Comcomly

April 9, 2018

The R/V Comcomly is back at the Columbia River Maritime Museum after 4 days at sea and traveling almost 150 miles.  Thanks to Robert Ratchford and the wonderful staff at Salishan Resort and Spa for getting her off the beach and keeping her safe.

April 2, 2018

She came ashore on April 1 (no joke!) on the Salishan Spit (the perfect place for a miniboat to beach, no rocks-all sand) on the Central Oregon Coast. We contacted the Salishan Resort to see if they could assist us in a rescue and Director of Resort Operations, Robert Ratchford, was more than willing to assist. He confirmed at 12:57 PM that R/V Comcomly was off the beach and sitting in his office.

March 2018

At 1240 on March 29, 2018 the crew of the T/V Ironwood assisted the Columbia River Maritime Museum in the launching of their final miniboat ten miles west of the mouth of the Columbia River. The R/V Comcomly was the first vessel completed and was used as a prototype for all of the other miniboats in the CRMM fleet. She sailed her first voyage in the Columbia River and now it is time to send her off to sea.

November 5, 2017

She was first launch with the flood tide at the mouth of the Columbia River in November 2017 and will spend her life sailing up and down the Columbia. She was named in honor of the Chinook Chief Comcomly, an expert navigator of the Columbia River and the first river/bar pilot. While this first test sail was only in the river for a little more than an hour, it demonstrated its sailing ability.  According to the pilot’s log book: “Deployed 1/3rd mile South of Derbyville, 1/2 mile west of Astoria/Megler bridge in 40 feet of water at 1015. Wind NW at 25. flood tide high water at 1328. 9.9 foot high water. Retrieved at 1145 on November 5, 2017. Position 100 feet downstream of buoy 50 in 15 feet of water. It was sailing so fast we could barely catch it backing up with the pilot boat sternbasket down!”

You can see a video of the launch on the museum’s Facebook page. In the audio, you can hear the amazement in the voice of the bar pilots “Look at her go!”