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!

Megler Bridge anniversary

Today we'll talk about the anniversary this week of the 1966 opening of the Astoria Megler Bridge across the Columbia, and share some memories from Long Beach Penisula historian Frank Lehn, who crossed the bridge as a kid on vacation with his family. Frank featured an...
More

Cruise ships will not sail until October per CDC

Cruise ships under a no-sail order in the U.S. per a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Order put in place last week. There had been a no-sail order in place that would have expired July 24.
More

Hometown Astoria gal comes home as ship’s officer

Astoria saw the return this past weekend of a young gal who graduated from high school here, and is now first officer on the cable ship Decisive, which was moored at the Port of Astoria docks. Her name is Alysia Johnson, and she's the daughter of Columbia River Bar...
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Ship handling continued

More on shiphandling - how to wrangle vessels at sea.
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USCG Coronavirus precautions

I've gotten some questions from listeners about ships arriving in the Columbia River from China, and possible Coronavirus risks. So I contacted our local USCG folks at Air Station Astoria, where the Captain of the Port for the Columbia is located. Here's their reply:...
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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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Local
Maritime
NOAA
Photos
Tsunami
Video

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.

The Ship Report

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Ship Report Podcasts

Megler Bridge anniversary

Today we'll talk about the anniversary this week of the 1966 opening of the Astoria Megler Bridge across the Columbia, and share some memories from Long Beach Penisula historian Frank Lehn, who crossed the bridge as a kid on vacation with his family. Frank featured an...
Listen

Cruise ships will not sail until October per CDC

Cruise ships under a no-sail order in the U.S. per a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Order put in place last week. There had been a no-sail order in place that would have expired July 24.
Listen

Hometown Astoria gal comes home as ship’s officer

Astoria saw the return this past weekend of a young gal who graduated from high school here, and is now first officer on the cable ship Decisive, which was moored at the Port of Astoria docks. Her name is Alysia Johnson, and she's the daughter of Columbia River Bar...
Listen

Oil industry: a bellwether for the world economy in the pandemic

Today we'll talk about the oil industry during the pandemic, and how shifts there mirror what's to come in world markets.
Listen

Liquefaction: what it is, and the role it plays in earthquakes

Today we'll talk abut liquefaction: what it is, and how it can become a signficant factor in a local earthquake in maritime areas near the ocean.
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.