The Ship Report

Today we’ll talk a little about a somewhat mindboggling topic: what happens when a ship goes by… it’s connected to transit time, how long it takes a ship to get from one place to another. Massive ships move lots of water when they travel, and ships here are up against heavy current and tidal influences. We’ll talk about what defines transit time of the river.

The post What determines transit time on the river? Lots of factors, that include current, tides and displacement appeared first on The Ship Report.

We have yet another huge, blue-water cruise ship in town, those behemoths that come in from out in the ocean to dock in Astoria for the day. Today we’ll take a look at what’s ahead for the Port of Astoria’s cruise ship season.

The post With another big cruise ship in town, we look at what’s next for Astoria this season appeared first on The Ship Report.

A look at ship traffic, with some diversions into the “whats” and “whys” of particular ships traveling on the river today.

The post A look at who’s on the river today appeared first on The Ship Report.

I got a listener question from someone this weekend who asked me why there were ships anchored in the river off Astoria. It’s a telling question, in this season of public anxiety about tariffs. We’ll talk about why those ships are a normal part of life here, and how to learn more about what may happen next.

The post Listener question about anchored ships and what it says about sudden public interest in shipping appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll talk about marine weather and ship schedules, but also about why there were so many cruise ships in Astoria this week. The answer lies in a cruise industry protocol that happens around this time of year: repositioning cruises, to take ships from their winter grounds to their summer grounds. Astoria is along the way for these West Coast maneuvers, and people like out city. So they stop here along the way to somewhere else.

The post Why so many cruise ships in Astoria all of a sudden? The answer is “repositioning cruises” appeared first on The Ship Report.

Astoria welcomes its second cruise ship of the week, and this one will not need to anchor in the river to wait for high tide at the dock.

The post Second cruise ship of the week – business as usual appeared first on The Ship Report.

Lots of folks saw that big cruise ship sitting at anchor near Warrenton, instead of at the Port of Astoria where we all thought she should be.

Turns out Mother Nature had other plans for her… there was a extra-low low tide this morning, and that meant that the ship had to wait in deeper water for the tide to rise, so there would be enough deep water at the dock so she could tie up there.

It was a planned maneuver executed by the bar pilots. Once the tide rose enough, the ship was able by midday to head to the dock.

Part of the unseen expertise that keeps ships of all kinds safe on the river.

The post An unusual cruise ship adventure in the river today appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today, a perennial question that comes up now and again: where actually is the Columbia River Bar? It opens the door to an interesting and complex answer about how the river works and influences all our lives here.

The post Where exactly is the Columbia River Bar? appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll see who’s on the river and take a closer look at a cargo that’s often delivered to Longview: industrial salt.

The post A look at today’s ship schedule, and at a particular cargo: industrial salt appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today, an answer to a listener question about the Vigorous dry dock at the Swan Island shipyard in Portland. It’s an engineering marvel, and the largest floating drydock in North America. We’ll take a closer look.

The post The Vigorous drydock in Portland’s shipyard is an unusual maritime marvel appeared first on The Ship Report.