The Lightship Columbia: a maritime hero in our midst

Sitting quietly by the dock on the waterfront in Astoria is a ship that once played a vital and sometimes heroic role in the region's history: the Lightship Columbia.

She's now an exhibit at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, but back in the day - she was a beacon and a refuge for sailors negotiating the intimidating and treacherous Columbia River Bar.

Our dynamic marine environment

More about our problematic and perhaps confusing weather this week, as Hazardous Seas warnings continue today offshore, while conditions on land are pretty bland.

We'll talk about why it's so important to keep your wits about you on land or sea when you are on or near the water. Things are always changing, in ways that can spell disaster for the uninformed and unmindful.

But a little preparation, a little information, and a little paying attention, can mean a wonderful day on a boat, or on the beach, that you will treasure forever.

Hazardous seas make for a rough start to crabbing season

Today is the first day that Dungeness crabbers in OR and WA can pull their pots, baited traps they set to "soak" in the ocean on Monday in the hopes they will be full of crab today.

But the weather has chosen to make things difficult for fishermen at sea today: the National Weather Service issued a Hazardous Seas Warning for area waters. We'll talk about what that means for people who have to work in these turbulent conditions.

USCG medevac from bulk carrier highlights protocols around medical emergencies

Last week, two crew members were medevaced off a cargo ship by the USCG, as it transited the Columbia River. The incident offers a good opportunity to talk about the way crew changes happen on ships, and what happens to a crew member who is left behind in the hospital when his or her ship leaves to head to its next port?

As the crab fleet goes to sea, more hard work awaits

As our Dungeness crab fleets up and down the coast head out to sea, our Ilwaco crabbers are especially on our minds. They worked so hard to get to the point where they could make this season opener happen, after a devastating facility fire destroyed equipment last week.

Their reward is more hard work, in the year's worst weather. Today we'll take a look at what it could be like out there on the ocean for fishermen this week in the Pacific Northwest. It's a story of difficult, dirty dangerous conditions, and the opportunity to do it all again between catches.

All the more reason to send a prayer or a good thought to fishermen, the next time you sit down to a seafood dinner.

Crabpot "Dump Day" becomes a symbol of victory over tragedy

Ilwaco, Washington's Dungeness crab fleet headed out to sea in the wee hours this morning, to start dropping baited crab pots ahead of the Thursday season opener here. Today is "dump day" - the day crabbers can legally start dropping pots, so they can harvest them on Thursday, they hope, full of crab.

The fleet's comeback was nothing less than astounding, after an incredible fundraising and gear-gathering effort on the part of people and businesses all along the coast.

Neighbors joined forces to step in and save the fleet from the aftermath of a horrific fire last week that destroyed critical gear and a fishing facility on Ilwaco's waterfront.

Efforts continue to help Ilwaco's commercial crabbing fleet

After a stunningly successful week of fundraising and gear-gathering, community efforts to help Ilwaco, Washington's Dungeness crab fleet regroup, after a devastating fire, seem to be well on their way.

What remains now is to get that gear rigged and baited in time for a Monday "presoak" deadline. That's the day when the first crab pots can be put in the water, to allow fishermen to pull pots full of crab on Thursday, the official opening day of the season.

Neighbors helping neighbors

On Monday, a devastating fire destroyed a commercial fishing facility in Ilwaco, Washington, along with thousands of Dungeness crabpots belonging to Ilwaco's fishing fleet. With just a week till the opening of the crabbing season, things looked bleak.

But a far-reaching and effective community response from other PNW fishermen, and the public, to gather gear and raise funds, may allow fishermen and their families to continue their work, and retain their livelihoods. A great example this week of neighbors coming together in a crisis.

Ilwaco Cannery fire wreaks havoc on PNW coastal fishing community

On Monday, a devastating fire destroyed the historic Ilwaco Landing Cannery building on the waterfront in the fishing community of Ilwaco, Washington. The building and dock were gutted, and thousands of Dungeness crab pots destroyed.

It was a crushing blow to the local fishing community, slated to open the local crab season on February 1.

Today we'll talk about some of the details of the fire, and efforts to help families who are reeling in the aftermath of the fire. PNW commercial fishing orgs up and down the coast are gathering gear to help fishermen replace what was lost.

Unusual ship on the river today

Today we'll talk about the USNS VADM KR Wheeler, a special kind of vessel that can pump fuel via a portable pipeline to land from miles offshore.

She is owned by the Navy and is used to support US military operations. The Wheeler is headed to the Portland shipyard to a drydock there.