"The Big Low" (the weekend "storm")

Mark Mc · 10-11-2003, 08:44 PM

OK y'all, here it comes. Who will be at the coast Sunday morning to get some photos of the mojo swells coming in?

I'd be real interested to see what happens in the strait of juan de fuca & the western san juans. The center of this thing will hit real close
to the border, and the swells are westerly. How far in will they go?

BTW link for this is at: web page

[ 10-11-2003, 10:06 PM: Message edited by: Mark Mc ]

Mark Mc · 10-11-2003, 09:01 PM

Check out buoy 46005, 315 miles off Westport:

46005

Seas peaked at 42 ft at 8 pm.

Orca · 10-12-2003, 08:05 AM

42 footer's :shocked:

Sea Jypzee · 10-12-2003, 08:07 AM

Surf's up dude!!

Actually heard the guys on the VHF this morning talking about the waves breaking over Dock1 INSIDE the harbor here in Depoe Bay :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: this morning. I may have to run down there with the camera.

justasillyolgirl · 10-12-2003, 08:25 AM

As a kid my family lived in Port Angeles. Mom and all us kids used to like to go out onto Ediz Hook to feel the salty mist and watch the waves break on the rocks. I remember one time when the hook was closed because the waves were coming completely over it. :shocked: It was a truly awesome sight. The power of Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me. Wish I could be out there to witness it. :depressed:

Somebody take some pictures!!! please :smile:

Sea Jypzee · 10-12-2003, 08:56 AM

The Depoe Bay Tradewinds docks have been really taking a beating, but are holding up. Talked with Gary (the harbormaster) down there, he said it's calmer now than what it was earlier this morning, but said he did not see anything breaking over Dock 1. The TW dock, yes, but not Dock 1.

The enterance. The Tradewinds dock is the first dock by the bridge on the right for those of you unfamiliar with the Depoe Bay harbor.

Surf's up in the Bay! :shocked:

[ 10-12-2003, 09:57 AM: Message edited by: Sea Jypzee ]

Sea Jypzee · 10-12-2003, 09:06 AM

Looks like the Rockpile was the local place to be this morning! 30 footers! :shocked: :shocked:

Sensei-san · 10-12-2003, 10:09 AM

Mark Mc, What is really amazing is the rapidity of the rise in the wave height. I have rarely seen the wave height go up so quickly. And people don't think that we can have a Perfect Storm situation on the West Coast. If this storm had some southern reminents of a hurricane off Cabo, we would be in a world of hurt.

My nephew said that the storm earlier in the week had the red can at Winchester Bay totally underwater in the swell series. He said the Coos Bay USCG practiced their surf drills on the bar for a couple of the sets. I doubt they tried that today.

Kinda reminds me of a Columbus Day in the 60's. Except it came down the valley instead of staying offshore.

[ 10-12-2003, 11:17 AM: Message edited by: Sensei-san ]

jokester · 10-12-2003, 01:19 PM

So you're saying we probably SHOULDN'T cross the bar today? :grin:

Mark Mc · 10-12-2003, 04:49 PM

Hi Nancy, thanks for the photos, esp. that last one!

I discovered that the Channel House (B & B) has a great web cam that points right out & down at the Depoe entrance....check it out:

http://198.107.118.219/inetcam/camera1.htm

What's strange is that the date is goofed up...at 5:45 today it says 10/11 3 am. I'd like to e-mail them & ask if the image is delayed, or is the timer goofed up, or...?

p.s. hello Sensei, nice to see you around here.

4 REEL · 10-12-2003, 04:57 PM

:shocked: Wow thats a great web cam. Now I can spy on all the folks sneaking out in the mornings.

Reel Creel · 10-12-2003, 09:32 PM

Was down there my self and wife, kids and it was amazing. took pics with a 35ml and need to get them done,and show. No little boats just big waves,big waves,after big waves.

fish assassin · 10-13-2003, 06:22 AM

Stayed up at Pacific City yesterday ... didn't make it to Dopey Bay ... and
watched some really AWSOME breakers over Cape Kiawanda. Saw two of them that
broke soooo big that the white water was twice the height of the cape! VERY
spectacular! I just LOVE those winter (or late fall) storms!

-assAssin-

[ 10-13-2003, 07:23 AM: Message edited by: fish assassin ]

Miss B Haven · 10-13-2003, 07:14 AM

I drove out to the South Jetty (CR) yesterday about 2. Wasn't all that spectacular. Lots of white on both sides (Clatsop beach and clatsop spit) but the large swell wasn't apparent. Looked to be 10 footers max coming in around the tower on the Ocean side. I think the big ones break outside farther and you get the leftovers in at the beach.
What was impressive was when I drove down the SS beach (on the inside, upriver side of Clatsop spit). First of all there were cars all over dirt (sand actually) access road off the pavement. Looked like somebody was giving money away or ??
When I got in and parked I realized there were several folks either putting on or taking off wetsuits and a lot of long boards on rigs. When I got to the edge where you normally go down to the beach, there wasn't any beach. The water was clear up in the trees. I walked a little through the brush to where I could see out in the bay there and whoaaaaa.... Musta been 30 people out there surfing IN THE RIVER! They were surfing 3-4 footers, musta been to rough on the REAL beach?
Anywho... the high tide combined with the storm surge was pretty impressive. There were several dead pine trees washing around at the edge of the beach (where the beach should have started if it wasn't under water. Two of them were still standing on their roots sticking straight up like they were still growing, but moving around and down the beach with every large wave. I got my feet wet about 10 feet back from the edge up in the the grass/brush on one washer!

PS- it was a really nice weekend to stay tied to the dock. No crabbies for Miss B though! :depressed:

[ 10-13-2003, 08:16 AM: Message edited by: Miss B Haven ]

Marty · 10-13-2003, 07:27 AM

What a great day to spend on the coast......got up early and beat the crowds. Mother nature in her full glory and easily the biggest stuff I have seen in the last 10 plus years. You could actually feel the waves hit the rocks, kinda like the Jurassic Park movie and you're watching the water ripple in the footprints as the beast is coming. Went down to Depoe and walked around on the docks and thought my wife would need her seasick meds just standing there. Impressive stuff surging thru that opening. I went over to the boat launch area and it was surging over the top of the launch area and going over the park-river dam/spillway. And then it would come rushing back again. All boats inside looked pretty secure, but what a mess of bull kelp and crude the swell blew thru the opening. I took my video camera down for the show, but I ran out of film after about 30 seconds. Idiot!!!.

Mark.......you need to buy a boat, as you have way too much time on your hands. Great link and post.

42' swells........now that reminds me of the my king crab fishing days on the Bering Sea.

Swell is back down to 12 foot at Stonewall and the temp is up to 57 degrees......hmmmmmmm

Marty

Miss B Haven · 10-13-2003, 08:00 AM

Oh- Idid forget one thing. Satuday night when we got back to the boat (after dinner at the Bouy) you could hear the surf in Warrenton. It's 10 miles by road from Warrenton out to the South Jetty! At least 5 miles as the crow flies! :shocked:

Popeye · 10-13-2003, 08:11 AM

I WOULD post some pics that I took....BUT I CAN'T GET THEM TO UPLOAD! Sometimes they load right up, other times nuthin happens. I also get tired of RE-NAMING!

Mark Mc · 10-13-2003, 09:13 AM

Marty, "too much time on my hands? Need to buy (another) boat"? You really know how to hurt a guy! Just for that, I'll point out the tuna water (~ 62 deg) only 28 miles WSW of the Coos Bay entrance!!

Sensei-san · 10-14-2003, 09:05 PM

Mark Mc,

A post script to your post. A good friend of mine chose to go windsurfing last weekend. It was almost his last. He got dismasted in 12-15 foot seas south of San Francisco. He spent two days on a narrow beach as he was too exhausted to climb up a 75' cliff. I heard his story got posted on CNN and FOX.

Not good to fool with Mother Nature...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...NGVJ2AUQS1.DTL

http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.as...3&nav=5D7lIVZV

[ 10-14-2003, 10:07 PM: Message edited by: Sensei-san ]