MCYC St. Patty Day Party and a new Washer Dryer

We had another great weekend at Multnomah Channel Yacht Club.  We spent the night at Sand Island, St. Helens OR Thursday night.  We ran the river a little hard with ASD, turning 2100 RPMs at about 14mph.  This boat loves this speed and Kitty Cats were just purring! The evening was just fantastic and warm.  I caught the only sturgeon.  We had along with us The George Emery,  Mid-Night Sun and Points North III.  I also got to test out my new AIS and found it to be another great tool for navigation.

The next morning we all headed up the Multnomah channel to MCYC.  Took about 2 hours and we dodged a lot of fishing boats.  We were the first ones at the club and we all got choice parking.  ASD got the same spot she did last year, right in front of the club.

Kay bought our weekend tickets for $31 each which got us burgers on Friday, breakfast Saturday and Sunday and a big dinner on Saturday with a live band.  Kay had a great time as guys were asking her to dance and yes we danced too.  This is one of our favorite cruises as we get to see old friends and make new ones. 

We also go this years USCG safety inspection and passed with flying colors and it is also the first time we have ever had someone side tied to us.

But every good time must come to the end, we ate breakfast back down river.  Ron had a dead battery and we found out his alternator was bad on the port side.  For some reason this cruise is also a curse for electrical systems as I had the same problems last year.  The cruise back was great.  Kay sailed ASD all the way back and I got to run around the boat taking pictures and seeing the boat from a different perspective.  Kay did a great job and she wants to learn how to navigate and dock the boat this summer.

I also started and finished a project this past week.  I installed a washer/Dryer combo.  I had to run hot/cold water lines to a closet in the main berth, with electric, a drain and dry vent hose.  Took me almost all week.  With help from my good friends Ron and Jerry we carried the 148lb unit up 2 flight of stairs and then down 2 more flights to the aft cabin.  It fit just right.  This will be handy when cruising up north as we are told that at some of the Canadian resorts you stop at a load of cloths is $5 to wash and $5 to dry, plus what ever the docking fee is.  This way I won't have to turn my whitey tighties inside out.....

Our buddy Ron with a "special" beer cozy

Sunrise at Sand Island

Leaves are starting to show

Our new washer dryer.  I have to put the doors back on.

Heading up Fisher Slough

Columbia River

At 14mph at 2100 RPMs  Big wake

Tom at the bridge

Midnight Sun

Enjoying the 70f weather at Sand Island

The George Emery

Cruiser the Dawg

Looking at St. Helens OR

The Court House

Top of Sand Island

The Courthouse at sunrise

Mount St. Helens

Picking our way through salmon fishermen on the channel

Heading up the channel

Admiral getting some "stick" time

Looking back down the channel

Docked at MCYC

Our neighbor

Boats stacking up for the big party

Looking up the channel from MCYC with a weekend full of rain

ASD at the dock

Overflow from a lake

Coon Island

Cool pic heading home

Heading down river

Kay doing the driving

A few nice homes on the WA side of the Columbia River

Bow pushing water

RV Park on WA side of the river.  dad would have loved this place

We met this fellow on the way home