The Ship Report

The National Weather Service warns us this week to expect wildfire smoke on the coast, thanks to a change in wind direction. We’ll talk about current air quality readings around the region, and what to expect.

Image: A smoky haze hung over Astoria on Monday, as inland wildfire smoke makes its way to the coast. Photo by Joanne Rideout

The post Smoky haze arrives on the coast from wildfires appeared first on The Ship Report.

The Buoy 10 fishing season is in full swing here on the lower Columbia, and I thought I would share my happy observations on our local docks yesterday afternoon. Also a few things to think about if you are going out here in a small boat to fish on the Columbia.

The post A bit more about Buoy 10 appeared first on The Ship Report.

On Saturday, August 1, we’ll see a big influx of small fishing boats on the Columbia River off Astoria, Warrenton and Hammond. The beginning of August marks the start of an annual ritual, when the Buoy 10 fishery opens. The fishery area extends from Buoy 10 at the mouth of the river to Tongue Point on the east end of Astoria. Hundreds of boats will gather as anglers do their best to catch salmon.

This busy time on the lower river means lots of potential interactions between ships and small boats. Today we’ll hear from Columbia River Bar Pilot Captain Dan Jordan, about the risks this situation can pose when it comes to big ships vs. other craft in a narrow ship channel.

The post Buoy 10 fishery opens this weekend appeared first on The Ship Report.

We haven’t looked at ship schedules lately, so let’s see who’s coming and going on the river today.

The post A look at today’s ship schedule appeared first on The Ship Report.

Today we’ll take a look at a ship that was recently in the Columbia River: the USCGC Healy, a Coast Guard icebreaker. She ran into serious mechanical issues during sea trials in the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and was towed to Seattle for repairs.

The ship had just finished a repair period in the Portland shipyard. Today we’ll talk about how ships prepare for problems, and why a breakdown during a sea trial is the very best time for it to happen.

The post USCG Icebreaker Healy has mechanical problems during sea trials appeared first on The Ship Report.

Glad to be back from a recent week off, with the answer to a listener question, and a little about “how I spent my summer vacation” with a bit about my beloved boat.

The post Answering a listener question about pilots, and a little about my boat appeared first on The Ship Report.

This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did with Columbia River Bar Pilot Captain Robert Johnson, sometime in the early 2000s, all about the often-seen bulk carrier, the most common type of ship we see on the Columbia. There’s a great deal to know, and we talk about a lot of it. Enjoy! Today is Part 4.

The Ship Report will return with new content, ship schedules and marine weather, on Monday, July 27.

The post From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 4 appeared first on The Ship Report.

This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did with Columbia River Bar Pilot Captain Robert Johnson, sometime in the early 2000s, all about the often-seen bulk carrier, the most common type of ship we see on the Columbia. There’s a great deal to know, and we talk about a lot of it. Enjoy! Today is Part 3.

The Ship Report will return with new content, ship schedules and marine weather, on Monday, July 27.

The post From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 3 appeared first on The Ship Report.

This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did with Columbia River Bar Pilot Captain Robert Johnson, sometime in the early 2000s, all about the often-seen bulk carrier, the most common type of ship we see on the Columbia. There’s a great deal to know, and we talk about a lot of it. Enjoy! Today is Part 2.

The Ship Report will return with new content, ship schedules and marine weather, on Monday, July 27.

The post From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 2 appeared first on The Ship Report.

This week I’m taking a little much needed time off, so we’ll be hearing a bit from the Ship Report archives, a really interesting interview i did with Columbia River Bar Pilot Captain Robert Johnson, sometime in the early 2000s, all about the often-seen bulk carrier, the most common type of ship we see on the Columbia. There’s a great deal to know, and we talk about a lot of it. Enjoy! Today is Part 1.

The Ship Report will return with new content on Monday, July 27.

The post From the Ship Report archives: an in-depth look at Bulk Carriers, Part 1 appeared first on The Ship Report.