Cruising the US Pacific Coast

[richardlittle45]

My boat (a 2017 Oceanis 45) is currently on Oahu, Hawaii. I will be sailing it back to the Mainland to Seattle during September. After cruising in the San Juan's and Vancouver Island for a few weeks, I will depart about the 16th of October to cruise down the Pacific Coast to Marina Del Rey, my boat's home port. My intent is to sail port to port so that I minimize overnight legs, since I will be sailing solo much of this journey south.

I have a few questions:
1. Do any of you have tips that you have learned from doing a similar cruise?
2. Are there any ports along the way that are MUST stop ports and are there any to avoid? Why?
3. I am seeing no ports in Washington State so am currently planning to go from Seattle to Astoria, Oregon (up the Columbia River) in a two-day trip. Am I missing something good in Washington?

I am looking forward to hearing from you!!

Thank you,

Richard

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by richardlittle45

My boat (a 2017 Oceanis 45) is currently on Oahu, Hawaii. I will be sailing it back to the Mainland to Seattle during September. After cruising in the San Juan's and Vancouver Island for a few weeks, I will depart about the 16th of October to cruise down the Pacific Coast to Marina Del Rey, my boat's home port. My intent is to sail port to port so that I minimize overnight legs, since I will be sailing solo much of this journey south.

I have a few questions:
1. Do any of you have tips that you have learned from doing a similar cruise?
2. Are there any ports along the way that are MUST stop ports and are there any to avoid? Why?
3. I am seeing no ports in Washington State so am currently planning to go from Seattle to Astoria, Oregon (up the Columbia River) in a two-day trip. Am I missing something good in Washington?

I am looking forward to hearing from you!!

Thank you,

Richard

See if you can pick up a copy of Douglass' guide https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Pac.../dp/1932310223 (although the $900 retail price showing up on Amazon is a bit weird).

There are tons of places to stop Along the Washington coast but I suppose it is all what you are looking for. I certainly thought places like La Push and Gray's Harbor were worth a visit. It is its own kind of small town America you might not see anywhere else.

Newport, Oregon was cool, so was Morro Bay. We stopped at a over a dozen places and they all offered their won unique feel. But there were no real stand outs except Santa Barbara and that was mostly because I had never been o Southern California before and it really was a bit of culture shock

[Smokeys Kitchen]

I've only been to Westport - but it is a big harbor and there is a lot of deep sea fishing out of there.

Just get a guide or even google map it at a low level. There are many places to pull in as long as the river bars are running correctly

[Fiftybucks]

Most recent trip was Alameda North last Sept.. Bur going north to south...
Watch out at All harbor entrances for sand bars... until you get south of SF plan to wait for weather windows. Heed Coast Guard Advisories they mean it listen for small craft advisories... Watch tides.. much larger than you might be used to. watch bridge clearances... given at high tide.. you are headed south... much easier than to beat north. if you have radar... have it on. AIS also

neah bay... big rock and safe
Tillamook... nice with driftwood
Newport ... marina across the channel from the city
Florence ... Quaint... kind of artist town retreat. look at the bar in town for 'Fast Eddie' famous local everyone knows him Fast Eddie. on the way up to Florence watch for crab pots black floats.
offhshore - watch for a lot of whales in this area... watch for commercial boats here
Coos Bay... (Charleston marina)
Bandon is cool but is a dangerous entrance... neat town but you have to hit the entrance just right stay to the south ... as the swell breaks.. going into Bandon.. match your speed to the swell as best you can then kind of zig zag real quick. you don't want to get sideways to the swell. Best to call Coast Guard.. they will escort in and let you follow.. do what they do.
as is most of these harbors... watch for sand bars. which brings up Astoria...for me.. I'd skip.. long way in from the light ship and dangerous. not worth the risk and time. But if you are already to no... again... skip astoria.. it is for people that know the entrance.
Cresent City... great new docks... showers are poor as are ammenities... good food.. best fish and chips on west coast place is on the main drag in front of the marina
Trinidad... just as an emergency anchorage to wait weather ... wait to get around Cape Mendencino watch this is hard location. You have to go around Cape Mendencino... watch for weather, waves, swell frequency.. Carefully... you are headed south, and if you have a chance of pooped... the water there is 'confused' and swells come in 3 directions. I am talking 12-16ft at 8 sec. with 24 knts typical much greater frequently
you are going with the current....
Shelter Cove for anchorage
Fort Bragg... go up the river to the last marina on the south ----
.. . (Noyo Basin) is great marina wonderful.. little walk north up path to restaurant.
Bodega Bay...
anything in or south of SF is beautiful.

[Don C L]

Hi Richard, I compiled a few threads pertinent to your query in the Pacific Cost Sailors social group forum:

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Threads that are helpful to trip planning

Also there are some good guide books. I am not familiar with the ones detailing north of San Francisco, but I find Brian Fagan's "The Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California: Golden Gate to Ensenada, Mexico, Including the Offshore Islands" accurate and useful. If you are going to swing by the Channel Islands, or the harbor, give me a holler! I'll buy the beer and pizza!

[evm1024]

As long as you are crossing the Columbia Bar you might as well anchor out in Motts Basin. Lots of wildlife and history - think Liberty Ships.

The weather could turn iffy in October along the Washington and Oregon coast. As in you could get the snot beat out of you. Or it could be very, very nice.

[Lepke]

Best places to get out of bad weather between Seattle and SF are Crescent City and Drakes Bay. All the others have bars and can be closed in bad weather. Fort Bragg doesn't really have a bar but heavy swells can make the outer harbor difficult. Nice port to visit, mostly tourist now. You can get in Bodega Bay in bad weather but it can be tough. South of SF the weather and sea conditions are generally much better.
There are many nice little spots to visit in good weather. As a fisherman, I've been in every river and bay north of SF that are charted and a couple uncharted. Some nice quiet places to anchor and most towns have decent restaurants.

The bars including the Columbia are easy in good weather but I still adjust my speed to hit the crossing at slack water, high tide. In bad weather you want to cross at high tide. Big swells at low tide and some boats touch bottom.

[roverhi]

Cruising the NW Coast by George Benson has a lot of information on anchorages along the coast from SF to the Sound. He cruised a 25' boat with outboard mostly motor sailing in short legs seldom longer than 50 miles. He took advantage of anchorages that were protected from the prevailing NW winds. Useful if you want to gunk hole down the coast staying mostly out of marinas. http://georgebenson.us/sailing/

[NorthCoastJoe]

Bodega Bay should be good anytime, just stay in the chanel. Don't cut inside of Bodega Rock when you round Bodega Head.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by richardlittle45

My boat (a 2017 Oceanis 45) is currently on Oahu, Hawaii. I will be sailing it back to the Mainland to Seattle during September. After cruising in the San Juan's and Vancouver Island for a few weeks, I will depart about the 16th of October to cruise down the Pacific Coast to Marina Del Rey, my boat's home port. My intent is to sail port to port so that I minimize overnight legs, since I will be sailing solo much of this journey south.

I have a few questions:
1. Do any of you have tips that you have learned from doing a similar cruise?
2. Are there any ports along the way that are MUST stop ports and are there any to avoid? Why?
3. I am seeing no ports in Washington State so am currently planning to go from Seattle to Astoria, Oregon (up the Columbia River) in a two-day trip. Am I missing something good in Washington?

I am looking forward to hearing from you!!

Thank you,

Richard

Get a copy of Charlie's Charts of the Pacific. It will provide the info to get you south safely. I don't recommend La Push. Use Neah Bay as your launching point to give you the shortest launch from Washington and fuel is cheaper. Mid August is the preferred launch time for destinations south. The Washington-Oregon coast is known as the Graveyard of the Pacific...choose your weather window very carefully and read up on bar crossings.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Fiftybucks]

I need to correct some info in my earlier post as its important. First of all, I still call the beacon outside Astoria the Lightship... it was an actual ship manned by 17 coast guard 24 7... the Lightship was in service from 1951 to 1979 then replaced by a beacon at the same coordinates. It is now a floating museum at the dock in Astoria. I have been in and out of Astoria more than a few times. It can be done safely, except when tired, single handed, poor visibility, no radar, no AIS.. The reason for the 'skip' is The ships are at full speed and you have to stay on your toes and out of their way. It can be dangerous. I unloaded tons of tuna at the old Bumblebee tuna factory in Astoria. this is a huge shipping lane. You line up over 20+ miles out to sea with the navigation aids. It can be done safely. ...when everything is right.

Over 2000+ vessels have been lost onto the Columbia Bar.. not 20, not 200. And as mentioned MJH It is literally called the 'GRAVEYARD OF THE PACIFIC'.

also i mentioned the whales... not as meaning whale watching, but avoidance. You are required by law to change course if you become aware of whales in your path and I have had to alter course for whales.

[alansmith]

Ya know, the delta above Benicia is pretty special place in its own right. If you gotta week I don’t think you would be disappointed.

[fatherchronica]

I have made that run in October 2014 and some of it was brutal to boat and crew. On the other hand my 23,000 pound 36 foot cutter hit 14 kts and we had our best 24 hour run ever of 172 miles under double reefed main and a tiny little jib. In September 2 years ago we had 10 hours of 65 kt winds below Cape Mendocino and if we had been going South might have broken our record speed and daily run which by the way was off the Washington coast. Jimmy Cornell recommends staying 100 miles offshore.

[jkindredpdx]

If you like beer, Astoria OR has 3-4 good breweries... It's added some good cafes and restaurants in the last few years too. There's some nice anchorage, but no services) in South Channel east of Tongue Point... Astoria Marina Fuel Dock is quite expensive! Ilwaco
is a cute-ish small town on the Washington side.