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Old 04-06-2018, 09:44 AM   #15
gsholz
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City: Out and About
Vessel Model: Sold-GB 52 Europa, Queenship 59, Tolly 45
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 484
Depending on the time of the year, it can get windy with steep chop. We had water over the flybridge of a Tolly 45 coming down past Hood River. Never happened to us out in the ocean. For a 45+ foot boat there are not many places to get off the river and out of the wind once past the Gorge.

Channel depth is 43' to Portland and 20' above. The Columbia is free flowing below the Bonneville dam (about 140 miles up). There is tidal action all the way up to Bonneville. In a slow boat one would travel with the tides. Above Bonneville, the Columbia is mostly a series of lakes. Make sure you cross the Columbia bar at high slack, then it is usually a non-event.

If you are used to the Lake Union locks, you'll be impressed by the Columbia locks. Definitely not your French canals cruise.

Personally, I think the best cruising is on the lower Columbia and through the Gorge up to The Dalles.
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