Gorge Xmas/New Year???

dre1536 · Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 29

I may be in Portland for several days b/w Xmas and New Years. It looks like there have been plenty of sailable days. Should I bring gear-what conditions should I expect? And now for the big question- - how cold is it (H2O and Air temps)?
Dry Suitt???

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

Dre,
I dont know about the sailing, it probably depends on the storm situation at that time. The thermal winds are long gone. The drysuit question is easy, check the **** forcast and you tell me if youll be comfortable without it!

Bugaboo · Joined: 06 May 2002 Posts: 57

Dre,

Are you nuts? The water is Fin cold and the air is not much better.

If you do go sailing, youve got pretty big balls- but the they wont stay that way if you jump in. The millimeter peter effect.

jp4wind · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 12

If you bring a board....id recommend a snowboard at that time of the year!!

dre1536 · Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 29

Question answered!
Thanks…………..

trburl · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 196

Id have to agree with everyone that it is too cold. BUT, I must commend you on your desire to sail! When I moved out from snow country on 11-22-03 I almost rigged up when I drove through Hood River. Hardcores are few and far between these days. As for shrinkage, my unit warms up quickly once the wetsuit/drysuit is removed. Its tough to use it through neoprene anyway. Smile

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

trburl --

You usually gotta drive out east to enjoy sailing this time of the year. The waters several degrees warmer than the corridor, the air can be 20-30 degrees warmer, the wind can be 30-40 knots stronger, the swell five feet higher, and the sailing a hundred times better. Ignore all those corridor wusses, put some gas in your van, and Go East, young man. Its probably history this year, but we were still enjoying 3.2s to 4.2s bare-footed, -headed, and -handed right up through Thanksgiving east of Maryhill. We MAY still gut out another day or two this fall, and the guys willing to wear DaKine mittens (not I)sail all winter out east, when the Gorge actually gets WINDY.

Mike \m/

trburl · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 196

Mike,
Im not a freak, thank God! Thanks for the beta on the out east sites. I knew there had to be some locals who didnt stay tethered to the corridor and their shorties. I wasnt sure how the wind was working out there, but I am now. Cold only really freaks me out when Oregon Coast waves are dropping on my head. My email address is trburli@hotmail.com, if you and your crew are sailing again in 2003 lemme know. If not, please say hello because Ill be ready to sail in 2004 as soon as possible. I live in Beaverton, my truck likes I-84! But my brother wont sail until it is at least warm enough to grip the boom sans gloves. I love Maui and boardshort sailing, but I love just plain old sailing the most. Anytime, anywhere.
Tom

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I dont do gloves, either, and very seldom wear booties. Thus now that the river has hit 43 in the Corridor and 46 out east, I imagine Ill be dry until March. Water under about 45 freezes my hands in seconds, to the point I couldnt fix or adjust anything. But my bud who sails year-round had to have had a BALL at Stevenson today; the chart looks like solid 3.2 all day.

But we start coming out in numbers again in about March, when the weather can clear up and warm up every now and then, and April is a barefooted gimme. Weve even seen some days push 70 in mid-winter, and temps that aberrant usually mean wind.

The down side? Because it takes a lot of swell to get me out there in ice water, my first session each spring is often on a 3.x. Thats rough on soft winter hands!

Mike \m/