The Ship Report

The Ship Report, Monday, August 1 7, 2026

Today I'd like to answer this question from another angle, after seeing someone post a photo of a calm Columbia River Bar on a recent day, from the perspective of being out there on the water in that area in a small boat. And essentially posing the question: "It looks pretty calm to me...What's the big deal?"

So today we'll talk about this a bit. The answer, in a nutshell, is: timing...

The Ship Report, Thursday, August 13, 2026

Today we'll talk more about how tides change all the time here, and affect us on both the river and ocean beaches.

And how this information is practical to know as we go about our daily lives, even if we never go near the water.

The Ship Report, Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Today, we take a look at the strain vessels are under in the work they do.

And how weather can push things to the breaking point, causing lines and wires to "part" or break, with sometimes catastrophic results.

The Ship Report, Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Today we’ll talk about a useful guideline for navigating in heavily tidal waters like the Columbia. It’s called the Rule of 12ths.

The Rule of 12ths divides the tidal cycle into segments, and shows when the most active times are happening. It offers a useful pattern to determine when the falling or rising tide will be exerting its strongest influence in the river.

A good tool to decide when to go out in a small boat, what times to avoid, and how to use the tide to your advantage if you are traveling on the river.

The Ship Report, Monday, August 10, 2026

Today we'll look at today's abundant ship schedule, and also take a look at this week's tides, which feature pretty big tidal swings between high and low tide.

This can be an issue for people on the river in boats, as many people are during this month's Buoy 10 salmon fishing season on the Columbia.

The Ship Report, Thursday, August 6, 2026.

While ship traffic may seem slow some days on the lower river near the Columbia's mouth, there's plenty happening upriver near busy ports, and inland as far as Idaho. We'll talk about upriver traffic on this busy marine highway, which includes the Snake River and Lewiston, Idaho.

The Ship Report, Wednesday, August 5, 2026

A listener sent me an interesting question this week: asking why pilot transfers happen while ships are moving, because the process seems unsafe.

Today I'll talk about why this practice remains the best and safest way to handle that pilot boat maneuver here (and in many places around the world). And yes, it is inherently risky, even with all efforts to make maritime piloting as safe as possible.

The Ship Report, Tuesday, August 4, 2026

The National Weather Service warns us this week to expect wildfire smoke on the coast, thanks to a change in wind direction. We'll talk about current air quality readings around the region, and what to expect.

Image: A smoky haze hung over Astoria on Monday, as inland wildfire smoke makes its way to the coast. Photo by Joanne Rideout

The Ship Report, Monday, August 3, 2026

The Buoy 10 fishing season is in full swing here on the lower Columbia, and I thought I would share my happy observations on our local docks yesterday afternoon. Also a few things to think about if you are going out here in a small boat to fish on the Columbia.

The Ship Report, Thursday, July 30, 2026

On Saturday, August 1, we'll see a big influx of small fishing boats on the Columbia River off Astoria, Warrenton and Hammond.

The beginning of August marks the start of an annual ritual, when the Buoy 10 fishery opens. The fishery area extends from Buoy 10 at the mouth of the river to Tongue Point on the east end of Astoria. Hundreds of boats will gather as anglers do their best to catch salmon.

This busy time on the lower river means lots of potential interactions between ships and small boats. Today we'll hear from Columbia River Bar Pilot Captain Dan Jordan, about the risks this situation can pose when it comes to big ships vs. other craft in a narrow ship channel.