The Ship Report

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 Astoria honors lost mariners in annual waterfront memorial day ceremony Today we’ll take a look at a memorial day commemoration that happened here in Astoria on Monday. This event has, in fact, happened each year, for many years. Family and friends gather on the banks of the Columbia for the annual Uniontown Association Maritime Memorial Day Ceremony. It happens on Memorial...

A look at an unusual vessel anchored off Astoria, and strong ebb tides this week On Tuesday some observant folks noticed an unusual ship in Astoria's anchorage - a car carrier. Such ships usually pass us by on their way to Portland or Vancouver, but this one experienced engine problems outbound and had to stop in Astoria's anchorage. We'll talk about why an outbound stopover like this...

Sailboat racing on the Columbia Today we'll take a look at ship traffic and weather, and also at a seasonal tradition that started again this year a few weeks ago: sailboat racing on the Columbia River off Astoria and Hammond. Every Tuesday night through the summer, through the Astoria Yacht Club.

A deeper look at a familiar subject: maritime pilots I talk a lot in general about maritime pilots on the show: they are so central to everything that happens with ships in the river. But what we see off Astoria is just a snapshot of a much larger picture. Today we’ll talk about pilots on ships, from outside the river in the ocean, passing Astoria where we often see them, to upriver in port. It’s...

The Pacific NW Offshore race begins This morning, 50 boats will set off from the mouth of the Columbia River headed for Victoria, BC, participating in the 50th annual Pacific NW Offshore race. These are racing and cruising sailboats approximately 30 to 40 feet long (some larger). They'll spend a couple of days at sea in windy, rainy conditions. We'll take a look at what's in store for...

PNW Offshore Race starts Thursday, open house in Ilwaco today Today from 11 to 2, you can stop by the Port of Ilwaco and see some of the 50 sailboats getting ready for the 50th annual PNW Offshore Race from the Columbia River to Victoria BC. Also, two interesting military ships arrive in the river today, headed for the Portland shipyard.

Ships can be a noisy environment for mariners Today we'll talk about workplace noise on ships and other commercial vessels. Noise and vibration are occupational hazards for people working aboard. We'll talk about the risks, and what mariners do to protect themselves.

As our spring weather forecast evolves, a look ahead at La Nino and El Nino in the Pacific According to UW meteorologist Cliff Mass, we have some rain coming our way this week and later in the month. It’s a sign of a switch from La Nina to El Nino conditions in the Pacific. Today we’ll take a look at what these two climate terms mean.

June Gloom comes a bit early this year Today we’ll take a look at a regular but not always welcome Pacific Northwest springtime phenomenon: The pervasive “June Gloom,” when that cool hazy marine layer shows up, and stays. So our weather is cool but not cold, not really sunny (but sometimes kind of sunny) but not raining either. It’s what happens this time of year. Meteorologists call it June Gloom...

A bit about fog (and fog horns), a signature sight (and sound) of maritime communities We hear fog horns quite often in the waters near Astoria and elsewhere on the river. Today we’ll talk about why they are necessary, legally required and a signature feature of maritime communities.

Another look at the deceptive conundrum of cold water and safety We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its beauty rivals any resort on the planet. On a sunny day, it's paradise. So why all the warnings about staying out of the water even in summer? Today we'll explore (in a little more depth) the topic of cold water dangers in the Pacific Northwest, and why the water ne...

Pilot basics: a look at maritime pilots on the river For new folks in town, or listeners new to the show, here's a basic look at what's going on out there on the river off Astoria in terms of maritime pilots: those seasoned, expert professionals who help transiting ships get safely in and out of the river. We have two different sets of pilots here, and we'll talk about what they do, an...

The lives of ships When you see a ship passing on the river, whether inbound or outbound, what you are seeing is a brief snapshot in the long life of that vessel, and the lives of the folks on board. Today we'll talk about the lives of ships.

Tides: how they're measured and why they happen Tides play such a big role in our waters both on the ocean and the river. It's good to revisit some things about them from time to time: like why they happen, how they are measured, and how they can complicate things for folks out on the river in vessels, but make things more fun for clammers.

Cool spring conditions remind us of cold water dangers A reminder that we live in the Pacific Northwest, a beautiful place with cold waters and strong currents year round. As the weather gets nice, let's keep in mind that our waters remain chilly and life threatening for the unprepared.

A look at how ships load and balance cargo, and why it's so important Cargo is loaded onto ships very deliberately and with a lot of calculation and forethought. Part of the reason is to anticipate how that cargo must be unloaded and in what order, at the dock. But even more important, imbalanced cargo can lead to tragedy and loss at sea, and even right at the dock.

Polar Star returns from Antarctica I always like talking about this ship, because of her unique job and the role she plays in keeping people safe in a challenging part of the world. The USCG icebreaker Polar Star is a ship specially designed to handle difficult conditions that would sink most vessels. She's an older ship, but well maintained, and she just returned from a special annual mission...

Weather and some ship talk Today we talk about the weather - always a fascinating topic in our coastal region. And some interesting details about today's arriving ships.

Norwegian Jade in town, and a look at tides and ships A few things today: a closer look at our cruise ship du jour in Astoria, a look at ships coming and going, and a reminder of how ships at anchor let us know what the tide is doing.

Second cruise ship of the season comes to Astoria Thursday The second cruise ship of the season comes to Astoria on Thursday, and it's a good opportunity to talk more about these big ships, carrying many passengers, and what Astoria will see here as we move through the season. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: Abxbay, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via...

Cold weather on the way We have an unusual spring snow storm on the way in the Cascades starting today, and colder than usual weather for the coast too. We'll talk about how conditions up north allowed this cold air to flow down to us, and create winter like conditions in the middle of April.

The shipyard at Swan Island So many times over the years I have said on this show that a ship is headed for "the shipyard at Swan Island." Today we'll take a closer look at that facility, who owns it, and why it has, for many years, been a great place to take a ship that is in need of repairs and maintenance.

First cruise ship for the Astoria season Today the Nieuw Amsterdam, a 1000-foot long cruise ship arriving from San Diego, is the first blue water cruise ship to call on Astoria in 2026. She'll head for British Columbia when she leaves here. Today we'll talk about Astoria's cruise ship visitors and why they tend to arrive in spring and fall. We'll also take a quick look at other shi...

Of ebb tides and west winds Today we'll talk about a common occurrence on the river that can affect sea state and make it more turbulent to be out there in a smaller vessel:  a west wind and an ebb tide. Understanding how to predict such conditions and plan for them is part of being a knowledgeable and safe mariner on the mighty Columbia River.

What does it mean to decommission a ship? Today we'll talk about the fate of decommissioned ships. We have one on the river now, the USNS Watkins, which arrived yesterday headed to Vancouver. She'll be decommissioned, or taken out of service, in July. We'll talk about what's next for her.