View the fireworks from Riverplace Marina, L2

Let's combine the best of both worlds -- comfortable [night-time] paddle in
an easy and familiar location (to avoid most of the crowds), and watch a
fantastic free 4th of July fireworks display from the water, thanks to the
Waterfront Blues Festival.

Please join me and co-TO MNR for a relaxed-pace night-time paddle on the
Willamette River, launching from Willamette Park in Portland's John's
Landing area as we slide and glide along river left, past Ross Island, under
a few fun bridges, to the Portland Riverplace Marina where we'll raft up and
drop anchor to watch the night time display of a great fireworks
extravaganza.

This is a night-time paddle, automatically L2, and we'll keep it that way if
Mother Nature allows -- wind and current are expected to be calm, but this
far out, that's a small gamble.

You MUST have a white light to show approaching boat traffic -- best bet is
a good headlamp.

Be sure to bring snacks and water -- it's an easy 2.5 mile paddle up and
then back, but we'll be out for a while (about 4 hours) to get into position
before the main event, enjoy it, and take a careful paddle back in some
traffic to the put-in. The ramp could be busy with motor boats, so using
the beach just to the right of the ramps is a real possibility.

Main hazards are recreational boats, some likely unsteady after a day of
drinking. Everybody needs to bring their A game, and have good boat control
to avoid contact with other boats and each other.

Wind and current are always latent concerns, especially making
predictions this far out. But we currently expect benign conditions.

Let's be in position by 9:30 PM (sunset is 9:02 PM), fireworks usually
scheduled for 10 PM. From 2023, Oregon Live wrote

Sunset falls right around 9 p.m. and the fireworks are scheduled to
start about 10 p.m., viewable from both sides of the river near Tom
McCall Waterfront Park's south end. The Morrison and Hawthorne
bridges are closed to motor vehicle traffic from 8 p.m. to midnight due
to the fireworks. The Steel and Broadway bridges are among those open
tonight.

There is plenty of free parking (after 5 PM) at Willamette Park Portland
with good restrooms. I'm still verifying we'll be OK to park there late --
usually, the park is closed to vehicles at 10 PM.

We follow the OOPS pod protocol, so please plan to stay with the group.
Only for hard-shell Kayaks 12 feet or longer. This is a Level 2 trip -- wet
exit certification is **required**, and you must wear a spray skirt.

The safety talk at 8:02 PM, and we launch at 8:17 PM.

Meeting Time: 7:27:00 PM
Launch Time: 8:17:00 PM
Put in: Willamette Park, Portland || Long/Lat: 45.475415971892076, -122.66846241119627
Take out: same as put-in
Route Alternative for bad weather: shorten route -- we can still see the fireworks
Primary Organizer: Joseph P. SKUDLAREK
Co-Organizer(s): Mark Niemann-Ross
Estimated Air Temperature: low 70s
Estimated Water Temperature: low 70s
Estimated Water Time (including breaks/lunch): 4 hours
Tide times & heights: 
Date DoW Time (LST/LDT) (ft) High/Low
2024/07/04 Thu 03:48 AM 3.41 H
2024/07/04 Thu 1:10 PM -0.14 L
2024/07/04 Thu 5:09 PM 1.83 H
2024/07/04 Thu 11:38 PM 0.92 L
Current information: less than 1 kt
Hazards: Night paddling
Wind strength: Level 1: 0-7 knots (8 mph)
Swell/Surf size: Level 1: Under 1' waves, no breaking waves
Sea state: Level 1: Waves up to the deck seam; water glassy to rippled, no whitecaps
Landing types: Level 2: Frequent landing opportunities including docks or moderate sloping banks, brush or overhanging trees
Currents: Level 1: None or mild (less than 1 knot)
Total distance: Level 1: Up to 6 miles
Open crossing: Level 1: Less than 0.5 miles
Overall rating: Level 2
Rating Comments: nice easy local paddle AT NIGHT, with traffic -- automatic Level 2
Location: Willamette Park, Portland || Long/Lat: 45.475415971892076, -122.66846241119627
COVID-19 Status of Trip: Participants of this trip may, or may not, be vaccinated for Covid-19
Tide Station: 9439221 Portland Morrison Street Bridge, OR