Spring 2021 - Up the Columbia

May 2021 offered only a couple weeks of vacation time. East on the Columbia River looked like a tempting scenic trip. Navigating was easy and every landing was a short day sail. I'd recommend the trip. Next time we will try for Tri-Cities at river mile 335.

Locking up the River

The Columbia river locks are easy to navigate. The lock masters are helpful and ensure traffic goes smoothly.

We tried a few variations but found a single line in the mid-ship chock with a couple of fenders worked best. One crew can fend with a boat hook.

Don't forget to look up at the spreader, especially if you have a lot of crew eager to help on the wall side of the boat.

We were able to raft with a tug at The Dalles dam and they graciously offered us sodas.

Rafting was easier than tying to the lock wall, but riding her wash was a handful.

The lock at John Day offers the highest vertical lift in the United States at 86 feet. At the top of the lock, I looked west and lost my hat in the strong wind. Four days later the lock master recognized us returned the lucky hat. They lowered it with a fishing pole.

Camas Slough

The Camas Slough is only a few miles upriver of the 205 bridge. I've sailed this stretch of river and never ventured on the north side of Ackerman Island. I was surprised by the scenery of this little adventure.

Beacon Rock

There is an excellent park at the base of the rock. Depths at the dock are 15 feet deep, but the entrance is unmarked. We touched the bottom getting in. There are barbeques in the park and it is an excellent overnight stop just 5 miles below the Bonneville Dam.

Cascade Locks

Cascade Locks is a terrific stop. The guest dock is free and offers a pump out, but no fuel. There is a charming museum in the park and you can walk the entire town in an hour. The river scenery is fantastic.

Hood River

Hood River is the best stop for supplies and entertainment in the gorge.

The Best Western has an excellent restaurant a quick walk east of the marina. It was great to tie up at the guest dock and get a great dinner just a few minutes away

The Dalles

We boarded crew in The Dalles several times. The marina was excellent but a long walk to town. Sadly, there's since been a fire and the marina is heavily damaged now.

BlueBell at work on the buoys

John Day, Umatilla and Arlington

The river above John Day is arid and beautiful. We saw 40+ knots of wind and made a quick day of the 50 mile run to Arlington. Hells Gate on the north side of Miller Island is narrow and super scenic.