Thread: Columbia Bar
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Old 01-05-2014, 04:10 PM   #59
RED
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 182
I'd like to welcome you to the Portland area, I keep my boat here and travel to the cruising grounds of Puget Sound and Canada in the summer. One advantage of mooring here is being in fresh water, and there is a bit of cruising here, although nothing like the Salish sea.
You've gotten lot of advice on the bar, I would add that I like to cross the bar at low slack current, particularly going out. The bar can develop waves and at time breakers on a strong ebb with opposing wind, and on strong exchanges, the flood can be 6-7 knots, so going at slack water just after the low is a good option.
Returning from up north, I try to time my departure after an overnight at Neah Bay to arrive on the bar at the start of the flood. That's a 14 hour run for me. I've also done a night time run down the Straits of Juan de Fuca from Port Angeles, timed to go through hole in the wall at Tattoosh at daybreak (20 hours for me). I like the fuel and services at Port Angeles, prices are usually as good or better than at my home club.
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