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Graveyard of the Pacific
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Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau
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2007-06-28
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Conditions can change from calm and serene to life-threatening breaking waves in as little as five minutes due to changes of direction of wind and ocean swell. Since 1792, approximately 2,000 large ships have sunk in and around the Columbia Bar.
The nearby
United States Coast Guard station at
Cape Disappointment , Washington is renowned for operating in some of the roughest sea conditions in the world and is also home to the National Motor Lifeboat School. It is the only school for rough weather and surf rescue operation in the United States and is respected internationally as a center of excellence for heavy boat operations.
Coast Guard station Cape Disappointment website
Bar Pilot s consider "the bar" to be the area between the north and south
Jetties and Sand Island.
As a practical tip, small craft are advised to cross the bar during times of incoming flood tide, staying toward the outside of the navigational channel to avoid the frequent large ships which move at 20 to 30 knots.
The most accessible place to watch ships cross the bar and feel the salty spray is at the South Jetty viewing platform at
Fort Stevens State Park located in
Warrenton, Oregon . For a more dramatic view, hike the steep 0.75 mile trail to the
Cape Disappointment Lighthouse at the Cape Disappointment State Park located in
Ilwaco, Washington .
