Arrival in Portland

Hello from Walker Island - It's 2130 hrs and I'm on the hook tucked in behind a quiet island about 2 miles west of Longview, WA. Just finished a nice omelette and a beer and looking forward to a good night's sleep. I left Astoria this morning at 1000 hrs and within a half hour was sailing on a full flood tide up the Columbia - actually bettering the current !! Sailed most of the day and motored the last 2 hours to this anchorage. Now - the past week:

After I crossed the bar last Thursday evening, I continued up river to Astoria and had just passed under the bridge there when the engine suddenly shut down - no warning. I was able to hail a passing boat and get a tow into the general anchorage where I spent an uncomfortable night with a fast ebbing current versus 25-30 kt winds all night. Friday morning I took a look at the engine and saw that my fuel filters were totally full of seawater - the past 24 hours of rolling down the coast had caused seawater to siphon into the fuel tank through a vent fitting located high on the hull. Said vent has since been moved up to the cabin top.

I got the Zodiac unpacked, inflated and rowed to shore to commence phone calls for help. I arranged to be towed to the mooring basin where I could work on the engine and then talked to several diesel mechanics and parts suppliers. The general concensus was that I had probably ruined the high pressure fuel injection pump ($$$$$) but that the damage probably was limited to that part.

The mechanics that I talked to in Astoria seemed to have all the work they could handle, so that afternoon, Saturday and part of Sunday, I got real familiar with my engine and how to disassemble it enough to remove the injection pump. Sure enough, the 3/4" steel shaft that drives the pump from gearing in the engine was sheared off as if it was plastic. Monday morning I was able to locate a re-manufactured pump in Eugene and it arrived Tuesday noon.

By that evening the engine had been re-started, but needed some adjustment to the timing, which I took care of Wednesday along with 7 other projects I developed in the course of my visit to the engine room !!! I got the boat fairly well cleaned up and made ready to leave the marina this morning.

Well, of course, the first day of July couldn't be like summer around here - it rained all night and continued into the morning. Blustery winds, 50 degree temps and heavy, soaking rain greeted me as I prepared the boat this morning. After setting off though, I didn't have any rain the rest of the day - actually saw the sun for 5 minutes or so.

Tomorrow I should make Portland, where I'll spend a week or so, before heading back down this beautiful river (with the current then) and back into the Pacific, several dollars lighter, but with immeasurable new-found knowledge to add to the old memory banks.

By the way, you who have been boating in Puget Sound know what it's like to encounter the huge freighters and tankers there - well I was passed by at least 10 today on the Columbia and several of those encounters took place in a channel about 100 yards wide - one passing had me and a double barge and tug going upriver with a Chevron Oil tanker coming downriver - needless to say I was the one who took the shore side position !!

Till next time - Terry

PS - You're reading this because I've made it to Portland - tied up to the breakwater at River Place - North end - on the Willamette at 2000 hrs Friday and I'm right in the middle of the Waterfront Blues Festival !! Of course, it would have to be raining and someone just said they had an earthquake about 2 hours before I arrived !! I'll be here - or anchored right off - for 5 or 6 days, so if you're within 5 hours driving distance and have some time to kill, let's get together. T.