Blackberry Beach evaluations?

[rhorton1]

Any idea of how BB Beach is on a typical westerly day? I'm always looking for a launch closer to Portland...

[jimoakes]

I thought Blackberry Beach was 1500' west of the Chinook building. This map shows it about 1500' east of Chinook, much better launch than I thought it was.

http://gorgewindsurfing.org/2010/10/blackberry-beach-updates-and-location/

[cgoudie1]

Yep, I totally get what you're saying, I could have driven down to Rooster,
for another 5 MPH, but I didn't. It's a long drive for you to come down
for a "chance" at planable winds for a couple of hours, without any swell.
It depends on how desperate you are.................or how cheap ;*)

There's temptation to drive over to Nuke alley today, but I'm probably
not gonna do it. Maybe I'll do some work on the condo instead.

-Craig

[RocRobster]

I was the only WSer at Jones yesterday (20-30mph W winds)
Last time I was there in same conditions and also the only WSer there...

[isobras]

The vast majority of Gorge sailors have no clue about Clatskanie (Jones Beach /Nuclear Alley). Unless someone tells them on the radio that they must drive there, they will sit in the corridor 'til their sails melt.

Take this comparison over the same mid-August stretches (plural; this wasn't just a one-summer event):
Corridor: 105+ degrees, no sleep until the temps drop below 80 way past midnight if you're lucky, dead frigging calm from Portland to at least Chicago, for 10 straight days. Truly dismal without a wake boat.

Clatskanie: strong, extremely steady summer wind from late morning to dawn (usually 3.X by evening), with highs near 80, lows in the 50s (great sleeping weather), for 10 straight days (i.e., you rig all your smallest sails once and leave them in a pile beside your camper, rotating through all of them every day as the wind sloowwwwly builds 'til after dark). Almost nobody there except on the two separate days Bart ordered the masses to Clatskanie.

The recipe seems to be cool in Astoria, warm to hot in Portland (a 20+ degree difference, IIRC, with any cloud lines west of Nuclear Alley), with a NW breeze in the teens forecast for the area.

Thanks for reminding me; I'd forgotten it was about the time of the year this pattern can set up. I have no idea how often this happens, now how much this year's abnormal weather patters will mess it up. A look at the forecast highs and lows for Astoria and Portland for the next few days implies to me there's not enough temperature gradient to produce anything beyond day-to-day nuances. HOWEVER, I've gone there this time of the year expecting a day or two of wind, only to sail all of my smallest sails for 10 straight days. If I lived in Portland, or still lived in a van in the Gorge for months on end, I'd be watching Clatskanie almost every day in August. Its wind normally peaks at dusk, which is, after all, AFTER WORK.

[gmclean]

Kiters are definitely taking advantage of the good Jones Beach conditions. It reaches the 15-20 range most summer evenings when Portland is clear enough to warm up a bit.

Yesterday (8/16) was the classic setup for stronger wind with SW wind along the coast and low marine clouds extending north past Astoria. This keeps the coast cool allowing a good thermal gradient to develop across the coast range. At 5pm yesterday it was 59 degrees at Astoria and 99 at PDX!

[kmf]

The typical summer west wind direction in the Stevenson, Cascade Locks area is SW, starting around 11:00 AM. Blackberry beach being on the South side of the river is bound to have a wind shadow and maybe a short swim to the wind line. On the positive note, the best swell in the river is right in that area.

I haven't sailed at Blackberry beach on a west wind, maybe someone else has, but it has to be worth a look for Portland sailors. But for me, a Washingtonian, Bob's beach is a great launch and the amenities are the best in the Gorge. Where else is there a brew pub a half a block from the launch site.

KMF

And yes...on an east wind day, the sensor at Stevenson is that far off. Especially if there is any north in the wind direction. It's common to rig a 4.0 when the sensor is reading in the teens.

[merriam]

[pablomerc]

[johnl]