Sailing Vessel Chessie

Oregon to BC Transit / Log Archive

5/15/05 We passed under the "Lions Gate" at 1:00 PM PDT today and, following clearing customs...which is in process and taking forever..., we'll be at the West Bayshore Marina in Coal Harbor.

Nice run over from the San Juan's. We spent a great two days with the Schoonovers at the home on San Juan Island. Chessie rested quitely at their buoy. (Probably glad to have a break...) We need to rest following our liberty call at Ed and Sue's. :-)

So...entering Vancouver...it was like the shiphandling trainer. We had three...count 'em three...tugs an tow. Well, yes, they were all on various courses and speeds ... all closing...but the interesting thing is that two of them were log tows over 500 meters long. Canadian mariners most professional and cordial..and welcoming. We entered without a problem and a new respect for the folks who tow the logs.

The kids and Grandkids are joining us here for a week or so and then we'll be starting North to Desolation Sound around the 1st of the month.

5/11/05 Greetings all from Sequim. WA. Sequim ... despite it's name, which means "tricky little non-indian Marina in cloudy country" is a great little place. We have friends here, Tom & Carolyn Beard, who are world cruisers (in their Tayana 38)...circumnavigation a few year's back... and he's a retired Coast Guard Captain (which we do not hold against him). We are here for a few days while I rebuild our refrigeration which got fried from a voltage spike (probably) while we in Neah Bay (entrance to Juan de Fuca on the South side). Tom and Carolyn have been great...loaned us a car, stored all our food from refrigerator & freezer (not a small deal), and, in short, been the best kind of friends cruisers with "things to fix" problems (all cruisers) can have.

We're...pending the arrival of half-wave rectifier..on our way Friday a.m. to see Ed & Sue Schoonover in the San Juan's and thence on to Vancouver for a rendevous with our kids, Grandkids and in early June, the Tumarkin's.

Location: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=48.063641,-123.039494&spn=0.071583,0.1129

5/8/05 Arrived Port Angeles, Washington 7:00 PM PDT. Straits of Juan de Fuca passage flat calm and no traffic. (A first for me.) R & K

5/8/05 We opened the Straits of Juan de Fuca at about 3:00 AM PDT and are anchored in Neah Bay just inside the south entrance to the straits. We'll wait for the flood current at about 11:00 to complete the rest of the leg into Port Angeles. Should be in by around 7:00 PM.
Great transit. No issues at the Columbia River Bar and Cape Flattery was a mill pond...which is truly an exception. Good planning and a lot of great luck with the weather.
Posit N 48 22.458 W 124 36.922

5/6/05 Moored public dock at Garibaldi 6:45 PM PDT. Bar transit was satisfactory although it was easy to see that with NW-W winds if you were not at a slack or high flood it would be very interesting. ( It was interesting enough... :-)...)

Transit today a little stiffer than we'd planned. Seas were 4-6 with an occassional 8 and then there was that one "rogue" wave. Right behind an 8 footer with about 1/3 of the normal 60' wave length (crest to crest) was a 15-18 footer. A couple of the 6's had joined forces. The bow started down after the 8 footer and we got creamed...we were four feet of green water from the bow to the stern. And who was that guy who invented self-bailing cockpits. He gets the award today. Chessie just shook it off...like a good hunting dog coming out of the water.
6 May - u/w 0515 PDT enr Astoria,OR. We want to make the afternoon high slack water for the bar crossing.

5/1/05 We plan to be u/w early, around 5:15 AM from Bandon, OR enr Newport, OR a distance of about 100 miles. We plan to pass the Yaquina River Bar at dusk on a high slack going to flood tide and be in Newport by 8:00 PM

"So, I was cruising the docks about sunset here in Bandon, Oregon ... Karen was up on the seawall taking shots of the sunset...and I met Mark & Kevin of the commercial crabber "Lori Lee." Built in 1946 Lori Lee originally held 140 commercial crab pots and went "way out." She now..."is getting a little weak in the stern" explains Captain Mark ..."and, we only take 80."

So, a beer or two later we purchase three of the largest dungeness crabs you have ever seen for...$6.00...and another couple of beers. Kevin - at no extra cost cleans all three crabs. Karen is hard at it cookin' up the crab and I have the inside story on the rigors and straight talk about crab catchin'. A couple of American originals and a memorable evening

4/30/05 Arrival Bandon, OR 4:15 PM PDT. We plan to leave here for Newport Monday. Will file a float plan tomorrow. Nice transit up, Cape Blanco - another of the "feared" Capes was out today when we went by and while we saw some minor sea changes due to the reef configuration in the vicinity of the Cape there were no issues.

4/30/05 U/W 05:50 AM PDT fm Brookings, OR enr Bandon OR. ETA Bandon 4:30 PM. Bandon is a small Oregon community eith some commercial and sport fishing but known mostly for it's art colony.
It's roughly 100 miles North of the California-Oregon border. Heavy marine layer. Some patchy fog. Seas 1-2 SW. Swells W-SW at 4 ft. Winds L & V and expected 15-20 midday from the SW

4/28/05 Cleared (the dreaded) Cape Mendocino N 40 27.8 W 124 32.3 at 0120 A.M.PDT. The low that brought a bunch of rain and other bad weather to California's central valley produced a Northerly flow that pushed us up the coast from Brodeiga Bay. At Pt. Arena we were seeing winds aft of 22-25 knots and twelve foot seas. The Cape was flat, clear skies, and almost balmy.

The most notable feature of the day were the humpbacks headed south. We stopped counting at twenty. One mother and calf surfaced right on the starboard bow and dove under us at about a boat length. We have some pics (mostly the splash part).

We're on course for Crescent City taking advantage of the continuing south winds and moderate seas.

4/26/05 Anchored Bodiega Bay Posit N 38.18.4 W 123 2.8. Intend underway dawn tomorrow Wednesday 27 April direct to Eureka weather permitting.

4/26/05 We have just past Point Reyes abeam to starboard and are making good time in very favorable weather. Our short term (tentative...always tentative) plan is to anchor in Bodeiga Bay tonight and with relatively favorable SW winds make tomorrow a longish day (30 hours) rounding Cape Mendicino and completing that leg in Eureka, Ca.

After Eureka, where we may need to "hole up" for 2 days, we plan stops at Bandon (Coquille River), Newport, Orford or Tillamook, and then into Astoria. Planning to be in Astoria by a week from this weekend: Friday 6 May - Sunday 8 May.

The current Low and Southwest Flow ,although they bring some rain, are making this a conservative and acheiveable plan.

4/26/05 Underway a day ahead of our "non" sked to take advantage of moderate southerlies. Plan Bodega Bay tonight. Early departure tomorrow a.m. for Eureka if favorable winds still in place.