This series of photos is of the Columbia River pilot being picked up from the m.s. Volendam by the pilot boat Chinook outside the Columbia River Bar off the coast of northern Oregon. Conditions appeared to be about a Force 7 (Near Gale) at the time of the pick-up. We experienced a Force 9 (Severe Gale) later in the evening.
The photos were made near dusk on the evening of Saturday, 29 September 2007 during a cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Diego, California. The ship had just left the Columbia River following a stopover in Astoria, Oregon.
This is a stop action movie made from the still images.
Chinook is a self-righting, 22-meter heavy weather aluminum pilot boat. Producing up to 1250 horsepower and propelled by twin waterjet propulsion she is capable of safely delivering her pilots at speeds up to 30 knots. She was designed by the marine architecture firm Camarc Design of Shoreham by Sea, East Sussex, England, who also designed Chinook's sister ship Columbia. She was built in 2000 by Kivchak Marine Industries of Seattle, Washington. Chinook is owned and operated by the Columbia River Bar Pilots, who provide pilotage service for vessels in the lower Columbia River.
The Columbia River bar is considered one of the most treacherous bar crossings in the world and is the site of many shipwrecks. Because of the frequent severe conditions it is the location of the U.S. Coast Guard National Motor Lifeboat School. The Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon is an excellent place to visit to learn more about the Columbia River bar, pilot boats, life boats, light boats and marine history. There are many forts, lighthouses, parks and other sites of historic interest in the area, which was visited by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805 and the Ex. Ex. (United States Exploring Expedition) in 1841. The Ex. Ex. lost the sloop-of-war USS Peacock crossing the bar when trying to enter the Columbia.
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Posted October 9, 2007. Page updated April 1, 2009. All images copyright 2007 by James Edwards. All rights reserved.