COLUMBIA RIVER BAR

The new "COLUMBIA RIVER BAR" video features drone videography to show boat operators what to expect and what to watch out for as they depart from and return through the Columbia River Bar at the border of Washington and Oregon. Lat/Long of inlet start and end points are provided. Use a GPS unit. mobile-phone app, or paper chart to identify your boat’s position. Learn more at bit.ly/BoatingEd. Join USPS at bit.ly/JoinUSPS.

[@Bird1964]

You couldn't pay me enough to take a trip across this/through this. I'll walk, thank you anyway. 🙅‍♀️

[@markdavis8888]

At 2:05 is a video of the USACE Dredge Essayons which keeps this channel and others on the west coast open and safe for boaters. I worked 30 years doing this.

[@fogsmart]

Some of the most challenging seas I’ve ever paddled in a sea kayak were off the end of the North Jetty. At Peacock Spit there were waves breaking from three different directions, fast currents, afternoon high winds, and what freaked me out the most was seeing sand in the bottom of the troughs even a relatively fair distance straight off the distal end of the jetty. I assume there were dredging spoils building up. Later that spring a couple of crab boats capsized cutting in too close. Fortunately I can roll back up. A few times…

[@Bird1964]

Holy moly 😳 Sounds like you're lucky to be alive. I was visually thinking about your story and feeling green 😊

[@fogsmart]

@@Bird1964 I had decades of solo rough water experience including running tidal rapids and whirlpools at night, winter night storm paddling, winter west coast surf (broke a boat in half once), hurricane paddling Haro Strait with rock ballast strapped inside the kayak, and I carry an inflatable compact life raft in my pdf back pocket - plus hours of re-entry and roll practice in every imaginable condition. The narrow British sea kayak, a Nordkapp has a glove tight cockpit opening and padded out like a jet fighter cockpit and has 40 extra pounds of reinforcing in the hull and seams. I also have a person to boat tether with quick release. For the North jetty I placed my VHF radio in the hatch, inaccessible. Being a Canadian, I didn’t want to bother the USCG should trouble arise. My motto is self reliance. I mention all this as I don’t want to imply I bypassed risk aversion as some moronic lughead. I wrote many articles and safety reviews for the now retired Sea Kayaker Magazine out of Seattle. But, I was really surprised seeing that sand in the troughs so far out. It was all insane split second bracing and hard work in the current and wind. I believe the crab fishers who floundered and lost lives were represented by their union subsequently as they took the Army Corps of Engineers to task for unannounced dumping of dredging spoils off the jetties. I was sufficiently disquieted by the quickly changing conditions and crab cage lines in the heavy surf in the foreground of the North Head lighthouse that I did land only to carry my heavy sea kayak over the jetty for my retreat. Them were big rocks. That was hard, slippery work. The next day I played in the surf off Ecola State Park. Much safer! My home waters off Vancouver Island are so different the the Washington Oregon coastline. We have numerous indentations and conditional anchorage spots that small vessels almost always have ready egress as opposed to bars and surf landings. Hats off to you mariners down there. Cheers.

[@Bird1964]

Absolutely incredible. That was very interesting and informative to read. Thanks for sharing this with me. The oceans/bodies of water like this need you cloned! Cheers!

[@guscarlson7021]

I've been there. This footage is very deceptive. I've seen 40 foot fishing boats disappear from view while in between the standing waves that can be seen there. The most dangerous area of marine navigation on the planet. Pleasure craft should just stay away. Or, at the very least, consult your tides info before attempting to cross and only attempt a crossing a high tide. When the tide is ebbing is when the bar gets dangerous.

[@user-vi9uq3dz1z]

really nice and detailed instruction

[@cougsjohnson1]

The only Bar I've crossed was at West Port and I the waves were so high that it freaked me out. The Columbia Bar looks way too complicated for me to try this.

[@drivernephi-s1l]

same, waves were so high our 24ft boat would completed vanish at the bottom of the swell, definitely only going with the charters out of westport from now on

[@maestrovso]

A piece of cake like a walk in the Astoria Park. I commited all these to memory with one viewing of the 5:40 video played at 1.5x speed. It could be shorter.

[@MonkeySeeMonkeyDoo]

Timing and planning is critical… if done correctly you can mitigate most risk.

[@russellzauner]

So hardcore it ate buoy 5

[@MyRonaldinho95]

I don’t own a boat, but after this i think i can do it. 😂

[@iSchneggs]

😳

[@erichammond9308]

Nice instructions, but in the Graveyard of the Atlantic these would be outdated and need change every month or so. Remember, the Coast Guard trains surfmen at the Columbia river because the inlets around Cape Hatteras NC are "too dangerous for training"

[@nunliski]

So go back to videos about the Atlantic and make comments there. Wtf is wrong with you?

[@GordonMays-z7h]

No it is considered to be the most dangerous bar crossing in the world period the Atlantic crossing are child's play in comparison. Do your research before you make such a comment

[@nunliski]

The locations of sand buildup also constantly change at the Columbia bar. There are people, called bar pilots, whose entire job is piloting boats across the bar exactly because keeping up with the changing conditions is a full time job. Also, the Atlantic region you are describing is called the Graveyard of the Atlantic in large part because of military conflict and piracy.

[@erichammond9308]

@@GordonMays-z7h You've obviously never been through Oregon, Hatteras or Ocracoke inlets when they're rough. I actually do know what I'm talking about. I've done surf ops in both places and I'll take the Columbia River bar with its 18 foot breakers and a 20+ second wave period over 12-14 foot breakers with a period of 8 or 9 seconds any day. Throw in an inlet that a single storm can completely change the channel in a matter of hours, and there's the reason that the Outer Banks is called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Plus, one member of the team that founded the National Motor Life Boat School was my Chief Bosun, and I will take his word over yours any day, that's exactly what he said was why the NMLBS is in Ilwaco.

[@GordonMays-z7h]

@@erichammond9308 I'm from Oregon and grew up fishing the columbia river bar.the coast gaurd trains on the columbia river bar because of the superior training for rough water training, because it's considered the most dangerous river bar crossing IN the world period!.several family members also served in the coast gaurd many still do .plus have a very close family member who is a bar pilot .so my info is good