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The Gorge - First Trip
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mamero



Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Posts: 380
Location: Vancouver, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A couple more questions about the launch site and the Gorge in general.

1. Which direction does the wind usually blow in the gorge? Silly question I know.
2. From the Marina spit it looks like there are three little "coves" that face north in to the river. Which one is best to launch from?
3. Once you launch at the Marina, which way are you sailing? Is it out in to the river and back in; North/South? Or, are you sailing parallel to the beach; West/east? For safety I would like to avoid venturing out in to the river for this trip at least.
4. For both the Hook and The Marina what are the escape routes and backup plans? For example if you get blown down wind and can't make it back. Worst case scenario where do you end up?

Safty is always first. Especially at an unfamiliar site. I like to know alternative ways back to my starting point just in case. Thanks.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mamero wrote:
I'm not sure how we'll recognize each other but I'm sure there is a way.

It's easy; look for people driving white vans (used to be Fords, now half of them are Sprinters).

It also used to be almost any and every body in Hood River. Now most of them are there for the craft beers, the wine, and the kitsch.

Now it's the wetsuit tan lines.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Took 32 tries to post this, and now I can't even delete the duplicate.

mamero wrote:
I'm not sure how we'll recognize each other but I'm sure there is a way.

It's easy; look for people driving white vans (used to be Fords, now half of them are Sprinters).

It also used to be almost any and every body in Hood River. Now most of them are there for the craft beers, the wine, and the kitsch.

Now it's the wetsuit tan lines.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mamero wrote:
A couple more questions about the launch site and the Gorge in general.

1. Which direction does the wind usually blow in the gorge? Silly question I know.
2. From the Marina spit it looks like there are three little "coves" that face north in to the river. Which one is best to launch from?
3. Once you launch at the Marina, which way are you sailing? Is it out in to the river and back in; North/South? Or, are you sailing parallel to the beach; West/east? For safety I would like to avoid venturing out in to the river for this trip at least.
4. For both the Hook and The Marina what are the escape routes and backup plans? For example if you get blown down wind and can't make it back. Worst case scenario where do you end up?

Safty is always first. Especially at an unfamiliar site. I like to know alternative ways back to my starting point just in case. Thanks.

1. Westerlies (i.e., from the west).
3. North & south.
4. The wind, the current, and your skills ... not your plan ... determine your landing spot. As that great windsurfer Bobby Burns once said, "The best laid schemes o' mice, men, and windsurfers / Gang aft a-gley". Fortunately, there's almost no place in the "corridor" (the general Hood River area of the Gorge) that one can't drag his carcass and gear shore, especially if he's wearing booties. And regardless of where and/or which state he lands in, his feet and/or thumb will get him back to his van toot sweet. Dress for the water temps and your primary goal will be staying south of the barge lane. Most of the Swell City/Hatchery/Hood River south shoreline is shallow enough to walk to an easy exit, all the way to the friendly "worst-case" sand bar if you like. No forecasts that far out are of any use, but the odds of getting blown away in any specific two-day window are very low even in July ... dammit. This place isn't magic; it's merely fairly windy fairly often. Especially in September, a 6.5 will usually get you more sailing time than a sub-4 sail.


Last edited by isobars on Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:27 pm; edited 2 times in total
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hoodvista



Joined: 23 Sep 2000
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:29 pm    Post subject: Re: The Gorge - First Trip Reply with quote

isobars wrote:

There's no "IF" about it; TAKE LESSONS. They will shorten your jibe learning curve by years, literally.


I have to respectfully disagree with the advice to take lessons. My favorite part of the sport is figuring out how to do it on my own. There are a million things to learn and so even after 20 years I am still having a blast figuring it out.
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westender



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

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm confused about the east west thing? I think the wind would have to be good to practice waterstarting at the Marina even though that's what I did but the wind was better back then????????
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 9:12 pm    Post subject: Re: The Gorge - First Trip Reply with quote

hoodvista wrote:
isobars wrote:

There's no "IF" about it; TAKE LESSONS. They will shorten your jibe learning curve by years, literally.


I have to respectfully disagree with the advice to take lessons. My favorite part of the sport is figuring out how to do it on my own. There are a million things to learn and so even after 20 years I am still having a blast figuring it out.

Yeah, but think how far ahead you'd be now if you had learned how to waterstart a couple of years sooner and jibe a decade sooner. If I don't make it into heaven, it will be because of the 10,392 times I not just took the Lord's name in vain but directly addressed him and blamed him for my fall.

OTOH, if you and I had learned everything from lessons, we'd be stuck in highway mode ... you know ... "My way or the highway". Can you imagine going through life knowing/trusting/doing ANYTHING, let alone EVERYTHING in this sport only one way?

I can:

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boggsman1



Joined: 24 Jun 2002
Posts: 9118
Location: at a computer

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

isobars wrote:
mamero wrote:
A couple more questions about the launch site and the Gorge in general.

1. Which direction does the wind usually blow in the gorge? Silly question I know.
2. From the Marina spit it looks like there are three little "coves" that face north in to the river. Which one is best to launch from?
3. Once you launch at the Marina, which way are you sailing? Is it out in to the river and back in; North/South? Or, are you sailing parallel to the beach; West/east? For safety I would like to avoid venturing out in to the river for this trip at least.
4. For both the Hook and The Marina what are the escape routes and backup plans? For example if you get blown down wind and can't make it back. Worst case scenario where do you end up?

Safty is always first. Especially at an unfamiliar site. I like to know alternative ways back to my starting point just in case. Thanks.

1. West (i.e., from the east).
3. North & south.
4. The wind, the current, and your skills ... not your plan ... determine your landing spot. As that great windsurfer Bobby Burns once said, "The best laid schemes o' mice, men, and windsurfers / Gang aft a-gley". Fortunately, there's almost no place in the "corridor" (the general Hood River area of the Gorge) that one can't drag his carcass and gear shore, especially if he's wearing booties. And regardless of where and/or which state he lands in, his feet and/or thumb will get him back to his van toot sweet. Dress for the water temps and your primary goal will be staying south of the barge lane. Most of the Swell City/Hatchery/Hood River south shoreline is shallow enough to walk to an easy exit, all the way to the friendly "worst-case" sand bar if you like. No forecasts that far out are of any use, but the odds of getting blown away in any specific two-day window are very low even in July ... dammit. This place isn't magic; it's merely fairly windy fairly often. Especially in September, a 6.5 will usually get you more sailing time than a sub-4 sail.

1.REALLY? So, when the wind is howling down the corridor at 30mph , mid- summer, coming from the Ocean, that's the EAST?
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oops! My bad. Corrected. Thanks.

Only took 21 tries to get past the Invalid Session message.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of course, unless the forecasts change, the usual wind direction isn't going to matter this weekend.
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