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Blackberry Beach evaluations?
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RocRobster



Joined: 22 May 2002
Posts: 80

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:13 am    Post subject: Blackberry Beach evaluations? Reply with quote

I have stopped by the new launch site several times and nobody was there but I have sailed from Stevenson a few times and have seen a few cars there.
Can anyone give me a evaluation of conditions sailing from there? It appeared to have a wind shadow from the launch area to about 50 yards out but maybe it was just the wind direction at the time.
Also curious about the water conditions moving across the river.
I don't like sailing a new site the first time all alone, so was hoping for a review..
Would be nice to have an alternative when parking is impossible at Stevenson....
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westender



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's impossible to have impossible parking at Stevenson.
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RocRobster



Joined: 22 May 2002
Posts: 80

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

westender wrote:
It's impossible to have impossible parking at Stevenson.


you must have a secret spot, or i don't catch sarcasm as well as i should....
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westender



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

???

I agree there are too many trailers and huge campers taking over the parking lot at Bob's Beach.

There's room for 1000 cars along the road to the boat launch and it used to be packed all the way on east wind days.

Maybe I'm used to carrying my gear farther than you?

One thing you will learn from a long carry is how to make do with what you have and not fuss around switching gear every time the wind changes 5mph.

Idea
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johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I brought this up at the CGWA meeting tonight and will have more detailed information soon. BUT my understanding is that Blackberry beach isn't a great place until the easterlies kick in. Then it's supposed to be awesome. No underwater hazards, what you see is what you get....
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kmf



Joined: 02 Apr 2001
Posts: 503

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sailed up to blackberry beach from the East launch at Stevenson today, and yes, the wind was completely filled in to the shore there. Looked like a much better place to launch from than East point, where I slogged out for 100yards to get to the wind line. Of course the bevy of scantly clothed teens on the beach at Stevenson made for a nice rigging scene.

East wind of course....me on my 4.6 Revo.

KMF
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isobras



Joined: 17 Jul 2012
Posts: 439

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is the sensor that far off? It read low-mid teens ... insailable once one subtracts the current.
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The thing about Blackberry is that it is right up
in this little pocket on the river which seems to collect wind,
especially if the wind is Northeast.

Yesterday, I rode a 5.5 around for about an hour, and then a 4.7
around for another 1.5 hours. Neither sail would plane
you off the beach at the Boat Ramp, but from mid river on, and
particularly up by blackberry, it was good 4.7 for me. Take a look at
the Stevenson graph, and you'll see a bump to average low 20s between
about 12:30 and 1:30. I'd guess it was stronger at Blackberry, where
I was sailing. Plenty of people stuck with their mid 5s and that also
worked.

So yeh, on a Northeast wind, the meter at Stevenson is way off, but
dead East, it's not too bad, you just have to figure in the current, and rig
up at least .5 meters from what it looks like you should, but then you
already knew that.

-Craig


isobras wrote:
Is the sensor that far off? It read low-mid teens ... insailable once one subtracts the current.
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hilton08



Joined: 02 Apr 2000
Posts: 505

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sailed from Stevenson up to Blackberry Beach yesterday also. There was definitely more wind on the OR side and upwind. I would say less wind shadow at Blackberry than Bob's, especially if the paddle wheeler is docked there. There was plenty of parking at Bob's, and with the shade trees, grassy lawn, bathroooms, etc. it is still my preferred launch even if you have to pay bridge toll.
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isobras



Joined: 17 Jul 2012
Posts: 439

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

cgoudie1 wrote:
Yesterday, I rode a 5.5 around for about an hour, and then a 4.7 around for another 1.5 hours. Neither sail would plane
you off the beach at the Boat Ramp, but from mid river on, and
particularly up by blackberry, it was good 4.7 for me.

Because E winds are a 170-mile, 2.5 hour drive for me, my concern is that in the past some of you dedicated swellhedz have said you enjoy 4.X sails in 15 mph winds. My biggest gear requires at least 20 mph average winds, net (i.e., relative to the current), and even then swell is often hard to come by in E winds.
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