Video of FacDory Guys at Columbia Bar

Thanks for posting this. It is neat to see the video that goes with the pictures.
 
Love that video. It puts the still photos into perspective. Thanks for posting that.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Looks like a nice day on the Columbia River bar. Long period, relatively large swells but nothing too dangerous. It's the big, ugly short period stuff that's worrisome.
 
I thought we had a link posted to that video under our "Documents" Forum, but I can't find it!

Somewhere else?

I know we've discussed in before.

Those big rollers (swells) are fun to ride in a small sailboat!!! (e.g., Monterey, Ca, and Mavericks, Half Moon Bay, Ca.)

Just stay away from anywhere they're breaking!!!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
So, what's the lesson here?
There's gotta be a lesson.

Would we have seen this if the boat
had failed these waves? Maybe, this
was a just lucky once filming. We don't
know.

Are you recommending this (rather
dangerous) exercise for the average
C-Dory owner?

Just wondering...

Aye.
 
Foggy":3kwwbgpf said:
So, what's the lesson here?
There's gotta be a lesson.

Would we have seen this if the boat
had failed these waves? Maybe, this
was a just lucky once filming. We don't
know.

Are you recommending this (rather
dangerous) exercise for the average
C-Dory owner?

Just wondering...

Aye.
Click to expand...
I think this looks far more dangerous to the inexperienced operator than it actually was. The factory probably powered over the swells a bit more than was actually necessary to get good film but I certainly don't think they did anything that was actually dangerous. These look like about 7' swells at about a 10-11s period. While these are not my ideal conditions, the boat can certainly be operated safely in such seas (repeatedly, no luck involved). I passed by that very spot several times this year - almost always in conditions that were much nicer than this. I did however cross the bar a couple of times in conditions that were similar to this. I was never in danger (IMO) but I did have to go slowly and I did have to make a fairly wide swing around the shallow waters of Peacock spit.
 
Agree that this is entirely safe as performed. This was not an incidental occasion, but a planned and choreographed, photo shoot, set up by the factory and managed by the photographer Neil Rabinowitz, for a cover on the Northwest Yachting magazine, and I'm sure for some other uses as well.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

IMGP1872.thumb.jpg
 
And, so, the lesson is...

"Just fooling around on a
nice day".

Or maybe, "the boat can take it
if the helmsman knows what
he/she's doing".

Or, "showing a little C-Dory
doing what most should not
attempt - just to sell a few
more boats".

How about, "teasing and fiddling
with Mother Nature".

I like, "finding the edge".

I do enjoy the majesty of large seas
and have great respect for their power.
Not stating a clear purpose up front,
this video (IMO) borders on disrespect.

Aye.

Grandpa (an old Navy man) used to say,
"The sea just waits for the innocent
but actually stalks the foolish, the
unprepared and the arrogant."
 
Thanks for posting this, I've seen the photos but never viewed the video that goes with it.

For west coasters crossing the grays harbor bar, Garibaldi, Columbia etc its to be respected but not that uncommon or considered unsafe in this size of boat.
 
PaulNBriannaLynn":afi57pur said:
Thanks for posting this, I've seen the photos but never viewed the video that goes with it.

For west coasters crossing the grays harbor bar, Garibaldi, Columbia etc its to be respected but not that uncommon or considered unsafe in this size of boat.
Click to expand...
Agree. I'd bet that on that day the Coast Guard had the bar restricted to boats over 16' (a common restriction) or even unrestricted. The waves/swells were not breaking in the video so the danger level is actually pretty low, especially if you know what the predicted currents will be throughout the crossing and thereafter. Where some people get themselves into trouble is by assuming that what a given location looked like a little while ago is what it will look like now. With the big tide exchanges we get up here (big relative to the E and southern coasts, small relative to Alaska), spots that were fairly calm an hour ago can now have breaking waves and vise versa. After some number of bar crossings and bar viewings correlated with the known and predicted current and swell data, one can develop a pretty good sense of what the conditions will be like a spots previously visited.

In my experience, the boat will handle far more than the operator. I would not have a problem crossing the bar under the conditions shown in the video and I know I could do that repeatedly with complete safety (especially with twins). Coming back in under those conditions can also be done very safely if you stay on the back side of the swells. Going out, it's easier to see if the waves/swells are breaking and you see them before you get there (and can alter your decision). Coming back in, you can't see the swells breaking as you're on the other side of the wave. You can see if the waves are breaking off your stern but not off the bow which is where you are going. So on the way back in, it's much more important to stay on the back side. But with the very widely spaced swells shown in the video, that would be quite easy. There's even sufficient space and time to spin the boat 180 and get on the back side of the wave that just passed.

That's not to say that this kind of boating is for everyone nor is it to say that I even enjoy this kind of boating. But there are often days on the Columbia (or Grays Harbor) bar where if you tolerate a little discomfort for 20 mins, you get to beautifully calm water on the outside - water that is loaded with catchable chinook, coho (and if you go far enough, tuna). Also, if you've not boated in bigger water and haven't built up a knowledge and skill set to do so, this type of day is not for you. The day shown in that video, most likely had large swells all over the coast and it wouldn't have been fun to fish in it. For me that would have been a good day to play farther up the river or to hang out in port.
 
Rogerbum's summary and analysis is spot on, particularly the caveat: conditions can change. Turn of the tide being the biggest influence.

Disrespectful video? I don't think so!
 
Just remember, boating (for most of us) is recreational
and optional. Returning home is mandatory.

Aye.
 
Foggy":3k901nom said:
Just remember, boating (for most of us) is recreational
and optional. Returning home is mandatory.

Aye.
Click to expand...

A long time ago, a builder of sailboats (Montgomery, Jerry quoted a designer, Lyle Hess I believe it was,) said he didn't design his boats to go out in, he designed them to come back to port safely. Seems that thought has been pretty thoroughly embedded in the C-Dory DNA.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

0_CD_Cover_SlpyC_with_Classics_MBSP_2009_288.thumb.jpg
 
Grandma used to say, "When you travel, there's nothing like
a round trip ticket when you want to go home."


Aye.
 
Wow, Foggy and Harvey (hardee) just continued a two year old conversation like it was yesterday!
 
Had to dig it up for Colbym so he can be inspired to finish on the Columbia. :wink:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Does anybody know if this video exists anywhere on the internet any longer? I would love to see it!
 
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