The Ship Report

Our weather continues, with a look at how vessels handle it at sea

That dangerous bomb cyclone storm is moving on to the north of us, leaving us with big seas for the next day or so. It was a close call... a storm packing hurricane force winds that somehow missed a direct hit on Oregon and Washington.

Bomb cyclone with deep low pressure shapes our coastal weather this week

An intense low pressure storm called a bomb cyclone is churning out in the ocean a couple hundred miles offshore of the Oregon and Washington coast. While it's not predicted to make landfall here locally, it will send us some walloping winds, seas and rain.

We'll talk about what to expect.

The ubiquitious, but seldom noticed, Quonset hut

Today a look at a common but oft-overlooked maritime structure - the Quonset hut. First designed and built for the US Navy in 1941, they were styled after a WWI version called the Nissen hut. Once used in military installations during WWII, the Navy sold them surplus to the public after the war, and the rest, as they say, is history.

And we'll hear what is probably the quintessential artistic work regarding this unusual style of building: Fisher Poet Jon Campbell's reading of his hilarious poem, "Quonset Hut," in which he refers to the Quonset hut as being a testament to Rhode Island's "indigenous school of meatloaf architecture."

Who's coming and going on the river today?

As weather improves, a backlog of ships getting back to work

As rough weather keeps the bar on Red status, we'll talk about how weather matters here

Today the bar is on Red status because of the weather, meaning few if any ships will cross the bar today at the river's entrance.

We'll talk about how weather matters here, and why it can seem calm off Astoria and be crazy dangerous just 17 miles to the west.

Inclement weather and King Tides add up to increased beach risks and flooding

Today we take a look at our seasonally rowdy weather forecast, which already has the Columbia River Bar on Red status this morning, meaning ship traffic is halted across the river entrance until conditions improve.  Add that to King Tides we'll see starting on Friday, and it's a recipe for some serious beach hazards you need to know about.

It's tun to see big waves, just make sure you're in a safe place to watch. And there are plenty of places to go for a good perch so you can see everything but not risk your life in the process.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Every year around this time, I do a show about an enduring maritime tragedy: the sinking of the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975.

The incident, where the ship was lost in a storm and all hands perished, is emblematic of the risks all mariners take when they go to sea, and of the grief endured by their loved ones on land - waiting for those who never return home.

Today and every year on the show, we honor those lost at sea by commemorating this tragedy.

This show features Gordon Lightfoot's iconic song about the tragedy, which is a factual account of what happened. We'll take a look at what happened aboard the FItzgerald that led her her demise on an icy night on the big lake.

The invention of the shipping container

The presence of a large containership, outbound on the river today, offers a good opportunity to talk about the invention of a device that revolutionized the shipping industry: the now ubiquitous shipping container.

This commonly seen metal cargo box, which made its debut on a ship 68 years ago, soon permanently changed how cargo was shipped worldwide.

An unexpected change of sea route means less stress for some sailors

Today we take another look at the lives of sailors at sea, and talk about how some ships that formerly transited the Suez Canal are now taking a longer route around the southern tip of Africa, to avoid violent vessel attacks in the Red Sea.

The result for diverted ships has been voyages that last about two weeks longer than before. The unexpected perk for sailors on board has turned out to be reduced stress, more job statisfaction, more time to do their work, and obtain needed training.