Portland Waterfront Blues Festival

Hey All,
Over the past few years, my wife and I have gone to this great event and seen many boats anchor in the Big W just off shore of the main stage.



They obviously are there to get some sun, great music and consume a few beverages. The last year or two we've made comments about paddling over and anchoring with the crowd on the water for the music and fireworks show.  This years festival is July 2-5 with the fireworks likely on Saturday night, July 4th.

Any interest in a floating gathering for great music and explosions from a kayak perspective?  Maybe someone with a PB could act as a base camp for food and beverages (maybe a toilet too!)

Lots of time to think and plan. We'll probably be there anyway but it'll be more fun with a group.

Jay

Sounds interesting.  Seems I remember a low river dock across the way under the Hawthorn Bridge.  Even a bank launch under the Hawthorn (east side) would be pretty easy.  Definitely something to think about.  That could be fun.

I anchored a 30fter there several years for the whole weekend (used my sled to pick and drop people off) and I don't think I would want to be there in a yak.  LOTS of boat traffic/wakes.  People are hot, dehydrated, unfamilar with their craft, then  people over rehydrate with the "wrong bevreges" etc. etc.  The though of being on the water after dark in these conditions is even more scary. 

,Yeah, what PP said. That's ALLOT of unruly traffic to be in.

Now the 4th of July at Willamette Park or downtown is a whole other matter. Good police presence to dissuade you from getting too close and to make sure that folk on the water are "properly" hydrated. Put a big flashlight inside your hull and you'll look like a giant glow stick with the best seat in the house.

Does Portland still host a microbrew festival at Tom McCall park?

My girlfriend and I put in under the Hawthorne a few years ago for the fourth of July fireworks show with our kayaks. As I recall the fireworks started at about 9:45. So we put in around 6:00 just to beat the crowds on the banks. That worked well.

Next we paddled for about two hours near the bank (crossed down by the steal bridge) so as not to get run over by any PB. We figured we would let all the PB settle into their slots before we made it down and anchored up...didn't want to get a great spot only to have big boats move in all around which I think was a good call. We also didn't want to be just sitting there getting cold watching the drunk PB goers piss off the side of their boats which we still saw.

Once we settled in on the outskirts of the boat village at around 8-8:30 we anchored and tied up. We got out some sandwiches,  fruit, cheese, sparkling apple cider, even some blankets for over our shoulders (another good idea once the sun went down). All in all it was a very civilized affair. Then we sat back and watched one of the best fire works shows we have ever seen.

Now the problem, we wanted to get back across the river when the fireworks had ended, again so as not to get run over by drunk PB drivers running back up and down river. We did have lights on our boats and flashing headlights (Wish I had thought of Wali's idea about lights inside the yaks). Anyhow, we were about 2/3 of the way across when a big coast guard ship came over to us and told us with a bull horn while holding a big q-beam on us that we were too close to the fireworks barge. By the way, the coast guard ship had party goers on it, glad to see my tax dollars have been well spent. I know distances and we were at least three hundred yards away. Anyhow, with the q-beam on us we had to paddle back and then down river with speed boats flying by and cross under the burnside. So that was the only downside to a perfect evening. Might do it again but do believe there would be safety in numbers.

Jerrol