No Ocean Bar, But There is a Dolly Dock at Port Orford, Oregon
In October 2010, I visited the Port of Port Orford, Oregon. Port Orford is one of only two "dolly docks"
in the U.S., and one of only six in the world. Positioned near the edge
of the hardscape are two high capacity hoists. Each can lift and carry
fishing vessels up to 25,000 lb.
Timing my visit for late afternoon, I could see two
boats awaiting a lift by the dockside crane. As I watched, one of two
large hoists lifted the fishing vessel Providence from the water to the
dock. As her crew gently adjusted their lines, the hoist operator swung
and lowered the stout vessel into position on a transport trailer. Once
secured to her trailer, captain, crew and Providence pulled away
together, heading for home.
During the summer and fall, an occasional coastal
cruising boat will anchor in the protected area provided by the Port
Orford jetty. For deeper-draft fishing boats,
the harbor area is too shallow for safe mooring. When not on the ocean,
many of the fishing boats rest on custom-made “dollies”. These quaint
carriages are fitted with axles, wheels and tires salvaged from old
trucks. During my afternoon at the dock, I saw a Popeye the Sailor
vessel parked on the dock. Its dolly featured ancient white sidewall
tires.
For reasons both natural and manmade, the port is unique. For instance, Port Orford is the only deep-water port between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California. Entering or leaving any other port along that 400-mile stretch of coastline requires crossing an ocean bar. Where the ocean tide meets the flow of a river, a shoal will form. Timing an arrival or departure for high tide guarantees maximum
depth beneath the keel. It also assures maximum turbulence, as the two
bodies of water meet. Shifting currents and shallow spots can turn
crossing a bar into a harrowing experience.
The Port at Port Orford is an open-water dock, with
only a riprap breakwater to protect it from southerly storms. Winter
waves and storm surge can be unrelenting. A fallen green navigation marker
is testament to the power of the Pacific Ocean. Toppled by winter
storms, the heavy steel structure looked like a child’s toy tossed upon
the rocks. At the center of the breakwater, the riprap has slumped so
low that storm waves now threaten the protected area along the dock.
In
order to protect the former wooden docks from harsh breaking waves, the
Port Orford authority constructed the concrete jetty and breakwater in
the late 1960's. Since that time, this crescent-shaped structure has
created an even bigger problem. Extreme sand build-up, or shoaling, has
plagued the port since then. To combat shoaling, several times each year
the Army Corp of Engineers conducts dredging at the port.
With allocations of between $250,000 and $500,000 for each dredging
project, could this port remain viable without government subsidized
dredging?
Despite its deep-water designation, shoaling makes
Port Orford as difficult to navigate as any West Coast port with an
ocean bar. In Port Orford, the Army Corp of Engineers and the State of
Oregon have a beneficial role to play. Unlike other states in the West,
cooperation between Oregon and the federal
government promises a better day ahead. A study now underway could
result in a safer harbor for those who risk their lives each day to
catch and deliver our fresh seafood. In March of 2008, Governor
Kulongoski designated the Port Orford Marine Economic Development project as an “Oregon Solutions Project”. The focus of this project seeks “to find a sustainable solution for the problem of shoaling” at Port Orford.
As I contemplate the dangers and discomforts
associated with commercial fishing off the coast of Southern Oregon, I
raise a glass and offer a toast to the captain and crew of Providence,
as well as her sister ships at sea.
By James McGillis at 07:12 PM | Travel | Comments (0) | Link
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