The Ship Report

The Pacific NW Offshore race begins

This morning, 50 boats will set off from the mouth of the Columbia River headed for Victoria, BC, participating in the 50th annual Pacific NW Offshore race.

These are racing and cruising sailboats approximately 30 to 40 feet long (some larger). They'll spend a couple of days at sea in windy, rainy conditions.

We'll take a look at what's in store for racers, and also how you can track their progress.

PNW Offshore Race starts Thursday, open house in Ilwaco today

Today from 11 to 2, you can stop by the Port of Ilwaco and see some of the 50 sailboats getting ready for the 50th annual PNW Offshore Race from the Columbia River to Victoria BC.

Also, two interesting military ships arrive in the river today, headed for the Portland shipyard.

Ships can be a noisy environment for mariners

Today we'll talk about workplace noise on ships and other commercial vessels. Noise and vibration are occupational hazards for people working aboard. We'll talk about the risks, and what mariners do to protect themselves.

As our spring weather forecast evolves, a look ahead at La Nino and El Nino in the Pacific

According to UW meteorologist Cliff Mass, we have some rain coming our way this week and later in the month. It’s a sign of a switch from La Nina to El Nino conditions in the Pacific. Today we’ll take a look at what these two climate terms mean.

June Gloom comes a bit early this year

Today we’ll take a look at a regular but not always welcome Pacific Northwest springtime phenomenon: The pervasive “June Gloom,” when that cool hazy marine layer shows up, and stays.

So our weather is cool but not cold, not really sunny (but sometimes kind of sunny) but not raining either. It’s what happens this time of year.

Meteorologists call it June Gloom, and this year it showed up a bit early.

A bit about fog (and fog horns), a signature sight (and sound) of maritime communitiesWe hear fog horns quite often in the waters near Astoria and elsewhere on the river. Today we’ll talk about why they are necessary, legally required and a signature feature of maritime communities.

Another look at the deceptive conundrum of cold water and safety

We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its beauty rivals any resort on the planet. On a sunny day, it's paradise. So why all the warnings about staying out of the water even in summer?

Today we'll explore (in a little more depth) the topic of cold water dangers in the Pacific Northwest, and why the water never really warms up here.

Pilot basics: a look at maritime pilots on the river

For new folks in town, or listeners new to the show, here's a basic look at what's going on out there on the river off Astoria in terms of maritime pilots: those seasoned, expert professionals who help transiting ships get safely in and out of the river.

We have two different sets of pilots here, and we'll talk about what they do, and how (if you are observant) you can see them at work.

The lives of ships

When you see a ship passing on the river, whether inbound or outbound, what you are seeing is a brief snapshot in the long life of that vessel, and the lives of the folks on board. Today we'll talk about the lives of ships.

Tides: how they're measured and why they happen

Tides play such a big role in our waters both on the ocean and the river. It's good to revisit some things about them from time to time: like why they happen, how they are measured, and how they can complicate things for folks out on the river in vessels, but make things more fun for clammers.