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King tides, atmospheric river, sneaker waves, oh my!
Today’s weather and tides are wreaking havoc in coastal Oregon and Washington today as an atmopsheric river dumps up to 10 inches of rain in our area. We’ll talk about what ships do when the weather gets awful, and what to expect if you’re on land.
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Shipyards: another vital and unseen aspect of the maritime industry
Today we talk about the building of a new USCG ship in a shipyard, and the important ongoing role a shipyard plays in a vessel’s life, long after she’s first built and underway.
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Anchoring series: how the chain holds the ship in place
Today we talk with retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Thron Riggs about how the anchor and chain hold the ship in place. Hint: the chain does the bulk of the work, because of its massive weight.
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New Year’s Eve Ship Horns on the Columbia
Astoria embraced a long standing tradition again this New Year’s Eve, ushering in the new year in maritime style on the Columbia River. ‘Round midnight, an ethereal mix of sonorous ship horns, spontaneous fireworks and midnight revelers in the streets filled the air, transforming a typically rainy Pacific Northwest winter night into something special to be remembered.
Note: if you want to skip ahead to hear the New Year’s ship horns segment, listen in at about [2:49] in the recording.
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Anchoring series: Why ships always anchor in the same places
More from retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Thron Riggs on anchoring ships, and why ships anchor generally in the same part of the river and not just anywhere.
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Anchoring series: how pilots decide where to anchor
More on anchoring from Capt. Thron Riggs, retired Columbia River bar pilot. Today we talk about how pilots decide where to put a ship when they reach an anchorage area.
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Anchoring series: A conversation with Capt. Thron Riggs
Today we begin a series on how to anchor a ship, with Capt. Thron Riggs, retired Columbia River Bar Pilot.
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New age of sail? A newbuild wooden sailing cargo ship
A new sailing wooden cargo ship is now being built in Costa Rica. Her owners plan to use her to haul specialty cargoes along the US West Coast. Meet the schooner Ceiba, billed as the world’s largest ocean-going “clean” cargo ship. Is this the beginning of the return of the age of sail?
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Search and Rescue off Astoria
I had occasion to observe an SAR (Search and Rescue) operation being conducted by the US Coast Guard in the Columbia River off Astoria. They were searching for possible lost kayakers who may have been swept away by King Tides running strong in the river. It was heartbreaking to watch the light fading on a winter day, and the helicopter searching, searching, and finding no one. A cautionary note about paying attention to conditions before you go out.
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Boating safety: how to prepare for emergencies on your boat
If you go out on a working vessel, preparedness is usually the norm. On a recreational boat, it’s important to think ahead about what you need to have and to know, before something bad happens. Because it will. And you need to know how to handle it.
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