The Ship Report

Is summer gone for good with the arrival of this week's rain? And a look at who's on the river today.

Wheat R Us: our river system is the the nation’s single largest wheat export gateway

Interesting vessel on the river today: the USNS Eagleview

This morning around 7 am, the USNS Eagleview leaves the shipyard at Swan Island heading downriver and out to sea, probably passing Astoria around 1 pm.

She's a USNS vessel - that means Military Sealift Command, but she's smaller in size than most of the MSC ships we see here, but she fills big shoes in her support role as an "auxiliary general ocean surveillance ship." These vessels are primarily designed for oceanographic research and surveillance operations, particularly in support of the U.S. Navy's anti-submarine warfare efforts.

Her civilian crew is comprised of professional mariners and scientists.

Who's on the river today? And a bit about weather and sea state

A new hometown USCG cutter for Astoria: the USCGC Florence Finch is in town

Down at the 17th St dock by the Columbia River Maritime Museum is a brand new Coast Guard vessel, and she's here to stay.

The USCGC Florence Finch is the second new cutter to be assigned to Astoria this year. The David Durien was our first. They replace the two departing cutters, the Alert and Steadfast, who were reassigned earlier this year.

The Florence Finch was named for a courageous woman who served in the Coast Guard during WWII. Today we'll hear her story.

Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript090424.pdf

With the advent of September, a look at the "two autumns"

Some folks say it's already fall, while others day it won't happen till Sept 22nd. We'll take a look at who's right - and it turns out they both are. As with many things, it depends on how you look at it. Today we'll talk about the difference between meterological and astronomical autumn.

Show transcript: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript090324E.pdf

A look at today's ships, our shorter days, and an update on that burning tanker in the Red Sea

Today's show features a look at who's on the river, a reminder that days are getting shorter as fall approaches, and an update on what's to become of that burning oil tanker in the Red Sea.

A story of survival on the Columbia River Bar

On this day, 52 years ago, a commercial fishing boat sank on the Columbia River Bar. KMUN comentator Michael McCusker was aboard. He and his crewmates survived, thanks to the quick intervention of fellow mariners.

I've shared his story before on the show, but not on the anniversary of its occurrence. Today we take a closer look.

We commemorate the anniversary of his rescue, and talk about what happened to the boat that caused it to sink in a matter of minutes. It's a cautionary tale about where you should and should not go on the Columbia River Bar in a boat.

And, thanks to Michael, it's a darn good sea story.

Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082924.pdf

Washington ports get electrification grants to provide dockside power for vessels

In the industry it's called "cold ironing" - the capacity of a port to provide electric hookups for arriving ships and other vessels. Ports that are so equipped, and ships that are configured to plug in, can reduce air pollution significantly while in port.

Soon, 11 Washington ports, including, locally, the Port of Kalama, will receive funds to upgrade their facilities to provide shoreside power to ships and other vessels when they are at the dock. It's a big step forward in air quality control for the region.

Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082824.pdf

Mililtary Sealift Command proposes sidelining vessels

The Military Sealift Command, which has ships stationed on the Columbia, has proposed sidelining 17 of its ships to address a dwindling workforce of mariners.

The situation reflects a wider trend worldwide, especially since the pandemic, where sailors simply don't want to be away from home for months, with often mediocre compensation, and not enough time off to create healthy work-life balance.

The workforce of mariners in the world is getting smaller as demands increase, and these are the folks who bring us our "90 percent of everything."

Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082724.pdf