Port Orford

This was a really nice day. The fog lifted early (like in the poem) and we could see the coastline most of the way. And what a dramatic coastline -- jagged rocks scattered like dice near Bandon, and the lovely yet menacing reefs from Cape Blanco to Port Orford. We were planning a stop in Bandon, but when I radioed the Coast Guard, they told me that the bar had shoaled "considerably less than 8 feet" (we draw 6.5 feet, too close for comfort). So on we went, with enough wind to sail but gentle swells.
Tonight we're in Port Orford, where the transients like us anchor out, and the local fishermen have their boats winched up onto the wharf.

Cape Arago

We took a layover day in Charleston (Coos Bay) today. Gary came by to sell us his old Garmin loaded w/ West Coast charts, and to tell us of his adventures in Mexico on his own boat, Cokcabuk, last year. He kindly took us by the grocery and ATM before heading home.
After lunch we assembled the bikes and rode out to Cape Arago. This is one of my favorite spots on the Oregon coast, and it's too dangerous to approach with the boat, so it was nice to see it by bike. At Simpson Reef there were literally thousands of harbor seals, sea lions, and elephant seals basking on the rocks, and the cacophony was amazing. At Cape Arago itself, there was a gray whale feeding right under the overlook, less than 1/4 mile offshore (of course it stopped blowing as soon as I was ready with the camera).
Back at the marina, fishermen were busy filleting tuna they had caught about 30 miles offshore. We bought some fillets from one of the boats, and it is absolutely delicious. At some point when we are traveling far enough offshore, we hope to catch our own!

Coos Bay

We crossed the bar into Coos Bay at 7 PM, about 12 hours after leaving Newport. We motored most of the way, because we didn't want to arrive after dark, but we had a few hours of nice downwind sailing at mid-day. It wasn't quite sunny, but the fog lifted and we could even see the shore at one point from 7 miles out. Seas were very mellow. Lots of crab pots at first, but then we were in deeper water. All in all, a nice start to the voyage. Tomorrow we're meeting a guy we met on the dock in Portland, so we'll probably stay at least 2 nights here.

Away we go, with grateful hearts and full sails

We left Newport at 0620 this morning, amazingly on schedule. Amazing because of all the things we had to do before leaving, and because of all the uncontrolled variables - weather, health, mechanical systems, etc. - that determine whether you can actually go. Our best friends and sailing buddies Bruce and Suzanne surprised us by driving all the way from Sisters yesterday evening, with champagne and smiles. They were up with us this morning to wave us off and snap a few pics as we headed under the bridge and out to sea.

We both feel so thankful that this moment has finally arrived. I'm grateful to Brenda and Paul who are letting me do this trip and still earn some income along the way. We're both grateful that we found Greg and Erica to watch over our house while we're gone, and to care for Chica for the first 2 weeks. Our friends and neighbors Susan and Ed are looking after things in our absence, and gave us a nice sendoff a few nights ago. Neighbors Adrene, Nancy, and Cameron are storing our cars for us. Friends Mark and Jennifer came over with a farewell sushi dinner (and more champagne) on our last night at home, when it was just an empty house waiting for its new occupants. Ruth did us a huge favor by driving us over to the boat yesterday. Paul and Judy came by last night with a bottle of wine and their good wishes. Al and Sue are taking over dog duties in a couple of weeks, and then handing her over to David and Karen for the duration. This is just the crucial help that I can remember right now -- there have been many more who have wished us well and done favors for us. We couldn't do it without all of your help and positive thoughts. Thank you!

(I am posting this from about 5 miles out to sea, using the air card)

Almost ready to go

Since bringing the boat to Newport, we have been putting most of our energy into getting the house ready for its new occupants, but we've made a few "freight" runs to the boat, inventorying everything as we put it away in all the various lockers and cubbyholes. Yesterday I pulled the engine cover off for the first time since we had arrived in Newport, to find that the raw water pump had leaked a small amount of salt water down the formerly shiny front of our year-old engine. The pump has a leaky shaft seal, and must be rebuilt or replaced. Luckily I had kept the matching water pump from our old engine, so after putting in a fresh impeller, I exchanged pumps, and we're good to go again. It is not easy to rebuild the pump without the proper tools, so I ordered a new pump from Cook Engine. Of course, our warranty has already expired :)

Passage to Newport

The change in weather predicted for Friday turned out to be remarkably accurate, and many boats in Astoria's West Basin prepared to cross the bar. Friends Paul and Judy on Grace left around 9 am bound for Newport, and we followed them out an hour later. We took advantage of a 10-kt west wind to tack downriver toward Ilwaco and on across the bar. But between Cape Disappointment and the end of the North Jetty, the wind became light and fickle, so we fired up the engine to "get out of Dodge." The bar was still lumpy from a week of higher winds, and we were glad to get to deeper water and a more regular pattern. It was an uneventful passage to Newport, with winds never exceeding 10kts, and very little traffic. Viz was down to 3 miles as we approached Newport, where we had to fight an "ebb tide" of hundreds of small boats heading out to the Chicken Ranch to fish for halibut. South Beach marina will be home for the next month as we finalize preparations for heading further south.

solar panels putting out juice!

Finally got the solar panels wired through the charge controller to the batteries. It was great to watch the voltage go up, even with the refrigerator on. If we had known 6 years ago that we would eventually need solar panels, we might have chosen a different way to mount our radar, as it partly blocks one panel depending on sun angle.
This has been a nice week to be in Astoria doing boat projects. If the weather forecast holds, we'll be off for Newport tomorrow around noon.