Christmas Ships Paddle, L2, 12-10-2022

This trip is limited to members with a wet exit certification (except for level 1 trips when the paddler is not using a spray skirt....if the paddler is wearing a spray skirt on a level 1 paddle, the Wet Exit Certification is REQUIRED).  To successfully register you will need to sign into your OOPS member account, and your account will need to be a member of the "Wet Exit Certified" group if you intend to wear a spray skirt.  Your acceptance is conditional on approval by the Organizer, who may contact you with questions about your skills and equipment.  If the measured water temperature is different enough from that listed below to warrant a change in required immersion protection, the Organizer will contact all participants and the Trips Board member with the update at least a day before the trip

Narrative: The combined Willamette and Columbia River fleets of Christmas Ships will parade along the St. Helens and Columbia City waterfronts Saturday, Dec. 10th, leaving the docks at St. Helens at 6 p.m. To make it easier to keep track of our large group, we will break up into several pods and head out in our non-motorized craft well ahead of them and catch their parade from the safety of St. Helens after we've completed our trip and loaded our boats.
We’ll be on the water after sunset! Please bring a REQUIRED headlamp, flashlight, or other boat-lighting illumination (see below). If you have a VHF marine radio, bring it. Additionally, if you have battery-operated holiday lights that can handle at least splashing water, here is an opportunity to indulge in some holiday spirit and light up your boat with those (in addition to the required illumination noted above). We kayakers are fun for the spectators to see, too.
Safety will be our #1 concern, making it easy for us to achieve goal #2, FUN! There should be very few power boats on the water. Bring along your air horn if you have one.
We’ll have our safety chat and launch from Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park at the end of River St. at 2:30 p.m., then head upriver. The parade boats, un-lit, will already be docked. Our goal is the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the end of Sauvie Island We will start our trip by heading upstream on the north side of Sand Island. We will probably paddle upstream of the lighthouse (we may take a break at the lighthouse and have a hot drink and snack) and explore a bit of Multnomah Channel as well. This will be a great vantage point to watch the ships beginning to get ready for their parade. We’ll then paddle through the marina where they’re docked and lighting their boats for the highlight of our trip--a real up-close-and-personal preview of the ships.
Because we’ll be on the Columbia River after dark, and there may be power boats in the water with us, we’ll paddle in a very tight formation of three pods when leaving the marina and heading back to Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park, spreading out a little more on open water to ease keeping track of everyone. We’ll arrive back at Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park around 5:15 p.m. After loading our boats, we will be able to watch the Christmas Ships begin their parade at 6 p.m. Headlamps or camp-style lanterns will be helpful for loading your boat. Some of us may want to go to a local restaurant after the parade.
This is a Level 2 trip. You must be wet-exit certified, and you must wear a Sprayskirt. Drysuits or equivalent wetsuit absolutely required!

Meeting Time: 2:30:00 PM
Launch Time: 3:15:00 PM
Type of activity: Paddle Trip
Put in: Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park
Take out: Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park
Route Alternative for bad weather: none
Required equipment:
Minimum Immersion protection: Drysuit
Primary Organizer: Steve Blackwood
Assistant Organizer(s): TBD
Has organizer paddled here before? Yes
Has organizer led an OOPS paddle here before? No
Organizer's first aid and CPR current? Yes
First Aid /CPR Person:
Maximum number of paddlers: 24
I certify that I understand and will conduct this activity in accordance with the OOPS Activity Policy: Yes
Estimated Air Temperature: mid to low 40es
Estimated Water Temperature: mid 40es
Estimated Water Time (including breaks/lunch): 3 hrs
Tide times & heights: Low 12:18pm .079ft
High 5:20pm 3.13ft
Current information: 1 mph
Hazards: Night paddling, Shipping traffic
Wind strength: Level 2: 7-12 knots (14 mph) – wind noticeably effects movement of paddle
Swell/Surf size: Level 1: Under 1' waves, no breaking waves
Sea state: Level 1: Waves up to the deck seam; water glassy to rippled, no whitecaps
Landing types: Level 2: Frequent landing opportunities including docks or moderate sloping banks, brush or overhanging trees
Currents: Level 1: None or mild (less than 1 knot)
Total distance: Level 1: Up to 6 miles
Open crossing: Level 2: Less than 1 mile
Paddling Environment:
Overall rating: Level 2
Rating Comments: It will be dark when we get off the water. Head lamps are necessary.
Location (Optional): https://goo.gl/maps/CxqnJ8KV9cCaSZnE7
Photos (Optional):
COVID-19 Status of Trip: Participants of this trip may, or may not, be vaccinated for Covid-19