The Ship Report

Recreational boater stats show the need for safety and paying attention on the water

The US Coast Guard released their 2023 boater safety stats this week. While fatalities are down, alcohol and boater inexperience remain big factors in water deaths and injuries.

The bottom line: the ocean and the river near you are not a carefully controlled water park designed for fun times.

Out on the water is the real deal, a place where Mother Nature makes the rules, and you need to learn, pay attention, and boost your chances of survival by being prepared.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript052924.pdf

Dead whale washes up on the beach near Manzanita

Yesterday a dead humpback whale over 30 feet long washed up on the beach at Nehalem Bay State Park near Manzanita, Oregon. Officials are working to determine the cause of death.

This incident brings the total to 5 of whales that have washed up on Oregon beaches in the past year and a half. We'll talk about possible reasons for whale death, other than natural causes.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/SRTranscript052824.pdf

Oil spill hits Oregon and Washington beaches

Today, a few things: We'll talk about two maritime related holidays that happened this week: International Turtle Day and National Maritime Day.

And a note of concern as this holiday weekend arrives: mysterious tar balls have been showing up on beaches in SW Washington and Oregon, along with oil soaked wildlife. So far authorities have not been able to determine the cause.

If you see a bird or other creature covered in oil, call 1-800-22-BIRDS. (1-800-222-4737). This hotline is good in both Oregon and Washington.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript052424.pdf

Update on the containership Dali in Baltimore

It's been less than two months since the containership Dali lost control as was leaving Baltimore Harbor at night, hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge and destroying it, causing the deaths of bridge workers, and closing this key US harbor to vessel traffic.

Since then a unified command operation of skilled agencies and experts have been working to clear navigation channels so ships can resume calling on the port.

This week they made huge progress and were able to move the ship out of the way and open the deep draft ship channel.

We'll talk about what it took to get there.

US Coast Guard overseas

Most people know that the US Coast Guard has a big presence in our coastal waters. But the Coast Guard also has a big international presence too, in over 160 countries.

Today we'll talk more about the US Coast Guard, our fleet of ships and how to tell them apart, and the many Coast Guards of other nations, some of whom have partnerships with ours.

Astoria gets a new Coast Guard Cutter

Yesterday, a new Coast Guard Cutter came to town: she's the GCG David Duren, named for an enlisted hero whose nickname was "Big Wave Dave."

She'll be at the Astoria dock for awhile, until her new digs at Tongue Point are ready.

The Coast Guard will hold a comissioning ceremony at the Columbia River Maritime Museum on June 27. The Duren is docked at the 17th Street Pier by the museum.

Container service could continue at the Port of Portland

The latest news about container service at the Port of Portland is that Oregon's governor has a plan to shore up the port for now, with $40 million in support. The caveat: the port must create a sustainability plan for its container service.

Another oiler in town, and yes, the water IS cold

Today we'll look at today's schedule, which includes another military replenishment oiler like the one we saw yesterday (a ship that can refuel other ships at sea).

And also a footnote about the beach this week... where I personally tried wading briefly in the ocean to see how cold it really is. The answer: it's really COLD, yes, capital letters cold. Cold enough to make your feet ache.

The plumb bow

Today, a brief dive into ship design and some of the factors that can affect why boats and ships look the way they do. We'll look at the plumb bow feature you may see on ships and on some recreational boats and why a designer might choose to design a vessel this way.

Normalizing water safety: an idea whose time has come

For everyone's benefit: victims, emergency first responders and Good Samaritans, it's time to make water safety "cool."