The Ship Report

Today we’ll look at some of the ordinary things that add up to an interesting day in the region, in terms of maritime things. Winds should die down later this week, and a look at some details about ships on today’s schedule. The post A look at today’s ship schedule and marine weather appeared first on The Ship Report.

For some folks, seeing a list of ships coming in and out of the river is just that – a list. When I look at them, I see all kinds of details that I’ve learned from many conversations I’ve had over the years with career mariners in our region and beyond. I’ve soaked up what […] The post A look at the details of today’s ship schedule appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll talk about how we can look for clues in the marine environment right in front of us, or use readily available information, to keep us safe and enjoying life as we use the river and ocean beaches. We’ll talk about some things locals know that allow them to work with, instead of against, […] The post How noticing the natural world around us makes us safer on the river and ocean beach appeared first on The Ship Report.

It’s another unseen piece of the maritime industry puzzle: how do ships get cargoes on and off. We’ll take a look at some of the most common practices.   The post A look at how the ships we see load and unload cargo appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we have a small ship schedule, and that presents two opportunities for me here: to reassure you that a day here and there with fewer ships is not a trend. It’s just what happens. And also, I have a chance to use this time to look at the ships that are here in more […] The post A close look at today’s ships and cargo appeared first on The Ship Report.

This week we’re celebrating the birthday of legendary ship captain and maritime pilot Captain Deborah Dempsey. She was a Columbia River Bar Pilot for decades here in Astoria. She sailed around the world as the master of big ships. And from her admission into the Maine Maritime Academy in the 1970s to her hiring as […] The post Happy Birthday, Captain Deb Dempsey appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today I’ll answer a couple of listener questions about what it means when ship traffic numbers are low (hint: not much on a given day), and a question about car ships and why they never seem to look different whether they have loaded or unloaded cargo (the secret decoder phrase is: ballast water).   The post Answers to listener questions about ship traffic numbers and car carriers appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today, an unusual ship alert for a unique US Coast Guard ship that we hardly ever see on the Columbia. The USCG Cutter Healy, the Guard’s largest ship and an icebreaker, has been at the Portland Vigor shipyard since January for maintenance and repairs. She heads downriver and out to sea today. We’ll talk about […] The post USCG Cutter Healy heads downriver after maintenance at the Portland Vigor shipyard appeared first on The Ship Report.

It was in the “ordinary things we take for granted that are quite important” department: the National Weather Service on Sunday suddenly did not have weather forecasts available to the public on their website, thanks to an IT issue. As they worked to fix it, we went a few hours without updated weather info. Maybe […] The post The National Weather Service website was down on Sunday. We’ll talk about what that meant for weather forecasts appeared first on The Ship Report.

Continuing the theme of ships in the anchorage this week, I thought I would share another listener question about anchored ships. It has to do with a frequent choice ships make, which is to deploy the anchor on the port side instead of the starboard side when anchoring off Astoria. It’s an interesting question with […] The post Listener question: why do ships anchored off Astoria tend to use port anchors? appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today I’ll answer a listener question about why anchored ships can look so disorganized when the tide is changing on the river. It’s a good question that involves water flow, natural systems, and reflects the complex and amazing place we live in. The post A listener question about anchored ships: Why do they sometimes look so disorganized? appeared first on The Ship Report.

Ships sitting calmly in the anchorage are actually far from still: they’re doing a slow dance around an ingenious anchor and chain system that works in strong currents, acting like a spring, to protect the ship and keep it stable. The post The amazing anchor chain appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today, an update on the ocean sensors story from last week, and a look at how wind and tide greatly affect river conditions – something to pay attention to if you’re going out in a boat. The post Update on ocean sensors, and a look at how wind and tide affect river conditions appeared first on The Ship Report.

It might seem like a ship is just moseying by on its way up or downriver, but the truth is a lot of planning and scheduling goes into the movements of every ship on the Columbia. Today we’ll talk about the factors at play, and the strategies our professionals use to keep ships, people and […] The post A look at how ships are scheduled and spaced as they transit the river appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today I’ll share a story that’s a follow-up to Monday’s program on ocean sensors. It’s about how some US senators are now responding to the news that National Science Foundation ocean sensors are being removed from our waters off Newport and Grays Harbor. And I’ll share the results of an afternoon of research, in my […] The post Follow up on ocean sensors, and a listener question about government fraud appeared first on The Ship Report.

Two local people drowned this weekend, one on the Willamette River, and one on the Columbia. Today we’ll talk about factors in our area waters that can make doing relatively normal recreational activities a life-threatening hazard. The post Local drownings highlight water hazards people encounter doing ordinary things appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll talk about the removal of National Science Foundation Pacific Ocean data sensors off the coast of Oregon and Washington this week, a move scientists say will cripple their ability to know what’s happening in the ocean, as a record breaking El Nino is expected to hit the region this summer. The post Ocean sensors slated for removal this week off Newport and Grays Harbor appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll take a look at our glorious weather forecast with a caveat: the water in the ocean and our rivers is about as cold as cold tap water. Try it. Too cold for swimming really, but more to the point: just right for hypothermia and cold water shock. The post Warm weather coming, but cold water remains appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll talk about a wonderful worldwide network, called AMVER (Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue), originally created by the US Coast Guard. AMVER brings together ships at sea and mariners in trouble way off shore, making far-flung rescues possible that coastal response agencies worldwide would not have the resources to handle. In this case, a man […] The post Cruise ship aids injured mariner through the AMVER rescue system appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll talk about (and hear) some of the most familiar things we experience here on the river: rain, ships and fog horns. The post It’s a Pacific Northwest kind of week: rain, ships and fog horns appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll talk about the Rose Festival Fleet ships leaving the seawall in Portland, where they spent the weekend giving tours to visitors. They’ll depart along with another military ship, the USNS Watkins, which has been in Astoria the past few days. They are the US Navy destroyer USS Chafee, and the Canadian Navy ship […] The post Rose Festival Fleet finale, as ships head downriver and out to sea appeared first on The Ship Report.

One final wrap up today on the Rose Festival Fleet which begins tours today in Portland. Ships are located on the seawall in Tom McCall Park, 10-4. Get there early because tours end promptly at 4 and if you are waiting on land at 4 you may not get in.  And I also wanted to […] The post Fleet Week Thursday: Tours begin on Rose Festival Ships in Portland appeared first on The Ship Report.

All of the ships arriving from offshore heading to Portland are now in the River. Today we will look at the ships that will be in Portland this weekend for the Rose Festival. We’ll also talk about what happens when visiting ships arrive in Portland, and how they are greeted, with open drawbridges and a […] The post Fleet Week Wednesday – Rose Festival Fleet Week ships arrive in Portland appeared first on The Ship Report.

Ships are starting to arrive in the river for the Portland Rose Festival; they’re the part of the festival referred to as Fleet Week. I’ll be tracking the ships as they arrive and sharing that information here. Today two ships head upriver: the Canadian Navy ship the HMCS Max Bernays passed Astoria inbound this morning […] The post Fleet Week Tuesday appeared first on The Ship Report.

This week we’ll begin seeing ships arriving to head to Portland for the Rose Festival as part of the Festival Fleet. One ship is already in town on Astoria: the USS Chafee, a Navy destroyer, which will head to Portland around midnight tonight. I’ll announce other ships as they appear on the schedule and include […] The post It’s Rose Festival Fleet week on the Columbia appeared first on The Ship Report.

We see a lot of the same kinds of ships here, going to a set series of places. Today we’ll talk about different kinds of ships, and ports, and the inland water highway that makes much of our commerce possible. The post A look at patterns in our ship traffic and the river system appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 Day each year at […] The post A look at Astoria’s annual Memorial Day tribute to mariners appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post PNW Offshore Race starts Thursday, open house in Ilwaco today appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post Ships can be a noisy environment for mariners appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post As our spring weather forecast evolves, a look ahead at La Nina and El Nino in the Pacific appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 […] The post June Gloom comes a bit early this year appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post A bit about fog (and fog horns), a signature sight (and sound) of maritime communities appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 post Another look at the deceptive conundrum of cold water and safety appeared first on The Ship Report.

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, […] The post Pilot basics: a look at maritime pilots on the river appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post The lives of ships appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 […] The post Tides: how they’re measured and why they happen appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post Cool spring conditions remind us of cold water dangers appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post A look at how ships load and balance cargo, and why it’s so important appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 […] The post Polar Star returns from Antarctica appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we talk about the weather – always a fascinating topic in our coastal region. And some interesting details about today’s arriving ships. The post Weather and some ship talk appeared first on The Ship Report.

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. The post Norwegian Jade in town, and a look at tides and ships appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 Wikimedia Commons The post Second cruise ship of the season comes to Astoria Thursday appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 post Cold weather on the way appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 […] The post The shipyard at Swan Island appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 […] The post First cruise ship for the Astoria season appeared first on The Ship Report.

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 post Of ebb tides and west winds appeared first on The Ship Report.