Shows / The Ship Report
Episodes
- The Ship Report
Ships are cool to look at, but why are they here? The short answer: cargo and the Columbia Snake River System
Today we’ll look at the cargo end of things. It’s the reason why ships are here. We’ll also talk about tugs and barges, which are an…
- The Ship Report
The Doldrums: why Oliver Widger isn’t going anywhere fast right now as he nears the Equator
Today, a look at the Doldrums, a region near the Equator in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans where the wind suddenly dies. People are seeing the Doldrums in…
- The Ship Report
Newport Pacific Seafood fire destroys freezer facility
A fire on Sunday at Pacific Seafood in Newport, Oregon, destroyed a freezer building and prompted evacuation orders in the area around the company’s…
- The Ship Report
A change in the weather – it’s rain and that’s good news
We’ve got a bit of a change in the weather – rainy all week is what’s predicted. This is good news on many fronts: for one, we need the…
- The Ship Report
A look at who’s coming and going on the river today
Today we’ll dive into the ship schedule for the day, some interesting details about vessels coming and going. The post A look at who’s coming and…
- The Ship Report
More on ships fueling here in Astoria
I got some great additional info I’d like to share about fueling ships locally. I learned that while car carriers fueling up here are indeed a rarity…
- The Ship Report
A look at marine weather, and at an unusual vessel that has been in Astoria for about a month
Even though we aren’t seeing much rain in our region (yet) we are seeing other changes that show us the seasons are shifting and fall is here. Some of…
- The Ship Report
A car ship stopped by in the Astoria Anchorage over the weekend…
This turned out to be an interesting story: First of all, the ships in our anchorages here off Astoria tend to be bulk carriers. Occasionally maybe a car ship…
- The Ship Report
Widger update: a look at the team who is helping him fulfill his dream
Oliver Widger is the Oregon man who is currently sailing south off Mexico, intending to sail alone, on a sailboat named after his cat, around the world. His…
- The Ship Report
Our weather shows signs of more fall “seesawing,” with more rain on the way
Our typical fall pattern of more rain inserting itself into the forecast, alternating with sunshine. Sea heights will rise next week. Fall continues as…
- The Ship Report
A look at this year’s “Super” El Nino and its opposite sibling, La Nina
Scientists are saying we are in for an intense El Nino period this winter. But what does that mean – what is El Nino, and its close relative, La Nina?…
- The Ship Report
A look at this week’s weather and today’s ships
Let’s take a look at who is on the river today and what kind of weather they’ll be dealing with. The post A look at this week’s weather and…
- The Ship Report
A look at weather and ship traffic
What’s in store for the weekend with marine weather? We’ll take a look, and check out ships coming and going on the river. The post A look at…
- The Ship Report
“Heavy weather season is upon us” – a cautionary note from the PNW US Coast Guard
Today I’ll share some advice from our beloved Coast Guard personnel here locally, about the approaching PNW heavy weather season, and what you should…
- The Ship Report
An update on the USNS Mercy, a look at our ship schedule, and Oliver fixes a leak
Today’s show is a bit of a potpourri, a little of this and that: I’ll be answering a question about the hospital ship USNS Mercy (yes, she’s…
- The Ship Report
Why do we care about Oliver Widger?
I’ve been on a bit of a tear about solo sailor Oliver Widger the past few days and have been sharing a lot of info on Facebook, as he departed from Neah…
- The Ship Report
Oliver Widger sets off to sail the world – alone, unassisted, without stopping
You may have heard of Oliver Widger. He’s the intrepid Portland man who, after getting a life-changing medical diagnosis, sold most everything, bought a…
- The Ship Report
A look at gantry cranes and other interesting gear on our anchored ships
This week we’ve seen some interesting ships in our Astoria anchorage, with gear we don’t normally see on an average day. We’ll talk about…
- The Ship Report
Racing around the world, Part 6: injuries are always a risk at sea
In this final segment of my interview series featuring round-the-world racing sailor Heidi Brown, we learn about how injuries are handled aboard a racing…
- The Ship Report
Racing Around the World, Part 5: the terrifying experience of sailing in hurricane force winds
Today we’ll hear more from my interview with Heidi Brown, the Astoria woman who returned this summer from sailing in the Clipper Round the World Race…
- The Ship Report
Racing around the world: a chat with Heidi Brown, Part 4
Astoria resident Heidi Brown sailed around the world for almost a year as part of the crew of a 70 foot yacht in the Clipper Round the World race. This week…
- The Ship Report
Racing around the world: a chat with Heidi Brown, Part 3
Astoria resident Heidi Brown sailed around the world for almost a year as part of the crew of a 70 foot yacht in the Clipper Round the World race. This week…
- The Ship Report
Racing around the world: a chat with Heidi Brown, Part 2
Astoria resident Heidi Brown sailed around the world for almost a year as part of the crew of a 70 foot yacht in the Clipper Round the World race. This week…
- The Ship Report
Racing around the world: an interview with Heidi Brown, Part 1
Astoria resident Heidi Brown joined the Clipper Round the World race last year, and sailed 40,000 miles around the globe on a 70 foot yacht with about 20…
- The Ship Report
Answering a listener question: What is dew point, and for that matter, relative humidity?
A listener asked me about what dew point is, and in the process of checking into it, I also learned about relative humidity. These two terms, which appear in…
- The Ship Report
A look at today’s ship schedule
Our ship schedule continues to be robust, so let’s talk about it! The post A look at today’s ship schedule appeared first on The Ship Report.
- The Ship Report
A busy day on the river – let’s look at who’s coming and going!
After months of relatively small ship schedules, this week we’re seeing an abundance of ships. Let’s take a look! The post A busy day on the river…
- The Ship Report
The Ship Report’s roots in community radio: KMUN in Astoria
As KMUN begins its fall pledge drive tomorrow, a little about how the Ship Report started there, and why I’m so grateful for this community station in…
- The Ship Report
Boatlift: a heroic maritime response to 9/11
Today we remember a tragic day in US history: September 11, 2001, when terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon in…
- The Ship Report
One of our local ships, the Pacific Collector, passes by on Wednesday
The Pacific Collector, a US military missile defense tracking ship, will head outbound from Portland Wednesday around 9 am, passing Astoria around 3…
- The Ship Report
The Golden Globe Race begins, with sailors departing from France to sail around the world alone
Sixteen sailboats left Les Sables D’Olonne, France, over the weekend to compete in a unique race called the Golden Globe. Participants sail solo in boats…
- The Ship Report
Another look at river current – outboard motors, friction, horsepower and physics
While I’ve talked about the need to understand and work with current on the river, it seems that some vessels go out there any old time and do well…
- The Ship Report
As our first storm of the season arrives, we enter the season for possible river bar restrictions
We’re having our first fall storm of the season today, and that brings the potential for interruptions to ship traffic as sea height increase. Even if…
- The Ship Report
Today is the first day of meteorological fall
It’s September 1st and that means the end of meteorological summer and the beginning of meteorological fall. A slightly different designation than…
- The Ship Report
A look at research vessels
Another kind of ship we see fairly often here on the river is the research vessel. Its cargo is live people: scientists whose mission is the study the…
- The Ship Report
Cooling trend in our weather as fall approaches
We’ll talk about a recent blog post from UW meteorologist Cliff Mass, talking about the cooling trend we are entering in our weather, as fall makes its…
- The Ship Report
The lights you see at night on ships: They hold great meaning, especially for other vessels, and even aircraft, Part 2
Today we’ll hear the second of a two-part interview on ship lights from the Ship Report archives, from an interview I did years ago with Columbia River…
- The Ship Report
The lights you see at night on ships: They hold great meaning, especially for other vessels, Part 1
Today we’ll hear the first of a two-part interview on ship lights from the Ship Report archives, from an interview I did years ago with Columbia River…
- The Ship Report
Understanding the marine weather forecast: significant wave height
Today we’ll talk about an important term in marine weather: the concept of “significant wave height.” Understanding the meaning of this term…
- The Ship Report
Some seasonal and navigational astronomy as the days get shorter
Today we’ll talk about the approach of autumn, shorter days and the different kinds of twilight we experience as the sun rises and sets. The post Some…
- The Ship Report
Today the first of three remaining cruise ships calls on Astoria for the 2026 season. Her cruise is an unusual one.
Today we’ll take a look at the Crystal Symphony, a luxury cruise ship that will be in Astoria on Wednesday. She’s just begun a 39 day cruise that…
- The Ship Report
A look at today’s ship schedule, and a bit about our two Vancouvers
Today, a look at who’s coming and going on the river, and since we frequently see ships arriving from Vancouver. BC, going to Vancouver, WA, I thought it…
- The Ship Report
Answering the question: So what’s the big deal about the Columbia River Bar? It looks pretty calm to me…
Today I’d like to answer this question from another angle, after seeing someone post a photo of a calm Columbia River Bar on a recent day, from the…
- The Ship Report
More on tides in our daily lives
Today we’ll talk more about how tides change all the time here, and affect us on both the river and ocean beaches. And how this information is practical…
- The Ship Report
A look at why lines (and shrouds) on ships and boats can “part” and why it’s so dangerous
Today, we take a look at the strain vessels are under in the work they do. And how weather can push things to the breaking point, causing lines and wires to…
- The Ship Report
The Rule of 12ths: a way to gauge tidal dangers on the Columbia
Today we’ll talk about a useful guideline for navigating in heavily tidal waters like the Columbia. It’s called the Rule of 12ths. The Rule of…
- The Ship Report
Today’s ship schedule and a look at tides in the river
Today we’ll look at today’s abundant ship schedule, and also take a look at this week’s tides, which feature pretty big tidal swings between…
- The Ship Report
The busy inland Columbia River
While ship traffic may seem slow some days on the lower river near the Columbia’s mouth, there’s plenty happening upriver near busy ports, and…
- The Ship Report
A listener question about pilot boats and ships
A listener sent me an interesting question this week: asking why pilot transfers happen while ships are moving, because the process seems unsafe. Today…
- The Ship Report
Smoky haze arrives on the coast from wildfires
The National Weather Service warns us this week to expect wildfire smoke on the coast, thanks to a change in wind direction. We’ll talk about current air…
- The Ship Report
A bit more about Buoy 10
The Buoy 10 fishing season is in full swing here on the lower Columbia, and I thought I would share my happy observations on our local docks yesterday…
- The Ship Report
Buoy 10 fishery opens this weekend
On Saturday, August 1, we’ll see a big influx of small fishing boats on the Columbia River off Astoria, Warrenton and Hammond. The beginning of August…
- The Ship Report
A look at today’s ship schedule
We haven’t looked at ship schedules lately, so let’s see who’s coming and going on the river today. The post A look at today’s ship…
- The Ship Report
USCG Icebreaker Healy has mechanical problems during sea trials
Today we’ll take a look at a ship that was recently in the Columbia River: the USCGC Healy, a Coast Guard icebreaker. She ran into serious mechanical…
- The Ship Report
Answering a listener question about pilots, and a little about my boat
Glad to be back from a recent week off, with the answer to a listener question, and a little about “how I spent my summer vacation” with a bit…
- The Ship Report
From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 4
This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did…
- The Ship Report
From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 3
This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did…
- The Ship Report
From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 2
This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did…
- The Ship Report
From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 1
This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did…
- The Ship Report
Why the Columbia River Bar is so dangerous even in modern times
In our region’s maritime history, the Columbia River Bar has long been known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, because of all the vessels lost there, at…