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| Coos Bay and the Oregon South Coast |
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| It is spring! The birds chatter outside the window early in the morning. The grass is lush and needs mowing. We are getting more sunny days and the warm light of the sun turns the waters of the bay into a bright blue that invites exploration and play. It is spring. The robins said so a week ago, but I did not believe them. After all, it has felt like spring most of winter. Today, however, it is finally, truly, here -- in the sky, the trees, the grass. Even the wind is blowing from the north, giving the warm days that bit of envigorating chill. |
| Guano Head, at the entrance of the Bay, protects Charleston from the worst of the swells. |
| Everyday, the fishermen ply their boats up and down the bay. The commercial fishermen go out, into the open waters of the ocean, while those who fish for play prefer to stay in the well protected waters almost totally surrounded by the north spit to the west and north, Coos Bay to the east, and Charleston to the south. The fisherman's dock is full of crabbers and fishing poles. Families picnic at the tiny beach and fire up some driftwood for barbecue and warmth. |
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| It is all quite delightful, this constant flow of people and seasons and nature -- always changing, and yet the same -- the cycles of the universe as seen through the window. When the winds howl, windsurfers come out to let the winds buffet them to and fro on the water. The expert ones direct themselves to where they want to go, while the rest go where the wind wills, often just a few hundred meters away south to the next cove. |
| Golden Falls, view from the top. It plunges several hundred feet below to a rocky basin. |
| The ones who surf with a kite are especially crazy, I think. But they do it again and again and again, until one day, I finally see one of them master his kite and go windward to the other side of the bay, and back, and back again. It is a wonderful sight. I never thought to see any one of them triumph against such odds. |
| Up and down the coast, there is always something to tease the interest. Whether it is the ocean crashing against surf-hewn rocks and pinnacles, or the forest trails that meander here and there and suddenly show you |
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| rainbows threading through the silver veils of a waterfall, or the many hidden coves and gulches that make the movement of the surf such a fascinating study, or the sea lions that flock on the rocks by the hundreds and endlessly bark a hoarse counterpoint to the wind and the water, or the trees and thick carpet of moss and ferns and abundant wildlife that make hiking the Oregon forests a discovery adventure -- all these and more give Coos Bay and Oregon's South Coast its wild and undeveloped charm. |
| Norton Gulch often gives a mesmerizing show of swirling currents, foam and ocean spray. |
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| SAILING ON COOS BAY |
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| Below, a spectacular display after a storm at Shore Acres. |
| Protected waters, gusty winds, and a winding channel, can make sailing around Coos Bay a delight and a challenge. The U-shaped course from Charleston to downtown Coos Bay is great for practice sessions in tacking and trimming sails. Most often, the weather is just perfect, with a bright sun, steady wind, and congenial company. What more can a weekend sailor ask for? Sailing on Coos Bay is definitely fun, and for some sailing fanatics, not only on weekends. Most of the sailors on the Bay are members of the South Coast Offshore Yacht Club. As the Club name proudly declares, many of the members are brave, offshore sailors, some singlehandling a cruise to the South Seas on homebuilt boats. The Club meets once a month to discuss, what else? SAILING! And when you have been to a meeting at least once, you can believe they have a lot to talk about. When sailors get together, watch out! They shoot the breeze, on and off the water. Shown below are some of the sailboats caught goofing around on the Bay. If you would like to contribute a photo, attach your scanned photo to an email and send to [email protected]. Please include a brief description, name of boat, skipper, first mate, and whatever else you feel would be interesting. This page is always under construction. Add-ons welcome. |
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| S/V Louise is a majestic sight, especially under full sail. |
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| S/V Rover is like a bird on the wing, with skipper Brian, and friends Tim, Ed, Joyce, and Sandie. |
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| S/V Majic with skipper Santos, first mate Susan, and friend John. Photo by Pat, re-shot with a digital camera. |
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| S/V Escapade flies a bumblebee spinnaker with skipper Tom and first mate Pat on board. |
| An out-of-town sailor lazily sails along... warm sun, blue skies, blue sea, and a gentle wind... ahh, paradise. |
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| S/V Majic goes home to E dock at Charleston -- sailboat haven. |
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| email Susan and Santos at [email protected]. all rights reserved. |
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