Some basic tsunami info in light of yesterday’s situation

Some basic tsunami info in light of yesterday’s situation

Yesterday saw a big 8.7 earthquake off Russian near Alaska, to the north of us. The resulting shockwave sent tsunami waves radiating out into the Pacific in all directions. The ones that came our way were small, but a reminder that we do live on the Ring of Fire, and we need to be prepared.

So today, we’ll talk in part about what all those words mean in the tsunami updates: specifically, Warning, Advisory and Watch

A ship horn signal that could be heard more often on the river in August

A ship horn signal that could be heard more often on the river in August

Yesterday I heard a ship do its five-blast warning signal on the river, letting a sailboat know of its presence and cautioning it to stay out of the ship’s path.

This is a standard horn signal that ships and boats use when they see a potential issue developing and want to head off any possible problems with a nearby vessel.

With Buoy 10 fishing season approaching, it’s a signal we land-dwellers who live near the river may hear more often in August.

How old fashioned navigation methods can still save the day when modern aids can’t

How old fashioned navigation methods can still save the day when modern aids can’t

Last week, global internet service provider Starlink experienced a service outage for over two hours, causing difficulties for lots of remote users, including ships and boats, especially those far from land.

While electronics are great, it’s also a good idea to have some old fashioned navigation equipment and skills up your sleeve to enable you to carry on safely until outages are fixed.

US carrier Matson says no to electric vehicles, citing lithium ion battery risk

The US ocean carrier Matson has decided to no longer ship electric vehicles, because of the increasing frequency of what analysts believe are lithium ion battery caused fires on car ships. Despite newer industry recommendations designed to make ships safer, these fires remain a deadly, and usually in practice, uncontrollable hazard on board.

Some basic tsunami info in light of yesterday’s situation

We see them every day, but likely ignore this big influence in our lives: What causes tides?

Today, as part of the answer to a listener question, I thought it would be good to take a look at why tides happen. This influence is huge in our lives here on the coast and on the river, and it’s interesting and helpful to understand what’s driving it.