How to best get my GB 36' Classic from Anacortes WA to Portland OR

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briandegraaf

Newbie
Joined
Sep 19, 2017
Messages
2
Location
usa
Vessel Name
Sandpiper
Vessel Make
Grand Banks 36' Classic
Just purchased a good condition 1969 GB 36' Classic with twin engines. It is in Anacortes WA and will have it based in Portland OR. My preference is to find someone to help me bring it through at least the Columbia River bar sometime in the next couples weeks before the weather is more challenging. I would love to find an experienced owner a GB or a similar boat to help me with the passage and to gain knowledge along the way. I do not have sufficient experience to do this trip by myself. I realize it is possible to transport the boat via truck, but I don't like the idea of taking the top off and the total cost. I also want to use the experience to learn. Any comments about the journey and possible leads of someone that could help would be appreciated. I'm willing to pay someone a reasonable amount but prefer to not use a high priced professional company. I do value my life, so I do want someone that knows what they are doing. Look forward to any feedback. Thanks, Brian
 
I assume she's wood and big wood boats can suffer from "working" their planks and other structure in trailer travel. May be worth checking into.

Run her down sure but summer is over.
 
The best way to get her there is to carefully vet the boat before you go. Fuel tanks- engine evaluation-running gear-steering SX on top of the list. May also be smart to do some local runs to help vet boat. Many older boats do fine in flat water but when challenged by big waves the dirt in tanks breaks loose.
 
eyschulman said:
The best way to get her there is to carefully vet the boat before you go. Fuel tanks- engine evaluation-running gear-steering SX on top of the list. May also be smart to do some local runs to help vet boat. Many older boats do fine in flat water but when challenged by big waves the dirt in tanks breaks loose.
Click to expand...

Brian,

This advice by eyeschulman can not be overstated...

Perhaps you know the condition of the tanks and fuel. Maybe the boat was up north and back, including some rough water, over the summer. In that case maybe this concern is somewhat less. In any other case, you may want to investigate having the fuel polished. You will still potentially have some rapid filter clogging once contaminants in the tanks are dislodged. This is where the local runs (with plenty of fuel filters aboard and the means to change them in a seaway) are useful.

I would not do this trip unless the boat were 100% sorted. Anacortes is a good place to put some hours on.

Best Wishes

Jeff
 
Your insurance company will probably require you to have a licensed captain for this trip. If so I recommend Jack DeFriel. He has a web site just google delivery skippers. He is based in Seattle. He assisted me when I ran my OA from LA to Seattle. I also know a good commercial fisherman out of West Point who knows the waters well. Both of these lic captains will help you prep the boat for the trip.
 
You may consider another alternative. You could motor down to Olympia and then trailer the boat to Portland from there. This is what I did with my Fu Hwa 34 (but the opposite direction). You should not need to remove the flybridge for the I5 corridor between Olympia and Portland. Plus, the two day trip down will give you a pretty good feel for the boat without the added stress of a Columbia Bar crossing. If needed, I can look up the name of the transport company I used out of Portland. They do that run quite often.
 
It is getting late in the season for a trip down the coast but a week-long good weather window is still possible. With a new-to-you boat you should consider harbor hopping during daylight hours only: Port Angeles, Neah Bay, La Push, Westport, Ilwaco/Astoria and get very familiar with these harbor entries. At night the crab pots are hard to dodge. Good safety equipment is a must. Consider immersion suits. You'll need a working radar. Stay out of the shipping lanes as much as possible. AIS is helpful.

The trip up to Neah Bay in the Strait of Juan de Fuca can be quite a slog if the tide opposes the wind. Don't get discouraged the steep chop will flatten out as soon as the tide turns.

The Columbia River, La Push and Westport bar crossings are not really an issue IF timed correctly (flood slack) and the weather is decent.

Your insurance policy should state cruising limits. Most policies include the Pacific coast up to Cape Scott (northern tip of Vancouver Island). No licensed captain required-but maybe a good idea anyway.

Alternatively, you should consider leaving the boat up there for the winter. Cruising the islands in the winter has its own charm (no crowds) and you'd get to know the boat in protected waters. I believe you can get a permit for up to 6 months to avoid the WA sales tax.
 
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Brian,

Please heed the all the above advise. Getting a boat down or up the coast can be an enjoyable experience, or it can be your worst nightmare. Having done it a few times and am leaving very soon to do it again, my recommendation is leave the boat in Wash. or Canada and become very familiar with it. Enjoy some short trips to the San Juans or So. BC and repair or modify for a long trip down the coast the following year.
The weather windows are going to be far and few between very quickly, and taking a "New to you" boat on this type of a journey would be ill advised.

Cheers
 
Brian,

If you follow this

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s28/pairadice-asd-alaska-adventure-2017-a-31525.html

It might give you some insight. I'm not trying to be a downer, just be cautious, and if the boat is ready for the trip and you are able to find a good charter capt. You will learn so much in a very short time.
We leave in a day or so and are planning on day runs. Partly for timing the Bar crossing, partly for dodging crab pots during daylight, but mostly cuz we can. Its been a long trip and we are in no rush.

Cheers
 
All the above advice is solid, decent weather windows usually run well into October. We did this trip from Anacortes to St Helens Oregon with a new to us 53' trawler in early May.

Although I have many Columbia Bar crossings under my belt they were all in smaller faster craft. I was new to a boat of this size and speed, so we hired a delivery captain who was familiar with the boat to assist us with the trip.
We met with him a week prior to our anticipated departure to plan the trip and went out on several hour a checkout trip so he was comfortable that everything was right with the boat.

We left with 3 of us on board taking 2 hr watches and 4 hrs off through the trip and went non stop Docking in St Helens 38 hrs later averaging 9 Kts until we hit the river current where it dropped to 6 Kts due to spring runoff. We were pleased with him and got some excellent training along the way.

I can get you contact info if you like he is based in Anacortes but is originally from Oregon and has an extensive resume.
 

Aw c'mon, it doesn't get rough out there. This was in a 60' boat on moderately rough water.
 
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The way to make the trip is stay at Neah Bay and wait for the weather and don't hold out for perfect weather. It's about 15 hours @10 knots to the Columbia Bar. Usually the sea is going with you. Time your leaving to arrive at slack water, high tide, you'll get the best ride. My last crossing was with small craft warnings and gale on the outside. The bar crossing was no big deal. If you cross on the ebb tide with west or nw wind you'll get steeper, close together waves. But I've done it. Fishermen do it all the time.

Watch out for Buoys.
 
Brought a 46' trawler from Seattle to LA back in 2002. Left Neah Bay and spent the day in 14 to 16' seas coming from the starboard quarter. The CG sent a 47' MLB out to escourt us in at Greys Harbor. Exciting ride. We did not go into the Cloumbia River, but went past it about 8 NM offshore. Thought we were going to die when we got into the breaking waves 8 NM offshore. Made it ok, but I would not have tried to go in that day. Had some days that the Pacific was dead flat also. This was in June and July. Good luck with your trip.
 
Time the Columbia river bar crossing to an incoming tide.
There is no option to enter on a 6.5 knot ebb tide.
 
You could contact Martin Taylor of Anacortes. He sometimes works through Seattle Yachts Anacortes office.
 
gsholz said:
It is getting late in the season for a trip down the coast but a week-long good weather window is still possible. With a new-to-you boat you should consider harbor hopping during daylight hours only: Port Angeles, Neah Bay, La Push, Westport, Ilwaco/Astoria and get very familiar with these harbor entries. At night the crab pots are hard to dodge. Good safety equipment is a must. Consider immersion suits. You'll need a working radar. Stay out of the shipping lanes as much as possible. AIS is helpful.

The trip up to Neah Bay in the Strait of Juan de Fuca can be quite a slog if the tide opposes the wind. Don't get discouraged the steep chop will flatten out as soon as the tide turns.

The Columbia River, La Push and Westport bar crossings are not really an issue IF timed correctly (flood slack) and the weather is decent.

Your insurance policy should state cruising limits. Most policies include the Pacific coast up to Cape Scott (northern tip of Vancouver Island). No licensed captain required-but maybe a good idea anyway.

Alternatively, you should consider leaving the boat up there for the winter. Cruising the islands in the winter has its own charm (no crowds) and you'd get to know the boat in protected waters. I believe you can get a permit for up to 6 months to avoid the WA sales tax.
Click to expand...
:thumb:

I like this advice a lot.

I understand your desire to learn as you go. I did.
But I was able to spend the first 800 miles in the ICW before I ventured off-shore.

A few things I'd add (and other's have already said):
Have some experience on the boat in calm weather
Have the fuel system sorted out. (This would have been a bigger issue for me, but for the dual Racor system)
DO NOT TRAVEL AT NIGHT.
GET AIS receive at a minimum, transceiver is best
DO you understand your radar and what it is telling you and what it is not?

Good luck.

Richard
 
Brian, congrats on the new boat.

Has the boat been fully surveyed? As others have mentioned I'd be looking very closely at the fuel system. Its very easy to run into trouble quickly. Is everything working as it should?

I would have it trucked to my home port. Save yourself the headaches and the unknowns. Btw, a captain for a big trip like that will cost way more than having it shipped! Plus fuel costs....

Once you get to your homeport then you can use the boat all you want. If you have an emergency that arises then at least you're close to home.

Good luck!
 
Seattle to Portland is a 48 hour trip. That's $800 for a captain and $1200 for fuel. The water has been glass smooth for a week now. The first half of the trip is in protected water. Let's not over sell this. Yes some caution and some prep are needed but one should not be afraid of this trip.

If the boat has not been reciently surveyed then truck it.
 
If you time the bar crossing for high slack it may well be like a bath tub. Go Neah Bay to Greys Harbor. High slack only. Exit Greys Harbor most any time and then time Columbia Bar for high slack only on your first crossing. Do not attempt it any other timing on your first crossing. I've been across many times. Following the fishing boats is not a great idea your first time across. All other boat recommendations are spot on. Crab pots are crazy. There everywhere. Go out beyond them. Good luck. Just be prepared to hang in the harbors if the weather doesn't look good.
 
What has the OP decided? Hasn't posted since 9/19
 
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