Welcome to the planning page for the first overnight Oregon gathering of the NWP sailing group on the weekend of September 12,13,14. The kids should be back in school, so the potters come out to play!

Jim Mask, Jim Sinclair, Jim Ferguson and I (officially known as 3-Jims-and-a-Derek, or the 4 Potterteers, whichever serves you best) have been busy planning a fun and adventurous weekend for all the good potter folks who we know want to make that quick hop out to the rolling Columbia River for some potter sailing fun.

The Lewis & Clark Rendezvous, located in the Columbia riverside city of St. Helens Oregon on the weekend of September 12,13,14. For information on the City of St. Helens and driving directions, Click Here.

Sunrise at the St. Helens City Dock

Normal form for the Potter fleet!

Columbia River Run

For early arrivals and adventurous types, we will be leading a number of boats down the Columbia River from Portland via the scenic Multnomah Channel. This will most likely consist of motoring most of the way, with a lunch stop at Coon Island. The early arrivals will need to be launched and ready by 11 am on Friday at the Gleason Ramp, right next to the Portland Airport, so its a good excuse to take the day off. If you want to meet us along the way, then you need to leave a cell phone number with me, and I'll tell you when we will be passing by. We should arrive at St. Helens between 4 and 6pm. Click Here for more information about the Columbia River Run.

St. Helens

The focus of this sail-in will be St. Helens Oregon, a historic river town located about 30 miles NW of Portland. Friday Night arrivals can take advantage of the St. Helens ramp, and Friday Night will include mooring near the old-town at the city dock, and those that are game will head into town for burgers and beer at a local pub. Click here for more information about St. Helens.

Saturday Arrivals can join the rest of the folks for some Columbia river pottering, sailing at our leisure around the area of St. Helens. No schedule here, just some good natured boating fun. The evening will conclude with mooring out at the Sand Island Marine Park and dock. Folks will cook aboard their boats and visit and spin yarns as we are apt to do.

Lonely Esmerelda at the St. Helens City Dock

Sand Island in the background

Sunday, the folks who sailed down to St. Helens will pack up and leave around 11:00am, and hopefully sail the main channel of the river back to the ramp. The winds tend to blow nicely up river, so it could be a quiet run upriver the whole way. Bring your drifters and poles!

Those that launched in St. Helens can meander back to their rigs in their own time and pull out as they please.