The Ship Report

More weather changes, and a look at today's ship scheduleWe've got rain arriving and staying for the next few days. We'll also take a look at who's traveling on the river toda.y

A look at who's on the river todayWe've got some weather coming in, and we'll look at who's on the river today in terms of arriving and departing cargo vessels.

Mighty Fitz follow up - interview with a Coast GuardsmanToday, as a follow-up to yesterday's show about the sinking of the ore-carrier Edmund Fitzgerald 50 years ago on Lake Superior in 1975, we'll hear an interview with local resident Reid Johnson, who is now retired from the Coast Guard. He was 19 years old in1975, and serving on a USCG ship on Lake Huron the night the Fitz was lost in a storm.We'll also hear a poem from Fisher Poet Clem Starck about his real life experience hearing a nearby sister ship sink in a storm, while he himself was at sea within radio range, but unable to help.

The 50th anniversary of the wreck of the famous Great Lakes ore carrier, the Edmund FitzgeraldToday marks 50 years since the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on November 10, 11975 in Lake Superior. The Mighty Fitz, as she was called, was caught in the midst of a fierce storm with hurricane force winds. The ship was 17 miles from port when she was lost. All 29 members of her crew perished.This tragedy is commemorated in regional ceremonies each year, as residents honor these lost mariners, and all those who have lost their lives over the years in thousands of wrecks on the Great Lakes.Today we honor all mariners and their families, and recognize that despite safety improvements over the years, maritime work remains among the most dangerous profession worldwide.

More weather, ships arriving, and a look at a common cargo: tolueneWe'll take a look at a tanker coming into Kalama, whose cargo is a liquid called toluene. We'll talk about what it is and what it's used for. Turns out we all probably have some toluene in our lives.

King Tides and weather are hereKing Tides are happening today, so expect high tides around midday and an atmospheric river event that will amplify hazards on beaches and in flood prone areas. Be careful out there.

King Tides FAQWe've got King Tides happening starting tomorrow through Friday this week, and you've probably heard about it if you live in our coastal region.But what does that mean really? Today we'll talk about the nuts and bolts of King Tides - a sort of "King Tides FAQ."

King Tides happening this week, plus an atmospheric river, could bring beach and flooding hazardsWe've got King Tides arriving later this week, around the same time as the arrival of an atmospheric river weather system. Higher than normal tides and weather effects  could mean increased beach hazards, and some inland flooding.We'll keep an eye on it.

Big atmospheric river in store next weekI'm afraid it 's more weather - we'll take a look at a forecast from UW meteorologist Cliff Mass that bears watching, predicting a big atmospheric river headed our way next week.

A look at our evolving weather, and good thoughts for those in the path of Hurricane MelissaWe're looking at our evolving weather, and ships traveling on the river, with a "there but for the grace of God go I" moment of humility and solidarity for those in the path of Hurricane Melissa - which is battering Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba with sustained winds of 185 mph.

Who's on the river, and what's next for the weather?Today, a look at who's traveling on the river, including tugboats and a Military Sealift Command vessel. And a look at the next round of weather headed our way.

Accurate sources for weather (marine and land-based), road and emergency infoWith so much misinformation flying around on social media, and more bad weather on the way this week. I thought it would be helpful to share some trusted resources you can use to keep yourself up to date with accurate weather, road and emergency info.

Stormy weather is upon us - get ready for wind and rain, and possible power outagesThe stormy weather we've been promised all week is arriving today - be ready for gusty winds and heavy rain. We may see interruptions in ship traffic today and through the weekend. Expect power outages.

The coastal jet is here again - a disconcerting weather quirk of our maritime environmentShip captains don't like the coastal jet much. It's a quirky local weather phenomenon that can cause the weather to get worse the closer approaching ships get to the Columbia River Bar.Today we'll hear from Capt. Thron Riggs, who spent many years as a Columbia River Bar pilot, explaining what a coastal jet is.

The USS Plainview, a relic of lower Columbia history, beached in the shallows of Hungry HarborToday we take a look at the USS Plainview, a once-innovative, prototype hydrofoil ship design that was decommissioned by the Navy in the 1960s. She ended up sidelined by her civilian owner after plans to make her into a seafood processing vessel didn't pan out. She remains, partially dismantled, on the shores of the Columbia on the Washington side of the river, a few miles east of the Megler Bridge, beached on private property.Today we'll take a look at her once exciting history, and why she remains where she is.

We've got some weather comin' inA look at this week's weather, which seems poised to take things up a notch in terms of stormy conditions. We've got an atmospheric river event coming out way. We'll see how it shakes out.

A look at Alaska's recent coastal weather disasterLast weekend a typhoon his western Alaska north of the Aleutians, with devastating consequences for coastal communities there. A reminder to all of us who live on the edge of the world, that most of our weather comes to us from the ocean.

A look at the ship schedule, the weather and the origin of the term "ides" on this, the Ides of OctoberIn the ancient Roman calendar, the Ides of March marked the 15th of that month, and a fateful day in history for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare's play, named for him, the story recounts a historical fact: that Caesar was assassinated on March 15 (the Ides of March) in the year 44 BC.Thanks to Shakespeare, that term "ides" persists in our culture, but it's not just March. October has one too. And today is the Ides of October, a day that marks the middle of the month.We'll also take a look at our seesawing fall weather, and see who's on the river today moving cargo.

Interesting ships on the river TuesdayWhile all ships are inherently interesting, we have a few unusual ones passing by on Tuesday. One will visit the Port of Astoria.We'll see a new Military Sealift Command replenishment oiler headed to the Portland shipyard, a containership (we don't see them as often as we used to) headed to the Port of Portland, and a blue water cruise ship stopping for the day at the Port of Astoria.

A look at transit times - how long takes to get from one place to another by shipToday we'll look at transit times, how long it takes a ship to go from one place to another at sea, and here on the river.

The pilot boat Peacock, now a museum exhibit, was a real game changer for Columbia River commerceThis week marks 15 years since the pilot boat Peacock was lifted out of the Columbia River and placed on land, on the campus of the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, where she welcomes people traveling past the museum on Marine Drive.She's now a retired icon of Columbia River shipping, but when she first arrived here in the late 1960s, the Peacock opened a new era in river commerce. That was thsnks to her unprecedented ability to handle channeling weather conditions that previous pilot boats here could not.Today we'll honor the Peacock and talk about her work with the Columbia River Bar Pilots.

A look at who's on the river todayWe've got an abundant ship schedule today, so let's see who's on the river today, moving cargo or waiting their turn.

Listener question about marine pilots and how they board shipsI got an interesting listener question, about the way that marine pilot's board a ship using a pilot ladder. The answer illustrates how dangerous the job is, and how much pilots must rely on their own expertise and judgement, moment to moment, to safely do their jobs.

A blue water cruise ship heads downriver after a stint in PortlandToday we'll talk about an interesting and unusual sight that happened on Sunday on the river: a big bluewater cruise ship was heading downriver and out to sea from Portland.We'll talk about why she was all the way upriver in Portland, since such ships generally stop in Astoria and go no further upriver except perhaps to anchor off the downtown waterfront while they are in town for the day.

A look at our eccentric regional weatherToday we'll take a look at this week's storm, which brought stormy conditions some places around the region, but missed others.

Update on the weatherWell, in typical Mother Nature fashion, she's doing what she likes, and our predicted storm is a bit late. But arrive it will, and will likely make things messy for vessels out in it, and delay departures for ships that are in port here. We'll talk today about what to expect, with the usual caveat, "subject to change."

Weather comin' in, as we bid farewell to SeptemberWe have some of our usual, messy fall weather coming in today, and I thought it would be a good time to review some of the weather jargon we start to see in our forecasts at this time of year, and what those words and numbers mean.We'll talk about ships on the bar in bad weather, and also what's happening with other river bars along our PNW coast, where vessels may also be seeking refuge from the storm.

Big changes to the Ship Report this weekBig changes happening as of this week, with regard to the show.Beginning this week, the Ship Report will no longer air on KMUN on Fridays, but will air Monday-Thursday instead, and as a podcast on my website at shipreport.net.KMUN will air the Ship Report twice a day on the radio, at 8:49 am and again at 5:49 pm, Monday through Thursday.The changes come on the heels of big federal funding cuts to the station, which have resulted in their needing to make significant programming changes resulting from the loss of NPR programming.I completely respect the necessity for change in this situation, and support KMUN's efforts to regroup. I'm regrouping myself, and considering what's next for me in terms of Friday podcasts. I'll keep you posted as I sort it out.In the meantime, as always, I'll continue posting ship schedules on my website (shared on Facebook) and also marine weather on my Ship Report Facebook page.Thanks for your understanding. More to come.

The Polar Star is home from Antarctica, a sign of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in AntarcticaWe see many signs of fall in the Pacific Northwest, as cruise ships head south. One beloved ship, the icebreaker USCGC Polar Star, heads north to Seattle to prepare for another round of her annual mission: Operation Deep Freeze, where she breaks a navigable channel through pack ice to open McMurdo station to the world, which means access to supplies and fuel.

Who's on the river today?A look at today's ship traffic, and a change in the weather coming this weekend.

On any given day, there's a lot going on upriver with vessels that downriver folk don't seeThe Columbia River is a busy water highway, with lots of vessels working, many of them upriver in places that folks near Astoria and even upriver in Portland and Vancouver, don't see. Today we'll talk about some of what happens as vessels do their work upriver.

The research vessel Atlantis is at the Port of AstoriaOne of my favorite ships is here in town: the research vessel Atlantis. She's owned by the US Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, located on Cape Cod. She's been doing research on underwater volcanoes in the Pacific in recent years. She comes into Astoria occasionally to change crews, pick up supplies, etc.She's a superstar of a ship, she's been the subject of many documentaries about her and her famous submersible, the Alvin. We'll talk about the ship and about times I have been fortunate to go aboard.

Cruise ship pollution and beyond - a look at effluent treatment and handling, at sea and on land.A listener raised an issue about cruise ships and the pollution they create, so I thought I'd explore that topic today. As I was gathering info, I started looking at how sewage is treated both on land and at sea. Turns out, while wastewater treatment is a lifesaver, we are a planet filled with people, and that can be hard on our waterways, despite modern technology.

The Coastal Jet: an interesting weather phenomenon we could see here this weekendToday we'll talk more about the weather, which is in for a change this weekend, and about an unusual meteorological phenomenon we could see called the coastal jet that happens from time to time here. It causes winds along the coast to speed up, sometimes dramatically, while winds offshore can be much calmer.

Salt water wedge: a an interesting feature of the Columbia River estuaryToday we'll talk about one of the most fascinating aspects of the lower river: the presence of a massive salt water wedge that occurs when the tide is rising, as heavier salt water sinks beneath fresh river water.

New moons, tides, solar eclipses - all part of our cyclic natural worldThe next two weeks are packed with astronomical happenings: a new moon, a solar eclipse, and the autumnal equinox. We'll talk about them in the context of our natural maritime world, where life continues in habitual patterns that play out in tides, moon cycles and waning daylight at this time of year. And, our coastal weather, which continues to see cyclic changes as well.

Serenade of the Seas visits Astoria on a repositioning cruiseThis morning we'll see the Serenade of the Seas, a big, blue-water cruise ship that will be docked at the Port of Astoria all day. She's on her way back down south for the winter, having stopped here in May when she was headed north for a summer of cruises in the Puget Sound region and perhaps Alaska.Astoria's cruise ships are usually these repositioning cruises, which move ships between summer and winter cruising areas, with a stop in between to visit our city. There will be three more of these ships arriving here this fall, the last one in October. 

A bit about the weather, a solo sailor, ships and... a touch of pneumonia...Apologies for my absence from this platform last week. I was diagnosed with pneumonia a week ago Sunday, and this week has been spent getting enough strength back to sit at my computer. Glad to feel well enough for that!I was flat out on the couch last week, but I'm glad to be back, though I'm moving slowly. Looking forward to reclaiming my energy in the coming weeks.Today we'll talk a bit about the weather offshore locally, about a solo sailor out there braving it, and a look at some ships.Stay healthy!

More about ships and cargo on the river todayA snapshot of who's on the river today, and a bit about anomalies in the ship schedule, and a look at one cargo ship that's arriving today that isn't handling any cargo at all.

Who's on the river today?A look at today's ship schedule, with details about various about ships, protocols and cargo.

New pilot boat on the riverWe've got a new pilot boat operating on the Astoria waterfront these days. She's called the "Swift" and she's a new addition to the local fleet.Today we'll talk about her and also about pilot boats in general: a very unusual breed of vessel.

Meteorological fall, happening now in a hemisphere near youYesterday, September 1, marked the beginning of meteorological fall in the Northern Hemisphere. It's a great time of year to discuss the difference between the two falls: meteorological and astronomical.

From the Ship Report Archives: Running LightsA look back at an interview about ship running lights, the lights that we see at night on ships as they pass by or are anchored in the river.

From the Ship Report Archives: a look at car ships, Part 4This week I'm taking a break from the show and sharing a great interview with now retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Robert Johnson.He shares fascinating details about a type of ship that we often see on the Columbia.

From the Ship Report Archives: a look at car ships, Part 3This week I'm taking a break from the show and sharing a great interview with now retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Robert Johnson.He shares fascinating details about a type of ship that we often see on the Columbia.

From the Ship Report Archives: a look at car ships, Part 2This week I'm taking a break from the show and sharing a great interview with now retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Robert Johnson.He shares fascinating details about a type of ship that we often see on the Columbia.

From the Ship Report Archives: a look at car shipsThis week I'm taking a break from the show and sharing a great interview with now retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Robert Johnson.He shares fascinating details about a type of ship that we often see on the Columbia.

The Beaufort Wind ScaleAround this time of year, as fall winds make their presence known with the change of the seasons, it's a good time to talk about one of my favorite subjects: the Beaufort Wind Scale.It dates back to the 1800s but is still used today. You can use it to tell how hard the wind is blowing by looking at the effects on the environment around you, on land or sea.

Fall is in the airA look at marine weather today, and about how the distinct feeling of fall is in the air - a sign that some of our loveliest days of the year are still to come.

More about cargoToday we have a whole new set of ships with different cargoes on board, so another chance to talk in more depth about what they are carrying.

Who's on the river today and what cargoes are they carrying?Today we'll look at today's ship schedule with a twist: a look at the cargoes these ships are handling here. What they are, where they come from and how they fit into the chain of commerce on the mighty Columbia River.