This sailboarding trip to the Columbia River Gorge is my first after 7 years hiatus from the sport. It took forever to gather all the equipment and figure out how to best load them into the camper. So too is all the grocery supply for the entire 3-4 day trip.
sailboarding gears - my 35-litre 7'6" board barely fit using the bathroom for maneuvering onto the upper berth. the tail and fin projects only a few inches from the end of the bed so it is not a head strike hazard. So too are the two-piece carbon masts.
day 1 at Rufus, Oregon - near Maryhill State Park, Washington
As I would realize later the current was so strong at some places along shore at waist deep water I could not gain ground walking against the current up river; something I had never experience here.
wind subsided at sun set
i cooked it inside first as it was quite windy - cooking outside waste a lot of precious butane due to wasted heat in windy condition
i cooked it outside towards the end when it emits some oily smoke - the shield helped but still it was just very windy
The wind pick up and blew a gusty 25+/- knots most of the day. The parking lot was full and double-parked even it was July 2. All day at the sailing site Tatyana attracted much admiration and praise with her graceful poise and slender built, from men and women alike. People was equally amazed seeing her inner beauty. Many asked to see the inside and were so surprised it has a "full" bath. Some remarks on the timeless appearance of the modern kitchen like many earlier boffi domestic kitchens before they embraced the ultra-minimalist styling of late.
day 3 at Roosevelt, Washington; across the river from Arlington, Oregon. The parking lot was overflowed when we arrived. It is to be expected for the day before July 4th. It took forever to find a safe parking for Tatyana. It blew a gusty 30+/- knots most of the day and sail sizes range between 3.0 sq. m to 3.7 sq. m. Nice big swells near Oregon side.
Again Tatyana receive much curiosity and interest. Two older German men from BC, while familiar with past Westfalia campers with VW, had never heard of or seen a James Cook. They asked a lot of pointed questions to be expected from someone who are aware of Westfalia's usual thoughtful and balanced design approach. I pointed out the one of my favorite attention to detail feature - the offset pivot point of the rotating passenger seat that bring the front occupants closer together at the table. Needless to say they were impressed.
full moon rising above arlington, or
The forecast for the next few days of the Independence Day week is balmy weather with light wind. We returned home to enjoy the peace and quiet in town.
short video taken with the iPhone en route to Roosevelt and back
The entire trip totaled just under 400 miles. Tatyana averaged 20.6 miles per US gallon. Highway speed typically at 65 mph. In the return trip Tatyana weighted in at 7950 lb at a government truck scale. The fuel efficiency is impressive for a 4 ton vehicle at 11 feet tall.On flat or hilly road she purr along silky smooth. The firm and supportive seats are very comfortable. With very strong gusty cross wind one has to be careful and ready to react to sudden sways. This handling characteristic is surprising similar to VW Vanagon camper. I am hoping the 4 Koni shocks I ordered would tame this somewhat.
During the trip I experience the first time the messy business of emptying the black (toilet waste) water tank at an Oregon State Park. Tatyana was "full of it" from the trip to San Francisco. The service is free with optional donation. The disposal setup is spatan but very efficient. I only need to connect a short hose to reach the inlet port. All goes well as pull the release valve. Because the inlet port of the disposal is in a concret trough I have to struggle to raise some portion of the hose to ensure plumbing code-compliant slope for efficient flow. While I was marveling my quick acquire skill the connection where two hoses mate popped open. Fortunately my right hand was at the release valve and I shut it before any significant amount splashed onto the pavement. I initially thought I didn't tighten the bayonet connectors enough and they came loose. It turned out is the screw-type hose clamp that secures (secure is a job this kind of clamp tends to not accomplish) the plastic hose to the connector sleeve.
Oh mine! The naturally decomposed and well aged sludge left this persistent odor on my fingers even after a very good thorough rinse - something I didn't notice until I started driving. Rinsing the accordion extension hose clean and odor free for storage takes a good amount of water and I was thankful for the simple and effective design at the park facility which employ a 1/4 turn ball valve.
This experience reinforced my preference with the European toilet with a removable cassette because of the diminutive black water tank in this "mini RV".
From owning the VW Vanagon Westfalia I had became very good in conserving the precious fresh water supply. I knew I can camp another week before needing refill so I passed on the opportunity to replenish the fresh water storage tank.
bounty of the mighty river - chinook salmon bought from an indian fisherman; my friend and I had 2 dinners with pan fried salmon.
Having a good refrigerator in the camper, I bought fillets of 3 small chinook salmons and a pack of smoked salmon. Enough to gorge on salmon for 3 days, every meal. During the trip I cooked up 2 salmon dinners with Craig from Toronto.
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