Shows / The Ship Report
The Ship Report
Ship Report podcasts take you to a special corner of the world, the mighty Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. Nautical lore, news and info, mariner interviews, daily international ship traffic, and the inside scoop on the upper left edge of Oregon and beyond. The Ship Report is proud to celebrate 20+ years on the air! More at shipreport.net
Episodes
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: Historic fireboat comes to Astoria museum
The Ship Report, July 15, 2026 The historic fireboat David Campbell found a permanent place in history yesterday, after being placed on land at Astoria's…
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The Ship Report: the mindboggling topic of economy of scale
The Ship Report, Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Today we'll talk about economies of scale in the maritime industry, which means that the more you can ship at once in a…
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The Ship Report: A look at the weather and today's schedule
The Ship Report, Monday, July 7, 2026 Today we'll look at some of the ordinary things that add up to an interesting day in the region, in terms of maritime…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: More details about ships
The Ship Report, Thursday, July 9, 2026 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…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: How noticing the natural world around us makes us safer on the river and ocean beach
The Ship Report, Wednesday, July 8, 2026 Today we’ll talk about how we can look for clues in the marine environment right in front of us, or use readily…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: How ships load and unload cargo
The Ship Report, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 It's another unseen piece of the maritime industry puzzle: how do ships get cargoes on and off. We'll take a look at…
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The Ship Report: a close look at the interesting detail in today's ships
The Ship Report, Monday, July 7, 2026 Today we have a small ship schedule, and that presents two opportunities for me here: to reassure you that a day here and…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: Happy Birthday, Captain Deb Dempsey, master mariner
The Ship Report, Thursday, July 2, 2026 This week we're celebrating the birthday of legendary ship captain and maritime pilot Captain Deborah Dempsey. She was…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: Answers to listener questions
The Ship Report, Wednesday, July 1, 2026 Today I'll answer a couple of listener questions about what it means when ship traffic numbers are low (hint: not much…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: The USCGC Healy, a Coast Guard icebreaker, leaves Portland today
The Ship Report, Tuesday, June 30, 2026 Today, an "unusual ship alert" for a unique US Coast Guard ship that we hardly ever see on the Columbia. The USCG…
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The Ship Report: The National Weather Service website was down on Sunday
The Ship Report, June 29, 2026 It was in the “ordinary things we take for granted that are quite important” department: the National Weather Service on Sunday…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: why do most ships use the port anchor in the river off Astoria?
The Ship Report, Thursday, June 25, 2026 Continuing the theme of ships in the anchorage this week, I thought I would share another listener question about…
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The Ship Report: Why do anchored ships sometimes look so disorganized?
The Ship Report, Wednesday, June 24, 2026 Today I'll answer a listener question about why anchored ships can look so disorganized. It happens when the tide is…
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The Ship Report: How an anchor chain acts like a spring
The Ship Report, Tuesday, June 23, 2026 The amazing anchor chain Ships sitting calmly in the anchorage are actually far from still: they're doing a slow dance…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: Ocean Sensor update, and a look at wind and tide
The Ship Report, Monday, June 22, 2026 Today, an update on the ocean sensors story from last week, and a look at how wind and tide greatly affect river…
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The Ship Report: A look at how ships are scheduled and spaced as they transit the river
The Ship Report, Thursday, June 18, 2026 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…
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The Ship Report: a follow up about ocean sensors, and a listener question about fraud
The Ship Report, Wednesday, June 17, 2026 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…
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The Ship Report: Local drowning deaths highlight dangers in ordinary things
The Ship Report, Tuesday, June 16, 2026 Two local people drowned this weekend, one on the Willamette River, and one on the Columbia. Today we’ll talk about…
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The Ship Report: Ocean sensors slated for removal this week off Newport and Grays Harbor
The Ship Report: Monday, June 15, 2026 Today we'll talk about the removal of National Science Foundation Pacific ocean data sensors off the coast of Oregon and…
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The Ship Report: Warm weather coming, but cold water remains
The Ship Report, Thursday, June 11, 2026 Today we'll take a look at our glorious weather forecast with a caveat: the water in the ocean and our rivers is about…
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The Ship Report: Cruise ship aids injured mariner through the AMVER rescue system
The Ship Report, Wednesday, June 10, 2026 Today we'll talk about a wonderful worldwide network, called AMVER(Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue)…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: It's a Pacific Northwest kind of week: rain, ships and fog horns
The Ship Report, Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Today we'll talk about (and hear) some of the most familiar things we experience here on the river: rain, ships and fog…
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The Ship Report: Rose Festival Finale as ships depart Portland
The Ship Report, Monday, June 8, 2026 Today we'll talk about the Rose Festival Fleet ships leaving the seawall in Portland, where they spent the weekend giving…
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The Ship Report, Fleet Week Thursday
The Ship Report, Thursday, June 4, 2026 Fleet Week Thursday: Tours begin on Rose Festival Ships in Portland One final wrap up today on the Rose Festival Fleet…
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The Ship Report: Fleet Week Wednesday
The Ship Report, Wednesday, June 3, 2026 Fleet Week Wednesday – Rose Festival Fleet Week ships arrive in Portland All of the ships arriving from offshore…
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The Ship Report: Rose Festival Fleet Week Tuesday
The Ship Report, Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Fleet Week Tuesday Ships are starting to arrive in the river for the Portland Rose Festival; they’re the part of the…
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The Ship Report: Rose Festival Fleet week Monday
The Ship Report, Monday, June 1, 2026 It’s Rose Festival Fleet week on the ColumbiaThis week we’ll begin seeing ships arriving to head to Portland for the Rose…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: a look at patterns in our ships and ports
Thursday, May 28, 2026 We see a lot of the same kinds of ships here, going to a set series of places. Today we'll talk about the different kinds of ships, and…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report: Astoria honors lost mariners on Memorial Day
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 Astoria honors lost mariners in annual waterfront memorial day ceremony Today we’ll take a look at a memorial day commemoration that…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Wednesday, May 20, 2026
A look at an unusual vessel anchored off Astoria, and strong ebb tides this week On Tuesday some observant folks noticed an unusual ship in Astoria's anchorage…
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The Ship Report, Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Sailboat racing on the Columbia Today we'll take a look at ship traffic and weather, and also at a seasonal tradition that started again this year a few weeks…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Monday, May 18, 2026
A deeper look at a familiar subject: maritime pilots I talk a lot in general about maritime pilots on the show: they are so central to everything that happens…
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The Ship Report, Thursday, May 14, 2026
The Pacific NW Offshore race begins This morning, 50 boats will set off from the mouth of the Columbia River headed for Victoria, BC, participating in the 50th…
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The Ship Report, Wednesday, May 13, 2026
PNW Offshore Race starts Thursday, open house in Ilwaco today Today from 11 to 2, you can stop by the Port of Ilwaco and see some of the 50 sailboats getting…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Ships can be a noisy environment for mariners Today we'll talk about workplace noise on ships and other commercial vessels. Noise and vibration are…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Monday, May 11, 2026
As our spring weather forecast evolves, a look ahead at La Nino and El Nino in the Pacific According to UW meteorologist Cliff Mass, we have some rain coming…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Thursday, May 7, 2026
June Gloom comes a bit early this year Today we’ll take a look at a regular but not always welcome Pacific Northwest springtime phenomenon: The pervasive “June…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Wednesday, May 6, 2026
A bit about fog (and fog horns), a signature sight (and sound) of maritime communitiesWe hear fog horns quite often in the waters near Astoria and elsewhere on…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Another look at the deceptive conundrum of cold water and safety We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its beauty rivals any resort on the…
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The Ship Report, Monday, May 4, 2026
Pilot basics: a look at maritime pilots on the river 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 Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Thursday, April 30, 2026
The lives of ships 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…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Tides: how they're measured and why they happen Tides play such a big role in our waters both on the ocean and the river. It's good to revisit some things…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Cool spring conditions remind us of cold water dangers A reminder that we live in the Pacific Northwest, a beautiful place with cold waters and strong currents…
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The Ship Report, Monday, April 27, 2026
A look at how ships load and balance cargo, and why it's so important Cargo is loaded onto ships very deliberately and with a lot of calculation and…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Polar Star returns from Antarctica I always like talking about this ship, because of her unique job and the role she plays in keeping people safe in a…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Monday, April 20, 2026
Weather and some ship talk Today we talk about the weather - always a fascinating topic in our coastal region. And some interesting details about today's…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Thursday, April 16, 2026
Norwegian Jade in town, and a look at tides and ships A few things today: a closer look at our cruise ship du jour in Astoria, a look at ships coming and…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Second cruise ship of the season comes to Astoria Thursday The second cruise ship of the season comes to Astoria on Thursday, and it's a good opportunity to…
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The Ship Report, Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Cold weather on the way 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…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Monday, April 13, 2026
The shipyard at Swan Island 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…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Thursday, April 9, 2026
First cruise ship for the Astoria season Today the Nieuw Amsterdam, a 1000-foot long cruise ship arriving from San Diego, is the first blue water cruise ship…
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The Ship Report, Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Of ebb tides and west winds 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…
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The Ship Report, Tuesday, April 7, 2026
What does it mean to decommission a ship? Today we'll talk about the fate of decommissioned ships. We have one on the river now, the USNS Watkins, which…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Monday, April 6, 2026
USNS Watkins, a Military Sealift Command ship, enters the river Monday Note: I'm publishing this podcast a day early because this ship will be arriving in the…
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The Ship Report, Thursday, April 2, 2026
Mariners keep working even in bad weather Yesterday we had some squalls blow through our area, bringing with them heavy rain, wind and fog. While we on land…
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The Ship Report, Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Who's on the river today, a bit about arriving weather, and scrap metal on the Columbia and where it goes Today we'll look at a variety of things: weather…
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The Ship Report, Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Where exactly is the Columbia River Bar? Most locals, if asked this question, could tell you that the Columbia River Bar is where the river meets the ocean…
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The Ship Report, Monday, March 30, 2026
What does it mean when the weather is "blowing a gale"? A look at the Beaufort Wind Scale Today in honor of our marine weather forecast, which suggests…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Thursday, March 26, 2026
Marine weather forecasts, explained (a little) I got a listener question about marine weather forecasts and why they specify the number of miles offshore the…
The Ship ReportThe Ship Report, Wednesday, March 25, 2026
History and Hops - a Ship Report talk in Seaside on Thursday Tomorrow I'll be giving a talk at the Seaside Brewing Co. at 851 Broadway in Seaside at 6 pm. I'll…