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.

Winter at Sea

While land dwellers here on the coast were dealing with iced over roads and unusually brutal cold, mariners at sea offshore were handling their own kind of maritime hardship.

Who's traveling on the river today?

Today, a look at who's coming and going on the river...we'll look at the ship schedule, discuss cargoes and talk about what ships have the fastest turnaround time in port.

Certain types of ships spend days in port handling cargo, while others come and go sometimes in less than 24 hours.

That's a tough go for tired mariners handling winter weather at sea.