JimH wrote:

What type of water was this 16 foot aluminum boat running in? Bay, lake,
ocean?

They were in the Columbia river near the mouth. Buoy 20 is
just inside Clatsop spit.

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18521.shtml

I was on the Columbia all day yesterday about 60 miles
upstream, it was quite pleasant out.