The Pacific Tracker heads downriver today

Today we'll talk about what ships are traveling on the river today. Among them is the Pacific Tracker, a US military vessel that tracks missile testing in the North Pacific region.

A look at ship running lights: lights that are on at night

Today, an archive interview about ship running lights, featuring Capt. Robert Johnson, a now retired Columbia River Bar Pilot.

Listener questions about marine pilots

Today, some questions about pilots from a new listener to the Ship Report. A great opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects.

Steve asked, "Are pilots onboard for the whole journey, say Astoria to Portland?  At anchorage, as well? Also, are there pilot "bases" in Kalama and Portland in addition to Astoria?" 

Today we'll talk about these questions and more about the fascinating topic of marine pilots.

A look at ballast water, rolling cargoes, and the MSC Damla heads downriver

Interesting vessel alert for Tuesday morning: Containership gest tug escort on the river

The containership MSC Damla was supposed to head to Portland on Monday, but she had to remain at sea after she developed temporary steering issues as she was about to enter the river.

Experts on board fixed her steering issues, and the bar pilot got her safely back out to sea. Even though her steering's fine now, she'll have a tug escort on the river today.

Look for her passing Astoria around 7:30am on Tuesday, in Portland about about 1:30pm. Track her progress at marinetraffic or vesselfinder.com.

Cruise ship season winds down in Astoria

The next-to-last blue water cruise ship for the 2024 season arrives in Astoria today. We'll talk a litlte about that and also an update about the future on container service on the Columbia.

Crowley Maritime crews receive safety award

Today we'll look at a safety award for employees of Crowley Maritime tugs who assisted with rescues eariler this year. Their heroic actions are part of an age-old tradition of mariners helping others in trouble at sea.

A look at the ship registries, or flags, of the ships on the river today

Every ship sails under a flag of registry of a country somewhere in the world. Some represent the country where the ship's owners are based, others are flags of convenience that offer cheaper rates and more lax regulations. We'll take a look at where today's ships are registered.

Why ships here tend to use the port anchor in the Astoria Anchorage

Today, another listener question, about why ships generally use the port anchor when they anchor off Astoria in the river. And what does that mean anyway? A look at the nuances of ship handling that demand pilot expertise.

Drawbridges! You may drive over one frequently and not know it

Drawbridges are an important part of our transportation system in the Astora/Warernton area. In fact, we couldn't get around without them. Today I'll answer a listener question about drawbridges and talk about the ones we have here and how they work.

Photo of Youngs Bay Bridge courtesy Wikimedia Commons.