The Ship Report is All Things Maritime!

Ship Report podcasts take you to a special corner of the world: the Mighty Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. Nautical lore, news and info, mariner interviews, daily international ship traffic, and the inside scoop on our formidable marine weather. Join maritime journalist Joanne Rideout on the Ship Report, as we explore the fascinating nautical world, on the Upper Left Edge of Oregon and beyond.  The Ship Report is proud to celebrate 16 years on the air!

As pandemic continues, cruise ships are getting scrapped

One consequence of the cessation of cruises during the pandemic is that idle cruise ships are deterorating from lack of use. And more and more of them are simply being scrapped by companies who no longer want to pay to maintain them.
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New salmon regulations for mainstem Columbia River

There are new rules afoot for commercial and recreational fishing on the mainstem Columbia River, slated to take effect next year. The new rules reverse some changes made seven years ago when commercial fishers were banned from the mainstem of the river. And...
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Bulk carriers on the Columbia

There are basically two general types of bulk carriers we see on the Columbia: geared and gearless. Today we talk about what that means.
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A sailing RO-RO vessel in the works in Sweden

There will soon be a sailing car carrier (RO-RO: roll on- roll off vessel) on the high seas, built in Sweden.
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Where there’s smoke, there’s fog… sound signals on the river

We're over our heads in wildfire smoke locally and that's making for some foggy/smoky days on the river. Ships are noisier than usual, to keep themselves and their fellow travelers in other vessels safe from collisions. Let's look at common ship horn signals you're...
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Columbia River Ship Traffic

GO

Approximate Vessel Travel Times

(Times vary according to tidal conditions, current, weather, and individual vessel horsepower)

  • Portland/Vancouver -Astoria: 6-8 hours
  • Kalama -Astoria: 5 hours
  • Longview -Astoria: 3.5 hours
  • Columbia River Bar – Astoria: 1.5 hours

Water Speed & Currents

Curated Links

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Photos
Tsunami
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Tides

When’s High Tide where you are?  Find Tidal info at www.saltwatertides.com

Tide times are often listed in 24 hour time.  For times after noon, subtract 1200 from the time to get regular clock time. Ex: 1300 hrs – 1200 = 1:00 pm)

MLLW:  Also, tides are referenced to Mean Lower Low Water, a reference point for depth on many nautical charts. MLLW is the average of the lower of the two low tides in a day, over a 19-year cycle. Minus tides are lower than MLLW.

Adjustments: If you’re right on the coast, subtract an hour from these times. Upriver, highs and lows happen later. For instance, in Knappa, add an hour. In Clatskanie, add 2 hours and 15 minutes.

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Ship Report Podcasts

As pandemic continues, cruise ships are getting scrapped

One consequence of the cessation of cruises during the pandemic is that idle cruise ships are deterorating from lack of use. And more and more of them are simply being scrapped by companies who no longer want to pay to maintain them.
Listen

Successful California ship awards program reduces whale strikes

Today we'll talk about a successful California program that rewards shipping companies for slowing down in marine sanctuary waters to avoid whale strikes. The program is saving whales and reducing pollution.
Listen

Arctic sea ice is melting at record levels

Arctic sea ice is melting at record levels, as the earth warms. Today we'll talk about what scientists and others are noticing at the top of the world.
Listen

New salmon regulations for mainstem Columbia River

There are new rules afoot for commercial and recreational fishing on the mainstem Columbia River, slated to take effect next year. The new rules reverse some changes made seven years ago when commercial fishers were banned from the mainstem of the river. And...
Listen

Bulk carriers on the Columbia

There are basically two general types of bulk carriers we see on the Columbia: geared and gearless. Today we talk about what that means.
Listen
10-Minute Ship Reports: Monday through Thursday, featuring  Daily Ship Traffic, Marine Weather, News and Interviews

Ship Report Minutes:  On Fridays, where we answer listener questions. Short and sweet!

The Ship Report is also broadcast Weekdays at 8:49 am on Coast Community Radio Astoria, Oregon

coastradio.org

Columbia River Bar

Pacific NW Coast Bar Closure Info from NOAA.

Also on Facebook and Twitter(US Coast Guard).

“Pilot transfer” is when a pilot disembarks or boards a ship. Ships generally must by law have a river or bar pilot on board when they are on the Columbia or Willamette Rivers. The bar and river pilots have separate pilotage grounds defined by the Oregon Legislature.

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Meet Joanne Rideout

Producer Joanne Rideout is a journalist and photographer who created The Ship Report in 2003. Since then Joanne and has been interviewing, writing and photographing the maritime world and its interesting people as much as she possibly can.

Ship Horn Signals

Commonly Heard off Astoria

One prolonged blast every two minutes or less: vessel operating in fog.

Five consecutive horn blasts: warning signal that means literally “I do not know your intention.” This generally means another vessel is in the way of a ship in the channel, and is being asked to move before they collide.

Three short blasts: Vessel going in reverse

One long blast followed by three short: signal for the change of pilots. Soon after this signal, you’ll see the pilot launch Arrow II head out to a passing ship, to facilitate the transfer of bar and river pilots.