Feb 17, 2026 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts
We’re looking at the possibility of some snow between the coast and Portland later this week. Keep your eyes peeled and watch forecasts.
And if you’re razor clamming on the beach, bundle up and watch for sneaker waves.
Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Email | | More
Feb 12, 2026 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts
There’s a unusual-looking ship design feature that’s on pretty much all the ships that arrive here on the Columbia. When a ship is loaded, it’s out of sight below the waterline, but on ships that are waiting for cargo, like in anchorages, you can sometimes see it.
It’s called the bulbous bow. It looks like a round or cylindrical protuberance sticking out in front of the ship at the front, below the waterline. Strange looking, yes, but it actually reduces drag, and improves ship efficiency and speed.
Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Email | | More
Feb 11, 2026 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts
Today we’ll talk a little about the movement of air, birds, and why the Astoria Megler Bridge is a great place to watch certain kinds of birds fairly close up, as they soar near the roadway. And why, according to birders, you really shouldn’t refer to a gull as a “seagull.”
Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Email | | More
Feb 10, 2026 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts
We’ll have a sneaker wave beach hazard statement in effect later this week for our region, and it’s a good opportunity to remind folks that sneaker wave risk is real, and potentially deadly.
Even more so when the ocean water is so cold as it is right now.
Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Email | | More
Feb 9, 2026 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts
Today we’ll talk about a familiar sight these days on the waterfront: a ship with a plumb or straight up and down bow. There are reasons for this design feature, and we’ll talk about some of them.
Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Email | | More
Feb 5, 2026 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts
Today we have an vessel on the river, one of a type that we don’t see very often. She’s the HOS Black Watch, one of a kind of vessel that’s used in special projects worldwide.
It’s called an Offshore Supply Vessel – a jack of all trades craft that can assist with tricky offshore projects assisting oil rigs and other vessels with things they can’t do alone.
This compact ship has all the high tech bells and whistles, and a crew of experts on board.
Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Email | | More