The second segment in our series on IMO 2020, new rules that will kick in on January 1, which will enact sweeping changes to the fuel ships use. We hear from retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Robert Johnson, a master mariner who spent his career on ships as a captain and later a marine pilot.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we hear Part 1 in a series on IMO 2020, which refers to the new rules set to take effect on January 1, that will mandate steep cuts in ship emissions. We’ll hear from retired Columbia River Bar Pilot Capt. Robert Johnson about why ship air pollution is a problem, what new rules will mean for the shipping industry, and how it will affect people on land.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Forty- four years ago this month, the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a horrific storm on Lake Superior on Nov. 10. Her crew of 29 men perished just 15 miles from shore. These lost mariners were locals, and everyone knew their ship, the Mighty Fitz, as she was called. The echoes of their families’ grief still resonate along the shores of the Great Lakes every year around this time, when memorials are held for the crew, and for all the sailors who have perished on these perilous inland seas.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Along the Columbia, and in waterways all around the world, there are anchorage areas where ships can safely stop and wait. Today we’ll talk about what goes on aboard an anchored ship, when the usual operation and traveling is not happening.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

No, this report isn’t about getting older, it’s all about latitude, and why fast and dangerous winds have drawn sailors to the bottom of the world for centuries.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today we’ll hear a maritime news story about issues with container ship service to the Port of Portland. We used to see lots of container ships on the Columbia River a few years ago. Why not now? Turns out shore side issues have made it difficult.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It’s a foggy morning on the Columbia, and a good time to review fog signals, and the rules of the road on the water. Vessels must make sounds at prescribed intervals in fog to let others know they’re there.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The grand old age of sail could be on the upswing again in the maritime industry, but not in quite the same way as in the age of Clipper ships. New devices called “rotor sails” use the same principles as their canvas cousins, but apply them in a different way. Spinning columns on ship decks generate the same kind of lift as traditional sails. They save fuel and are already in use on some cargo ships, such as the Maersk ship pictured here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download