[blt2ski]

I would also hop on board a few boats at dealers or equal. Some boats are more open ala a Hunter/Jeanneau/Beneteau vs some what some call better built boats will be smaller in sq footage for a given size. Newer boats are roomier in general terms than boats 10-15yr+ old. There is also less solid wood, more laminates/plywoods etc used today than yrs pas. European built boats have more laminates than NA built boats due to lack of forests to get the wood among other reasons. Personally I am not always positive solid is better than a plywood. Both have places frankly.

The other question re time. If you can go with the current figure 7-9 miles an hour, if not about 5-7 for the boat itself, if agains the current, ie going up the Columbia, 3-5 miles an hour. If Portland is say 100 miles from you, that is anywhere from a looooong trip of 30 hrs to as little as 10'ish. All the way up the Wa coast in to the Str of Juan de Fuca to the san juan islands, IIRC about 400 or so miles at 5 knots is 80 hrs straight! No real places along a lot of the Wa coast to stop if things get hairy. IF you could do say 6-8 hrs a day. that is almost 2 weeks to get up here.



Marty