After fishing at dawn in the Kalama River for salmon this morning without a bite I shifted gears and went back into the main channel of the Columbia. On the Oregon side of Sandy Island I came upon this site.... a 42 ft. wood former charter boat, 1968 vintage, high up on a wing dam. The skipper put it there in the dark. I made sure his radio worked and told him I'd return at high tide at 4:40 pm to try and drag him off. Without a proper welded on tow ing bar, I was limited by my stern eyes in how much effective horsepower I could apply in the 3 ft. deep water. No luck. He said he'd put a screw jack onto the one board that had bowed in. His generators were keeping his bilge pumps going. The Coast Guard was calling him every two hours to check on him. I offered to give him a ride to town but he was not interested, nor do I think he had the means to pay for a proper tug boat to yank him off of there. Another good reason to pay attention. C.W.
