The Ship Report

Posted Weekdays Except for Major Holidays
Schedules Approximate and Subject to Change

INBOUND

Pacific Tramp – Offshore to Vancouver – Copper Concentrate (Ast~6am/Vanc~Noon)
Tug Seaspan Commodore – Vancouver BC to to Astoria – Fuel Dock (Ast~6:30pm)

ASTORIA ANCHORAGE

Global Phoenix – to Longview – Soya Meal (Dep~1am/Lgv~4:30am)
Sakura Dream – to Vancouver – Wheat (Dep~10:30am/Vanc~4:30pm)
Ultra Esterhazy – to Vancouver Anchorage – Potash (Dep~11am/Vanc~5pm)
Kang Huan – to Longview – Wheat (Dep~6pm/Ast~9:30pm)
Sudety – to Portland – Wheat (Dep~6pm/Ast~Midnight)
Ultra Saskatchewan – Awaiting Orders
Navios Star – Awaiting Orders

OUTBOUND

Santa Ricarda – Dep Portland – Containers (Dep~5am/Ast~11am)
Ton Hil II – Dep Portland – Soda Ash (Dep~1:30pm/Ast~7:30pm)
Emerald Ace – Dep Vancouver – Subarus (Dep~2pm/Ast~8pm)
Eva Bulker – Dep Longview – Logs (Dep~5:30pm/Ast~9pm)
Jericho Beach – Dep Longview – Logs (Dep~6pm/Ast~9:30pm)
IVS Beachwood – Dep Portland – Wheat (Dep~6:30pm/Ast~12;30am Tues)
STX Spirit – Dep Longview – Wheat (Dep~9:00pm/Ast~12:30am)

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

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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

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Tide Notes:

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)

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.

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.

Tidal info for other areas at www.saltwatertides.com

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.

Note: "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.

Revelers gather every December in Ilwaco, Wash.,
for the ceremonial lighting of the World's Tallest Crab Pot
Christmas Tree. Photo: Dirk Sweringen © 2008.

The R/V Marcus G. Langseth in a gale
off Tonga

The R/V Marcus G. Langseth in a gale
off Tonga

The R/V Marcus G. Langseth takes seas over the rail in a gale off
Tonga in the South Pacific. Photo: Ted Koczynski © 2009.

The Marcus G. Langseth is a seismic research vessel owned by the
National Science Foundation and operated by Columbia University.
She spent several months in Astoria in the fall of both 2008 and 2009,
at the Port of Astoria. In early December, she headed to the shipyard
in Portland for some needed maintenance and repairs.
She headed back out to sea in early 2010.