Columbia River

P

Pedromo

New member
I'm planning to cruise up river.
Does anyone know of a good place to leave the truck and trailer for 10 days or so near a launching location in the vicinity of Portland?.
 
There is a great marina with a good ramp in St Helens, OR. Smack between Scappoose and St Helens. Nice little bay and around the corner you can moor your boat for up to three days w/o cost. The parking lot is wide and has ample space for cars, trucks and trailers.
 
Don't go to Fred's. I bought a yearly permit at Scappoose for $45 dollars as I recall and you can leave your rig in the parking lot. I do let the marina know that is what I am doing, and no problem so far. At low tide scappoose can get really shallow but it has never been a serious problem to get out. Roger, on "in cahoots" has a slip at St. Helens and he is looking forward to boating out of there. The one thing to watch for there is if you get a slip that is cross current. It really rips through there.
 
Anyone mind if I hijack this thread?
No, I thought not. :-)

I'm planning a cruise DOWNSTREAM for next summer. I grew up boating on the Columbia near Portland, and I'm fascinated with the idea that you can go from Lewiston, Idaho to the Pacific Ocean on the Snake and Columbia Rivers.

So for 2016 I'm planning a one-week trip of the lower river, with just one set of locks to negotiate. If all goes well, maybe we do the upper half a different year.

So...The Dalles to Astoria is the broad outline. Averages out to 20-25 miles per day, but some days may be longer, and we might explore upstream on the Willamette a bit, as well.

Any tips?
Run the boat in the mornings before the wind kicks up, I guess.
What's it like going through those locks in a tiny boat?
Any alternative to catching a Greyhound (<$50) to get one adult from Astoria (or wherever we end up stopping) back up to The Dalles to drive the truck back down?

Thanks, as always!
 
timflan":2acr00vx said:
Anyone mind if I hijack this thread?
No, I thought not. :-)

I'm planning a cruise DOWNSTREAM for next summer. I grew up boating on the Columbia near Portland, and I'm fascinated with the idea that you can go from Lewiston, Idaho to the Pacific Ocean on the Snake and Columbia Rivers.

So for 2016 I'm planning a one-week trip of the lower river, with just one set of locks to negotiate. If all goes well, maybe we do the upper half a different year.

So...The Dalles to Astoria is the broad outline. Averages out to 20-25 miles per day, but some days may be longer, and we might explore upstream on the Willamette a bit, as well.

Any tips?
Run the boat in the mornings before the wind kicks up, I guess.
What's it like going through those locks in a tiny boat?
Any alternative to catching a Greyhound (<$50) to get one adult from Astoria (or wherever we end up stopping) back up to The Dalles to drive the truck back down?

Thanks, as always!
Click to expand...
You can use Amtrack to get along the Columbia River for most of the route. One way Wishram WA (upstream a little from Dalles OR) to Astoria is about $40 one way (2 hours, 40 mins with a transfer in Portland). That might be more fun than a Greyhound. Later in the summer I'm at Ilwaco most weekends. If you had a second car you wanted brought down from Seattle to Ilwaco, I could do that. Of course that would require taking a second person back with you to retrieve the truck/trailer combo. Or if you get someone to drive your truck and trailer from the launch back to Seattle, I could probably drive it down to Ilwaco on a subsequent weekend.
 
No trains run to Astoria. The transfer in Portland will put you on an Amtrak that stops at Longview, about 50 river miles from Astoria. I believe there is a bus that connects to Astoria, but do not know the details.

The lower river, from about Clatskanie to Astoria or Ilwaco, is very scenic, open, lots of wildlife. The Gorge is spectacular, also.
 
AstoriaDave":1rhzwpg5 said:
No trains run to Astoria. The transfer in Portland will put you on an Amtrak that stops at Longview, about 50 river miles from Astoria. I believe there is a bus that connects to Astoria, but do not know the details.

The lower river, from about Clatskanie to Astoria or Ilwaco, is very scenic, open, lots of wildlife. The Gorge is spectacular, also.
Click to expand...
You are correct. The Amtrack ticket transfers to a bus at Portland (and the layover time is long at least on the date I checked for 10/31 just to pick a random day).
 
Tim,

You are right about the winds, sort of, and you are considering the windiest part of the river, Hood River down to Bonneville Dam. The winds do not always lay down overnight overnight: The river flows down hill, the wind blows up hill, usually, but I'd recommend leaving some schedule room through that area.

I think your idea is great. It is a beautiful area, beauty in it's own way.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Going through the locks in a 22 is no big deal. You just need two people (using lines) to keep you centered on the mooring bit with the option to cut line or cast off if it sticks. Contacting the lockmaster is with VHF....he'll tell you whch moring bit to use. The actual water transit is 30 minutes (approx 100 ft) with 10-15 minutes on each end for getting into and out of position. The first time you do it is awesome; every time afterward is boring.
 
Going downstream I heartily endorse using the Clifton and Prairie channels once you leave Cathlamet. You'll be treated to some great scenery and quiet cruising while not having to dodge barges and ocean ships. You end up at Tongue Point ready to dock at Astoria (or Illwaco).
 
Chuckpacific":q1dy1l87 said:
Going downstream I heartily endorse using the Clifton and Prairie channels once you leave Cathlamet. You'll be treated to some great scenery and quiet cruising while not having to dodge barges and ocean ships. You end up at Tongue Point ready to dock at Astoria (or Illwaco).
Click to expand...
+1 on that route choice. Couple thin spots, especially off Settlers Point, but enter on a rising tide, an hour or so before high tide, and it is an easy route.

Anchoring out in the MARAD Basin just above Tongue Point is a sweet way to grab some solitude.
 
Stay on the right at Devil's Elbow...even so much as to grab some of the grass off Horseshoe Island. Yes, Dave's advice is good regarding tide but the tidal fluctuation can be large (6-9') so if you do run into a problem at a lower tide just open a beer and wait.
 
Super-helpful, folks. Thanks a bunch. I love exploring little nooks and crannies in Two Lucky Fish, and I've only shaved the tip off a propeller blade once in all these years. :-)

I'm trying to figure out where to park for a week in The Dalles. The Port of The Dalles discourages me from just leaving the rig in the truck-trailer lot at the launch ramp, so I've been in touch with a couple U-Store-It type places. Currenlty Columbia Stowaway is the top contender. Any other suggestions?
 
Timothy,

Sometimes the official response is not the "street-wise" reality. Suggest you poll this group to see if there is a Brat in The Dalles or nearby who has a spare space on their property available. Next would be to contact truckers at the truck stop about options.

Or, you can stick a For Sale sign on it and park it on the street, alerting the neighbors to what you are doing.
 
See, that's kinda what I've been thinking. One of the storage lot guys said "There's a time limit at the ramp? The locals park there as long as they want, as far as I can tell."

And yeah, I thought about truck stops or just parking it along a street with some traffic and visibility. Would love to park it in somebody's side-yard or behind a business or something. There's no Brat pushpin near The Dalles. Seriously...none of us live there?
 
Tim, wish I could help. Had a buddy who lived there, but he moved to Idaho a couple years ago. Somebody with an orchard operation probably would have a spot you could use. If you get away from downtown should be OK.
 
Hi Tim, As others have said and I would like to emphasize- You don't want to let the wind ruin your trip. For example, Hood River has turned into a mecca for kite boarders and sail boarders for a good reason, and that being reliable wind resulting in big steep waves. I tried the 22 c-dory out on purpose in those big steep close waves. The good news is the boat did fine and the other good news is I was just playing around and didn't need to get anywhere. I'm telling you it was rough! Local knowledge can help with any issues, and as usual, boaters are a friendly lot and can tell you information that they are experts in. This will make a great trip for you guys and the Columbia R. is a special place. Enjoy! Roger
 
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