Anyone from Portland Oregon?

We currently live on the east coast and keep our boat on the Chesapeake Bay, but are seriously thinking about moving to Portland Oregon.

Is anyone here from Portland? I would greatly appreciate any advice and perspectives on what boating life is like based in Portland, what it's like to boat on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, crossing the Columbia River bar, and getting to Puget Sound.

Thank you!

Living in Oak Harbor, Washington, we moved here after spending thirty years in Portland, involved in the trawler lifestyle. You will enjoy it. From Astoria upriver past The Dalles, plenty of places to enjoy. Also, an active assortment of yacht clubs operating in conjunction with Columbia River Yachting Association. River yachting is different, as currents play a big part in decision making. Depending on your boat, two days or less from Astoria to Neah Bay, and another to Anacortes, which is a hub to Puget Sound. Lots of fun.

I second what Mark says. This is a good place to boat and live the boating lifestyle. Moorage rates are economical and registration fees are certainly a bargain. No sales tax state. We have a temperate climate so we can boat year around but you will need a heater for winter boating. Down side is the long trip to go boating in the Salish sea. I usually break it up into three days. One day PDX to either Astoria or Ilwaco. Second day to Neah bay WA. and on the third day after a fuel stop in Port Angeles you are in the greatest place in the world to go boating. Sometimes challenging boating with current and winds especially upriver in the Gorge and east of the Cascades. Ocean part is fun if you use common sense and are well prepared. Lots of boats from PDX go north every year with no trauma..........Mike

P.S. you have the perfect boat for the PNW

I live in Portland metro area but keep my boat on Puget Sound. River boating isn't for everyone, as the choice of going east or west only can get old. Some do love it, but we appreciate the variety and salt of the sound.

I live 210 miles up the Columbia from PDX and love river boating. Granted, it doesn't have the wide assortment of destinations to pick from, but on this stretch of river we boat all year and enjoy 300 days of sunshine a year.

Among the things you'll experience being a river boater on the Columbia is going through the locks. They're not like east coast locks, these are over 800' long, 86' wide and have lifts as high as 116' feet. (We experienced that at Ice Harbor Lock this spring). The scenery is beautiful, there are ample ports to tuck into should the weather get nasty, and there is always a place to head to that's not too crowded.

We've made the trip to PDX from here twice, taking about 3 days each direction. We could have done it faster but wanted to enjoy the ride.

Crossing the bar can be as easy as pie...you just have to pick you time and weather. The cruise up the coast is a nice one and at trawler speed it's a 2-day run (~180 miles) to Neah Bay. From there it's ~135 miles to Seattle but Vancouver Island is closer and the San Juans are right there in front of you from Victoria.

If you have any specific questions, fire away.

GFC lives in a much different climate and ecosystem than you find in Portland. If you get 300 days of sunshine in Portland, the end shall be near . My point is that for boaters here in Portland, you either go left, or you go right. You see the same scenery coming and going. You cruise under busy interstate bridges with the roar of planes approaching and leaving PDX. Now where GFC boats, the sunlight plays along the arid canyon walls, the water is beautiful, and the weather is predictable for at least 6 months of the year. If you boat in Portland, you chose to go to Beacon Rock upstream, or head downstream. With Puget Sound only an hour away by car in Olympia, one should at least consider keeping their boat on arguably the finest protected salt water cruising ground in all of North America.

Thank you very much everyone! I have no experience with PNW boating (except for one sea trial of my boat out of LaConner WA), your thoughts and experiences are really appreciated.

Is it realistically doable to go from Astoria to Neah Bay in one day, at a 16 kt cruise speed?

Any suggestions for marinas in the Portland area?

Thanks much again!

Just watch "Portlandia"

One or two episodes will sum it up pretty well.

Jantzen Bay Marina has nice covered slips, close to junction of Willamette and Columbia Rivers. A real bear to get to mid to late afternoon with I-5 traffic. We moored for years at Channel Island Marina, just several miles west of Portland on Highway 30. No traffic worries. Newer, quality covered 50' slips for a good rent. Some for sale. Convenient to Portland, Columbia and Willamette rivers. Christmas Ships pass by each December, which is a real treat.

Private message me for detailed info and contacts.

Mark

Like me you will fall in love with the river, yet have access to the best salt water in the world. I would think about Vancouver WA (the good side of the river) as Portland is just too wierd...

My ocean cruise speed is 15.5 knots and I can go from Ilwaco Wa to Port Angeles in a long day. Neah bay is very doable in a day it is 152 nm from Ilwaco to Neah Bay. I will be doing this trip on August 5 or 6 depending on weather and ocean. Neah bay is an anchor out for me as I do not like the marina there it is in deplorable condition so I choose to avoid it. So it is a leisurely 8 or so hours to Ilwaco then a long day to Neah bay and then 5 or so hours in the straits to Port Angeles for fuel (good prices and lots of volume sold)and a short jaunt across the straits to the San Juan islands. After that we cruise 9 knots and sip fuel and enjoy for a month or so. The San Juans after Labor day are spectacular. Warm days and cool nights and most of the crowds are gone. I try to come home before the Pacific storms start rolling in around the middle of October...Mike

Mycows, you're passing up the lowest price diesel on the west coast if you don't fuel at Neah Bay and with the diesel powered fishing fleet moored there I'd say they do a LOT of volume. We stopped there on the way from Seattle to Stockton, CA and filled up. Nice people, very friendly. We were given a fresh halibut filet by some Indian fishermen who happened to be cleaning their catch as we were fueling.

The marina's not a show place, but it serves the purpose.

So if you are not a 16kt boat and start in Illwaco going to Neah Bay, say you are a 10-12kt boat what would be the plan as the winds and seas usally come up in the afternoon in the Straits?

Hijack thread?? Sorry

Tom, La Push is about 80 miles up the coast from Ilwaco, and Westport is about 57 miles up the coast. Either of those could be used as a safe harbor if the weather kicks up.

BTW, when you get to Tatoosh Island, you don't have to go all the way out and around the island and nearby rocks. There's a channel that runs between the island and the main land that knocks several miles (and about an hour) of the cruise time/distance.

I guess you have to time it so you get the best of the bad weather (wind) going around the point. Yeah, Grays harbor and LaPush are there. Looking at the entrance of La Push scares the hell out of me.

Checked fuel prices today at Neah bay $3.56 per gallon for red diesel. Port Angeles $3.57 less if you buy more and pay cash $3.52. for 400 gal. Port Angeles is on the way so will probably fuel up there. Usually burn about 400+ gallons from Portland.
Been into La Push several times but only because we wanted off the ocean. Grays harbor is easy to get into except on a strong ebb same with Columbia river , it is best to avoid both these bars. Wait outside or stay in until it lays down. You can also anchor behind Destruction island in a N NW blow.
With a 12 knot boat I would leave Astoria or Ilwaco early (dawn) and time the CR bar for low slack so if you need to turn around you can come back on the flood current. You can reach Neah Bay by dark on long summer days. It is easy to get into in the dark. Southbound I would leave at 0300 hrs and be at the bar by late afternoon or early evening so you can do the CR bar in the daytime. Afternoon winds can and do pick up in the summer but are usually local inflow winds. The hotter it is in Portland the stronger the winds. Another strategy is to go Neah bay to Grays harbor then do the CR next day before the afternoon winds fill in. We used to do it in our 8 knot GB and we just ran strait through from Ilwaco to Friday Harbor in about 33 hours

Mike, that is all very useful and interesting information. Thank you very much! We will definitely look you up when we get to Portland.

Please do. I'll take you for a cruise on the Columbia so you can see what a small part of it looks like.

The upper Columbia and Snake river is beautiful and we have had some great times cruising in that area. The scenery is very different than the front side of the Cascades and you see way less in the way of large boats, more runabouts and ski boats. You also get an idea of how important this area is to commerce with lots of wheat being moved by tug and barge. Tri Cities is an excellent destination with two of friendliest yacht clubs on the river. ......Mike