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stevemadere
Joined: 15 Jun 2000 Posts: 31
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 12:18 pm Post subject: Jones Beach good for intermediates? |
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Due to the lousy forecast for the weekend, I am considering heading out to Jones Beach so my 15yo daughter can get some sailing time in before we have to head back home.
I've never been to Jones Beach so I don't know what the conditions are like there. My daughter can sail at the event site, Rowena, and Viento pretty well but not so much the Hatchery or the Wall.
(she waterstarts in moderately rough water but can't gybe or waterstart in really light/iffy conditions).
Is Jones Beach reasonably safe for intermediates?
Also, is the launch site the same place that Google Maps finds when searching for "Jones Beach Oregon" or is there some special site that's more specific?
Here's the link to the map I found:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Hood+River,+OR/Jones+Beach,+Oregon+97016/@45.8500725,-123.4415339,9z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x54960e614c1c0fe7:0x56f6cf7e4d7d985c!2m2!1d-121.5214623!2d45.7053966!1m5!1m1!1s0x54947b858367850d:0xdde4ccabf0699ced!2m2!1d-123.3095684!2d46.1392769!3e0 |
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vientomas
Joined: 25 Apr 2000 Posts: 2343
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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That looks right to me. Watch out for the ocean going ships...they travel much faster than barges and draw more water. |
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trburl
Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 196
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Don't take her to Jones Beach it is asking for trouble. The ships fly through that channel and an expert could get caught with puffy wind or any other mishap.
Take her to Nuclear Alley on the Washington side across from Jones Beach. It is far better wind and the channel has no ship traffic.
Do a Facebook search for it, that page has a few pics and driving directions. |
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forwards
Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 109
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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Directions to nuclear alley here. We never sail the Jones side for the reasons mentioned earlier.
https://groups.io/g/nw-windtalk/message/41085?p=,,,20,0,0,0::Created,,Directions+to+nuclear+alley,20,2,0,18438979
This part of the river is tidal and works best on slack or outgoing tides. I get tide and current info from these links which correlate well except during high spring runoffs. It predicts strong incoming tides the next few afternoons which can be challenging:
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9439099&legacy=1
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Predictions?id=PCT1231_1
Be careful near the long 200+ foot line of wood pilings just E of Puget island which can trap you if you drop in the water up current. |
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westender
Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 1288 Location: Portland / Gorge
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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Every time I drive past the Alley the parking is a head scratcher. Not at all like it used to be. Looks like room for 4 vehicles and it would be good to have 4wd and a weedeater. |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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I've spent MANY weeks total, from day trips to week trips, on that piece of the Columbia. Everything I've seen above seems accurate, but it omits many nuances. Here are some.
First, I haven't sailed there since moving well east of the Gorge 20 years ago, so some things ... such an GREAT camping at Jones ... have changed. Caveat emptor.
You can sail back and forth between Jones Beach and Nuclear Alley on the same reach. I chose my parking spot based on camping and launching.
The terrain: JB = chop from hell, but it transitions to Rowena-like terrain within about 100 yards. Directly across from JB = modest waist-high swell on windy days, plus a nice sand beach. Watch out for angry, in-yer-face power boaters there. NA = much shorter reach but nicer swell.
The wind there was often by far the steadiest wind I've ever seen on the Columbia River.
The beach at Jones is the best beach on the Columbia. It's a mile of sand with full, steady wind right down the shoreline.
I always got nuisance-level eye/sinus infections there. The sailing was worth it.
The wind blows best from early afternoon until mid-morning the next day. I've see it blow hard 24/7 for a week in August.
When the Gorge is baking in triple digits, JB/NA, if they're windy, will be 20-30 degrees cooler night and day.
I enjoyed the HELL out of roaming all over JB/NA long before I could jibe, but with a fool-proof waterstart. I don't think I ever met a lull there, just VERY steady winds climbing very slowly from 5.x after lunch to 3.x towards dark.
Just like every other real-world WSing venue on the planet, ya don't drive to JB/NA from the central Gorge just because it's a weekend. Ya drives when the Gorge and Portland are hot, Astoria is cool, and the forecast includes modest NW breezes at Clatskenie. Or, of course, ya drives just because the corridor is freaking HOT, Clats is much cooler, and ya want a break with a chance to sail. |
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 1:15 am Post subject: |
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I can't remember whether it was 1990 or 91, but I had my only session launching from Jones Beach and moving up to Nuclear Alley. It was absolutely awesome 3.5 conditions in NA, and I had the time of my life, but coming back later to JB was super sketchy in almost zero wind, and I narrowly escaped an incoming freighter.
I was a bit naive venturing out that day, and I account myself lucky to limp back safely. I would caution a JB launch. |
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westender
Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 1288 Location: Portland / Gorge
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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Jones Beach is good for local offroaders, homeless campers and kiters. |
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stuebing
Joined: 19 Jul 2000 Posts: 11 Location: Portland Oregon
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Nuclear Alley has kind of a rocky and slippery launch. And more wind.
Jones Beach on the far west side by Wallace Island offers a short reach to Wallace Island with nice sand on both sides and very steady (and less) wind. The big ships do not go between Jones and Wallace, that is an option.
Jones is of course much more popular for kites due to the superior launch. |
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stuebing
Joined: 19 Jul 2000 Posts: 11 Location: Portland Oregon
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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Correction, Wallace Island, learning friendly is EAST Jones Beach.
To west Puget Island is across from Jones, including the shipping channel. |
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