The Ship Report

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...

What we know about the Carnival Panorama cruise ship's return to Astoria.