Portland (OR) Tugnuts - Christmas Boats Parade

[Gin]

We Portland Oregon area Tugnuts have been talking about some kind of gathering for the last couple of months -- it just hasn't happened. For my part, I'm really sorry I haven't done more to assist. But we (my partner and I) are down in Salem, dealing with a combination of life complicating events that have both compromised our leisure time and made it unpredictable. So it goes.

Meanwhile, though, we harbor (small pun) hopes of participating in the Portland area Christmas boat parade. Among the fun facts to know and tell is that the Portland Christmas boat parade is the oldest continuous such event in the nation (so they claim, at least). They have a Columbia River flotilla and a Willamette flotilla. Participants can join either one (and the two do some cruises together). And they welcome participation for only a couple of nights, or as many of the entire schedule of events as you want and can join (which runs for several weeks).

I met with the current president of the organization, and I have to admit, it sounds like way-too-much-fun. There are some risks in nighttime cruising, but the group is safety conscious, takes full advantage of the experienced skippers in its ranks, and seems to have it all down to a semi-science. They are particularly interested in recruiting for the Willamette fleet. So many people are moored off of the Columbia and like to stay there for the cruising that they have almost twice the number of boats in that grouping. For the Willamette, they are able to provide moorage at River Place, John's landing, and a few other places in the downtown Portland area. So if you (like we) have moorage on the Columbia, you can cruise down to the Willamette and have free moorage there for the cruising period (a modest payment for electricity is all that you have to pay).

There is already one Ranger Tug 21 that will probably be in the Willamette fleet. The president thinks it is very cool that we may join with our RT 27, and we both smiled at the prospect of several Ranger Tugs in the same parade. Is anybody game? I told him I'd try to spread the word. From all I can tell, the folks who do it find it totally addicting -- one of the most enjoyable things they do all year with their boats. I have more information I can share for anyone interested. I don't expect that we will have any elaborate decorations on Echo, especially this first year. But as the president reassured me, boats with even the most modest lighting look great and add to the festiveness of it all.

So I know you Portland tugnuts are out there. Anyone interested in more info? If so, PM me!

Gini

 

[Tug4Two]

Gini,
We'll be out with the Willamette Fleet again this year, our sixth season with the Christmas Ships so far, and our first in the tug. It is great fun, and a fine excuse to get out on the boat during a time of year that might otherwise see less usage. Feel free to send a PM if you'd like more specific information.
Looking forward to seeing you out on the water soon, joe

 

[Larrynbarb]

Gini,
We would very much like to join in on the Christmas Boat Parade with our RT 25SC. Between now and then I'm sure someone will be kind enough to discuss the how and what of putting up lites on our boat. This sounds like something we'd really enjoy and would look forward to.
Larry and Barb

 

[Gin]

Joe, how great to have an experienced Christmas parade skipper in our midst! And Larry and Barb, it would be really wonderful if you joined in. If you, too, joined the Willamette Fleet, that would make three Ranger Tugs in the group. And maybe we will round up some more before we are done.

I will pm you both!

Gini

 

[Tug4Two]

Gini & Larry/Barb,
You may already be aware of this, ChristmasShips has a meeting for new skippers tonight at 7pm in the Jantzen Beach Red Lion. Hotel staff can direct you to the appropriate meeting room if you're able to attend.
Hope to see you there, joe

 

[Gin]

Colleen and I plan to be there! Thanks Joe.

 

[Lobo]

I do Xmas light parades in Victoria. I can run 700 LED Christmas tree lights off a ProMariner "Pro Sport" inverter. This is the small inverter that fits in a cup holder. About $30.00. I got mine at the Ranger Rendezvous in a draw. I plug it into a cigarette lighter. When the boat is at the dock I plug the lights directly into the shore power, but when on the water the small inverter easily handles all those lights.

The end result -- when seeing the boat from a distance -- is a small, intense blob of colour. In the dark I sure am small compared to sailboats.

Dave

 

[JamesTXSD]

We have been in our local Lighted Boat Parade a bunch of times...

With our generator running, we could run as many lights as the circuits would handle (plenty enough to thoroughly light up the boat).

A few things we learned over the years of participating in the parade...

A skipper and a spotter keeping a look-out.
Make sure all the lights are secure and out of the way where you might walk.
Don't put lights across the windshields.
Have lights forward of the windshields on a separate circuit so you can turn those off enroute (when you need to see better).
If you are going to be close enough to parade viewers for them to hear, have some Christmas music playing (outside the cabin so you can hear each other).
Do a theme with your lights - as opposed to simply piles of lights.
Make sure your radar is functioning properly with all the lights/displays (you're going to need it at night).
I know the Rangers come with a mounted spot light, we find a hand-held light is helpful, as well.

Make sure you have the course of the parade down pat - with all the lights on the boat, navigation lights can be confusing or hard to find.

We would prep the boat a couple days before the parade - then, you can "fine tune" your lights in the dark a night or two before hand. In our canal, the neighbors always enjoy the lighted boat. We kept the lights on for another day or two after the parade.

Have fun with it!

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[Lenny and Louise]

Hello Friends!

Although Then Again is in Portland, we are not (yet). With all the commuting from Southern California looking for a house, we won't have time to get the boat, or ourselves, prepared for the parade. We are working out a schedule to see the fleet in action.

At least we got our priorities straight. First we bought the boat, then found a place for her to live, and now looking for a place for ourselves.

 

[Gin]

Lenny and Louise, we look forward to when the two of you get up our way! And yes, you do have your priorities right. 😉 We went to the new skipper's meeting this week and remain hopeful that we can pull things together to have Echo in the parade with the Willamette fleet -- not every night they are out, but at least some or several. Joe, of tug4two, plans to be in the same fleet with his Ranger 21. Look for the tugnuts!

Jim B - thanks for the helpful insights and tips on boating at night in a parade. We are learning lots through all this!

Dave - I'll check out the small inverter. We think the on-board one will handle things easily if we go all LED. But the portable might be helpful as a backup or auxiliary. Lots to learn and figure out in terms of what we can run at night, not having done any real night boating on Echo.

Gini

 

[Tug4Two]

Hoping to encourage others to join in the merriment, I've posted pictures of the progress to date with the xMas Ships lighting project on the Kennesaw Star. Check our gallery if interested. Joe

 

[Tug4Two]

This year is the 60th Anniv of the Christmas Ships on the Willamette & Columbia rivers. Still plenty of time to get your decorations ready and join one of the fleets for this season's festivities. Go to http://www.christmasships.org for more information, or send me a PM if any of you are interested in getting involved. It's a grand time.