Re: [Paddlewise] Kayaks and River Entrances and Bars - the condensed version

From: Bradford R. Crain <crainb_at_pdx.edu>
Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:31:12 -0700
Quoting Dave Kruger <kdruger_at_pacifier.com>:

> I've only a few transits of the Columbia River Bar under my belt, but
> lots of local lore in my head.  One of the most maddening aspects of
> transiting a bar is knowing where you are, and keeping track of your
> drift.  The Columbia's bar is especially difficult because it is so
> massive.  It is tough to do any ranging on buoys when they only appear
> intermittently, and land-based navaids are distant or absent.

   At some inlets, such as Nehalem Bay and Tillamook Bay in Oregon, you
can stand on the jetty and evaluate the conditions. If you don't get
blown off the rocks by the wind, or knocked down by a rogue wave, you
might stand a chance. I prefer an incoming tide, because then your
remains will be carried up the bay and may be discovered by other,
more prudent boaters. I like smaller estuaries, because they are easier
to understand, and searchers have less water to cover. Never do the
Columbia bar without good life insurance and terminal cancer.

BRC
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Received on Fri Sep 07 2007 - 09:31:56 PDT

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