There is much activity in Winchester Bay with a wide variety of things to do and see. The bay is home to the US Coast Guard that has a base facility here and housing up by the lighthouse. Search and Rescue is much of what they do.

 

There is no mistaking these…..

 

 Windy Bay has a good sized and very active commercial fishing fleet.  Our friend, Mark, helped repair the Ossian you see on the left which was originally from Russia. The fresh caught tuna can’t be beat and you’ll find it for sale at Sportsman’s Cannery and Smokehouse. Ask for Michael and tell her the folks at Umpqua River Haven sent you!

 

Hiking in the bay is more fun exercise than the gym when you can hike among the pleasure craft and sailboats that are moored in the harbor.

 

Watching the ducks is a plus along with the varied personalities of the resident seagulls. Do you know why the pier posts are pointed and painted white???

 

Crabbing for Oregon’s famous Dungeness red crab is popular in the bay. There is a long public pier popular for bait jiggin’, fishing and crabbing.

 

We like the public docks for all of that and have spent fun family times mostly crabbing there.

Pullin’ in the catch.

 

Inspecting what’s there.

 

Gloved hands don’t get pinched!

Making certain it is the right size and gender and not a throwback!  When you turn them upside down they go to sleep so there’s no danger of being pinched!

 

One of the nice things about these docks is that they are often deserted except for you when you are there. And it is easier to see the resident visitor who cruises the waters trying to steal your bait.

 

Oky….it’s a sea lion!

There is a dry dock and boat repair facility in the bay also, Reedsport Machine and Fabrication. A second facility is located in Reedsport. Be sure and tell them you learned about them from URH!

 

It is not called Salmon Harbor for nothing! Salmon are plentiful in the bay during salmon fishing season from early May through early September. Salmon can be seen under the surface, on fishing lines, flipping out of the water and pretty much everywhere in the bay at the right times of year. It’s great sport, great eating and fun to just watch! Check locally for licensing, regulations and restrictions. More about salmon fishing in future posts.

 

Don’t forget all the great places to eat in the bay and the gift and antique shops we’ve talked about before! Be sure and tell them we sent you!

 

We’re not certain where this was taken other that it was in the bay.

 

Such a variety of visitors to Windy Bay.  At the end of the day when the sun sets out over the ocean the view is peaceful, calm and relaxing and spectacular. There will be more sunsets in future posts.