Westport Slough to Clatskanie, Or. to Walker Island

14 September 2008 Sunday

o930 We head out of Kerry West Marina on Westport Slough on the tail end of the ebb tide making our way to the Columbia River. The morning is sunny and we meet the Therese Selmer inbound from Majuro about 1000. Wow, another ship from Majuro! At 1045 an inbound vessel is coming up on our stern, so I look at the name through my binoculars and it is the Fortune Spirit. Having just dropped my crew Linda Fortune off in Cathlamet I told Ann we needed to get some good pictures for Linda. We head over to the nearest Channel marker and wing dam and wait in 30 ft of water. The Fortune Spirit approaches and Ann is clicking away to get the perfect picture with the wing dam is front and the ship's image is seen through the channel markers uprights. I just take a quick pic with my new Cell Phone.

The Fortune Spirit is from Hong Kong. She is coming in empty and will be going out filled to the water line.

We enter Wallace Slough at 1105 and the tide is flooding which we want today as we will be cruising through some shallow waters. We need as much water under Shatoosh's keel as we can get in order to navigate the Clatskanie River.The goal today is to get up to Clatskanie and tie up to Hump's Resturant dock and have lunch and perhaps spend the night, but traveling this late in September the water level is lower than normal. Most people come up this is the spring and early summer. We might not have enough water, but we will try our best. The chart doesn't look that good for the downriver approach to Wallace Slough. We find our deep water pilings to cruise by and have 10 feet of water. I do like double digit depths. Single digit depths make me keep my hand glued on the gearshift, where in a blink of an eye I can shift into neutral or reverse in a flash. Coming up is a small sandbar and marshy island to port. As we approach the upper portion the waters don't look good with grass growing in it. The depth sounder reads 5,4, the gear is in neutral with the tide on our stern, 3, and 2 read and I am in reverse and off the mud. Back tracking our course from the gps I am looking for a better route, Ann is reading water depths off the chart for me. Maybe we should be on the other side of the island, I'm thinking outloud? 2 fishing boats are buzzing down the slough and they have in-out drives on their boats. We work our way over in that direction and proceed up river. We find double digit water, I'm smiling again, but at any second it can change. We go slow 3-4 knots until we have deeper water on the chart and under us. Ann and I sigh with relief. There are many houses along the slough with Bow picker fishing boats on their docks. One very large cruising boat 60+ ft. We come upon our next slough which on some charts is called Beaver Slough. On this corner there is a nice property with several boat sheds, lots of skidoos, canoes, kayaks, and 2 hydroplane boats that are about 10 ft long. This slough is much narrower and winding. Shallow on the convex side and 20+ft deep on the concave side of the river. We are still traveling in caution mode and finding the majority of water 7 feet. There are no more houses, just wild country.

At 1205 we pass a very narrow inlet, slow down and go in neutral checking the chart and conclude this inlet is the Clatskanie River. "Oh Boy," I say to Ann, "this does not look good". In El Paso where I grew up we'd call this a drainage ditch. " I'd never go up this alone, but since you are with me, Ann, we'll continue." In we go and now I am in steering stand-up mode with hand on gear shift. Its a winding creek, not river and for the most part we are in 4-6 feet of water. I've heard of people trying to anchor in here and loosing their ground tackle(anchor and chain).
I can't imagine anyone trying to anchor in here. There are lots of fallen trees along the shore, muddy water and I'm not sure I could turn the boat around in some places. As long as the water is here we will proceed. We arrive at a train tressel which remains open except for when , of course, there is a train. The water is deep in this bend in the river. I say to Ann, "I know this, I remember this coming on the Lewis and Clark Train to Astoria for the Bicentennial." I didn't at the time realize this was Clatskanie. We had to wait for the tressel men to come down and swing the tracks around so we could cross. I had a window seat on the diesel 3 car train. What fun was that.

At 1300 we arrive at Humps Resturant and have 14 ft of water at the dock. We have a nice lunch, and decide there is no way I'm going to be up here at low tide. The tide is still flooding when we leave, so I plug in my track back course and we reverse the whole trip. This time I have 5-7 feet of water under the hull. We had no room for dessert at lunch so this is our piece of cake for the day- getting out of Clatskanie.

Its 1505 when we get to Wallace slough and head up river. To our surprise we see a snow capped mountain ahead of us and first response is there's St. Helens, but then after looking longer I realize it is Mt. Rainer. From this angle it is double peaked and still snow capped whereas St. Helens is primarily bare. I have seen Rainer from this angle before on other parts of the river and it has this double peak. (I look up Wallace Slough today on the Images of the Columbia River and they even have a photo of our view. Take a peek at this peak.) We want to exit the up river side this time and again the exit waters do not look that great. I choose a course but there are some bad spots on the chart, but maybe we will be lucky with the high tide. The depth sounder is screaming 3 ft. Which means we have 1.5 feet of water under the keel. I'm looking at the bottom with long sea grass and we drift through the area in neutral and find our deep water. I want to see if we can anchor at my newly discovered anchorage, but its sunday and the jet skiers are out, people on my private beach and its hot and will be sunny the rest of the day. I decide to head on upriver to Walker island dock again and show Ann this spot. It is a favorite of many people. It will be shady, and we can explore in Pashmina. Ann is up for some more traveling so we enter the Columbia River again. Normally there is little ship traffic on Sunday, but not today. We see the Ace Bridge from Port Villa -Vanuatu, Astro Coach from Panama, Century Hwy #3 from Panama( I have seen this ship before) Cyprus Trail from Norway. We tied up to the dock at 1730. Hira takes some time to look over her ongoing list of ships and hailing ports to double check that she has seen the Century Hwy #3.

Baby osprey is still here and still crying for his mother to bring him food. She does a touch and go landing on the nest, dropping off a fish and then he quiets down for a while. This will be his last fish for the evening. After our dinner we have some tea and continue watching osprey. I notice along the shore a coyote with beautiful rust colered ears and back of his head. He is just standing so still on shore at the waters's edge behind some grass. He stays there even after dark. We find out he has been in the area for several days. I have never seen nor heard a Coyote in this area.

Days run 26nm
Total 148nm

Walker Island- Its a Pashmina Day at the Beach

15 Sept 2008 Monday

We off load Pashmina from the cabin top. This is easy as she just slides off the aft end of the cabin top into the water. Let gravity do the work is my motto. The current and tides are always swift at the Walker island dock, but at this time it is not too bad. Just upriver from this dock there is the sweetest cove protected by a huge granite point and a lovely beach. Ann and I load the binoculars, life jackets, and a small cooler with tuna fish sandwiches for our picnic lunch. Ann and I dinghy over and pull Pashmina up on to the dark, hard sandy beach. The sun is out and lying on the beach is glorious. I try once to swim but the water is still a little cold, but I wade waist high and cool off.

I always carry my Ann Gash Ditty Bag while ashore which carries a multipurpose tool, toilet paper, hand cleaner and a plastic bag.(see bag on my left arm in enlarged picture) Ann Gash is the Sailing Granny of Australia. I got to know her as she was passing though Hawaii sailing her 24 ft folkboat Ilimo to California and then returning to Australia. She already had a circumnavigation under her belt. Ann Gash wrote "A Star To Steer Her By" which chronicled her circumnavigation. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 83 with her Ilimo still tied to her Pittwater buoy. I talked her into returning home through the Marshall islands and stopping by to visit my other single-handed sailor friend Ethel in Majuro. As she sailed to Majuro she knitted 2 small ditty bags out of cotton rope for Jean, my twin and me. I always think of Ann Gash as I throw the bag in Pashmina. Well, when Ann Gash sailed into the lagoon at Majuro and dinghied ashore a local man said, "We have our own single handed lady sailor on the island." Ann quickly replied, "that is precisely why I have come; take me to her". With Majuro ships and my dinghy bag I am filled with Gash and Ethel stories which I tell my crew person Ann, as we are lying on the beach. She had never heard any of stories, so it was delightful to get to share them. My mentor and friend Ethel retired from the Army and went to Majuro to do PT during the polio epidemic. She lived there 20 years and sailed a Cal 20. I always think of Ethel when Majuro comes up in conversation. I first met Ethel while I was a college student. She was Chief PT at William Beaumont in El Paso, Texas when I learned about the Army Physical Therapy Program. Ethel gave Jean and me a tour and a talk about the program. Later when we were students and Lieutenants in the program she was Chief PT at Brooke Army Medical Center where we did our clinical affiliations. Jean had consulted in the Marshall Islands with the Honolulu Arthritis Foundation and had visited Majuro while Ethel was living there. Ethel has since passed on, but recently Rachel from Orcas Island sent me a copy of a clever poem Ethel had written years ago. I can still hear her cute giggle. Perhaps you will giggle when you read her poem.

We Don't – Do you?

Where can you find the cap for your knee
Or the key for the lock of your hair?
Would you call your eye an academy
Just because the pupils are there?
In the crown of your head what jewels are found?
Who travels the bridge of your nose?
If you wanted to shingle the roof of your mouth
Could you use the nails of your toes?
Could you sit in the shade of the palm of your hand?
Or beat on the drums of your ears?
Could the calves on your legs eat the corn on your toes?
Then why not have corn on the ear?
Could the crook in your arm be sent to jail?
If so, what did he do?
How can you sharpen your shoulder blades?
I don't know ---- Do you?

Ethel Coeling

Our lovely peace and solitude is interrupted by a ski boat coming in to hang out. They drop their goodies off and then off they go wake boarding. We eat our sandwiches and I walk the beach back to where Mister Coyote was the night before to see if I could see his tracks. I couldn't but I did see a lot of muskrat scat and mussels on the beach.

The skiers return so we decide to head back to Shatoosh and reorganize for the rest of our beach time. We pick up our bottled water and fill the solar shower and leave it on the cabin top to cook for the rest of the day. Ann has years of Dragon Boat Experience, so I let her row for the rest of the day, but it is clear there is a huge difference in paddling and rowing. We finally make it across the channel and take the flood tide up through the watery inlet between Walker island and Lord island. A flock of Ruddy ducks take flight as we approach too close to their liking. We carry Pashmina high on shore just this side of the series of wing dams which is being submerged with the flood tide. We walk in the water around the edge and now are on the Columbia river.

We investigate the high bank wall which many swallows have dug their nests into its side. Little orange butterflies welcome us. The water is calm, no wind. I wonder what we will see along this side of Walker island. Coming up to the next point 2 big birds are flushed. "Are they young eagles", I ask? We walk a little farther and there must be 20 vultures flying off the beach. Some land up in the trees and stare down at us, other fly off and circle back behind us. We find their lunch, a large salmon, which they have completely devoured. Their wing span is huge and this is probably the closest I have come to a vulture. We continue to walk farther down the river and are immediately attacked my thousands of mosquitoes, biting us everywhere. We have to scramble over some rocks on the next point to get to the next section of beach. We flush a large flock of Canada geese and later find some nice logs to sit on and have our water. The mosquitoes are still around so we head back through the thicket of their nest. Swatting as we climb over the slippery rocks. "Why did we leave our shoes on Pashmina", I ask myself?

Ann wants to continue rowing. I sit in the stern and bark orders, "pull harder on the left." This mantra drones across the flooding tide as Ann struggles to keep us up river of the dock. This looks like a loosing battle as her left arm is tiring fast, I grab the oars and get us to the dock. Our dock neighbors have been out in their fast dink and tell us that their friends are coming in to dock here and they have a 60 ft boat. I assure them we will be out of their way. We empty the dinghy of our gear and put her on the dock. Our peaceful day is ending with " hurry, pull harder, hurry", " hurry another boat is coming in". Hurry, is not usually in my vocabulary. Remember I am a double taurus, but sometimes we have to hurray in order to make the dock, otherwise the tide will sweep us up river.

Well, we are all quietly and peacefully standing on the dock, as the 60 ft steel trawler Kaizen, docks after returning from a year of cruising Alaska. We clean Pashmina and stow her on top the cabin. Later, Victoria greets us and gives us a tour. She is a confident first mate and co-owner with Hugh. Kaizen is a converted military boat and is a work in process. There are 7 navigational computer screens with 2 separate systems. They are going to circumnavigate the globe in her. They have just completed a non stop run from Ketchikan to Neah Bay Wa. in 34 hours. The worst part of the trip was coming down the coast, and they had to use their stabilizers. They dock at Scappoose Moorage where I dock. They will be here a few weeks and then head south to Mexico. Perhaps I will see them again.

After chatting with everyone we return to Shatoosh where our hot showers are waiting. While sitting on the aft cabin you can easily use the solar shower on the cabin top to rinse off. Wow, the water is hot but you are really refreshed to get all the sand and river water off you.

The boat hook double duties as a towel holder. Ann relaxes in the cockpit reading some boating magazines. The dinghy seat makes a great back rest, as well. I love double duty items. Maybe its because I am a twin.

Dinner is served in fine fashion, pork chops and Pudge's fresh corn from her farm. Pudge wanted Ann to pick it by 1000 for the best quality, but Ann was late. Even corn picked after 1000 is still good, in fact it is great. Thanks Pudge for your contribution to our cruise. Thanks Linda for the veggies donated from your city garden. The squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans were yummy.

After dinner we look for Mr. Coyote but he didn't show. Young osprey settles down for the night after mother brings him his evening meal. At dark we close down the window flaps and settle in for a nice evening of talk and tea. Tonight is the full moon and is called the Harvest moon and isn't she beautiful, as she rises over Lord Island?

We have had a fun filled day with lots of adventures and that is what Shatoosh and Pashmina are all about.

We didn't even row a mile so there is no update on the day's run or total mileage....just a lot of fun.

Walker Island to Cathlamet Wa.

16 Sept 2008 Tuesday

After breakfast Hugh from Kaizen comes over to investigate Shatoosh. He and Victoria have been photographing the young Osprey. We have some good boat conversations. He is an old bicyclist and avid car fan so he and Ann hit it off. This year marks Ann's 50th anniversary of biking from New Jersey to Portland on 3 speed Schwinn bikes with her friend Pudge. Ann and Pudge were given the Keys to the City of Portland by the Mayor upon their arrival. What an accomplishment! Congratulations ladies. We have been eating fresh corn from Pudge's farm in Orting this trip.

1046 We pull away from the dock and head down river, slowing to take some pictures of the granite cliffs covered with bright green lichen. Out on the Columbia we pick up speed with the ebbing tide and cruise along at 8.2 knots.

One hour later we are anchored at Gull island to spend some time in the sun. This is the sweetest beach. Hira downs her lemon water and Ann enjoys the

view.

Across the river is Hwy 4 which runs the river to the west. Large granite cliffs dwarf the roadway. It is a lovely drive I'm told by Ann and Linda. I've only done it by boat.

We have a nice turkey sandwich for lunch. The tide is out and we spot 45 Canada Geese sitting on the barren spit. I sketch in a picture in my log book which I will use in Vol 3 of my Children's Series of the Adventures of Shatoosh and Pashmina. It is a relaxing spot as another Majuro Ship passes out bound. This time it is the Therese Selmer. I jokingly say they must be in for a run on Spam, as the folks in Micronesia and Hawaii are big spam eaters. I think they were grain vessels. [ I checked the World Ship Registry and the Majuro ships are grain vessels and many have ladies names with Selmer as the last. I haven't found out who all these ladies are.]

Ann takes the helm at 1430 and we cross the river to take a closer look at Abernethy and Mill Creeks which we have spotted from our anchorage. It would be fun to take Pashmina up them. The water is over 80 ft deep along this shore, and someone has hung big tractor tires from the cliff, so you could tie up in calm seas and dinghy in for a while and pray for no big ships to pass. We pass an upriver barge and tug with salvaged cars on them. These are really compact cars. I didn't get a picture as I was stowing the anchor and rode as they passed.


AT 1540 Cape Horn is blowing bad so we will take the longer route around Puget Island to get into Cathlamet. The wind is blanketed by the island so we make good time and I quiz Ann on the Rules of the Road, buoy systems and establishing ETA's. The Ferry boat Waikiakum crosses our path and who has right of way? This ferry boat goes from Westport to Puget Island. Every time our speed changes I make Ann compute our ETA to Cathlamet. Its all good practice.
We make the channel marker 4 minutes ahead of our eta of 1730.

I take the helm to come into the marina, the wind is on our stern, the tide ebbing, the docks are narrow so it is difficult to turn the boat around. I make a mistake and start my turn too far down on the docks, so the wind keeps pushing me deeper into the boats and shallow water. Ann is prepared with the boat hook, all fenders out and finally I can get the boat backed up out of this hole I've gotten into and dock on my port side. I just can't get the bow turned around in the wind. I learned that lesson.
After docking I take my shoe off as my foot has been feeling bruised all day. I was thinking I had bruised it climbing on the rocks at Walker island. I look at it and there is a red, swollen area and I discover a wood sliver from the dock. I had to remove a sliver from Ann's foot yesterday. I get my magnifying glass, tweezers, and scissors and go to work on it. Out it comes and I clean it with alcohol and do Reiki on it. In the morning it is all OK.

We go to the River View for dinner again and head back to Shatoosh for tea and early to bed. It has been so much fun having Ann along. She is ready for any and everything. She's neat and tidy
and is most helpful on the boat. Next time don't wait so long in joining us on Shatoosh and Pashmina.

Days run 23 nm
Ann's total mileage was 61nm.
Grand Total 171nm

Cathlamet Wa to Martin Slough

18 Sept 2008 Wednesday
After breakfast Ann and I make a run into town in "Smartypants" to get some supplies and ice. She is a real cutey pie and fun to drive.
We walk the boat down the dock towards the mouth of the marina so I can get out easier. Ann takes off and I leave at 1000. It is cloudy and overcast, but I decide to go behind Puget Island as it is calm. I work my way out through the buoys crisscrossing the channel and I go from 20+ feet to 4 ft in seconds. I remember this shallow area last year. By the time I get to Cape Horn the wind is picking up on my stern. I begin to get cold so put the window flap down and put on my fleece pullover and start the heater. In minutes I am warm and toasty.

Wednesday must be a busy shipping day: I see 11 ships:

1. Sammi Aurora- Panama


2. Emerald- Panama


3. US Naval ship Zeus- no hailing port


4. Flex Shine at anchor Longview- Hong Kong


5. New Diamond also at anchor- Je Ju Korea

6. Beluga Recognition- St. Johns

7. Maria Green- Gibraltar

8. Azizi- Lammisol Cyprus

9. Pacific Primate- Monrovia

10. Genius Star VII Wisdom Line- Panama

11. Nord Sincere- Hong Kong

At 1315 I slow down, pull off near the cliffs below Walker Island and take a potty break, change clothes, as it is getting warm with some sun breaks, make a sandwich and am back at the helm at 1320. I usually don't make this trip in one day, but because I'm meeting my mechanic on Friday I need to press on. The wind and seas have died in this area but later they pick back up around Cottonwood Island with the Washington shore stormy and the Oregon shore with breaking sun.

At Kalama the Ship Genius Star VII is headed straight for the range marker and I am way ahead of him and am pulling over to the Washington shore line and he begins to really make up some distance and continues to bear down on my course. I keep bearing off but it looks like I am going to run out of maneuvering room and he is not going to alter his course. The range here puts the ships right at the entrance to the port of Kalama which is a very busy small boat harbor. The whole river is deep so it doesn't make sense that the Captains have to bear down on the vessels here. I have had another tight time with a Japanese freighter outbound one afternoon. So I decide to make a sharp turn back down river and completely get out of his way. Just as I did this he changed his course away from the range marker. The big boys always have right of way. I let him pass me and then I turned back upriver on his stern.

From Kalama up river to Martin Bluff the seas and wind were building so we had a fast ride surfing with the big ones. I sailed through the entrance at 7 knots and worked my way back into the slough, making the turn into the narrow entrance and seeing my friend Larry on the Starship at the dock. This will be a nice evening. 1610 is my arrival time. I am starved so eat an early dinner. Larry invites me over for tea and boat talk. I see all his new LED lights inside. I might have to get some in the cockpit; a white and red combo for navigation. After 6.5 hours at the helm I'm asleep at 2200.

My days run is 35 nm
total mileage is 206nm.

Martin Slough to St. Helens

18 Sept 2008 Thursday

Larry on Starship and I spend the overcast morning talking about cruising different places we have been. He delivers vessels up the coast from time to time and is very knowledgeable about the Columbia River bar or the graveyard of the pacific, as it is called. The misting finally stops so after lunch I decide to take off for St. Helens Or. where I have a date to have some maintenance done on Shatoosh's engine.

I depart at 1330 and when I reach the Columbia river it is calm, cloudy and no wind. I love it.

I see an outbound ship the New Emminence from Panama coming around Sand Island. I head over to the city guest dock and pump out my holding tank. There are quite a few sturgeon fisherman with some in the bag. Then cut back down river and tie up on Sand Island for the night. I'm directly across from MayDay Marine where I will have Mike do the engine work tomorrow.

Its 1515 and I have traveled 8nm and a total of 214nm.

Rendevous with MayDay Marine St. Helens Or and On To Coon Island

19 Sept 2008 Friday

My alarm on my new cell phone wakes me at 0600. Up and Adam, as they say. Johnnie on the Spot. My mechanic Mike starts work at 0700. I have coffee, green drink and almonds. He has a part of a slip for me to pull into, so at 0705 I am headed across the river and Mike and Tony are standing on the dock to help me in. I have had a tiny leak in my primary fuel filter ever since it was installed by a local mechanic. This time they pull the whole thing off to really look at it and discover an improper fitting was used on the fuel outflow side of the filter. Plus they used teflon tape instead of the proper pipe sealing agent. This does not surprise me at all, as I have had trouble before with things not being installed properly. I get my oil changed, fuel and oil filters replaced and a new impeller and gasket for my engine water pump. Mike is a really good mechanic and electrician. I like and really respect his work. The tide is ebbing now, and even though there is no wind, St. Helens is always rocky and rolly.

Then off to the fuel dock to top off my tank and I head upriver to slip onto the Multnomah channel which connects the Columbia River to the Willamette River. It is 18 nm long, but tonight I will stay over at Coon Island. I always end my trips at Coon Island. I get an extra night on the river and have time to clean up the boat. Coon is 8 nm upriver and 3 nm to Scappoose Moorage.

I arrive at 1130, the sun is shining and shortly hear the infamous cackling of the migratory sandhill cranes who live on Sauvie island for the winter. Flocks are flying in and circling overhead. It is always a great sight to behold. Shortly a nice looking sailboat is starting to pull in and 2 ladies are onboard. I rarely see female boaters on the Columbia. The owner has recently bought Nirvana, a 24 ft Eastward Ho. This is another East coast boat that I have always seen in photos but never in person. She has lovely lines. She has a full keel with a 4 ft draft and a diesel westerbeke engine. We sit on the dock, have lunch and chat a while. Soon they are off heading upriver to St John's Bridge for an evening party. I enjoy a lazy afternoon, packing up dirty clothes, cleaning the galley, reading, playing Sudoku puzzles and looking at the charts for the mouth and lower aspect of the Columbia River for next summer. Later in the day a small yacht club party tie up at the end of east dock but it seems like they are very far away. In the evening I can hear some beating of country music off in the distance but it doesn't last too long and after I put my window flaps down I shut the noise out. I'm down to eating odds and ends so finish off my eggs and make french toast for dinner.

Speaking of food, I have mentioned some of our meals, but would like to share some of our delicious meals along the way. While I am not known as a cook at home, I do love fixing meals on board. The truth of the matter is, I love doing anything on board. I tend to eat the freshest things first and eat other things later in the cruise like spagetti and marinara sauce. I try to end the trip with no food left over which I am good at. Before I shop I figure out how many lunches and dinners I will need and go from there. Starting out sometimes with a baked chicken from Fred Meyers which will give me several meals and sandwiches. Often I get sushi and carrot juice there for the first night. I love this combination. Some times I bring frozen meats of a variety to start me out and eat them as they defrost. Lately, I have been eating some prepared foods like potatoe salad, lasagna, garlic mashed potatoes, teriyaki chicken meatballs, and polish sausages. I fix lots of corn, asparagus, salads, zuchini and onion stir fry. I have apples, blueberries, blackberries, lemons and limes on board. Throwing in some fruit in a dalup of yogurt is nice for dessert. Turkey, tuna fish, hummus always make for nice lunches. Sometimes, I eat hard boiled eggs for lunch while underway. I have boxed soups and different kinds of rice mixes. My breakfast is always a green drink with almonds, except for Sundays when I fix french toast. If it is cold I always have oatmeal or grits on board as extras. I have an old spreadsheet which has all my items on board, the quanities I have on hand and what I need. I have a dc refrigerator and an ice cooler that I need for long trips. I cut off part of a plastic waste basket in which a block of ice fits. I put this in the dc refrigerator to supplement the coolness, especially if the weather is hot.The plastic basket contains the water and makes it easy to dump overboard. I usually pack all the meat products around this block of ice to maintain freshness. Because of the heat this trip

I carried 2 blocks in the cooler and one in the refrig. All in all, the food situation worked out great this time with all the supplementation from the home gardens. Thank you Ann, Linda and Pudge.

Another great day.

Day's run 8nm.

Grand Total 222nm.

My Run From Coon Island to Scappoose Moorage

20 Sept 2008 Saturday

I depart at 0900 with cloudy skies. The late night partiers are just rising and milling on the dock.
The multnomah channel is still, a few great blue herons are flying and high in the sky there are clusters of sandhill cranes. The ride home is a short 3 nm. I pass the Kaizen as she is tied up, Victoria sees me and steps out of the pilothouse to wave me home, just as I had done to them on their return from Alaska. I dock Shatoosh easily. Check the engine and no fuel filter leak. Hurray its finally fixed. I unload all the supplies and put them on my travel cart and slowly walk down the dock and begin the long climb up the ramp. I really don't want to go home. I love being on Shatoosh and exploring. It has been a wonderful trip. Now I must get ready to travel to Denver for the birth of my 2nd grand niece/nephew.

My log shows I traveled 225 nm and used 22 gallons of diesel.

Since returning home I have been looking up ship's names on the master register.
Go to : www.e-ship.net/index/T6.shtml for information on any of the ships we have seen on this voyage. On the home page there is a distance calculator for ocean ports that you can use. More fun options for all my readers.