Portland Oregon area members?

[C Buchs]

I never considered the Sandy River. How far “in” are you able to go? It’s always packed with people in the summer on that river, so it’d be nice to pull up and have our own space in the boat!

We haven't ventured too far up the Sandy River. I've talked to fishermen who have gone up a ways, but I haven't. The mouth of the river spreads out into a sandy delta that is shallow and moves around a lot. In the summer, it's shallow.

We have friends with a boat up by The “Sand Island” in St. Helens. That’s a nice spot, as well as Martin Island. They’d be great spots to feature a bit more down river.

We've been to that "Sand Island". It's a nice spot, but very popular. On our Astoria trips, we get fuel (and an ice cream) at the marina right across from there. You can stay the night on the dock there or anchor nearby. Great beaches and the north side is protected. I have it mapped as a possible place to stay the night, but we have never stayed.

Jeff

[C Buchs]

One other resource that my wife found is the "Boating Guide to the Lower Columbia & Willamette Rivers". You can download it here https://columbiariversailing.org/downlo ... ver-guide/ We're not involved with the Columbia River Sailing Association. I'd be interested to meet someone who is.

Jeff

[C Buchs]

The next spots downriver to share are Ackerman, McGuire, and Government Islands.

Ackerman Island https://maps.app.goo.gl/Si8nF3nNL9CLk4m37 is a very popular spot in the summer. It has nice sandy beaches all the way around. The southeast end has some logs that are fun to play on. We snapped a picture of these beavers during one evening.


All of the south shore is good for a day at the beach, however it isn't protected from the main channel. So I wouldn't want to spend the night here.

The west end has a nice long sand spit that is nice for watching sunsets.

The north side of the island is where most people camp. All summer long there are lots of camps set up here. Here's a sunset photo.

[C Buchs]

My experience on McGuire Island https://maps.app.goo.gl/T9uMEUTF2T4Jcor47 isn't from spending time on any of the beaches. However, we have spent several nights anchored between McGuire and Government Islands. There is piling on the north entrance, so you must approach from the south. There is also a nice floating restroom on the west side of the southern entrance that comes in handy. For anchoring, it is well protected and we have never had to share the space with another boat overnight. Both islands have a large deer population, so expect to see them in the evenings and in the morning.

[C Buchs]

Government Island State Recreation Area https://maps.app.goo.gl/9D53ZuxNARALSyJn6 is 1,760 acres. So there is a lot to explore. Two docks make accessibility easy. Both spots have well-maintained composting toilets and places for tent camping. The Glen Jackson Bridge connects Oregon and Washington via Interstate 205 on its western end. We stayed the night west of 205 once for the 4th of July. There were LOTS of boats out here for the holiday. There is an area here that is protected from the main channel by Tri-Club Island which makes a good spot for the night. There used to be the "largest fireworks display west of the Mississippi" from Fort Vancouver that you could watch from here, but sadly they aren't doing it anymore. It's a nice area with lots to explore. We prefer the east end because it's farther away from the freeway and the airport.

[NiceAft]

C Bucks,

This photo is stunning.


I would like to make a water color of it someday. Would you mind if I interpret it? I like to ask permission before painting someone else’s work. The composition is perfect.

[Russ]

C Bucks,

This photo is stunning.


I would like to make a water color of it someday. Would you mind if I interpret it? I like to ask permission before painting someone else’s work. The composition is perfect.

Agreed.

Can we have permission to add this photo to the slideshow on the main site page?

[C Buchs]

Russ & Ray:
You are both welcome to use my photos.

Jeff

[C Buchs]

I ran into one of you at my home port this weekend. I didn't get your username, but I think it was MissionMac. I'm glad you made the trip up to our part of the river! You also reminded me to keep this series going. My next trip was a fun one!

Jeff

[C Buchs]

Destination St. John's Bridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Johns_Bridge



We made this 25-mile each-way trip for the first time last year. We started from our home port and motored to the BNSF railroad bridge downriver from the I5 Bridge. We radioed the bridge tender on channel 13 and asked about an opening. They responded that they had a train coming but would open after. We hung around the Vancouver Waterfront for 10 minutes before they opened.

There is a dock at the Vancouver Waterfront Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Waterfront_Park that I see boats parked at. We've talked about stopping, but we never have. This spot is only 15 minutes from our house by car. So we've been many times. There are some great restaurants, wineries, bars, etc. I had a part in designing the sockets on the ends of the structural strand that holds up the Grant Steet Pier. It's the centerpiece of the waterfront trail.

After passing the bridge, some wind picked up and we were able to sail.

I had scoped a few different places to anchor for the night around the mouth of the Willamette River and the South end of Sauvie Island. We ended up in this https://maps.app.goo.gl/qBkUHHYbF5ajDBSj6 enclosed area across from Freds Marina. The water was shallower than what is currently shown on Google Maps, but we were careful and anchored in five feet of water in a completely protected spot. The sunset was nice with some birds visiting us.



The next morning we went up the Multnomah Channel to the Sauvie Island Bridge.



From there we headed for our destination.



After taking pictures and enjoying the views we turned around and motored all the way home.

We'll definitely do this trip again. If we have more time or hurry some more, we would like to go farther up the Willamette River and into Portland. We are thinking of anchoring somewhere around the waterfront or maybe even around Ross Island. If anyone has any experience, I'd love to hear about it.

Jeff

[MissionMac]

I ran into one of you at my home port this weekend. I didn't get your username, but I think it was MissionMac. I'm glad you made the trip up to our part of the river! You also reminded me to keep this series going. My next trip was a fun one!

Jeff

Yep, me and my son motored up to near washougal/camas to check out the port and try out the gas pumps there... Nice to run into you!

[C Buchs]

This article showed up in my news feed yesterday. https://www.wweek.com/outdoors/2024/07/ ... n-explore/ It was written by kayakers. Four of the ten islands they describe are ones that I've mentioned in this thread.

Jeff

[sunshinecoasting]

Hi All, I'm in Queensland Australia and bought my 26X from McCuddy's Marina on the Columbia river way back in 2013. I'm just wondering if anyone knows my boat or the previous owner(s) from back then? They may be interested to know I exported it to tropical Queensland Australia and it now enjoys 365 days a year sailing and no snow. Boat Name is "Entropy at last"