The Ship Report

Why you should never go between a tug and a barge at sea

Today we'll do a quick debrief on this past weekend's 29th annual Fisher Poets Gathering, and then we`ll address an important maritime issue that can be a matter of life or death: why you should never get between a tug and its tow at sea, or on the river.

A look at life in the US Coast Guard

Today we'll hear more from my interview with Len Tumbarello, who is currently the executive director of the Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots.

Earlier in his life, he spent 28 years in the US Coast Guard, a career he really loved. Today we'll talk about what a career in the Coast Guard can be like.

Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots - Part 3

Today we hear Part 3 of my interview with Len Tumbarello, executive director of the Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots. We're talking about pilot risk, which comes in many forms.

Pilots are a lot like first responders, in that they have to be ready for the unexpected at all times and be ready to respond in a timely and effective manner, sometimes at great risk to themselves. It’s a job that only a small number of people in the world ever qualify for, and are hired to do.

Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots - Part 2

Today we continue listening to excerpts from an interview I did recently with Len Tumbarello, executive director of the Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots, the public body that oversees operations for the Columbia River Bar and River Pilot organizations, as well as maritime pilots in Coos Bar and Newport.

Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots, Part 1

I'll be away this week for a little time off, and I'll be featuring excerpts this week on the show from a recent interview I did with Len Tumbarello, executive director of the Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots.

We'll be taking a look at this vital organization and talking about a subset of the maritime industry that passes by our doors daily here on the Columbia River, but which most of us know little about - the specialized profession of being a maritime pilot, and how that profession is regulated by the state, for safety and commerce.

Snow in the forecast again through Thursday morning

We'll see what transpires... the forecast calls for snow above 500 feet. For coastal snow lovers, maybe some pretty flurries. Inland, expect some driving challenges in the morning.

A look at the forecast: more snow?

Well, we had a tiny "snowpocalypse" in Astoria Monday and Tuesday - and by that I mean short periods of intense snow that were really cool and pretty (for those of us who love snow) but disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived.

Will there be more? We'll take a look at the forecast for the rest of the week.

And some ships...

A bit of snow is possible...

We're looking at the possibility of some snow between the coast and Portland later this week. Keep your eyes peeled and watch forecasts.

And if you're razor clamming on the beach, bundle up and watch for sneaker waves.

The bulbous bow: an odd-looking, but very efficient, ship design feature

There's a unusual-looking ship design feature that's on pretty much all the ships that arrive here on the Columbia. When a ship is loaded, it's out of sight below the waterline, but on ships that are waiting for cargo, like in anchorages, you can sometimes see it.

It's called the bulbous bow. It looks like a round or cylindrical protuberance sticking out in front of the ship at the front, below the waterline. Strange looking, yes, but it actually reduces drag, and improves ship efficiency and speed.

Gulls and updrafts: why these birds seem to love the Megler Bridge

Today we'll talk a little about the movement of air, birds, and why the Astoria Megler Bridge is a great place to watch certain kinds of birds fairly close up, as they soar near the roadway.

And why, according to birders, you really shouldn't refer to a gull as a "seagull."