The Ship Report

An unusual cruise ship heads to Portland today

Today we'll see the Pride of American cruise ship arrive from Hawaii and head past Astoria (not stopping there) and head upriver to the shipyard in Portland for maintenance. Arriving from Hawaii, she has no passengers on board.

An unusual thing about her is that she's US flagged, because her cruise route takes her between the Hawaiian Islands, all part of the state of Hawaii. That makes her a Jones Act vessel, and as such she must be US flagged, US-built and crewed by US citizens or nationals.

What determines transit time on the river? Lots of factors, that include current, tides and displacement

Today we'll talk a little about a somewhat mindboggling topic: what happens when a ship goes by... it's connected to transit time, how long it takes a ship to get from one place to another. Massive ships move lots of water when they travel, and ships here are up against heavy current and tidal influences. We'll talk about what defines transit time of the river.

With another big cruise ship in town, we look at what's next for Astoria this season

We have yet another huge, blue-water cruise ship in town, those behemoths that come in from out in the ocean to dock in Astoria for the day. Today we'll take a look at what's ahead for the Port of Astoria's cruise ship season.

A look at who's on the river today

A look at ship traffic, with some diversions into the "whats" and "whys" of particular ships traveling on the river today.

Listener question about anchored ships and what it says about sudden public interest in shipping

I got a listener question from someone this weekend who asked me why there were ships anchored in the river off Astoria. It's a telling question, in this season of public anxiety about tariffs. We'll talk about why those ships are a normal part of life here, and how to learn more about what may happen next.

Why so many cruise ships in Astoria all of a sudden? The answer is "repositioning cruises"

Today we'll talk about marine weather and ship schedules, but also about why there were so many cruise ships in Astoria this week.

The answer lies in a cruise industry protocol that happens around this time of year: repositioning cruises, to take ships from their winter grounds to their summer grounds.

Astoria is along the way for these West Coast maneuvers, and people like out city. So they stop here along the way to somewhere else.

An unusual cruise ship adventure in the river today

Lots of folks saw that big cruise ship sitting at anchor near Warrenton, instead of at the Port of Astoria where we all thought she should be.

Turns out Mother Nature had other plans for her... there was a extra-low low tide this morning, and that meant that the ship had to wait in deeper water for the tide to rise, so there would be enough deep water at the dock so she could tie up there.

It was a planned maneuver executed by the bar pilots. Once the tide rose enough, the ship was able by midday to head to the dock.

Part of the unseen expertise that keeps ships of all kinds safe on the river.

Where exactly is the Columbia River Bar?

Today, a perennial question that comes up now and again: where actually is the Columbia River Bar? It opens the door to an interesting and complex answer about how the river works and influences all our lives here.

Who's on the river today, and a look at a particular cargo

A look at daily ship traffic and a particular cargo that goes to Longview: industrial salt.

The Vigorous drydock in Portland's shipyard is an unusual maritime marvel

Today, an answer to a listener question about the Vigorous dry dock at the Swan Island shipyard in Portland. It's an engineering marvel, and the largest floating drydock in North America. We'll take a closer look.