The Ship Report

A look at ocean swells and waves, and why some ships load cargo and go to anchor Sort of a smorgasbord of info today: ocean swells and waves, ship schedules and why some upriver ships go to anchor after they've loaded cargo. Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript053024.pdf

Recreational boater stats show the need for safety and paying attention on the water The US Coast Guard released their 2023 boater safety stats this week. While fatalities are down, alcohol and boater inexperience remain big factors in water deaths and injuries. The bottom line: the ocean and the river near you are not a carefully controlled water park designed for fun times. Out on the water is t...

Dead whale washes up on the beach near Manzanita Yesterday a dead humpback whale over 30 feet long washed up on the beach at Nehalem Bay State Park near Manzanita, Oregon. Officials are working to determine the cause of death. This incident brings the total to 5 of whales that have washed up on Oregon beaches in the past year and a half. We'll talk about possible reasons for whale death, other...

Oil spill hits Oregon and Washington beaches Today, a few things: We'll talk about two maritime related holidays that happened this week: International Turtle Day and National Maritime Day. And a note of concern as this holiday weekend arrives: mysterious tar balls have been showing up on beaches in SW Washington and Oregon, along with oil soaked wildlife. So far authorities have not been able...

Update on the containership Dali in Baltimore It's been less than two months since the containership Dali lost control as was leaving Baltimore Harbor at night, hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge and destroying it, causing the deaths of bridge workers, and closing this key US harbor to vessel traffic. Since then a unified command operation of skilled agencies and experts have been working to...

US Coast Guard overseas Most people know that the US Coast Guard has a big presence in our coastal waters. But the Coast Guard also has a big international presence too, in over 160 countries. Today we'll talk more about the US Coast Guard, our fleet of ships and how to tell them apart, and the many Coast Guards of other nations, some of whom have partnerships with ours.

Astoria gets a new Coast Guard Cutter Yesterday, a new Coast Guard Cutter came to town: she's the GCG David Duren, named for an enlisted hero whose nickname was "Big Wave Dave." She'll be at the Astoria dock for awhile, until her new digs at Tongue Point are ready. The Coast Guard will hold a comissioning ceremony at the Columbia River Maritime Museum on June 27. The Duren is doc...

Container service could continue at the Port of Portland The latest news about container service at the Port of Portland is that Oregon's governor has a plan to shore up the port for now, with $40 million in support. The caveat: the port must create a sustainability plan for its container service.

Another oiler in town, and yes, the water IS cold Today we'll look at today's schedule, which includes another military replenishment oiler like the one we saw yesterday (a ship that can refuel other ships at sea). And also a footnote about the beach this week... where I personally tried wading briefly in the ocean to see how cold it really is. The answer: it's really COLD, yes, capita...

The plumb bow Today, a brief dive into ship design and some of the factors that can affect why boats and ships look the way they do. We'll look at the plumb bow feature you may see on ships and on some recreational boats and why a designer might choose to design a vessel this way.

Normalizing water safety: an idea whose time has come We do a lot to warn people about water safety, but perhaps not enough to change their minds about how they see it, as a concept in their lives. For everyone's benefit: victims, emergency first responders and Good Samaritans, it's time to make water safety "cool."

Today's maritime term: lightering Today we'll take another look at a specialized maritime term, one that may seem odd to folks not involved in the maritime industry. This word, llightering, has to do with the process of moving cargo, and sometimes fuel, usually from a larger vessel to a smaller one, for the purposes of making the other vessel lighter, and more able to maneuver, especially...

The origin and meaning of a common maritime industry term: bunkering Folks familiar with the maritime industry use this word a lot: "bunker" or "bunkering" or even "bunkers." It's not a word whose meaning you can easily figure out just by hearing it, but it refers to the fuel ships use and the process of filling up a ship's tanks so she has fuel to travel at s...

Cruise ships on the Columbia, and why we don't see blue water cruises all summer A look at today's ship schedule, and a look at our cruise ship complement for the season, and why we don't see blue water cruise ships here all summer long.

Beautiful weather is here, and with it cold water dangers Every spring, we have these wonderful days (like today into the weekend) where the weather just blossoms into full summer mode - and we are understandably giddy with joy. However, while you're out there enjoying the beach and the riverside (as well you should!), keep in mind that winter conditions still exist when it comes to water and...

Nightime running lights on ships Today, a look back in the Ship Report archives at an interview I did in the early 2000s, with a local maritime professional: Captain Robert Johnson, a now retired Columbia River Bar Pilot who was at the time working in the field in the waters off  Astoria, Warrenton and Hammond. In this insider's look at ship running lights, he'll tell us what we are likely...

A look at who's on the river today Today, a look at who's traveling on the river today, and a bit about cargo, ballast water, and land transportation for cargo after it gets to port.

How does the "gas pedal" work on a ship? Today, the answer to an interesting listener question about how the bridge communicates propulsion decisons to the engine room. In a car, we'd call this the "gas pedal," but it works differently on ships.

The Seafarers Happiness Index shows improved morale in 2024 Crews are feeling happier on board ship these days. We'll take a look at the factors that keep sailors happy when they're away from home for months. Show transcript available here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/Transcript050324.pdf

All female sailboat crew makes history winning round the world race The crew of the yacht Maiden, all women, made racing history last month when they won the Ocean Globe Race, becoming the only all-female crew to ever win a round the world race.

The nautical and historical origins of May Day Today is May Day, the first day of the month of May. We'll talk about the day's historical origins as a celebration. Then we'll delve into its contemporary nautical meaning. The expression "mayday" has saved lives for over a century, when uttered over VHF radio as a distress signal to the Coast Guard. Transcript of this show avai...

USCG rescue off Tillamook shows Coast Guard adaptability in an emergency Today's show is about an unusual Coast Guard rescue in the waters off Tillamook, where they were able to rescue someone whose ship was further out to sea than would normally be possible for a USCG helicopter rescue. Crews adapted to add flying range to their aircraft, and provided ICU services in the helicopter for a crit...

A look at vessel pollution in port Today we'll take a quick look at another cruise ship due in Astoria today, and then we'll talk about ways the maritime industry is working to reduce vessel pollution in port. This incudes the development of all-electric tugboats, a relatively new option in the world of commercial vessels. Today's Ship Report Episode Transcript here: http://shipreport....

Two cruise ships in Astoria today, more to come Today we'll look at an unusual occurrence in Astoria: two cruise ships in town on the same day. One will anchor at the Port of Astoria. The other will anchor off the downtown waterfront and take passengers to and from land in a small boat called a launch. We'll also talk about the spring and fall cruise ship calendar for blue water (ocean) cr...

Loss of Portland container service could hit small businesses hard Today we take a look at a business story about the fallout in a port on the East Coast that recently lost container service in a disaster. In Baltimore, we saw a container ship destroy a bridge, and huge and awful consequences for that city and its people. As that city recovers and efforts continue to clean up the debris, the loss...