Portland to Friday harbor

Hello Newbie here!
I'm looking at purchasing a 1976 34 foot CHB in Portland and I need to get it to Friday Harbor. We have been out of the boating world for about 13 years and moved to Friday Harbor about 1 year ago. I have found a CHB in Portland that I am very interested in but getting it here is a little intimidating for a few reasons. Not knowing the boat and setting out on a open ocean adventure scares me a bit, as well as lack of experience in the blue water!
I was thinking of perhaps hiring a captain to lead me along the way. I thought this would give me a opportunity to get to know the boat and get my feet wet so to speak!!!!
Can anyone offer any ideas or perhaps a patient captain!

Buy it FOB Friday Harbour?

Experience is one challenge that can be addressed with a captain - as you note.

A new boat and not knowing the current and possible mechanical gremlins could the game changer for me.

Or get it trucked?

I can recommend an excellent/patient/teaching Captain located in Longview, Wa. He runs from Cape Disappointment up to the Straights of Juan De Fuca quite often, and in fact is up there now. Pvt me and I'll give you his contact info., or have him contact you. He is a licensed Captain for anything from Commercial Tugs to Passenger liners.

Thanks for the quick responses.
Does anyone have a guess at the cost to truck it?
wyoboater I will pm you in a minute. Thanks

I'd guess somewhere in the 5k range. Associated Boat Transportation Marysville or Dudley's in Marysville are 2 local companies that truck boats from Portland to Puget Sound on a regular basis.

I used Dudley's to transport a 40' sailboat from Marina Del Rey to Tacoma 6 years ago. The cost was about 10k. You could truck the boat to any city on Puget Sound.

Island, if you're going to truck it, have them haul it to Olympia for you, then you and a captain take the boat up to Friday Harbor. That way you'll avoid the open water cruising that you'd get along the coast yet you will still have a captain on board for a couple of days to get it up to Friday Harbor.

GFC said:

Island, if you're going to truck it, have them haul it to Olympia for you, then you and a captain take the boat up to Friday Harbor. That way you'll avoid the open water cruising that you'd get along the coast yet you will still have a captain on board for a couple of days to get it up to Friday Harbor.

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Swan town is a good place to splash a boat in Olympia. That idea would also give you the chance to see the South Sound, an area too often neglected by boaters.

Pau Hana said:

...Associated Boat Transportation Marysville or Dudley's in Marysville are 2 local companies that truck boats from Portland to Puget Sound on a regular basis.

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GFC said:

Island, if you're going to truck it, have them haul it to Olympia for you, then you and a captain take the boat up to Friday Harbor. That way you'll avoid the open water cruising that you'd get along the coast yet you will still have a captain on board for a couple of days to get it up to Friday Harbor.

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Good suggestions and from Olympia to FH, commercial tow boat insurance is available.

Do have a slip locked up? There always seems to be a shortage.

I have received a bid for the trucking, about 3K seems a bit steep but i suppose it is a lot of work. They would need front and back pilot cars as well as so dis assembly of the bridge, the boat is to tall! I really don't want to take the boat apart.
So it looks like we might get to go for a boat ride!

I'd get another bid maybe unless you really want the boat ride which could be lots of fun and adventure.


We had a 1981 34 Mainship trucked from Oceanside, CA to Tacoma and only had to take the fly bridge wind screen off.

Larry M said:

I'd get another bid maybe unless you really want the boat ride which could be lots of fun and adventure.

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Larry is being very "nice" about it. If you decide to do it on her own bottom, you really want to brush up on your weather skills and be patient for a sufficient window. Getting caught out in these waters, with a boat like that, would get quite ugly. The Pacific is not to be trifled with.

$3,000 is nothing compared to the damage one can do to a boat out there.

Also, turning the corner at Cape Flattery doesn't mean you are out of danger. Study up on the commercial lanes in the Strait. Boating along with 900' freighters going 20+ knots is "interesting."

My apologies if you are already up to snuff on all this. Just passing along helpful info as I have done it quite a few times. Note the level horizon in the through the stern shot. This is a boat that weighs 120 tons.

Yikes. Now that's a good illustration right there. Reminds me of the night on one of our Alaska cruises out of WA where we slept on the floor because the bed had no side nets - and that boat was 60,000 tons.

For 3K I would truck it for certain. I too thought about a boat in Portland, maybe the same one, but in the end opted for one nearer to home in Bellingham, a less than 4 hour cruise. Lots of not fun things can happen in the open ocean on a strange boat, and its strange to the hired skipper too. You would want to spend some money on it first in Portland making it ready and really going over it.
Things like tank condition, fuel age, all filters etc. Truck it home. I learned on my boat that "turn key" is boat broker hype baloney.

One of the best rides I ever took was on a 40' troller just off Flattery. Literally standing on the PH walls on the rolls!

I think you guys have convinced me to truck it, if I move forward.
Although I'm sure it would be a great learning experience.
But I'd be puking like the dog that ate the toad in sea's like that picture:lol:

Island15 said:

I think you guys have convinced me to truck it, if I move forward.
Although I'm sure it would be a great learning experience.
But I'd be puking like the dog that ate the toad in sea's like that picture:lol:

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Good lad! Wise choice. You'll have plenty of time to go play in the Pacific if you want to.

JustBob said:

$3,000 is nothing compared to the damage one can do to a boat out there.

Also, turning the corner at Cape Flattery doesn't mean you are out of danger.

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What he said!

I've been beat up going around the outside, and I've seen first hand what the North Pacific can do to a boat (& crew) overnight out there, not pretty! Those "experiences" are burned into my memory forever!

Truck it to Oly, start having fun from there. No shame in that.

Not to mention the costs involved. While you may not spend 3K if all goes well, your hired captain does not work for free. You have fuel, groceries and repairs, plus if things go south out there and they often do, it can end up costing you a whole lot more than 3K. Its still early on the coast, weather can be beautiful or nasty and change very quickly. I think you will sleep better with the idea of trucking it home. I well remember coming up the coast from Astoria on a 105' tug with a barge in tow and seeing some of the biggest swells in my life out there. Swells running up to 30 feet high, and it wasn't even winter time. We rolled our guts out. I was mate that trip and the skipper didn't get along well with rolly seas. I was hungry and came up on watch with a big greasy meatball sandwich, whereupon the poor captain threw the PH door open and lost his dinner right there! I don't think he ever quite forgave me for that one.

Island15; said:

I have received a bid for the trucking, about 3K.

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3 grand doesn't sound all that unreasonable.

Check and double check your height, get another quote and question the trailer they will use. Short haul like that you should be able to polish the I5 concrete with the trailer.

Otherwise, a little detour might help keep the bridge on. Good chance you might get off easy like Larry with his Mainship.

Jesus you guys make the Washington coast sound like the Bearing Sea...yes it CAN be brutal..it can also be a great trip..but you have to play the weather. I guess its all about prespective.
Should a new, unseasoned skipper just cross the bar and turn N.W. ...not a great idea.

But its not jumping into a pack of starving Rottweiler's with a t bone in your teeth either

Hollywood

hollywood8118 said:

Jesus you guys make the Washington coast sound like the Bearing Sea...yes it CAN be brutal..it can also be a great trip..but you have to play the weather. I guess its all about prespective.
Should a new, unseasoned skipper just cross the bar and turn N.W. ...not a great idea.

But its not jumping into a pack of starving Rottweiler's with a t bone in your teeth either

Hollywood

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Oh boy, what a good laff.
Thank you.

Well it can be brutal. As I said it can also be nice, but I also remember my dad warning on two different occasions guys to not take small craft down the coast in the winter time. Both boats were lost with all hands. Yes, this is not winter time as I also said, but its still a lot of big blue water out there and it can really blow. Some here may remember the Columbus Day storm of '62. I do. The whole west coast was a disaster area. The problem with "playing the weather", is that like any open ocean scenario you can leave on a good forecast and still get hammered. What happens is when it turns sour, guys want to head in, big mistake, the bars are what get you. Stay offshore. But why take a chance on a small, strange, untried boat? No thanks. My dad who plied his trade as a mariner for over 50 years used to say, " call me chicken if you like, I'm still here, and a lot of brave guys I knew are not".

One more question does anyone out there know the exact height of the CHB I have looked high and low and can't find it?

Just so you don't think I'm crazy the only way I would do this is to be in port every night, watch the weather like a hawk and take as many days as needed too be safe!

Thanks again guys!

JustBob;
I smile every time I see your avatar.
You as a young 'n' or one of yours?
Either way, it's cool.

Island15 said:

One more question does anyone out there know the exact height of the CHB I have looked high and low and can't find it?

Just so you don't think I'm crazy the only way I would do this is to be in port every night, watch the weather like a hawk and take as many days as needed too be safe!

Thanks again guys!

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I found 14.0 feet but don't rely on that. If all else fails go find one in a yard. Or, make the broker/owner work for their money.

I'll look some more.

Island15 said:

One more question does anyone out there know the exact height of the CHB I have looked high and low and can't find it?

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Old but might point you somewhere.
https://beta.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CHB/conversations/topics/15598

Some homework for you.
http://www.uship.com/shipment/34-CHB-Trawler/654463992/

http://www.uship.com/shipment/CHB-34/265815819/

http://www.uship.com/shipment/34-Marine-Trader-Trawler/610522382/

http://www.uship.com/shipment/34-CHB--Chung-Hwa-Double-Cabin-Trawler/593491577/

Go fish.

Perspective you say? You want perspective? Like the BERING SEA you say? Have a look at this old newspaper photo clipping from some years back. Yes, it is a winter storm, but don't let anyone tell you the Pacific doesn't get real nasty sometimes.