The Ship Report

Today on the Columbia River we'll see the cable ship Dependable heading out to sea from the shipyard in Portland. She's one a special type of ship that installs, repairs and maintains fiber-optic cable on the ocean floor. Recently she's taken on a new specialized mission for the US military. We'll talk about the Dependable and ships like her, which play important roles in our lives...

New Year's Eve Ship Horns in Astoria The Ship Report is back today after a holiday vacation. It was wonderful. Happy New Year! On this first show of the new year, it's customary that I play my recording of the New Year's Eve ship horns on Astoria's waterfront. We'll also talk a bit about marine weather, our inbound and outbound ships, and a little about the history of this annu...

More from Fisher Poet and author Tele Aadsen Today the final segment in our archive interview with Fisher Poet and author Tele Aadsen. Her book, "What Water Holds,"  was published this year. We talked earlier this year for the Ship Report.

Tele Aadsen: more from the Ship Report archives This week we're hearing more from the Ship Report archives: parts of a great interview with Fisher Poet and author Tele Aadsen. He book, "What Water Holds," was published this year. Today is Part 2 in a series.

More from the Ship Report archives: a chat with Fisher Poet and author Tele Aadsen This week we're continuing our dive into the Ship Report archives, featuring a few interviews from earlier this year. Today, we'll revisit a chat with Tele Aadsen, Fisher Poet, commercial fisherman, and now author. We're talking with Tele about her memoir published earlier this year, called, "What W...

A look back at 2023: Part 5 - a chat with Samantha Steerman, vessel coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots The final installment in our series this week from the Ship Report archives. This week we've been hearing excerpts from an interview recorded earlier this year, with Samantha Steerman, vessel coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots in Astoria.

A look back at 2023: Part 4 - a chat with Samantha Steerman, vessel coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots Part 4 in our look back into the Ship Report archives: interview with Samantha Steerman, Columbia River Bar Pilots vessel movement coordinator. She helps ships and pilots connect on the river, and helps ensures smooth passage for cargo on the Columbia.

A look back at 2023: Part 3 - a chat with Samantha Steerman, vessel coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots Today, Part 3 in our look back in the 2023 archives. A chat with Samantha Steerman, vessel movement coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots. She's the first woman ever to hold that position.

A look back at 2023: Part 2 - a chat with Samantha Steerman, vessel coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots Today we continue our look into the Ship Report archives - more from an interview earlier this year with Samantha Steerman, vessel movement coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots. Today is Part 2.

A look back at 2023: a chat with Samantha Steerman, vessel coordinator for the Columbia River Bar Pilots This week we'll be revisiting a great interview series from this past year: we'll talk this week with Samantha Steerman, vessel coordinator and dispatcher for the Columbia River Bar Pilots. He work is unseen and vital on the river. She's one of an invisible army of maritime professi...

Cruise ship rescues crew of sinking cargo ship Today, the story of another Carnival Cruise lines ship (not the Carnival Panorama but the Carnival Vista) that made a dramatic crew rescue off the Dominican Republic when a cargo ship sank.

Bulk carriers - the workhorses of the world's merchant fleet Today we'll talk in a little more depth about bulk carriers. They're the workhorses of the world's merchant fleet and the most common type of ship we see here on the Columbia. We'll talk about what it's like inside the cargo holds - giant open bins where cargo is carried.

Why do ships release water into the river? Today, the answer to a listener question about water being released into the river from ships, something they observed in the Astoria Anchorage. Today, we'll talk about why you might see this happening. The short answer: it's part of normal ship operations, and is in compliance with regulations to keep our ecosystems safe. It helps keep the ship s...

Why do ships release water into the river? Today, the answer to a listener question about water being released into the river from ships, something they observed in the Astoria anchorage. Today, we'll talk about why you might see this happening. The short answer: it's part of normal ship operations, and is in compliance with regulations to keep our ecosystems safe. It helps keep the ship s...

Military Sealift Command ships in the river today Today we'll take a closer look at two military ships on the river today: they're both in service to the Military Sealift Command, and are part of a fleet of vessels that we see regularly here on the Columbia. We'll talk about what the MSC is, and what these specialized ships do for a living.

The Carnival Panorama sails for Victoria Well, it's been quite a journey, but the Carnival Panorama cruise ship is now repaired and will head up to Victoria, BC, today to have her whale tail funnel restored...and then go back into service, we hope, for the holidays. If you're new to this story, listen to the podcast for the back story and more about what's next. It's our sincere ho...

This weekend is shaping up to be a typical Pacific Northwest winter weekend: rain, rain, rain, and ships coming and going. Today we'll talk about marine forecasts. In fact, there are several different forecasts that together provide a broad picture of what's going on our there in the huge ocean. Mariners may consult all of them, depending on where they're going. Our local forecasts and...

Today, a bit about the longstanding tradition of calling ships "she." It's a nautical tradition that goes back to at least the 1300s, and seems primarily popular in English speaking cultures. We'll talk about some of the reasons why people hold their vessels in fond regard, and why (in many cultures) sailors think of them as female.

We've gotten a whole lot of rain the past few days, thanks to atmospheric rivers that have blown through our area. The result has been incredible flooding and in some cases, stranded motorists marooned by water. We'll talk about one USCG rescue, one of several yesterday in the area, where a USCG crew in a helicopter deftly plucked a person from the top of their vehicle amidst a rushing tor...

Today we'll look at today's arriving ships on the Columbia River. Among them is the USNS Curtiss, a member of the Military Sealift Command fleet that often comes into the Columbia River. She's headed for a layberth, and we'll talk about her specialized role in supporting active duty military vessels, equipment, and personnel.

We're in for a windy day on the coast today with lots of rain, potential for flooding, and elevated sneaker wave risk yet again, as swells from other storm systems join with our own local wind waves to make beach going dangerous. Rain totals will be registered in inches today...be aware of flood prone areas near you and exercise caution... leave extra time if you need to go somewhere. Watch ou...

The saga of Carnival Panorama, the cruise ship with mechanical problems and lots of uneasy customers with holiday cruises planned, is slated to return to the Columbia River early tomorrow morning. We'll talk about her trip down the coast, why she is arriving so early and how the weather plays into her voyage. The ship should cross the Columbia River Bar into the river at about 4 am Saturday if...

It's the holidays, and so we're seeing some of our beloved coastal traditions coming around again. One unique local maritime tradition here on the Columbia happens in the port town of Ilwaco, Washington. It's the lighting of the "World's Tallest Crabpot Christmas Tree." This festive event features pictures with Santa and the tree, a reading of a local Christmas story abou...

Today, in the second part of this week's look at the challenges of the Columbia, we'll talk about the upriver leg of the river from Astoria to Portland. A look at the unique issues river pilots face on ships transiting to and from ports like Longview, Kalama, Vancouver and Portland.

Why the Columbia River is so challenging I talk about this topic from time to time on the show, because there are so many facets to it. Today we’ll take a look at the challenges the river poses for arriving ships, from the unusual underwater geology offshore, to the daunting currents along the winding river corridor. It’s a matter for experienced marine pilots who make critical navigational decisi...