Empress Returns to San Diego

Empress returned to San Diego from Portland, Oregon, about a year ago. She now is berthed at Shelter Cove Marina on Shelter Island near the San Diego Yacht Club where the Penhunes are members.

Empress at Shelter Cove Marina

The trip south from Portland to Alamitos Bay south of Long Beach, California, was an easy one for our crew of five - Fred and Lynne Voosen, Jim Penhune, and Marcellite and John Penhune. We had to wait overnight just inside the Columbia River bar, because the Coast Guard had closed the bar due to high seas. However, once we exited the Columbia in the morning, the trip south was pleasant with light winds and following seas, even around Point Conception. We stopped for fuel and overnight rest at Crescent City, California - home of the Pelican Bay maximum-security prison. Sad to report, most of the docks and many of the boats in Crescent City harbor later were destroyed or damaged by the tsunami caused by the very strong earthquake in Japan.

The Empress Family has Grown

The Penhunes' daughter Marcellite Klein with Matthew William Klein. Matthew came about 6 weeks early, so he stayed in the pediatric ICU for about two weeks.

James Klein with Matthew in the ICU. Matthew is at home now and is gaining weight.

Matthew at home in his crib in his parents' bedroom. Matthew already has a sailor suit and tiny boat shoes, so the Empress crew will be expanding soon. We hope that Matthew will be able to join us for some cruising on the Columbia River at Thanksgiving time.

Marina Geese in Action

Here are two short video clips of a pair of geese that live in the marina. They paddle out into the Multnomah channel, apparently to fish, but they also get lots of handouts from boaters. They seldom make a sound, except for a few honks in the early morning.

The male is snow white.

The female is more camouflaged. So far this year we have seen no chicks.

The Rainy Season Ends

Warmer, dryer weather finally has come to the Portland, Oregon area after a winter featuring an unusual amount of snow.



Mark's on the Channel, the restaurant in our marina, again is open for lunch and dinner most days of the week. The food is good enough that people drive out from Portland to enjoy a meal in the serene environment of the channel and Sauvie Island across the way.

This pair of geese lives in the marina. They know which boats feed them and they tap their beaks on the hull to let people know when they are hungry.

The stern of Empress from the dock finger behind her. A swim/dive ladder is to port, while the stern anchor is on chocks under the ladder to starboard. The KVH TracVision satellite TV dome is clearly visible. It provides excellent DirecTV reception even in rough conditions at sea.

Empress from the boat in the next slip - a large almost derelict ferrocement yawl that once must have been a high class world cruiser. We are using the gangway that came with Empress for the first time. It is raised off the pier to prevent damage due to rocking of Empress by wakes from passing boats. The new tender cover, bimini, and flybridge console canvas are welcome additions.






Empress from the stern of a paddlewheeler that formerly took tourists up the Columbia river.


A new reproduction of a painting of young Queen Victoria now graces the salon of Empress. Victoria also was Empress of India. A similar painting hangs in the Empress Hotel in Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada. The Penhunes like to tie up in front of the Empress Hotel to enjoy the ambiance of Victoria including high-tea at the Empress Hotel and the excellent museum that has a marvelous collection of giant totem poles. The yacht Empress got her name from Victoria Empress of India.

A tug pushes a barge full of gravel up the Multnomah Channel past Empress. There is little commercial traffic on the Multnomah Channel, but the tugs and barges probably serve the useful function of keeping the shallower parts of the channel clear.

Floating homes are popular on the rivers and channels in the Portland area. Our marina is building more of them with adjacent boat slips.

Snow on Empress in Scappoose, Oregon, Christmas 2008

During Christmas week, the Scappoose, Oregon area received an unusual amount of snow. Fortunately, Empress is in the excellent care of Captain Fred Voosen, who lives aboard Anna D in the same marina. The photo above shows Anna D after Fred and his wife, Lynne, had shoveled a path to her along the dock finger.

Snow on the starboard side of Empress, her gangway, and the dock finger before Fred and Lynne shoveled the snow off her.

Snow on the foredeck, bow seating, and pilothouse windows of Empress.

Snow on the port side of Empress. The Multnomah Channel is not frozen and other marinas are visible in the distance.

According to Fred, all the snow is gone now (December 28). However, some flat-roofed boat sheds on the Multnomah Channel collapsed under the snow load and some boats were damaged. Thanks to Fred and Lynne, Empress came through unscathed.

Thanksgiving 2008 on Empress in Scappoose, Oregon

After an 1100-nautical-mile, week-long voyage from San Pedro, California to Portland, Oregon, Empress now is tied up at her new marina, McCuddy's Landing on the Multnomah Channel in Scappoose, Oregon.

In the map above, North is to the right. The Multnomah channel (where Empress is tied up) separates Sauvie Island from the mainland of Oregon and the Columbia River separates Sauvie Island from the mainland of Washington. The location of Empress at McCuddy's Landing is shown by the red marker on the map. Downtown Portland, Oregon is in the lower left-hand corner of the map and Vancouver, Washington is in the lower left-middle area of the map. The Columbia River goes downstream to the Pacific at the right-hand edge of the map and upstream toward the dams and locks at the bottom of the map left of center. The Willamette River runs downstream from Portland to where it joins the Columbia River near the south end of Sauvie Island.

James Klein holding Lola the English Bulldog on Sauvie Island across the Multnomah Channel from McCuddy's Landing. The south end of Sauvie Island is mostly working and gentleman farms and ranches, while the north end is a wildlife reserve.

Marcellite Klein and Marcellite Penhune with the Thanksgiving dinner they cooked aboard Empress.

Lola after her Thanksgiving dinner. "I ate too much, but it was great!"