We left Hood River Marina, Mile Marker 170, about 8:49 in the morning. Hardly any wind and very little waves. Took advantage of the lull in the wind so we experimented with the trim tabs and adjusting the engine trim. In these conditions trim tabs all the way up and boat motor set to put the bow down got us the best MPH at 4000 RPMs. At 9:45 we got into some weather, a little rain, a little wind, but still pretty small waves. At 10 o’clock we passed the town of Stevenson Washington and a paddle wheeler was unloading. At 10:15 we arrived at Port of Cascade Locks. This is a main embarkation spot for the tourist boats. Restaurant, gift store and restrooms but no fuel has advertised. This created some concern as we were planning to top off the tanks at Port of Cascade. To conserve fuel, we continue to run with trim tabs all the way up and cruised at 3200 RPMs. 3200 RPMS gave us a speed of anywhere between 8 to 12 miles per hour. By staying in the main current channel we gained 3 to 4 miles per hour.
We passed through Bonneville Lock and Dam with no trouble at all. The locks on Bonneville Lock and Dam are on the Oregon side. Click here to see a short video showing an actual lock through telling the lock master this is our first time locking through Bonneville Lock and Dam. This video helps show how friendly the lock master are when you tell them this if your first time locking through. Don’t be afraid to tell them you are ne, everyone is new at doing something at some time. Asking for additional information is OK. The Bonneville Lock and Dam controller is on channel VHF-FM 14.
After locking through, we tried to stop at Rooster Rock State Park, the entrance was way too shallow for our boat.
We continue down the Columbia River at 3200 RPMs. We arrived at the Port of Camas, mile marker 122, about 3:30 in the afternoon. We were able to fuel filling up with 13 gallons.
The folks at Port of Camas are real friendly. There are shower and restroom facilities here. There is also the Puffin Café with nice friendly service. 
They open up at 11 o’clock for lunch. We fixed dinner and settled in for the night. We’re glad we’re tied up to the dock the wind and rain is picking up. Plus, the waves are getting a little bit big for a comfortable ride.
Boat In Dining 