I got a question about ships at anchor off Astoria, one I’ve answered before… but it’s always good to revisit these very visible and wonderfully local examples of “how things work” on the river.
Today we’ll talk about tides and their effects on anchored ships, and what their appearance and position tell us about what is happening on the river.
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Today’s riddle: When is a sinking ship not a sinking ship? In this case, this week on the lower Columbia, it’s probably the split-hull hopper dredge Bayport, a ship that is designed to split in half without sinking.
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Today we’ll talk about what ships are traveling on the river today. Among them is the Pacific Tracker, a US military vessel that tracks missile testing in the North Pacific region.
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Today, an archive interview about ship running lights, featuring Capt. Robert Johnson, a now retired Columbia River Bar Pilot.
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Today, some questions about pilots from a new listener to the Ship Report. A great opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects.
Steve asked, “Are pilots onboard for the whole journey, say Astoria to Portland? At anchorage, as well? Also, are there pilot “bases” in Kalama and Portland in addition to Astoria?”
Today we’ll talk about these questions and more about the fascinating topic of marine pilots.
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A look at today’s ship schedule, including yesterday’s containership, the MSC Damla, all repaired and headed out to sea.
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