Ilwaco advice...

[SeaRun1]

Hey all,

I am usually fishing Neah Bay by now but am looking farther south.  We have a family beach house in Long Beach and I have a seaworthy 19’ Arima.

I have only gone over the bars in Washington a few times as a passenger.  I have a very healthy respect for them. 

I am hoping to find someone on the board with experience that wouldn’t mind talking to me about crabbing and fishing out of Ilwaco.  Would really like some advice on safely crossing the bar.  I took the Coast Guard class in Ilwaco on the subject a few years ago but still am not confident enough to do it. 

Wouldn’t mind following another boat or even possibly taking someone out with me to advise.  Really just have lots of questions.

Thanks guys,

SR1

[Alchase]

Back in the 70s my Dad Bought 26ft  Bayliner with a Flying bridge and two 170  Volvo Pentas. We always had boats, and a cabin on Hood Canal so he new how to handle a boat well.
The first couple times he took it over the Bar at Iwaco and also out of Westport/Ocean Shores, he would suck in behind the Charter boats and follow them out and back in.
The Bar can get pretty harry at times, we saw two 26 man charters get slammed together after coming out of a nasty swell. We were pretty lucky, even on nasty days, we got through the Bar just fine.
 Hopefully someone with some Captain experience of the Bar, will chime in.
Good luck!

[Encore 280]

I wouldn't want to go over the bar on a big ebb, that's when the swells can really build and do some damage, same for coming in. Try to catch it at the tail end of the ebb if it's a big ebb. Sometimes it can be like a mill pond out there on small tides. Use common sense. Carry an anchor and lots of anchor line in case you break down and start heading for the rocks or beach. Wear life jackets at all times. Call the CG tower for a bar report or give a call on VHF 16 for a bar report from someone then switch to a working frequency. You can usually see where it's nice and no breakers .  I wouldn't go out without a good kicker motor either.