Humboldt Bay - Page 2

rokar · 07 April 2013, 05:47

Searider,

There's a guy in my office that makes alot of trips to Ft. Bragg that beach dives for abs.
He wants to hook up a couple of times this summer.

I've made quite a few trips down there on the bike but have never towed a boat. I would assume that it would be better to run down to Willits before cutting over?

RRR

Oregon Searider · 07 April 2013, 05:57

Rokar,

How did you like Cresent City? Drove through there countless times but never stayed much. Did spend some time out at St. George reef light. Flew lots of barrels from the old light house removing left over fuel and oil that was left behind when the last care takers left the light. Landed the barrels right in one of the water front parkIng lots by the marina. That was way back in 92 or 93. Last time I lived in Humboldt Bay was 2004.

Oregon Searider · 07 April 2013, 06:11

Rokar,

I have flown to Shelter Cove and Ft Bragg more times than I can remember. But only made the trip by road one time for each location. I remember the drive over from 101 always seems like a long time. The Willits turn off sounds about right for Ft Bragg, but would have to look at a map again to be sure.

jyasaki · 08 April 2013, 07:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokar

Now how can anybody hate tourists? I was starting think that they were the life blood of the Northcoast! Just kiddin'.

I'm not on the North Coast; I'm in Oakland. Most of my diving and boating is in Monterey. Tourists tend to add time to the drive (which, at just over 2 hrs is long enough to begin with.)

Quote:

Is that a 2st Yam.

Mine's a 4-stroke. (giveaway is the F prefix.)

Quote:

Aluminum. Does it have a bracket so that you can have a high stern rail?

Builder put on a pod; basically a less-than-beam-width hull extension. Full height transom. Pod is nice; in addition to improving handling, it makes a good platform to take a leak, and a handy spot to hang a dive ladder.

jky

jyasaki · 08 April 2013, 07:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokar

I've made quite a few trips down there on the bike but have never towed a boat. I would assume that it would be better to run down to Willits before cutting over?

I'd guess so. Make sure you have decent brakes, or take it really easy; Hwy 20 has several 15mph downhill turns.

jky

rokar · 09 April 2013, 04:03

Searider,

I've spent the last 20yrs in CC and loved most of it. Ocean, Mountains. If you didn't like the weather, just go to another part of the county.

rokar · 09 April 2013, 04:11

jyasaki,

Sorry about that. My yam's a 115 ETLF.

It'd be nice to have a pod or extension, I'd like to keep the 115.

After I say ryanpratt's rebuilds, I spent alot of time researching and even sent in for a quote to Armstrong. I'm just too concerned about the bending moment with as shallow a stern that I have.

Hwy 20 sounds like it my be an interesting trip. I use a 1ton dually as my tow rig. It's got a jake brake on it that really slows it down nicely.

I'll have to take another run down there to scope things out with eye to launching.

Thanks.

Peter_C · 09 April 2013, 04:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I'd guess so. Make sure you have decent brakes, or take it really easy; Hwy 20 has several 15mph downhill turns.

jky

I just drove that route towing my little boat with a fully loaded pickup truck this weekend. No big deal. Use your gears/jake brakes for the bigger downhills.

No way I would want to tow down the Lost Coast route. Absolutely beautiful drive, but very windy road.

Shots from Russian Gulch headlands on Saturday. Nope we weren't diving.

Oregon Searider · 09 April 2013, 05:21

Rokar,

I looked at a map. I drove to Ft Bragg, turning off 101 at Legget, it is the start of highway 1. If I had to do it again, that is the way I would go.

Not that you have the fuel to make a long run, I would stay away from Cape Mendocino, which is not the same as the Mendocino Coast that is popular. The cape always has high winds and currents. Some of the mountains in the King Range go from the shore to over 4000 ft, straight up.

Have fun in Humboldt. It has a lot to offer if you get outdoors much. I am a little jealous remembering the good times there, but no way am I ever moving back to California. Total of ten years is enough. I left Mountain View (SF Bay) last fall. I now call Idaho home and I think I might have the only RIB on Lake Pend Oreille.

jyasaki · 09 April 2013, 16:32

So... You're "Oregon_Searider", you used to live in California, and now you're in Idaho? You trying to keep us awake or something?

jky

rokar · 10 April 2013, 03:30

Peter C

So where's Russian Gulch? I'm assuming that you probably had to hike in to get those pics?

Judging by the weather that we had up this way, the pics must have been from Sunday?

By the way, I saw your pics on another thread of your beach launcher. Great idea! Are you going to have differential drive to help with steering? Also, if you can find a radio with 2.4 instead of AM/FM/PCM, you're reliability will go way up and you don't have to worry about anybody stealing your signal. I fly helis and run trucks on 2.4 and the radios are available in all kinds of configurations.

RRR

rokar · 10 April 2013, 03:32

Searider,

Enjoy the lake(s)! I had a blast on Lake Shasta last year and got alot of thumbs up from the other boaters.

RRR

Oregon Searider · 10 April 2013, 05:22

jyasaki,

Exactly...

Seems natural to me :-)

Spent 4 years in Coos Bay Oregon. It was there that I bought my rib and joined the website. Never went to update my user name. Seemed like a good name at the time. Retired last fall. Last flew on helicopters out of SFO.

Peter_C · 10 April 2013, 05:24

Russian Gulch is just North of the town of Mendocino and South of Fort Bragg a few miles. It is a state park. Yes we walked the bluffs. Watch out for poison oak! The photos were taken Saturday which apparently was bigger than Sunday. We went home Saturday afternoon since it was supposed to rain a fair amount and there wasn't to be anymore diving.

My beach launcher is built from the parts of a powered wheelchair so each motor can be controlled independently with the joy stick. I want remote control so I can walk next to the boat or behind the boat while it is moving. Also when using the beach cart I want to be able to walk next to it, and be able to sit on a seat and drive it. I would like to leave the joy stick for it's safety features and such, including brake action. I bought the cheapest NOS radio I could find. $26 for a four channel radio isn't bad depending on if I have to remake the batteries. If it fails I just run over and hit the power button to shut it down.

We went to Shasta Lake last year too. Although we mostly got funny looks. I used to have a Correct Craft wakeboard boat and spent 10 days a year there riding the clean, warm, flat water.

rokar · 18 April 2013, 03:19

Peter C,

Clear skies, warm water, what's there to give you a funny look for?

They just don't know what they're missing!

Check, Russian Gulch just got added to the to do list.

Have you ever launched out of Ft. Bragg?

I've seen some pics of the the harbor and whoa, looks like some tight quarters.

RRR

rokar · 18 April 2013, 03:22

Peter C,

By the looks of the pic, you had it max'd out with gear.

Hope to see some pics of your beach crawler when you put it to good use.

RR

rokar · 18 April 2013, 03:26

Hey guys, hope to get the boat in the water this weekend at Humboldt Bay.

I used to have a 21K on the motor and have switched to a 19K. Since this was a stock prop for the yammie, I'm curious to see how well it improves the low end bite.

RR

Peter_C · 18 April 2013, 06:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokar

Peter C,

Clear skies, warm water, what's there to give you a funny look for?

We were loaded to the gills going out and back from Arbuckle Flat, so folks took a good look at us. That is an awesome place to camp BTW. Also we were wakeboarding behind our little boat. I got a few comments said from other folks of how can you ride behind that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokar

Check, Russian Gulch just got added to the to do list.

There is no launch site at Russian Gulch, only a small campground and a nice beach.

[QUOTE=rokar;530205]Have you ever launched out of Ft. Bragg?
No but my friends have. The launch ramp is nice, and I believe there are two of them. The entrance and exit can get ugly. It has flipped a few capable boats.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokar

Peter C,

By the looks of the pic, you had it max'd out with gear.

Hope to see some pics of your beach crawler when you put it to good use.

RR

I hope to be able to take pics of it at some point. My focus has been on other projects lately though. Took down and bucked about 20 trees on our property today, I am beat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokar

Hey guys, hope to get the boat in the water this weekend at Humboldt Bay.

Keep an eye on the forecast as it is supposed to be windy and fairly ugly. We are probably headed to Monterey for diving this weekend. You know which NOAA forecast to use right?

rokar · 20 April 2013, 06:03

Peter C

yep, I like to use the one that covers from St. George to Cape Mendocino and 10mi out.

They've got a small craft advisory scheduled for Sat afternoon through Mon. I'm not going to go out of the bay tomorrow. Just get the boat wet, run up the motor and tour around the bay.

Wakeboards? I'd like to try that sometime. I've ski'd behind a jet ski before so I can see how you can do it in your rig.

Russian Gulch, isn't there a nice KOA in that area? If it's where I'm thinking, that'd be worth just the drive down that way.

Have a good time this weekend.

RR

jyasaki · 20 April 2013, 17:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokar

Russian Gulch, isn't there a nice KOA in that area? If it's where I'm thinking, that'd be worth just the drive down that way.

Don't know of any KOA's around there. I'm not much on the chain campgrounds.

RG is one of the prettiest campgrounds I've seen though. Okay ab diving off the beach there. The camp itself is tucked into a little tree filled valley that opens up onto a small beach. As I remember, there's a waterfall a few miles further up the canyon.

Another decent campground is at Caspar (privately owned campground, whereas RG is State); again with OK ab diving off the beach.

jky