The Ship Report

Listener question about a boat in the Astoria Anchorage A listener wrote in to ask about a small boat they saw approaching a ship in the anchorage. Today we'll talk about launch services and the valuable work they perform that is an integral part of the maritime chain of commerce.

Winter at Sea While land dwellers here on the coast were dealing with iced over roads and unusually brutal cold, mariners at sea offshore were handling their own kind of maritime hardship.

Who's traveling on the river today? Today, a look at who's coming and going on the river...we'll look at the ship schedule, discuss cargoes and talk about what ships have the fastest turnaround time in port. Certain types of ships spend days in port handling cargo, while others come and go sometimes in less than 24 hours. That's a tough go for tired mariners handling winter weather...

Light A quick recap of our crazy weather and some ship traffic, then a look at light: our annual returning daylight, and how it will all add up to long summer days in a few short months.

Difficult sea conditions continue, with King Tides in the mix to increase hazards Today we have a high surf warning, and tomorrow another round of King Tides hits the coast. Expect dangerous high surf and and unpredictable hazardous conditions on beaches. A good day to weather watch from a high up viewpoint rather than on the beach. We'll talk about what's happening and what to expect over...

Heavy Weather affects PNW Mariners and Beachgoers This Week Today, a look at this week's heavy weather, and the myriad hazards we'll see on beaches and area waterways. It's a good week to stay away from beaches, and go to high-up headlands to storm watch. But be advised, winds will be gusting to 70 mph. Big seas close to 30 feet will affect ship traffic, and make sea conditions hazardo...

King Tides 2024 We have another round of King Tides happening this week, Thursday through Saturday. We'll talk a bit today about tides and how they're calibrated. And how you can participate in what's called the King Tide Project in Oregon or Washington.

Dramatic rescue on the Columbia highlights dangers As we face sneaker wave warnings yet again on local ocean beaches this weekend, a reminder that the risks in this dynamic area in which we live are not confined just to the ocean. Today, a story about the heroic crew of the US Army Corps of Engineers dredge Yaquina, who earlier this year rescued a woman who had fallen into the Columbia River. They...

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...