Port Orford, an unexpected haven

Port Orford, Sep 4^th

We have been anchored here since Tuesday…..

We left Newport Monday with high hopes of making our next stop Crescent City, but that was not to be.

Here we are at anchor, looking South, it looks beautiful and sunny
and it is beautiful and sunny but also very windy.

The winds built and by Tuesday morning we were making 6 knots under staysail alone, that’s our smallest foresail, and the forecast was calling for more wind to come and dangerous seas, we were not really sure what they meant by that but it sounded bad.  There is nothing in Port Orford in the way of Marinas but it is a bay that is protected from the north by a big headland and it was the closest place to pull over.  So here we are, getting blown about by gale force  winds, thankful for our excellent anchor as we have not moved an inch in three days.  No one has braved going to shore as that would mean taking the dinghy and it is really windy and it just seems like  too much work and possibly dangerous!  

This is where they keep the fishing boats in Port Orford, on the land! They hoist them in and out daily with the cranes in the background.  According to our Oregon guide book it is one of 6 places in the world that this is done.  Although none of them went out until the same morning we left.  And they say if the fishermen are not going out then it is best not to go either.  We were glad to see them heading out as we were pulling up anchor!  

Aside from the wind the weather is lovely and sunny and reasonably warm, and there has been a grey whale cruising around the bay, mostly along the shoreline.  And there are pelicans, much to my delight!

The whale taking a breath, thats all we ever saw of it.