Still Dealing with Uncertainty -- No Agreement Yet

 Hello, all. Most customers and supporters of Oregon Pelagic Tours are probably frustrated by the lack of progress on our 2022 schedule. Newport Tradewinds and I are still quite a ways apart on boat costs. I will be making another proposal soon, and after this is discussed, hope to firm up my schedule. 

Just so everyone knows, here are the most likely possibilities as I see them. Full disclosure: each scenario in which we provide trips has a high likelihood of price increases. 

Worst case: 

We can reach no financial agreement that allows Oregon Pelagic Tours to make a reasonable profit. OPT suspends trips this year, or perhaps closes down permanently. 

We can reach no financial agreement that allows Oregon Pelagic Tours to make a reasonable profit. OPT tries to find new optons for boats and ports. (We will start exploring this option this year in any case.) OPT offers a much reduced schedule that does not involve Newport Tradewinds. 

We can reach no financial agreement that allows Oregon Pelagic Tours to make a reasonable profit. OPT offers a very limited schedule anyway and accepts the losses that will ensue. 

Best case: 

Newport Tradewinds substantially restructures their offer. I offer the schedule as proposed. (I may not be able to offer a spring trip this year due to the little time remaining before our scheduled date in May.) Prices will increase slightly. This scenario is highly unlikely. 

OPT and Newport Tradewinds reach an agreement on boat prices. I offer the schedule as proposed. (I may not be able to offer a spring trip this year due to the little time remaining before our scheduled date in May.) Prices will definitely increase significantly. 

OPT and Newport Tradewinds reach an agreement on boat prices. I offer a limited schedule in order to better reach a balance between the many hours of behind the scenes work and the compensation for trips. Prices will increase moderately. 

Okay, just wanting everyone to know I have not yet given up on providing pelagic tours off Oregon. Stay tuned...

Tentative 2022 Schedule

Here is the tentative Oregon Pelagic Tours schedule  for 2022 that I have proposed to our charter buisness in Newport. I will include prices and make any necessary changes after I hear back from them. In the meantime, I hope that this will enable everyone to start thinking about a pelagic with us this year. 

February 12 (Sat.) – Late Winter Seabirds  (a personal issue meant that this date no longer works) 

May 14 (Sat.)– Spring Seabirds (6 hours)  

July 2 or 9 (Sat.) – Summer Seabirds (6 hours) 

August 13 (Sat.) -- Early Fall Seabirds (8 hours) 

August 27 (Sat.) – Fall Deepwater (12 hours) 

September 11 (Sun.) – Newport Fall Seabirds (8 hours) 

September 25 (Sun.) – Newport Fall Seabirds (10 hours)  

October 8 (Sat.) –Perpetua/Heceta Bank* Trip  (10 hours)  

*Weather, ocean and other conditions may change our route. 

October 23 (Sun.) – Late Fall Seabirds (8 hours) 

December 4 (Sat.) or 5 (Sun. – weather date)– Winter Pelagic (7 hours) 

October 24 Pelagic -- Weather Cancellation

 One cannot predict what the ocean will be like when the schedule for the year is being created. For the third time this year, we had to cancel a pelagic due to the weather. The five-day forecast looked ominous on Wednesday, with 20-25 knot winds and swells to 13 feet. Today (two days before the pelagic) the forecast is for 25-30 knot winds and combined seas of 19 feet. Now I love roller coasters, but not to bird from. So this was an easy decision to make, albeit a painful one. We have one more trip on the schedule,  December 4th (with the 5th open as a weather date). There are just a few spaces left on that trip, which will also fill soon. We are crossing our fingers for good weather on those dates!