The Ship Report

On January 1, 2026, Oregon will require paddlecraft operators to purchase a Waterway Access Permit.

Permits will be available by the week, year and two year intervals. The new law will apply to all paddlecraft 10 feet or longer. That incudes kayaks, standup paddle boards and canoes. Fees for boat registration will also increase slightly.

Fees will help Oregon fight invasive mussels in waterways, and also improve access for paddlecraft at waterway access points that are currently mostly designed for boats.

The post Oregon Waterway Access Permit takes effect in January appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we see the Pacific Collector arriving from Honolulu, after a doing her specialized work of tracking missile defense testing. She’s one of a host of US military ships we see on the river, along with her sister ship, the Pacific Collector.

Photo credit: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The post The Pacific Collector: another interesting military vessel on the river appeared first on The Ship Report.

Let’s take a look at one ship on today’s schedule. It’s path traces a winding route from Russia through the Panama Canal to Portland, a journey of more than a month at sea.

The post Let’s take a look at one ship appeared first on The Ship Report.

A look at today’s gusty weather and how to plan accordingly if you’re going out on a boat. One thing to remember: the experience of being on the river is very different when you are out on a boat from the way it is on land, even on the shore. And any precautions you take for the river goes double out in the ocean, where risks can be greater.

The post Minding the weather appeared first on The Ship Report.

Nothing says summer like the 4th of July, comin’ right up. If you’re looking forward to boating this weekend, perhaps even in the ocean, here’s a bit about how to give yourself the best opportunity to stay safe on our challenging but beautiful Pacific Northwest waterways.

The post Staying safe on a boat means: prepare before you go appeared first on The Ship Report.

A little bit of everything today: a look at marine weather compared to land based forecasts, who’s on the river today, and a bit about riverflow and changing tides.

The post A look at weather, ships and waterflow in the river appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today our ship schedule has just a few ships coming and going on the river. It’s a good time to talk about the commerce we often don’t see happening, that includes ships at anchor and ships already in port.

The post An overview of current ship traffic appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we will see the Pacific Tracker travel up the Columbia to Portland. She’s a military missile tracking ship that’s berthed at Swan Island’s shipyard. An interesting aspect of this ship is her past: she’s 60 years old, and has had various uses and names – including as a  bulk carrier and containership. A case in point about the lives of ships.

The post The Pacific Tracker: a specialized ship with a long and winding past appeared first on The Ship Report.

To end our week-long series of talks with Len Tumbarello, Maritime Program Program Coordinator for NW Oregon Works, today we’ll talk about his previous work running the Tongue Point Job Corps Seamanship program in Astoria, and the benefits the program offers to students.

We did this interview before either of us knew about the federal cuts threatening Job Corps Centers nationwide.

This week, a federal judge granted a national preliminary injunction that will halt the closure of Job Corps campuses for now.

The post A look at the Tongue Point Job Corps Seamanship Program appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we continue my interview with Len Tumbarello, Maritime Program Coordinator for NW Oregon Works. We’ve been talking about maritime employment opportunities this week, but today we’ll talk about Len’s career in the Coast Guard: how he got started, and what he did as a member of the service.

Most of us would know a Coast Guard ship, boat or helicopter if we saw one, but there are also many other opportunities for a career in the Guard.

The post A look at a career in the Coast Guard appeared first on The Ship Report.