Martin Slough to Coon Island

20 July 2008 Sunday
I have another special french toast and coffee breakfast to celebrate what would be my mother's 95th birthday, had she been alive. I thank her for all that she did for my twin and I growing up in El Paso, Tx. She was quite the providing mother. Her sign is Cancer and care taking was her forte.

I leave after a leisurely morning and the wind high in the cottonwoods tells me that it is blowing like stink and the ride back will be packed waves on my stern all the way with the current and tide against me. "Are you ready to rock and roll", I ask myself. I take some extra time to batten everything down as it will be rough. I put my life jacket on and zip it up as I head out the slough towards the Columbia River. I can see the waves breaking up ahead of me. I brace my feet on the floor and stabilize my knee against the cabin side taking the waves head on. I stay in close to shore as it is over 60 feet deep and go down river a bit to position myself better to make my turn upriver and not get hit too bad with the beam seas, but still have enough room to clear the range markers on my port side. I maneuver, with time, across the river and head up river on the Oregon side. This way, I have learned, I can avoid the major thrust of the current and ebbing tide and pick up a couple of knots. A few sailboats are actually sailing for a change, the wind surfers are going back and forth across the water. St Helens is a busy Sunday waterfront, so I zig and zag through boats and escape to the usually calm Multnomah Channel. I'm tucked between Sauvie Island and the Oregon mainland. There are hundreds of small boats with skiers, tube riders, wake boarders and sun worshippers all going many directions. Now, I remember why I never go out during the weekend. Its too crazy. After 6 miles it starts to quiet down, but then I hear a chopper close overhead. I look out the back window and a small helicopter is bearing down lower and lower on me and then banks off to my starboard side taking pictures of me. Its boatpix.com. They fly up river and banks back towards me again flying so low that I think it could hit me, but then up he flies over me again. He must have been 20 feet off the water. Well, Sha and Pa breathe a sigh of relief and Hira thinks this place is getting as crazy as the delta. I call a friend and have her look up boatpix.com for me. Its a company out of Florida which flies all over taking pictures of boats. For a slight fee they will send a photo 16X20

all touched up, removing blemishes, fenders, unsightly items. Well, the slight fee is over $200. I think I'll pass on this one.

Just up river is Coon Island, another fav spot of mine. I always like to spend an extra night on Coon and get the boat tidied up, then in the morning it is a short 3nm run to the marina. Coon Isl has 2 docks one on the east side and one on the west side. Today I choose the west side to get more afternoon sun. There is a large trawler tied up, Sea Gypsy, so I pull in along the inside dock. Later they return in their dinghy and we have a wonderful time sharing stories. I have met so many great people on the river. I get a message stating a friend has died after her 8 year cancer ordeal. Jeanene was such a wonderful spirit and will be missed by many.

I always like evenings on Coon as I get to listen to the coyotes on the mainland hunting, but not tonight. All's quiet on the western front. The next morning I head back to Scappoose Moorage and relish my weeklong adventure with my favorite boat buddies, Shatoosh and Pashmina. It has been so much fun. Total nm: 70