The Ship Report

A look at today's ship schedule We'll take a look at who's coming and going on the river today, and at some of the patterns we see in ships that come here often.

NTSB Report recommends local bridges be included in national safety inspections The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as part of its investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore a year ago, is recommending that 68 bridges nationwide be evaluated to determine their hardiness in case of a ship strike. The Baltimore bridge was hit by a 1000 foot long contain...

The first day of Spring is here Today we'll talk about the vernal equinox, the first day of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Did you know that the sun rises exactly in the east today and sets precidely in the west? We'll talk about this and other interesting fact about the first day of spring.

Water depth, and the complexity of rivers At high tide the river off Astoria seems like a wide uninterrupted expanse of river. At low tide, mudflats abound. Today we'll talk about the complexity of rivers and why they pose challenges for vessels.

A bit about hail - a startling weather phenomenon that's been happening lately We've been seeing abrupt, short lived hail storms lately. So today we'll take a look at what causes hail and other related solid precipitation.

A really big wave offshore, and a look at the concept of significant wave height We recently saw a 63-foot wave off the mouth of the river in the ocean, recorded by a data buoy offshore. While this is a big wave for us, it's also within the parameters of a set of wave parameters called "significant wave height."

A bit of weather coming in, and possible effects on the bar We've got a bit of stormy weather coming in, and so a good time to answer a listener question about the Columbia River Bar, and how ship traffic is affected by weather.

USNS Matthew Perry arrives in the river this morning Today we have a Military Sealift Command cargo ship headed to Portland to the shipyard at Swan Island for repairs and maintenance. We'll learn a little today about this interesting military vessel.

Lots of anchored ships today Today we have an abundance of anchored ships on the river, so many that a couple are waiting offshore. We'll talk about how that can happen.

Who's on the river today? A look at today's ship traffic on the Columbia.

The Polar Star and Operation Deep Freeze Each year the USCG heavy icebreaker Polar Star heads to Antarctica to spend the Northern Hemisphere winter opening a channel through the ice during the Antarctic summer. The ship has just completed her mission and is heading home to Seattle. We'll talk about why this unique ship was there, and why her mission is so important.

What's happening in the anchorage? The Astoria Anchorage is an interesting place, with lots going on out there on the water. Today we'll take a look at some of the common but interesting things you might see if you're out on the Riverwalk or driving through town. Whether it be vessels or aircraft, a cargo ship or the US Coast Guard, what you're seeing are carefully planned maneuver...

Who's on the river today? A look at today's ship schedule.

The Columbia River Ship Channel Today, a look at another largely unseen but very important aspect of maritime travel on the river: the Columbia River Ship Channel.

A valuable coastal resource we use every day that you might not realize Today, we'll take a look at a valuable coastal resource we use every day and probably don't realize it: NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Another one of those unseen but vital facets of life on the coast. Weather, anyone? That forecast came from NOAA.

Who's on the river today? Let's take a look at who's plying the waters of the Columbia today.

Archive week on the Ship Report: Rescue Swimmer, Part 5 Part 5 of this week's interview with a USCG rescue swimmer.

Archive week on the Ship Report: Rescue Swimmer, Part 3 Part 4 of this week's interview with a USCG rescue swimmer.

Archive week on the Ship Report, Part 3 Part three of this week's interiew with a USCG rescue swimmer.

Archive week on the Ship Report Part 2 of this week's interview with a USCG rescue swimmer.

Archive week on the Ship Report: Interview with a rescue swimmer, Part 1 This week I'm taking a little time off, and am sharing one of my favorite interviews: one I did in the early 2000s with a USCG rescue swimmer, an incredibly dangerous and demanding profession. These intrepid folks risk their lives on a regular basis to keep us safe. Each day this week we'll hear another part of this i...

The Fisher Poets Gathering: remembering those now gone Today, to celebrate the opening of the annual Fisher Poets Gathering in Astoria, Oregon, we honor Fisher Poets who are no longer with us. We'll hear a song from Fisher Poet great Jon Campbell, who passed a few years ago. Jon was a prolific and creative songwriter and performer who hailed from Rhode Island, and his performances were unforge...

Fisher Poets Gathering Spotlight: Tele Aadsen As this weekend's annual Fisher Poets Gathering in Astoria, Oregon, approaches, we'll take a look today at a PNW author who's been a regular at the event for years: Tele Aadsen. Tele published her first book in 2023, called "What Water Holds," and today we'll hear a reading from it. Plus, how you can get more info about the Ga...

Annual Columbia River dam and lock maintenance begins in March The Columbia River has dams and locks inland from Vancouver, and billions in commerce pass though those locks each year by tug and barge. After all that wear and tear, the Army Corps of Engineers schedules yearly maintenance periods during which locks are closed and all equipment is inspected, repaired and maintained. It's part of...

The Fisher Poets Gathering approaches Today we'll talk a little about the annual Fisher Poets Gethering happening this coming weekend in Astoria. And a look at today's ship traffic.