I think Jeff Messmer, who now goes by Ranger Jeff, dreamed that name up. That boat is the original CatyMae, which was replaced by the factory with a brand new hull due to some unexplained leaking through the sides.
I have looked in awe at those pictures like most everyone else, but a little clarification may be in order. While they are in the area that is considered part of the Columbia River bar, they are not really following the most prudent route through or across the bar. That looks to be the area in between Jetty A and the North Jetty, and a little closer to shore than to the channel. It is referred to as the Middle Ground and is not usually used by boaters that close in. Here is the description from
this page on the Oregon State Marine Board site.
Middle ground. This is a shallower area between the north jetty and the main ship channel that is subject to breaking seas when swells as small as four feet are present. Breakers are much wider and have more velocity than in other areas. Conditions can change in minutes with tide current changes.
While I have no inside info, it is a pretty safe bet that to do this photo shoot they cleared it with the Coast Guard at Cape Disappointment and were continuously under their watchful eye from the tower at the Cape. I base this guess on the surety that had there no been advance notice you would have seen a couple of CG lifeboats with lights flashing in the pictures. It is really rather foolish to be in that area without a reason, and usually it is only the unknowing who would be there.
All that being said, the boat is not in as precarious a spot as it looks. To navigate those swells it is not necessary to break over the crest and fall off the front side. In fact, the wider swells are kind of fun to run. More power is definitely better than too little power, though, because you have to time them and keep up. Brakes would help, too. These guys were having fun and doing a planned photo shoot for advertising, with the camera angles and effects staged for maximum drama. Nevertheless, those relatively small waves picked up a 50+ foot crab boat a few years back and dropped it upside down because it wasn't at the right spot relative to the water.
I hope a few of the locals here with more experience will add to or correct my story as needed. When I go out there I prefer to be on the opposite (south) side of the channel and avoiding the tall stuff.
