Cancelled: Christmas Ships Paddle - L2 with Night Time Extension to L3 - T2403

When
December 14, 2024
2:30 PM
Location
Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park
Spaces left
13
Registered
12 registrants

Registration

Members with wet exit certification
Active club members with wet exit certification, including kayaking professional and lifetime.
TO and Safety
Password Reserved for TO use

Registration is closed

Trip Organizers: We are Currently getting TOs to sign up. TO's Please Sign Up for a "TO and Safety" Ticket with the registration code "XMAS"

Club Members: We have set the trip level at 3 pods of 8 (2 TOs and 6 Non-TO Paddlers). The registration currently reflects this. Each pod will stay together under that head TO for that pod leadership. This is in line with OOPS safety guidelines.

Full Name: Steve Blackwood (Head Organizer)

Narrative: The combined Willamette and Columbia River fleets of Christmas Ships will parade along the St. Helens and Columbia City waterfronts Saturday, Dec. 14th, 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 bring one) 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: 3:00:00 PM
Type of activity: Paddle Trip
Put in: Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park https://maps.app.goo.gl/8p9zkZQKB3KFoaG29
Take out: Grey Cliffs Waterfront Park https://maps.app.goo.gl/8p9zkZQKB3KFoaG29
Route Alternative for bad weather: none
Required equipment:
Minimum Immersion protection: Drysuit
Primary Organizer: Steve Blackwood
Co-Organizer(s):

David Nesson.

Jon Light-Powell.

Kerry Smith.

Tom Waldron.

Bob Freshman.

Has organizer paddled here before? Yes
Has organizer led an OOPS paddle here before? Yes
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: 40es
Estimated Water Temperature: 50es
Estimated Water Time (including breaks/lunch): 3
Tide times & heights: 9:49 AM .98 L
3:20 PM 3.95 H
Current information: 1kt
Hazards: Night paddling
Wind strength: Level 2: 7-12 knots (14 mph) – wind noticeably effects movement of paddle
Swell/Surf size: Level 2: Waves up to 2', no breaking waves
Sea state: Level 2: Waves up to armpit; light to moderate chop, scattered 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 1: Less than 0.5 miles
Paddling Environment:
Overall rating: Level 2 bumped to Level 3 because it is partially after Dark
Rating Comments: Night paddling increases the hazards of paddling. Please bring appropriate lighting. It is expected that the actual on water conditions for a Day Trip will be L1 or maybe L2.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7mThLtFfqDk4Aj6MA
Photos (Optional):
COVID-19 Status of Trip: Participants of this trip may, or may not, be vaccinated for Covid-19
Tide Station: St Helens
Link to map of route (Optional)

Oregon Ocean Paddling Society
Portland, Oregon