The bulbous bow: an odd-looking, but very efficient, ship design feature

The bulbous bow: an odd-looking, but very efficient, ship design feature

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.

Gulls and updrafts: why these birds seem to love the Megler Bridge

Gulls and updrafts: why these birds seem to love the Megler Bridge

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.”

Sneaker wave risk this week reminds us of cold water hazards at the beach

Sneaker wave risk this week reminds us of cold water hazards at the beach

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.

The HOS Black Watch: high tech offshore supply vessel on the river today

The HOS Black Watch: high tech offshore supply vessel on the river today

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.