A Pleasant Day on the Willamette and Columbia

Wandering Sagebrush

Wandering Sagebrush

Free Range Human
Diana and I celebrated a wedding anniversary by taking Constant Craving for a spin. We launched at the Oregon City ramp (not so great when the water is low), went down the Willamette and out Multnomah Channel to the Columbia, then back up the mighty "C" to the mouth of the Willamette and back to Oregon City.

A little rain, not too many boats, a few PWCs (sea lice), and a pleasant day. Diana is trying to talk me into one of the floating homes along Multnomah Channel. Not sure I am up for all of the hassles, but it would be fun to be close to the water.

I am going to guess that we put a little over 100 miles on the boat, and burned around 25 gallons. I'll find out when I drag the boat down to fuel up.

Only saw one other CDory, a green 25 with twin 90s, tied to a dock along a ritzy section of the Willamette. Beautiful home and a classy boat.

Regards,

Steve
 
Your account brings back many good memories. More than 20 years ago (pre the C-Dory), we lived on the Williamette in the Jennings Lodge area. We will be making a trip to the PNW in a couple of weeks; we staying at the Rivershore Hotel in Oregon City for two nights.
 
Wayne,

How did you get all the way out to NY? Man, that's a long way from the PNW.

The Riverside is still there, and BTW is just a quick block from the CDory dealer. They have had to move all of their inventory out as the state is taking over their parking area, but you should go down and say hello. The owners are Larry and Ryan Bigbee.

Let me know when you're going to be here. If Diana and I are back from our gad about, it would be fun to meet.

Kind Regards,

Steve
 
Steve - Twelve years ago Larry Bigbee sold me my first CD - Good follks.I was living north of Corvallis and plied the Willamette above and below the falls. Once when the Willamette was in flood stage, I went from Salem upstream past Corvallis in the CD. Looking back now I was foolish because with a motor failure, the current was too strong for an anchor to hold. But the Gods were with us and the Honda 90 kept purring along. Another time we launched near Portland for a run up the Willamette in a heavy rain with my retired (navy) brother at the helm (just because one has been on the big ships doesn't give the necessary qualifications to run the rivers. We were down from Oregon City about 5 miles going up stream wide open when I saw a tug coming around the bend on the starboard side. My brother started to go behind him, and luckily I saw the cable dragging from the stern. I yelled at my brother to take a hard turn to the port, and he managed to do that just in time to see the log raft way up stream being towed by the tug. We missed that cable by 100 feet, but that was still way too close. Still get the shakes reliving that experience.
You will have much fun running the Willamette and Columbia. House boats? When the big floods hit those rivers, it does create some anxious moments for house boat owners, particularly on the Willamette. Stay away from tug boats, i.e. keep in front of them. Have fun. John
 
Wandering Sagebrush":gefxqmkx said:
Wayne,

How did you get all the way out to NY? Man, that's a long way from the PNW.

The Riverside is still there, and BTW is just a quick block from the CDory dealer. They have had to move all of their inventory out as the state is taking over their parking area, but you should go down and say hello. The owners are Larry and Ryan Bigbee.

Let me know when you're going to be here. If Diana and I are back from our gad about, it would be fun to meet.

Kind Regards,

Steve
Click to expand...

Curious where they qre moving it to? They have a couple of 08 Ranger tugs we're interested in.

-Greg
 
Greg,

I believe the new location is up on McLaughlin Blvd, somewhere near the old bomber. Ryan mentioned that they had broken ground for the new building, so it won't be too long until they are no longer at the OC location.

I like those tugs, too.

Steve
 
Y'all name familar places. (We lived in the Jennings Lodge area for 12 years.) I now remember that the last time we visited (2 years ago) that the marine yard had C-Dory's: that was before we got ours.

Job changes took us from OC to LA (for 3 years); we have been in Rochester, NY for the past 20.
 
I have heard of Jennings Lodge but have no idea where it is. Enlighten me please. I launched at Wallace Park in Salem one July Day and ran all the way to Oregon City, and through the locks in a 13' boston whaler. And back. It used to be difficult but possible. Since they no longer dredge I doubt you can get more than a few miles at a time in most any part of the river above Oregon City. Except maybe at high water. There used to be a guy that owned race horses that ran a 36' Uniflite with twin engines from portland to salem every summer and stayed on the boat while racing his horses at the fairgrounds. He ran it once at night from portland, and during low water. He obviously had a lot of experience on the river to do that.
 
Lloyds,

The jennings Lodge area is about a mile or two north of the Clackamas River on McLaughlin. If you have ever been to Stevens' Marine, you've been there.

I don't know that I would want to take a big twin screw Uniflite up the Willamette. I personally have never gone much above Newberg with Constant Craving. Maybe I should do some exploring one of these days. Last time we went out on that section, I found (the hard way) a big old branch that was about 4 inches under the surface. It was a bit of a rude surprise.

Steve
 
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