NW Inland Freshwater Rendezvous????

I have always based my trailing (twice a year) off the just purchased and transporting to the lake or taking it home perspective. Plus it is super common to see big boats heading to the lake in the spring. We only trailer about 17 mi one way with only one 14' bridge to deal with. Once I buy (who knows when) a 1 ton truck we will probably start reaching out to other lakes. I had to put all new disk surge brakes on the trailer the week before haul out this year so should at least be able to stop. The cops and sheriffs are pretty lenient around here as long as you look/ act like you know what your doing ie; wide load banner, red flags, keep between the lines.
 
It's most likely my own fault. I talked to the trooper down the road and the one that responded to the house when a drunk driver drive through our fence a month ago. He could care less about the drunk and wanted to see the bigger than normal boat out here in farm land. He is the one that said to watch out. He asked about my permits and offered to look to make sure everything was together in case I got stopped. I put everything in it's own folder and he said that in 99 out of 100 stops, I'd be let go just by having it all neat and tiddy. But banners and flashing lights are a reason to stop someone and check.
 
Guys, thanks for all the info about towing! @Sundancer, that map was perfect! Since the boat is in Athol, all I have to do is run down 95 to Lewiston. Easy-peasy. Then across Washington to the Tri-Cities, but it doesn't look like Washington would be any worse than Idaho for transporting. @JHornsby3, the daughter is all over the jacket patch design so we could see a first draft by Monday.
September looks to be the preferred time to make that run as any earlier could be unbearably hot in Lewiston. Plus, that would give me the Summer to work out the bugs in mine. Website to Hell's Gate Park, and they mention 100 slips that are available by the day.
 
Hey, Nate? Why not just pull to Lewiston and motor down and then back? I would think you would burn less fuel in the boat than pulling the boat over the road. Just curious.
 
JHornsby3 said:
Hey, Nate? Why not just pull to Lewiston and motor down and then back? I would think you would burn less fuel in the boat than pulling the boat over the road. Just curious.
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If it was even in the ballpark, I'd do it. However, the truck/boat combo runs right around 9 mpg, where the boat does about 1 mpg when on the water. Even my limited powers of arithmetic came to the conclusion that that doesn't jive. Call me a tight-wad...
 
Never having done something like this before, what special consideration needs to take place as far as scheduling/toll for the locks that we'll go through?
 
All the locks on the Snake and Columbia will be on a set schedule when you guys will be locking through.
Upstream times are:
0900
1200
1500
1800
2100
Downstream lock times are 30 minutes later.

Over my many years of locking through I've picked up a few tips that might make your locking through easier and I'll share that info if you want. I also have an Excel file that has all the phone numbers and radio call signs for all the locks. Those are all on one page of the file that I printed out and had laminated and kept on the helm. I'll send that to anyone who wants it if you PM me with your email address.

BTW, there's no toll for using the locks.
 
The tolls are the weekly taxes you pay as they're run by the Army Corp of Engineers.
The locks are a piece of cake, but cool as they are pretty big.
 
Most of the locks on the Snake have floating bollards so you have to man those on the up and down in case it hangs up. In some locks like Ballard in Seattle, you need a rope long enough to reach the top of the lock from the bottom. It's pretty easy, you just follow lockmaster instructions and let them know when you are secured and ready on the radio. Off you go! Ice Harbor is one of the deepest locks at around 120 feet from upper pool to the lower pool. Mike has the times so we can determine when we want to hit each lock. There could be some barge traffic so we'll have to coordinate or work around them if we arrive at the lock at the same time. I figured a lock a day is optimistic. There are 4 dams between Lewiston and the Tri-Cities.

Lewiston to Pasco is 144 river miles. Allow another mile if we start at Hell's Gate and probably 2 more to get to Clover Island in Pasco. There are places to buy fuel along the way. I'm fairly certain I can make it on a tank and still have a sufficient reserve but it we'll see! Going downriver will help substantially. As Nathan mentioned, truck mileage is WAY better than boat mileage! We could go up and back but the fuel burn would be pretty spendy depending on future gas prices! Getting fuel in Idaho BEFORE we leave will help vs. buying fuel in Washington.

September works for me for this trip. Anybody else have a suggestion? Leaving around the 9th of September or would we want to do it over Labor Day?
 
There is a small gas station a mile from our house that almost always has the lowest price in the area. I filled up there yesterday and it was $3.45.9. For comparison, Costco is $3.56.9.

It's on a main drag and is fairly easy to get a truck/trailer/boat in there. They also have diesel which today is priced at $3.69.9.

Or, as an alternative, you can gas up your boat at the club for what usually amounts to a $.10/gallon discount below what local pump prices are. It may still be cheaper at the little station near our house.

Just a thought to share with you---yes, you're going to burn a few bucks in gas and/or diesel, but how often will you ever have the chance to go boating with your online buddies again?
 
Nater Potater said:
If it was even in the ballpark, I'd do it. However, the truck/boat combo runs right around 9 mpg, where the boat does about 1 mpg when on the water. Even my limited powers of arithmetic came to the conclusion that that doesn't jive. Call me a tight-wad...
Click to expand...

I would think heading down river you would do better than that. But just curious.
 
JHornsby3 said:
I would think heading down river you would do better than that. But just curious.
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If we're doing 1 lock a day as @Sundancer suggested, would that mean that we'll be running "cocktail" speed for the most part? 'Any idea what to expect for mileage while doing so? I carry ~120 gallons, so I'm assuming the old girl should make it on one tank without issue. Does this sound reasonable? Excuse my ignorance; I've never been involved in something like this before.
 
I'm having a blonde rock hammer moment and cant remember the numbers. But what keeps tickeling my brain is 1.4gph at plane. But I have the 3/4 sized 5.7l go boxes.
 
Gofirstclass said:
I was just looking at Lewiston on Google Maps. There's a Costco in Clarkston that has gas pumps.
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I would never pull my boat through a Costco fuel station. That'd be a big mess.
 
So, is the plan to run downriver only?
There was a lot put out there, and I don't know exactly where we're at with the trip.
If thats the case, I might go a week earlier and boat upriver.
 
Current gas prices in Lewiston, ID according to Gas Buddy are under $3.00 a gallon! That's why I suggested it would be better to fill the boats in Idaho. Washington has stupid high taxes on fuel and moving them with 100 or so fewer gallons would reduce some of the load, although it's usually never noticeable to me.

I guess we could do both, an upriver and down river or just a down river. Either way, it would be a fun trip! I just figured one way would be good enough for me, but up and back could work too.

Nathan, I would suggest 1 mpg as a safe bet. Heading downriver at cocktail speeds will improve that somewhat. There are places to get fuel at Boyer Marina which is in the first day of the trip. There is another spot at Lyon's Ferry which is after the 3rd downstream lock and probably about 100 miles into the trip. Charbonneau Park also has fuel above the last dam. I think the longest stretch is about 50 miles from Boyer to Lyon's Ferry where no fuel is available. I think you'll be fine to Lyon's Ferry. You can take stock there and decide how much you need to finish the trip.

Greg, we're still planning so we haven't decided anything. Up AND down is a possibility and we might even do both as well. We'll see! I'm afraid I might get bored on the way DOWN after going up! LOL!

A lock a day was a suggestion. Some people go all the way up in a day. I figured we would be a little more relaxed than that and anchor or find a few places to hang out on the way down (or up too). We're still planning so input is required!! I just threw it out there and we can do whatever makes sense!
 
Since this is my first time with this type of extended trip, I was planning only a downriver. That, and knowing the fuel cost in Washington for the return trip.
As I read, we have five confirmed boats:
@Sundancer,
@wyrman,
@JHornsby3,
@Gofirstclass, and
@Nater Potater
Mike/GFC, how many bodies could your friend transport up to Lewiston?
 
I would have to boat all the way from PDX and back. Too far to pull both ways plus the washington permits to boot. I dont think I would be making that trip. Plus there is other factors that play into it for me.
 
JHornsby3 said:
I would have to boat all the way from PDX and back. Too far to pull both ways plus the washington permits to boot. I dont think I would be making that trip. Plus there is other factors that play into it for me.
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Understood. I hope to get out to the San Juan's sometime in '23, so we can talk about that after this latest cruise.
 
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