The BAR!

[Pilar]

We throw around words like The BAR, all the time and assume that those that read know of what we speak. If you've got a minute and know about a certain bar, love it or hate it, how about telling us what you know. Whether the Coast Guard has a station there, a watch tower, warning lights (rough bar) or if there is some trick to crossing it. Information about the effects of tides on that particular bar are useful too.

What I am after here is to get information from the 'locals' about the various access points to the Ocean for all to read. We might save someone some grief.

I'll go first.

Garibaldi

Coast Guard Station Tillamook, Watch tower on the north jetty, warning lights on the tower and the CG boat barn. There is a watch and warning flag pole by the CG station near the water outside the harbor masters office too.

This bar is carefully guarded by the CG and they will often sit inside the jaws in a rescue boat and stop boats if the bar is restricted. The times to avoid crossing are during any small craft advisory and also during high winds. As with most all the Oregon bars, avoid the EBB tide. This is the flow out of the bay and occurs from high tide to low. The worst conditions almost always occur between 3 hours after high slack tide and until a short time after low slack tide.

The calmest conditions are often found on the flood tide and especially at high slack. On a minimal tide the bar can be absolutely flat.

The South jetty has an area of submerged rocks extending from the tip to the west about 100 ft. Avoid this area at all times. There is often a larger swell found around the South jetty and even reaching partway up it on the ocean side. Use caution when fishing here as people do every fall. Several boats go onto the jetty every fall.

That's what I know about it. Chime in and tell us about your BAR.

[ 04-18-2002, 07:11 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[tailchaser]

Ok, I'll go next. Coos Bay baby!!!

Going out of charleston you defintely want to follow the channel markers until you're headed out towards the ocean. There are a couple of sandbars that catch a tourist every year if you try and cut a shortcut. There is a Coast Guard Station there also with a helicopter rescue team on alert 24-7. They monitor 9 c.b and 16 VHF, pretty common. The coasty's are very conservative here for the most part. I was crossing the bar once at 30+ miles an hour and they told me it was closed to recreational boats.

When the bar is rough here, there is a definite trick on crossing it. If you look on any map you can notice the bar is faced slighlty SouthWest. Therefore, when an outgoing ebb tide is present you can sneak out on the North side of the jetty quickly and be in the calm ocean waters in minutes. All of the flow from the river follows the same sw clip so it's easily avoidable.

For the most part, Coos Bay is one of the easiest bars and most forgiving in the state. It's very deep at the mouth and is crossable pretty much any time the weather is decent on both tides. I've fished from Newport South to Brookings and it's #1, or #2 on my list of being forgiving.

tc

[Threemuch]

Since I am one of the least experienced bar crossers around here (10-15 trips tillamook, probably 10 Nehalem, 1 columbia) I will abstain from trying to sound like an expert. Here is a good site on the web about Oregon Bars

http://www.marinebd.osmb.state.or.us/CoastalWaters/

And you can call the coasties for a tillamook bay bar report any time, 503.322.3234

Tillamook bay Bar was open this morning to all vessels at 8 am. Going fishing tomorrow!

KB

[Pilar]

Nice link Kurt, Thanks. I think this is what I was looking for.