Columbia/Snake Rivers

C

CGW

Active member
Joined
Jul 18, 2024
Messages
29
Fluid Motion Model
R-31 CB
Hull Identification Number
FMLT3117K718
Vessel Name
CAVOK
Has anyone traveled up the Columbia/Snake Rivers to Lewiston, Idaho in their boats? Do you have a suggested itinerary? Or a recommended guide book? We are thinking to do it in our R31 the second half of September.
Any info or suggestions appreciated.

Griff
 
I have a C30 berthed on the Columbia in the area of Hayden Island. When I first bought the boat a few years ago I looked for cruising guides that cover the river and its tributaries. I found none. I chatted with the folks who publish the Waggoner Cruising Guide and to their knowledge there is nothing remotely current that applies to this area. There is a chart atlas, though. It is published by Evergreen Pacific and titled River Cruising Atlas. It covers the Columbia, Willamette, and Snake rivers. Be sure to look at the publication date for anything you purchase! The most current atlas is available at a local chandlery on Hayden Island. It’s also on Amazon but several of the vendors are selling issues that are many years old. I believe the current one was printed in 2022, but many vendors are selling copies printed as far back as 2014. There was a small cruising guide printed in the mid 1990s that primarily covered restaurants, but it is so far out of date it has no application to what is currently available. There are a few videos on YouTube of folks cruising the 2 rivers. These are interesting to watch and give you a visual idea of the area and some of the small marinas, but I certainly wouldn’t use them for anything more than entertainment. The marinas upriver are very (very) small and the availability of diesel would be something you would want to confirm, especially for the leg up the Snake.
 
It’s been done by a number of Ranger Tug owners. Search the forums for “Snake River” to get some pretty detailed accounts of their trips. Astoria to Lewiston.
As I remember getting diesel was a significant challenge. One owner propositioned his truck way up the river so he could shuttle diesel fuel in containers back and forth from a gas station to his marina stop.
 
Last edited:
CGW said:
Has anyone traveled up the Columbia/Snake Rivers to Lewiston, Idaho in their boats? Do you have a suggested itinerary? Or a recommended guide book? We are thinking to do it in our R31 the second half of September.
Any info or suggestions appreciated.

Griff
Click to expand...

Get the tablet app Aqua Maps. It is primarily designed as a navigation utility, but if you are registered on their respective websites, it will display Waterway Guide and Active Captain information about marinas including phone numbers, services and crowd-sourced reviews of those marinas along with reviews of anchorages, and free docks.
 
Thanks for the input!!
Griff
 
CaspersCruiser said:
Get the tablet app Aqua Maps. It is primarily designed as a navigation utility, but if you are registered on their respective websites, it will display Waterway Guide and Active Captain information about marinas including phone numbers, services and crowd-sourced reviews of those marinas along with reviews of anchorages, and free docks.
Click to expand...
I second this suggestion. It also enables you to overlay the old raster charts that are available for this area. I do not, however, recommend relying on Waterway Guide data for this area Waterway Guide is primarily an East Coast publication and their coverage of western facilities is limited. The ActiveCaptain data may be more accurate.
 
scross said:
…
As I remember getting diesel was a significant challenge. One owner propositioned his truck way up the river so he could shuttle diesel fuel in containers back and forth from a gas station to his marina stop.
Click to expand...
This seems like a real dealbreaker to me. It’s the primary reason I decided not to bring my boat down to Lake Havasu for the winter this year. I couldn’t see any place on the lake to get diesel. And juggling 5 gallon cans of the stuff is not an option for me.
 
CGW said:
Has anyone traveled up the Columbia/Snake Rivers to Lewiston, Idaho in their boats? Do you have a suggested itinerary? Or a recommended guide book? We are thinking to do it in our R31 the second half of September.
Any info or suggestions appreciated.

Griff
Click to expand...
Have you watched the Fleming Yacht YouTube channel video about their trip up the Columbia and Snake? Highly recommended. All of his videos are great.

I have been thinking about this trip; I live in the Wenatchee area, just up the Columbia River from the Tri-Cities area. I’d have to haul the boat down to a marina or ramp where I could launch it below the Priest Rapids dam. I’m not sure if it’s worth it. I’ve flown the entire length of the Snake River between Lewiston and Tri-Cities in a helicopter and although it’s interesting, it’s not nearly as nice as the area further down the Columbia River or what we can find in Puget Sound and beyond.

please let us know how your trip goes if you do decide to do it.
 
My wife and I owned a 23’ C-Dory for many years. We loved it and experienced waterways, and new friends, all over the country. The C-Dory owners group (C-Brats) is very active. In mid October 2017 several boats, both 22’ & 25’, towed to Lewiston, ID, where they launched and over several days cruised down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to Astoria. One of the participants subsequently made a 52 minute video of the trip. He also made a much shorter video composed of several still photos. Both are on YouTube and can be easily found with a quick search. They provide a brief visual of possible weather, the countryside, and the locks encountered, as well as some of the marinas.
 
My wife and I just finished the trip from Clarkston/Lewiston to Astoria last week. I loved it. My wife—meh. We trailered from Minnesota (with a week long stop on Lake Coure d’ Alene). Some tips: The jet boat trip 60miles up Hells Canyon was great. The Hell’s Canyon Resort/Marina in Clarkston looks great on google but is totally silted in. However, very nice launch and trailer storage just 6 miles down stream at Chief Timothy park. There is no diesel at any stop on the Snake. First diesel is in the Tri Cities. Our trip was 10 days including two day delay due to high winds. Happy to provide more info. Mike and Sharon on Miss Kendy
 
JealousMistress said:
My wife and I just finished the trip from Clarkston/Lewiston to Astoria last week. I loved it. My wife—meh. We trailered from Minnesota (with a week long stop on Lake Coure d’ Alene). Some tips: The jet boat trip 60miles up Hells Canyon was great. The Hell’s Canyon Resort/Marina in Clarkston looks great on google but is totally silted in. However, very nice launch and trailer storage just 6 miles down stream at Chief Timothy park. There is no diesel at any stop on the Snake. First diesel is in the Tri Cities. Our trip was 10 days including two day delay due to high winds. Happy to provide more info. Mike and Sharon on Miss Kendy
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Hey Mike & Sharon, I followed your trip on the MarineTraffic AIS app. When I saw your vessel name next to the icon I recognized it and knew it was a Cutwater. Looked like a nice time. The advantages trailering provides.
 
Thanks for all the tips!
Mike and Sharon - was there deisel in Clarkston? Any issue getting to Tri-Cities? Google maps shows the distance as about 120 miles. What about fuel stops along the Columbia?
Knowing where to get fuel seems pretty key.
The snake river tour looks great. I just finished watching the Fleming video - now Tony’s voice will be moderating my whole trip in my head!
 
CGW said:
Thanks for all the tips!
Mike and Sharon - was there deisel in Clarkston? Any issue getting to Tri-Cities? Google maps shows the distance as about 120 miles. What about fuel stops along the Columbia?
Knowing where to get fuel seems pretty key.
The snake river tour looks great. I just finished watching the Fleming video - now Tony’s voice will be moderating my whole trip in my head!
Click to expand...
We filled the boat diesel while on the trailer. No diesel dispensed at a marinas in Lewiston/Clarkston. (Reportedly, one of the jet boat tour operators uses diesel-probably delivered by truck) We had 40+ gallons remaining at the Tri-Cities. Diesel was generally available on the Columbia. Umatilla was best: $3.11 gallon; Hood River the worst!: $6.95 gallon.
 
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