Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

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willamettejeff

Chief Petty Officer
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550
Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Hi Jennifer. I live in Newberg, a stones throw from Rogers Landing on the Willamette, but boat those areas quite often. Will next be anchored across from Willamette Park with my wife, family, and friends on the 4th of July to watch the Oaks Park fireworks show. Kind of becoming an annual tradition for us. They put on a great show on top of all the crazy stuff going off in Willamette park. Not sure of how many boats will have there yet, but at least 3, maybe more. I run a blue over white 16' Larson Runabout with 70hp Johnson on the back and a blue bimini top. Stop by if you have a chance and maybe bring something we can barbeque for you. The more the merrier.

-- Jeff
 
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Jennifer "water-wolf"

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Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Thanks for the invite!! We already have tentative plans for the 4th.....hope it does not rain!! We have some folks that have rarely been on the water around here [ moved here from Minnesota ]....We were thinking of picnicing up on Govermant island, and watching the Fort Vancouver fireworks from there, or the boat....If that is too filled up with traffic or the water is too choppy [ which can happen up there in the Columbia, ] we'll turn tail and head for the area youll be in. We have a 20 foot Bluewater bowrider called Kanoba's Folly, with the name on the side near the bow. white with turquoise stripes...If you have a radio, I keep it on 16 all the time.. If we dont meet up there, it would be fun to try some other time, maybe take a cruise around Sauvies Island...never done that loop yet...Last year we did get from the Willamette up as far as Coon Island, had lunch there. This year we are keeping the boat up on Hayden Island where they can keep it indoors and have it in the water for us in just minutes...Hubby does not like trailering too much, so this is good for him. I like night boating in the summer...slow and easy....so getting back to the home dock after dark is no big deal. We just got the boat last year, don't know any other people with boats. Your Larson / Johnson sounds like a REALLY COOL boat. Ours is 18 years old this year, but it had a great first owner that took good care of her for the first 17, now its our turn to keep her going.
 
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Jennifer "water-wolf"

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Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Forgot to mention....if we put into the Lower Willamette by trailer, Willamette park, just across from Oaks, is my favorite place. I really like that part of the river, especially when the amusement park is open late and sounds and lights from the rides fill the night air....some pretty neat floating homes to look at too!

Cheers,
Jennifer
 
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willamettejeff

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Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Forgot to mention my boat was built in 1965 and was Larson's first true deep-vee that handles rough water just great. I renovated it over the 4 years right after I got it, installing a new floor and transom and joining in the dash and motor well from my 1974 Fiberform I scraped. Redid the gel coat on the side graphics and top deck also, so now shes almost like new.

This will be our 2nd time staying overnight on the river at Willamette Park. Last year we didn't have a good cover for our boat so chose to stay only for the fireworks. Hope you get a chance to come by. If not, maybe we can plan a trip together around Sauvies Island this summer. There is a great place along the slough to stop on the island to pick (and eat) lots of black berries while hiking along a path. Just very pleasant and relaxing to break up the long boat ride. Done the trip around Sauvies Island 3 times always stopping at Sand Island before returning. All day trip including lunch in St. Helens, but a lot of fun.

Guessing you missed out on the chance to go through the Willamette Falls Locks when they were open. We did so about 8 times and was always a big thrill. Planning to go through the Bonneville Dam Locks later this summer if we get the chance. If you haven't checked out Detroit Lake yet, you might want to do that too. We didn't until just last year and were very sorry we had waited so long having heard about it since moving here in 1994. Lots of coves and an island to explore with a really nice campground and 2 full service marinas as well. There are boat slips available at some of the camp sites also.

Hope to see ya,

Jeff

BTW, lots of other NW boaters here on Iboats, but they tend to be a quiet bunch or so it seems. Only seen one get together ever, but I was busy renovating my boat at the time and couldn't go. Sometimes I am jealous of the various back east crowds that seem to plan get togethers every year.
 
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willamettejeff

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Messages
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Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Forgot to mention, one of the boats we'll have at anchor is The Beaver (not mine by the way) and I will try and keep the radio on channel 16 unless it just gets too annoying for everyone.

-- Jeff
 
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Jennifer "water-wolf"

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Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

I just love older boats like yours. I really hate to see them go to the junker because of stringer rot or some other issue that loving labor, albeit not cost effective, can fix and restore. There is some neat style to the 50s 60s and 70s era fiberblass boats. I always make a point to wave double at older preserved/restored boats when out on the water.. Of course, vintage wood boats are also cool....but the older glass boats from mid-century and slightly newer really took advantage of the free form potentials of the fiberglass glass medium, lots of stunning style and design missing in todays sleek smooth lines. I'm looking forward to seeing your Larson! Sounds like a beautiful classic! About 12 years ago some friends in Springfield did a stringer replacement in the 'old family boat'....don't recall the brand, but it was one of the mid 60s, 17 or 18 foot runabouts. It was a labor of love for sure, hot sweaty and lots of glass dust, but the end product was just stunning! It was really cool that the folks in their 60s could share the same boating fun with the grand-kids as they had when they were kids...They named the boat after their father, who had passed away by then, in memory of the good times they had as kids with him on the boat. A whole new generation will have the same cool memories now!

I'm still working out logistics for the 4th....We might end up launching from Hayden Island where the boat is, and meeting our guests at the docks at Willamette Park, and then do our boating in the area....Depends on if they want to drive up to the Columbia from the West Lynn area or not. There are automotive access restrictions to Hayden Island on the 4th...gotta have a pass, and we only have one. We might be meeting you folks on the 4th after all....regardless of the 4th or not, we MUST meet up for some day cruzes this summer. Perhaps some of the other Portland area lurkers will chime in and we can get a group cruze together.

Last Saturday we took the Columbia upriver to Multnomah Falls and back, our first time that direction....

You are corect, we missed out on the locks at Oregon City. BUMMER!!! We have put in on the Upper Willamette only once, nice relaxing day, and helped out a fellow boater suffering a dead alternatior...towed them back to their private dock after they called to passing boats for half an hour while drifting dead in the water and no-body else stopped to offer assistance. It was actually our FIRST day out in this boat...I was just getting the hang of how it handles, so towing somebody was interesting. I was amazed that other boaters were ignoring these people...as we drove upstream near McMinnville it was easy to see they were in trouble, ..I headed right for them to see if they needed assistance. I saw a dozen boats go by them before we go there..
Hey, we all gotta take care of each other out there.
 
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Jennifer "water-wolf"

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Messages
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Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Tail gunner, Would that be the beach just downstream from the Bachelor Island Slough inlet on the Washington side, more or less opposite Collins beach on Sauvies Island Oregon side? If so, that is an agricultural island with very little, if any, road access to the beach. It would be pretty much boaters only.

Catherdral Park is very nice...Amazing how they cleaned up the area and made it beautiful from the way it was in the 70s...a real dumping ground back then. I have been there from land before, but never docked or launched. We have it on our list of 'potty-stops' in case of that need. People with larger boats that have onboard facilities never have to plan ahead for this sort of need, but with a smaller boat, we plan ahead to know where we can stop to take care of business. Our boat is now in dry marina on Hayden island, so no more trailering for the time being...unless we want to take her to the upper Willamnette, or go to a lake for some trout fishing...
 
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Jennifer "water-wolf"

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Joined
Aug 8, 2011
Messages
41
Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Calling Willamette Jeff!!!
Our 4th of July plans just got a lot more flexible..the people that we were going to take out on the boat with us have bailed out....It will likely just be my husband and I on-board, which gives us pretty much free choise to go where we want, do what we want. We will launch up on Hayden Island where the boat is, and head into the Willamette....probably watch the fireworks at Oaks Park....having the public park across the river with an easy dock and 'facilities' is a big plus too....the ride home back to Hayden Island in the Columbia in the dark after the fireworks show is no big deal, we have a chartplotter to know where we are, and spotlight to see, and lots of hours of night boating experience. Hope to see you sometime on the 4th! Cheers Jennifer
 
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willamettejeff

Chief Petty Officer
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Messages
550
Re: Any Portland Oregon area boaters?

Hi Jennifer,

Sounds great. Our plans have changed too in that I will not be bringing my runabout, so will only have the 21' Glasply Cuddy "The Beaver" with us. Just couldn't work out the logistics or costs of getting 2 boats there. Sister and brother couldn't join us on the 4th, so taking them out on my boat tomorrow. Will be launching at Willamette Park and be headed down to the falls and back stopping at Oregon City for some KFC. On the 4th, our friends will either be in their 28' SeaRay or their 30' Bayliner. Just look for our boats anchored across from the park by the island. We're actually going to get there on the 3rd but may spend the night anchored down the channel somewhere. Look forward to meeting both of you and will be on the look out for your boat.

-- Jeff
 
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