The John Day River, Big Docks & Ships

30 August 2021

Earlier this summer, I paddled from eastern Astoria to the west side of Tongue Point, as blogged about here. It was more interesting than expected when I discovered the buoy repair station. The current and weather seemed to get more extreme the closer I got to the point where the Columbia River narrows. Among other things, the point includes the Tongue Point Job Corps Seamanship Academy. Today I wanted to look at the docks on the point’s east side. Anyone anytime can not just drive in there and do a walkabout, but I figured nobody would care if I approached by water and looked.

From the Port of Ilwaco (the boating center of the lower Columbia), the John Day River Boat Ramp is upstream and southeast.

Although a quick restroom stop is free, the John Day Park will charge to park, use the ramp and/or this picnic spot.

I had a fiver but a ticket is only issued if you have a working credit card.

Coho salmon season was in progress but today was a quieter weekday. There would be less chance of a covid carrier close encounter in the parking lot. I set up the kayak’s sail and outriggers as it was forecast to blow 10-15 mph. I hoped to use the NW wind to my advantage like the native Chinook and the early fishermen.

As one of the sports fishing boats was loading, a fisherman looked at my kayak and asked: “Where’s your keel?” I showed him the dagger board. “But where is the keel?” “I lean a little bit and use these floats.” “Oh.” We both knew the likelihood of getting stuck in the tidal mud and vegetation. Deep keels can be limiting.

Mixing with the the fishing boats.

Kayaks didn’t create this oil slick that seeped through my scuppers.

The first interesting sight was an abandoned swing bridge. It is part of the same line the Astoria Trolley uses. One time the trains went to Portland. More about its history is here.

This is not part of the trolley system:

Entering the Columbia River, I could hear and see the speck of another power boat approaching. The Tongue Point docks are a mile and a half away.

Between the eastern long dock and Mott Island, this cormorant struck up a pose.

The power boats were avoiding Mott Island, keeping to the deeper channel near the docks. I didn’t, because I’m little.

It is a regulated island. Looking it up later, “all watercraft should stay at least 500 feet away.” The Rules and Regs’ are here. I took only pictures, left only ripples, and didn’t shoot the sign.

By the end of summer, vegetation has spread through many of the local lakes. I thought the Columbia would flow too fast to allow it to settle, but here it was extending about 600 feet off Mott Island. It wanted to cling on for a ride. Being a plant can sometimes be dull.

A fishing boat was checking out the bulk carrier Marianna from Monrovia, anchored off Tongue Point and soon continuing to Portland, according to FleetMon.

The Tongue Point docks are over a quarter mile long. They were completed in 1924 as a submarine and destroyer base. During WW2, it was an air station for coastal patrols, and they also pre-commissioned escort aircraft carriers built in Portland-Vancouver. After the war, it was used to mothball our reserve fleet. More about it is here.

I looked at this broken piling and thought, “I didn’t do it.” It looks like they use timber for bumpers while the steel beams support the dock.

I’ve seen the Ironwood before when I paddled upstream from Astoria. Built in 1943, it is now the primary training vessel at the Job Corps seamanship program.

Today a few trainees were painting its yellow mooring pylons.

Nearby, someone else was working next to the yellow pylons alongside the Iuka. It’s a large harbor tug which is also part of the Job Corps program.

Here is a 30 second water level video of one of the long docks concluding with a view of the USS High Point. If you’re ever paddling this way stop and take a closer look at our Navy’s first operational hydrofoil. It was launched at Tacoma in 1962 to keep up with the newer, faster Soviet submarines, decommissioned in 1975, and can cruise at 50 knots. It is being restored by a private owner.

There is a dock midway between Tongue Point and the John Day. An aerial view is here.

The Salvage Chief built in 1949 was moored here today. Among its many operations, it served as the primary support vessel during the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. Its history is well described here.

Then it was back to the mouth of the John Day where this blogpost stops. A trip up the Columbia to Svensen would also be a good choice for a paddle trip. I was fortunate to do both today.

The tide was rising at 0.7 feet per hour and there was over five more hours of sunlight. With a fine tailwind and current there would be time to explore the Twilight Eagle Sanctuary and more.

But that story will be in the next post.

6.4 miles traveled in 1 hour and 41 minutes with a maximum speed of 7.2 mph averaging 3.8 mph. Your milage may vary as I doglegged it twice and didn’t return to the launch.