Where we are now.

Well we are still in Charleston. There are 6 other Canadian boats held up waiting to leave with a good weather window. They are all heading to Mexico. Some will continue on to the South Pacific or through the Panama.
We met a couple Chris and Rani from the sailboat Ladybug from Victoria. They are traveling in a 29’ sailboat to Mexico.
They rented a car so we decided to share expenses and see some sights. A decision was made to travel around and just see what there was to see.
Our first stop was the South Slough Estuary. Estuaries are places where rivers meet the sea and salt and fresh water mix. They are among the world’s most productive ecosystems.The interpretive centre was very informative. It is interesting to see how man has screwed the system up not understanding how wetlands worked. Luckily we are now trying to fix what we have wrecked where possible.
We continued on down the South coast following the scenic route which took us to wonderful white sandy beaches. The winds were fairly brisk but not unmanageable for the kite surfers. This is the latest in extreme sports. Yes Alanna, I know you will want to try it like all the other things you are trying! We had an interesting time talking to several people about this sport. The best winds are 10-15 knots. Up to 25 are ok but more for those that know what they are doing. 40 knots is just painful. It cost about 1500 dollars for the board, kite, rigging etc. It looked like a lot of fun but I will leave it to the much younger crowd.

Kite Surfing. It looked like a lot of fun.

The next stop was Bandon by The Sea. Like many towns on the Oregon coast, Bandon had significant fishing and timber industries which came to an end by the 1980s. Currently Bandon is a center of cranberry production. Today however, Bandon's economy revolves around the golfing and tourism industries. I was a little disappointed as it was totally a tourist trap. We had a picnic lunch then moved on, traveling north.
We found ourselves looking for dunes and happening onto a lighthouse. For a mere $3.00 we decided to take the tour of the Umpqua River Lighthouse. This lighthouse is at the entrance to Winchester Bay. The current structure is 65 feet with 165’ in elevation. It overlooks sand dunes on the south side of the bay. It is currently automated. The coast guard have their married quarters here.

It was now onwards to find the right dunes to climb. (Or to have Rani do sand angels). We finally found them. I made it about ¾ the way. Chris and Rani made it to the top. Ken stayed back. It was awesome, even if you had to keep a good lookout for ATV’s.

So what are dunes?

The sand in the Oregon Dunes is from the Coasr Mountain Range, which is sedimentary rock that was uplifted 12 million years ago. As rock was moved downstream by rivers, it tumbled and wore away by friction into sand.
The present shoreline stabilized 6,000 years ago. Tides, wave action and strong coastal winds moved sand up to 2.5 miles inland for thousands of years. This area of dune development rests on a gently-sloping terrace of solid marine sandstone called the Coos Bay Dune Sheet. This low rock surface stretches 56 miles from Heceta Head to Cape Arago and contrasts with steep headlands found on most of the Oregon coastline which prevent inland movement of sand.
Winds are a major influence in dune formation. Summer winds blow steadily from the north and northwest at 12-16 miles per hour. Mountain barriers near the coast deflect wind currents, sculpting the sand info many different shapes.
In winter, winds are generally lighter; however, they can exceed 100 miles per hour during intense winter storms. These winds blow from the south and southwest moving large amounts of sand. Seasonal changes in wind direction reshape dune sculptures and ridges.
Water influences dune formation. Strong ocean currents flowing north in winter and south in summer hold sediment from rivers near the shore. Currents, tides and wave action dredge sand from the ocean floor and deposit it on the beaches where the wind takes over.
With the upward pressure of water, the sand grains become saturated and may float, resulting in quicksand. The Dunes

Well it was a pretty full day. It was great. We spent time with new acquaintances; saw some of the things that we just boat by. Being stuck in a place is what you make of it. Sit on the boat waiting for weather windows to hurry to get where you are going or enjoy the getting there portion of the trip. The getting there is all part of the experience.
We now see (possibly) Tues or Wed as the days to leave. There will be a mass exodus when the right day appears