Juan, Black Stack-powered.

Other members in attendance included owners of two different Thompson lapstrake runabouts, Richard Amberson of Tacoma and Scott and Phyllis Christianson of Lake Forest Park. Also bringing boats were Chuck Carey, Don and Jan Griffith, Marty and Mo, Joe and Amanda, Scott and Fran McDade, Bruce Drake, and Lowell and Gina (with the deaf, sleeping dog). Robert Auger came sans boat, but as mentioned in another posting, he took Scott and Fran for a ride aboard his Skagit 25 back in Portland, so they'd have a preview of what their 25 might be like when restored.

We stayed the weekend on Puget Island, across the river from Cathlamet, and spent time today driving backroads of the region. I can tell you that this part of Washington is loaded with delicious-looking blackberry boats...so it was a good thing I was already towing something. Among other things, we saw several classic-glass boats right in the Cathlamet marina (including a cute little unidentified tailfin runabout tied up near the gas dock); a very attractive California-built express cruiser (didn't get the builder's name) on Puget Island, our old Grandy 16 hardtop, also on Puget Island these days, and many others. (Also more classic tractors and old trucks per capita there than in other parts of the state, so it's great oogling country.)

Sorry we parted company with the rest of you and never caught up; guess we shouldn't have 'gone fishin,' especially since (as usual) we didn't catch anything! Oh, well, we had a ball getting better acquainted with the Cathlamet-Skamokawa-Puget Island area of the river, and personally hope to go back for more.

Photos to follow, when I can get them uploaded...

- Marty and Mo

[mikekronick]

Just wanted to say thanks to Robert for the ride in his 25. It was the highlight of our weekend. He also arranged for some entertainment in the form of a very large sail boat grounding itself on a sandbar just as we passed by. It pays to know which side to keep the marker bouys. Robert has done a bunch of work on his boat and it all looks great. We were sorry to hear about Scott and Frans misfortune but it didn't seem to throw them. Great folks.
Thanks again Robert.

Mike and Judy