After breakfast I check my charts and find a launch ramp, moorage and small service available at the Fishery on the Oregon side near Beacon Rock. I call and yes, they do have ice, which I am low on. It means I have to make a long trip upriver against a tough current, winds and possible rainy, cold weather. I'm up to the challenge and depart on an flood tide at 0830hrs. I pass a vulture and a me
rganser at the entrance. I get to Cape Horn and see all the cliffs and waterfalls. They are so beautiful. The Amtrak train of 5 cars zooms through the tunnel that is carved through these massive cliffs. The upriver winds are beginning to pick up and there are a few rain drizzles. The channel makes some bends and now the Multnomah Falls are in view. I'm on the last leg to my destination. I hug the shoreline and see a bald eagle with a flock of vultures flying over head. He must have what they want. All the mountain peaks are shrouded in mist, dark clouds, but there is a break way up river near Beacon Rock.
rganser at the entrance. I get to Cape Horn and see all the cliffs and waterfalls. They are so beautiful. The Amtrak train of 5 cars zooms through the tunnel that is carved through these massive cliffs. The upriver winds are beginning to pick up and there are a few rain drizzles. The channel makes some bends and now the Multnomah Falls are in view. I'm on the last leg to my destination. I hug the shoreline and see a bald eagle with a flock of vultures flying over head. He must have what they want. All the mountain peaks are shrouded in mist, dark clouds, but there is a break way up river near Beacon Rock.
About a half mile from my destination and where there are more anchored sturgeon fishing boats than you can imagine. The wind and seas become violent, confused and spray is blowing off the white caps. I'm taking 3-4 footers on my stern and am now standing to steer between all the boats. The temperature drops and in spite of the windows snapped closed there is a chill in the cockpit. I grab my life jacket off the seat back and put it on, as it does have a warming effect in addition to safety. Shatoosh is rocking and rolling up the river and I am standing at the Still Point of the boat. This is the center point of the boat, the balance point, the place of least motion. This is a great place to be whether you are on a boat or just trudging through life. The calm place in a storm, the calm place within you, where you act without reacting.
As I approach the Fishery and there are lots of boats launching and being trailered out of the water. A circling pattern of boats are waiting in a Que and I see that the outside end space is open. I pull on my fender line and release all my fenders down. It is quite calm here, the water flat, the current not bad and the wind reasonable. I will be docking down river but it seems do-able. I pull up to the dock, slowing Shatoosh with little burst of reverse and step out with both lines in hand, tie off my stern line and can flip my bow line on the cleat. It pays to be a cowgirl from Texas who is a roping champion. In all these years I have never lost my touch. I get back in and put on my red fleece pullover that my friend, Marga made for me when I bought Shatoosh. It is th
e best. I talk with a fellow who was fishing yesterday and who just launched his boat. He told me that his wife snagged the back of a sturgeon yesterday and was pulling what seemed to be dead weight. They got it up and it turned out to be a 9 foot sturgeon. They thought it was dead as his tail was turned up. He grabbed the tail and pulled the hook out of its back and then like greased lightening the fish bolted and nearly jerked the guy off his boat. They never saw it again. Sturgeons have been around for millions of years and there are unbelievable fish stories about them. They are very savvy and can out smart man in a flash.
e best. I talk with a fellow who was fishing yesterday and who just launched his boat. He told me that his wife snagged the back of a sturgeon yesterday and was pulling what seemed to be dead weight. They got it up and it turned out to be a 9 foot sturgeon. They thought it was dead as his tail was turned up. He grabbed the tail and pulled the hook out of its back and then like greased lightening the fish bolted and nearly jerked the guy off his boat. They never saw it again. Sturgeons have been around for millions of years and there are unbelievable fish stories about them. They are very savvy and can out smart man in a flash.Shatoosh with Beacon Rock in the background
I get my ice, have a pit stop on shore and have a piece of salami and cheese. I'm considering whether I could or should dock over night or head back to Rooster. The wind changes and blows right on my bow making this a very bumpy dock. With that, I'm on my way at 1120 hrs heading back down river into the tide, the wind, the waves and the current on my stern. I'm in no hurry so keep my rpm's down and ride quite smoothly. The eagle has left the beach and the vultures have the run of the place. I'm almost back in the Multnomah falls area when my old Albin buddy Too Tall Tom calls from California. He's excited to hear that I am on the water. Hey, wait a minute I tell him. There is something in the water ahead and off my port bow. It is white and big. Could it be a wake boar
d, or wind surfer board? Oh my gosh, Too Tall, its a sturgeon floating belly up. I'm past it in a flash. I have to get a picture of this, so turn the boat around and tell him I'll call him back. I circle back around several times to see it and it is about 9 feet in length. Could this be the 9 footer from yesterday? I take some photos, and get back on the cell phone to update Too Tall. We have a wonderful chat. He is always looking for Albins that he can re-do and sell. What a fun guy. We had more fun messing around with our Albins at Oxbow Marina on that wonderful Georgiana Slough in the Delta.
I get my ice, have a pit stop on shore and have a piece of salami and cheese. I'm considering whether I could or should dock over night or head back to Rooster. The wind changes and blows right on my bow making this a very bumpy dock. With that, I'm on my way at 1120 hrs heading back down river into the tide, the wind, the waves and the current on my stern. I'm in no hurry so keep my rpm's down and ride quite smoothly. The eagle has left the beach and the vultures have the run of the place. I'm almost back in the Multnomah falls area when my old Albin buddy Too Tall Tom calls from California. He's excited to hear that I am on the water. Hey, wait a minute I tell him. There is something in the water ahead and off my port bow. It is white and big. Could it be a wake boar
d, or wind surfer board? Oh my gosh, Too Tall, its a sturgeon floating belly up. I'm past it in a flash. I have to get a picture of this, so turn the boat around and tell him I'll call him back. I circle back around several times to see it and it is about 9 feet in length. Could this be the 9 footer from yesterday? I take some photos, and get back on the cell phone to update Too Tall. We have a wonderful chat. He is always looking for Albins that he can re-do and sell. What a fun guy. We had more fun messing around with our Albins at Oxbow Marina on that wonderful Georgiana Slough in the Delta.
I'm back down to Cape Horn to take some more photos of the cliffs. I hear a plane overhead and look forward as it sounds very low and low it is. It is a biplane and he just buzzed me and pulls up after he passes over me and in front of me. Again and again I repeat, all these stories are true. Let the day begin and I watch in real amazement. I love writing this blog so all my friends can read these amazing stories. I'm back tied up in the still waters of Rooster Rock by 1330.
This was some ice run !
I hang out reading another book. This one was written about my ole friend Ben McCormack and his journey of designing and building his boat Crescendo in his parent's side yard in San Diego. What an adventure that was. I loved sailing on Crescendo, a beautiful ketch. Ben is now dead and Crescendo ended up on the bottom of the ocean when Ben hit an unmarked rock off Koolawe Island in Hawaii. I remember looking at a photo of Crescendo on the bottom with all her sails up and flowing. She looked as though she was sailing underwater. I was so sad when Ben was telling me about her one time when I stopped in Lahina and looked him up. This book brought back so many memories of Ben and Crescendo, sailing off shore in Hawaii. His favorite place to go was Hanalei Bay on Kauai, where he often spent the summer. I sailed with him once over there and at dawn, he put on the soundtrack from South Pacific, opened a bottle of champagne and then preceded to cook Eggs Benedict for everyone. Another time, I sailed with Ann Gash in her Folkboat, Ilima ll, to Hanalei so we could spend time with Ben. And once again, we sailed Sabra over to rendezvous with him for a week or two. It was a wonderful time in my life.
I really enjoyed re-reading the book.Day's run 12.6 nm Total: 58.4 nm
