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We have to give a special mention
here to Mike from MV Sea Dreamer who we first met at Westport.
Little did he know when he gave us his card and said "look me up if
you pop into Coos bay", that he would become our tour guide for 3
weeks! Whilst we waited for delivery of our new transmission, Mike
helped us explore the area in his car. We can not thank him enough
for his hospitality and friendship, together with his ever-smiling wife,
Karen. Here is Mike with Julie looking out to the 'rough bar'
sign. |
| We've been playing tag with Bob and
Rita of SV Farewell right from Neah Bay. We met up again in Coos
Bay where they were carrying out repairs on their boat as well. It
was comforting to know we weren't the only boat heading south so late in
the year. We keep in contact via email and they are now anchored in San
Diego waiting for us to catch up again! |
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| The two photos above
show the bar crossing to Coos Bay on a good day and a very bad day.
Timing is everything at these entrances which can get extremely
dangerous when the wind is blowing and the current is going the wrong
way. The bad day here was blowing at gale force but even with moderate
winds the bar can have breakers all the way across which are not visible
until you are already committed to cross. The swells coming in this day
from off the Pacific Ocean were 27 feet high. This is the reason why we
are taking our time to sail down the coast as this kind of weather is
getting more and more prevalent as winter comes on. |
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The Craggy Oregon Coastline has
magnificent scenery. We walked the Oregon Coast trail which took
us past postcard beauty. This is the furthest North breeding
ground that the California sea lion migrates too, and you can hear their
barking all along this coastline, especially Simpson reef and Shell
island where thousands cover every available rock space. Several
different species can be seen here including the Northern Sea lion which
grows up to 10ft and 2000 pounds, Elephant seals who are the deepest
diving mammal (up to 4000ft) and harbour seals. |
| The Cape Arago Highway takes you
past Arago lighthouse to Sunset beach and Shore Acres State Park
The amazing cliffs and rock formations stretch for miles and the rich colors
of the cyprus trees blanket the mountain tops. |
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A visit to Cape Arago when the
swells are as high as 27ft gives a different vista as the waves crash
into the cliffs. The surf crashing onto the rocks literally
bubbles and foams, giving the water the appearance of whipped
milk The display of waves was similar to a fireworks display as
they exploded into the air. |
| Here is Julie looking out over the
cliff top as a wave erupts into the air. This spectacular sight
was continuously changing as the swells crashed into the incredible rock
formations. |
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If the waves were not enough to look
at, the incredible patterns caused by the water create unique sculptors
and colorful lichen complete the postcard beauty. |
| If you look very carefully at the
top of this cliff you can see a small railing with people standing
behind, which gives you some idea of the scale of these waves. |
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The Oregon sand dunes are the
highest on the Pacific coast and certainly very beautiful. The
golden grasses contrast with the bright greens of the cyprus. |
| The dunes almost look like snow
untouched by human footprints. The size of the dunes are
incredible and the soft white sand feels cold under foot. |
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It was great fun to climb the dunes
and Mike and Karen joined in on our hike creating new footprints.
Dune buggies can be hired to explore the vast area the dunes cover, but
a hike to a high point will give you a magnificent view. |
| The grasses cover areas of the dunes
and add a golden highlight to the vast expanses of sand. |
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