The Ship Report

We see them every day, but likely ignore this big influence in our lives: What causes tides?

Today, as part of the answer to a listener question, I thought it would be good to take a look at why tides happen.

This influence is huge in our lives here on the coast and on the river, and it's interesting and helpful to understand what's driving it.

Thank you, a bit about music, being brave and, oh - tides

Today's show is a bit of a mix: I wanted to thank the folks who came down to the Ten Fifteen Theater to hear my Ship Report talk and to hear Jerry and me perform on stage (eek!), and then a bit about tides, and how there is a vast difference in tidal schedules between what we  Astoria and Vancouver/Portland.

The busy upriver Columbia

We see a lot of ships go by on the lower river near Astoria, but the river upstream past Longview is often busier, with a variety of vessel traffic all doing local work: tugs and barges  hauling cargo, ship handling tugs, and ships being moved from anchorages to nearby berths.

A Ship Report talk in Astoria on Saturday, and some music

This Saturday the 19th, at 10:30am, I'll be appearing at the 1015 Theater in Astoria, as part of their big Performathon fundraising event, which runs all day and into the night. I'll be sharing memories of a trip I took on a cargo ship when I traveled from the Columbia River up to Puget Sound and south to San Francisco. It was an unforgettable experience.

Then at 10:45, my husband, Jerry Middaugh, and I will perform some folk music tunes that we hope will entertain you, and leave you with a feeling of hope about the world.

Many thanks to the organizers for inviting us to perform! We hope to see you there!

So come on down and support community theater - an important thing - a place where local can share themselves and what they love with their community.

The Pacific Collector: another interesting military vessel on the river

Today we see the Pacific Collector arriving from Honolulu, after a doing her specialized work of tracking missile defense testing. She's one of a host of US military ships we see on the river, along with her sister ship, the Pacific Collector.

Let's take a look at one ship

Let's take a look at one ship on today's schedule. It's path traces a winding route from Russia through the Panama Canal to Portland, a journey of more than a month at sea.

Minding the weather

A look at today's gusty weather and how to plan accordingly if you're going out on a boat.

One thing to remember: the experience of being on the river is very different when you are out on a boat from the way it is on land, even on the shore. And any precautions you take for the river goes double out in the ocean, where risks can be greater.

Staying safe on a boat means: prepare before you go

Nothing says summer like the 4th of July, comin' right up.

If you're looking forward to boating this weekend, perhaps even in the ocean, here's a bit about how to give yourself the best opportunity to stay safe on our challenging but beautiful Pacific Northwest waterways.

A look at weather, ships and waterflow in the river

A little bit of everything today: a look at marine weather compared to land based forecasts, who's on the river today, and a bit about river flow and changing tides.

An overview of current ship traffic

Today our ship schedule has just a few ships coming and going on the river. It's a good time to talk about the commerce we often don't see happening, that includes ships at anchor and ships already in port.