We departed Brookings Harbor, OR at approximately 7 am Monday morning. Seas were calm with little to no wind. We had originally had it in mind to make a short day of it and anchor in Port Orford, but the NOAA weather report anticipated a storm front moving our way by mid-week, so we took advantage of the agreeable weather.I took the helm that afternoon to give Dave a break. Seas were out of the SW, pushing us northward and increasing our normally "pedestrian" speeds up a few notches. At top speed we typically travel 8 - 8 1/2 knots, in landlubber terms it takes us about 3 hours to travel 20 miles!
Dave took over the helm that evening. We passed by Florence (Siuslaw River) at around midnight. I would have loved to see all of the Oregon Coast in the daylight, but will have to do so at another time. It's amazing to see the coastal locales of my youth from this vantage point. Thomas Creek Bridge, Pistol River and Cape Sebastian were icons of my early childhood. It was a thrill to see them from the oceans view and use them as navigational points. As we came closer to Port Orford, memories of picnics at Humbug Mtn and driving that curvy stretch of road along the stream was another reminder of my childhood.I resumed the helm at 6:30 am on the 22nd.I was enjoying my time at the wheel. The seas were like glass, making her a breeze to run. We had decided to bring her straight in to Ilwaco, WA that evening, when our plans suddenly changed.
We had filled all of our fuel tanks before we left Brookings, so had plenty of diesel to make it home. However, the fuel line configuration was continuing to put air into the system, cutting out the engines.
We were 20 miles south of Tillamook Bay when the port engine went out. Dave worked in the engine room for several hours while I ran the boat on our starboard engine. Then, as we had to switch fuel tanks for the starboard engine, air got into it's lines as well, and it cut out. Dave was able to get the starboard engine up and running again, but all of the repeated attempts at starting the engines had drained the batteries...such is life! A radio call to the Coast Guard, and help was on its way. The Cape Disappointment CG (Ilwaco, WA) had responded to our hail, so at first it looked like we'd get a tow all the way to Ilwaco! But the Tillamook Bay Coast Guard were eager to come to our rescue (perhaps why they are called the Cape "Disappointment" CG), and within an hour or so they were tossing lines across our bow. The 3 hours into Tillamook Bay bar were relaxing. We just sat back and enjoyed the view.
Crossing the bar is a different story...It's one thing to cross a rough bar when you are under your own power; it is quite another to cross it when you are "in tow". To say it was exciting would be an understatement. We were crossing 12 - 14 foot seas with 6 foot breaks. I recall seeing the jetties - rocks looming at either side of us. Waves crashing all around us. The boat lurching this way and that. At one moment our tow line was taunt , then slack...would of made for some interesting photos, but wasn't thinking of photography at the tme...sorry.
What they don't tell you before you get hauled back to safety is the success ratio of such an endeavor. 1 in 3 boats towed over a bar are capsized. We got to see the Coast Guard haul someone's capsized vessel past us the following morning. Kind of gets you in the gut, watching that. A reminder to count your blessing.
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