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. But if you look into the particulars, where the bar is exactly depends on who's describing it. The Columbia bar is unique among river bars. So among maritime professionals the exact parameters can vary. We'll talk about it today.

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 strongly that we could have gale force winds on the way, let's take another look at one of my favorites: the Beaufort Wind Scale.

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 forecast covers. We'll talk about that today.

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 be talking about a 10-day Pacific Northwest voyage at sea that I took in 2010 on a gypsum carrier sailing out of Rainier on the Columbia, up to Puget Sound and south to San Francisco. It was a pretty lifechanging event. I hope you can join me there.

As the days grow longer - a look at the equinox and what it means

Last Friday was the spring equinox, and it's evident that days are indeed getting longer. Today we'll take a look at how that all works and why the days get longer now and shorter later in the year. And when is the equinox anyway? Turns out it can change from year to year.

"Don't Let the Cat Out of the Bag" - a nautical talk about maritime lore and superstition

Today's show is all about an upcoming talk at Astoria's Columbia River Maritime Museum, featuring career mariner Jason "Boats" Linnett.

He'll be giving a talk at the museum on Friday, March 27th at 5:30 pm. The Museum is on Marine Drive on the waterfront at 17th Street.

Today we'll talk with Julia Triezenberg, who handles adult education for the museum, and lecturer Jason "Boats" Linnett, about his maritime career and the topic of maritime expressions and superstitions, which permeate modern language and culture.

This podcast is a longer version of the show that aired on KMUN radio this morning. Enjoy learning more about these interesting people and what they do.

The Mercy arrives Thursday morning

Note: I’m posting this the night before (Wednesday evening even though it’s Thursday’s podcast), so that early birds can have the info about seeing the Mercy pass by on the river Thursday morning.

Well, our much anticipated ship, the US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy, will cross the Columbia River Bar into the river early Thursday morning around 6 am, passing Astoria inbound around 7:30 am. She’s headed to the shipyard in Portland for maintenance and repairs.

Look for her at upriver locations as she travels. by using marinetraffic or vesselfinder to track her progress.

A look at the US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy, arriving in the river Thursday morning

A look at the USNS Mercy, the US Navy hospital ship that is arriving on the Columbia early Thursday morning. She's headed for the Swan Island shipyard in Portland for maintenance and repairs.

How ships make their way in the dark

Today I'll answer a listener question about why ships seem to have so few lights on, on the exterior of the ship, when they are traveling at night.

There are two main reasons: preserving night vision for the crew on the bridge so they can see what's out there, as much as possible, in diminished visibility.

Also, ships have designated, legally mandated running lights in a specific configuration that allows other vessels to know what they are looking at when they see it coming.

Even with all the modern tech on board (GPS, ECDIS, radar, etc.) these simple, time-tested tools for ship navigation remain vital.

A look at weather and ships, as we shoulder another atmospheric river

A few basics about what happens at sea and on the river when the weather gets problematic for vessels. There can be delays - and when ships finally move again can depend on a complex mix of factors related to weather, sea state and tides.