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.

Who's on the river today?

After a bout of dangerously cold weather, it’s nice to see ships moving again on the river. We’ll take a look at who’s on the river today, and what they’re carrying to and from ports.

A look at how and why ships appear on the daily schedule

A listener wrote in asking to better understand what he was seeing on the ship schedule, and how and why ships appear, and don't appear, on the list from day to day.

Microclimates

In this latest round of freezing weather, it seemed like different places, often close together, had really different weather and conditions. Part of the reason could be microclimates, where different areas experience the same weather system differently.

Listener question about a boat in the Astoria Anchorage

A listener wrote in to ask about a small boat they saw approaching a ship in the anchorage.

Today we'll talk about launch services and the valuable work they perform that is an integral part of the maritime chain of commerce.