This is the weekend when the unlimited hydroplanes have their race on the Columbia River. Last night GW and I went for a short cruise up the river past the docks where the hydros are launched.

As I pulled out of the slip I saw the USCG Bluebell, a bouy tender out of Portland, OR. Bluebell comes here every year for the races to set the race bouys. Her normal job is taking care of all the Nav Aids from the mouth of the Columbia up to Richland (325 miles) and up the Snake River to Lewiston (155 miles).

The poor guys who are on Bluebell are forced to ride around in their small boats all day and keep an eye on the crowd. I have it on good authority that they observe a bikini or two during the weekend.


We went on down past the docks and I got this shot of the cranes all lined up waiting for the boats to arrive.


Most of the hydros were in town last night but wouldn't hit the pit area until today. O Boy Oberto was at a hotel across the street from our marina so we stopped and shot a pic of GW with the boat.


I talked with one of the crew members from Oberto and told him I'd swap him a full day on my boat for 1 minute behind the wheel of his. He just smiled.

The schedule for the weekend is this...

Time trials today, Friday and Saturday and racing Sunday.

I'm taking the boat to my old marina on Friday nite so it will be upstream of the course. They close the race course from 0630-1830 Saturday and Sunday and intermittently today and Friday. Viewing the time trails and races is much better on the upstream end of the course. If you don't get there before 0630 each day they close the river in the area of the course and you're screwed.

GW's daughter and boyfriend will be coming over to join us on the boat Saturday afternoon so we should have some good pics of the time trials....and the crowd.

I'm envious GFC. I've tried several times to get down there for the boat races. Something always gets in the way. From what I've heard the people watching can be more entertaining than the races. Enjoy!

I made it down there about 10 years ago when I moved to Pullman. It sure was a good time. Hope you have a good time.

Looking forward to pictures!

Those boats are something else but "How many gallons per hour?"

Love your shot of the Bluebell. A real workhorse. Can't begrudge them one weekend of R&R "watching the crowd".

Semper Paratus

Semper Fi 75

Am I the only one to notice that is a huge boat for just a two axle trailer?

big axles?

Just jump in the car and head it south on SR395. We'll direct you where to meet us when you get into town!

The races are a kick, and definitely the crowd watching is more fun than watching the boats go fast and make left turns.

Those hydros all seem to be on double axle trailers, but I assume they are the type used on a semi trailer. They're pulled by a semi truck with matching paint job. Pretty cool setups.

I went through the race couse and past the pits tonight while taking my boat upstream to my old marina. I have some pics but won't post them tonight cause I'm too tired. Maybe in the a.m.

Lots of boats on the water tonight...all shapes and sizes, some pretty nice looking and some not so much. The boats weren't bad either!

How close can you get to them here? I have only been to the ones in Seattle where there is a log boom to tie up to almost all the way around the course.

At the Seattle races there is usually around 300,000 people so plenty of sightseeing! I'm sure the sights are great here too.

and I'm guessing a boat that doesn't weigh very much.

Prober, the closest you can get to the race course is on the upstream end of the course, and you're about 1/4-1/3 mile away. If a person wants a front row seat on race day (anchored close to the "line") you need to be there by about 0630-0700. It starts filling in around you by 0800 or so. You also have to plan on staying the whole day if you're going to be that close to the race. Once the boat start filling in around you there's no way to pull the hook and get out of the mess of boats.

Still sounds like a fun way to see some once-in-a-lifetime racing.

I bet the engine weighs more then my whole boat

Ok, i just googled it, not as heavy as I thought. 6200 lbs. almost 32 feet and 14.5 wide. Interesting, it is owned by 13,000 people from madison in. and has been for like 48 yrs.