Columbia Bar
The Columbia Bar is a system of bars and shoals at the mouth of the Columbia River spanning the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. It is one of the most dangerous bar crossings in the world, earning the nickname Graveyard of the Pacific. The bar is about 3 miles (5 km) wide and 6 miles (10 km) long.[1]
Description
The bar is where the river's current dissipates into the Pacific Ocean, often as large standing waves. The waves are partially caused by the deposition of sediment as the river slows, as well as mixing with ocean waves. The waves, wind, and current are hazardous for vessels of all sizes. The Columbia current varies from 4 to 7 knots (7.4 to 13.0 km/h) westward, and therefore into the predominantly westerly winds and ocean swells, creating significant surface conditions.[2][3] Unlike other major rivers, the current is focused "like a fire hose" without the moderating effect of a river delta.[4] Conditions can change from calm to life-threatening in as little as five minutes due to changes of direction of wind and ocean swell.[5] Since 1792, approximately 2,000 large ships have sunk in and around the Columbia Bar, and because of the danger and the numerous shipwrecks the mouth of the Columbia River acquired a reputation worldwide as the graveyard of the Pacific.[6]
The navigational channel is 2,640 feet (805 m) wide at the west end and narrows to 600 feet (183 m) within the jetties (though the jetties themselves are never closer than two miles (3.2 km) apart). The channel is dredged to 55 feet (17 m) in the northern three-quarters and 48 feet (15 m) for the southern quarter. Inside the bar, the channel remains 600 feet (180 m) wide and reduces to 43 feet (13 m) deep.[1] The Clatsop Spit juts into the ocean on the south side of the river mouth, and on the north side is Peacock Spit, named after the USS Peacock which wrecked there in 1841.[7]
In 1884, after decades of shipwrecks, the
The nearby United States Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, Washington, is renowned for operating in some of the roughest sea conditions in the world, and is home to the National Motor Lifeboat School. It is the only school for rough weather and surf rescue operation in the US, and is respected internationally as a center of excellence for heavy boat operations.[8]
Approximately 16 bar pilots, earning about $180,000 per year, guide ships across the bar, often boarding ships by helicopter.[9] They generally consider "the bar" to be the area between the north and south jetties and Sand Island (see detail of bathymetric map for locations of these).[10] Over 700 people have drowned in the Columbia Bar[11] and Bar Pilots are highly skilled and trained in navigating ships through the rough waters.
The Columbia Bar is part of a set of major marine
Viewing
The most accessible place to watch ships cross the bar is at the South Jetty viewing platform at
See also
- King & Winge (bar pilot boat from 1924 to 1958).
- U.S. lightship Columbia, historic navigational aid into the Columbia River.
- Rabboni, first regular steam tug to bring a ship across the Columbia bar.
- SS Iowa, wrecked on Columbia Bar in 1936.
- Rosecrans, wrecked on Columbia Bar in 1913.
References
- ^ a b "Pilotage Grounds". Columbia River Bar Pilots. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ "Graveyard of the Pacific". Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ Fisherman interviewed in Pacific Graveyard television documentary on The Travel Channel [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ David Wilma (September 12, 2006). "Graveyard of the Pacific: Shipwrecks on the Washington Coast". Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ "Boating in Oregon Coastal Waters—Columbia River" (PDF). Oregon State Marine Board. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ "Guarding the Graveyard of Ships." Popular Mechanics, May 1954, p. 128.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4930-1322-7.
- ^ Coast Guard station Cape Disappointment website
- ^ Jacklet, Ben (2004-10-19). "Columbia pilot pay attracts port's eye". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ "Gale - Product Login". galeapps.gale.com. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
- ^ BlueOregon. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
- ISBN 1-55054-020-3. Archived from the originalon 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
External links
- "Rough Bar" photos at Columbia River Bar Pilots website
- Columbia River Bar Pilots Video produced by Oregon Field Guide
- Columbia River Danger Areas demonstration chart for bar pilots