The USNS Guadalupe on the river

Situational awareness: a valuable life skill that defines mariners and first responders

Today we'll talk about something that mariners and some specialized land-based jobs share: the need for "situational awareness."

That's the abillity to pay focused attention to what's going on around you, and being able to respond appropriately. That means remaining calm, and no panicking.

Comparing navigation then and now

Today, a look at how ships navigate, and how different things are now from the way they were before the invention of GPS.

As our beautiful weather continues, so does ship traffic

Today, in the context of today's ships, we'll talk about cargo, anchorages and why ships are such an efficient means of travel. And take a look at when our amazing stretch of beautiful, but cold, weather might end.

A look at today's busy ship schedule

A good complement of ships on the river today, coming and going. Some interesting cargoes to talk about.

How our sunny, chilly weather can affect those working at sea

Our sunny weather may be a welcome break from the usual rain, but the lack of cloud cover is bringing cold nights - and that poses particular hazards for those working at sea these days, especially commercial fishermen.

A look at the bows of ships: the very important front end of things

Today, a look at a very specific and important design feature on ships: the bow, the very front end of things. Why do they look the way they do? And why do some ships look different than others?

Image: a ship with a plumb bow in the Astoria Anchorage. Credit: Joanne Rideout 2025.

Who's on the river today?

A look at ships coming and going, including a couple of US-flag Jones Act ships, and a little about flags, cargo and the weather.

Kalama seeks to address sand shortage with dredge spoils project

To address a regional sand shortage, a critical element in concrete production, the Port of Kalama is hoping to get the go ahead for a project that would use sand dredged from the Columbia River instead of transporting sand in from elsewhere.

The river can be deceiving unless you look carefully

I was walking along the riverside in Astoria yesterday and it sure looked calm out there on the water. Upon closer inspection, there was a actually max ebb tide happening, and the water in the channel was rushing toward the sea. No wind though, and not much surface turbulence.

A reminder that the river can be deceving to the inexperienced: don't ever forget that the mighty Columbia River is never a placid lake, no matter how many pretty reflections you can see in parts of the river's surface.