Reader Marshall Santos just posted this brain twister in the Three Sheets NW forums. Can you offer any advice before he heads out into the dangerous Columbia? I’m taking my 34-foot “trawler” from St. Helens Marina to its new home in downtown Portland. The rivers are swollen with an occasional tree trunk passing by. My planned route is the [...]

Even though the month nicknamed “Fogust” is over, Northwest boaters still need to be aware of a weather condition that strikes fear in the heart of many mariners. There are three different types of fog. There’s fog that forms when water is warmer than the air, called “steam” fog (think of a boiling pot of [...]

Ever wonder who gets the fun job of maintaining all those navigation cans and buoys that keep us boaters off the rocks. It’s the Coast Guard and it has to be one of the least fun — but most important — jobs they do. This video was shot and produced by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandlerc [...]

Navigation in a narrow shallow channel highlights some limitations of the nifty electronics aboard our boats.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the latest gear and use the heck out of my GPS – but I maintain a healthy skepticism for what it says, constantly crosschecking, never depending on one input. The shallow spots are [...]