I appreciate all the comments on this thread. Certainly the recommendations on the importance of timing with tides and weather were valuable.
My original intent however was to talk about the boats. Most of the commenters have been people who made the trip in big bluewater boats, sailboats, or boats that do 10+ knots. While of course there are many similarities in what it takes to plan and execute the voyage safely, there are also unique characteristics of CHB-class trawlers that create their own challenges: the squared stern, the small rudder, the typically dated electronics, the non-watertight doors, and the <10knot max speed.
What I have found is that not many CHB’ers make this trip (transiting between the Puget Sound and the Columbia River). For that I am proud to be able to say I’ve done it, and the boat took it like a champ. I’ll continue to look for opportunities to discuss how these old and limited boats are still none-the-less built for true coastal cruising, even out on the open Pacific.
