Dale Simonson: arrival in Cathlamet, WA... to explore the lower Columbia River
Dale Simonson: in the water, in Elochoman Slough Marina, Cathlamet, WA
Dale Simonson: Derek and Lacy launch "LIBERTY 53"
Dale Simonson: Elochoman Slough is a quiet little backwater with nary a breath of wind
Dale Simonson: we row up the slough, to find a good place to anchor for the night
Dale Simonson: the calm waters of Elochoman Slough are a very good starting place to unwind and get into the voyaging / exploring way of thinking
Dale Simonson: rowing up Elochoman Slough (photo by Derek)
Dale Simonson: our anchorage in Elochoman Slough is a very quiet, peaceful, and magical place
Dale Simonson: breakfast on LIBERTY starts with coffee! (photo by Derek)
Dale Simonson: low tide reveals the bank that I ran aground on when attempting to anchor in Elochoman Slough, the previous evening
Dale Simonson: morning of day 2, anchored in in Elochoman Slough
Dale Simonson: rowing out of Elochoman Slough, riding a small ebbing current
Dale Simonson: Derek and Lacy, aboard LIBERTY 53, laughing all the way
Dale Simonson: the mouth of Elochoman Slough has a small bar across it, requiring some pushing, heaving, and bouncing, to get into the main channel of the Columbia
Dale Simonson: free of the Slough, we head downriver as the breeze starts to freshen
Dale Simonson: it feels good to be sailing again... so far it's been a rowing trip! (photo by Derek)
Dale Simonson: beating up the main channel of Columbia River, avoiding all the shipping as we go
Dale Simonson: a short lunch break on a diminishing beach... the tide has turned and it's time to put a reef in, round the end of Welch Island, and head up the river with the current and a building breeze
Dale Simonson: heading up Clifton Channel in a freshening thermal (photo by Derek)
Dale Simonson: what's not to like on a day like this?
Dale Simonson: Derek and Lacy rocking LIBERTY... it's a real treat to sail on fresh water, once again ...so fresh, so green
Dale Simonson: two reefs in, sailing downwind with a following current... a blissful run upriver, with Puget Island ahead
Dale Simonson: ahhhhh! (just noticed that missing nettle really wrecks the perfect lines!) -photo by Derek
Dale Simonson: entering Welcome Slough
Dale Simonson: LL74 Elochoman Slough (Cathlamet) to Welcome Sough (Puget Island)
Dale Simonson: we were welcomed to a very convenient little marina in Welcome Slough, with camping, showers, and road access to re-provisioning!
Dale Simonson: dockside life, a distinctly different experience to our wilderness anchorage last night! (photo by Derek)
Dale Simonson: Welcome Slough, a historical 1.5 mile-long gill-netting settlement, in the middle of Puget Island
Dale Simonson: Welcome Slough
Dale Simonson: Welcome Slough