The Ship Report

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.

A look at today's schedule, including a ship whose name means "hydrangea" in Japanese

Today a look at the daily ship schedule and a few interesting details about ships, including one whose name means "hydrangea" in Japanese, and the charming cultural meaning of the flower in Japanese culture.

A look at the weather, our waning daylight, and a bit about "tramp" bulk carriers

Today, a look at our changing weather and how much daylight we are losing per day. Also, look at a common type of bulk carrier referred to in the industry as a "tramp" ship, because it changes cargoes frequently.

Kokanee Salmon, a fresh water lake fish native to the PNW

Today we'll talk more about a fish I mentioned on Wednesday's show: The Kokanee salmon, a freshwater lake fish that is also in parts of the Columbia River.

Where does the river end, and the ocean begin?

Today, a listener question about salt water intrusion on the Columbia River: Where does the salt water ocean end and the freshwater river begin? As with most things on the Columbia, it's complicated. We'll also talk about fish that call both river and ocean their home.