The Most Recent Ship Report Podcast:

Big atmospheric river in store next week

I'm afraid it 's more weather - we'll take a look at a forecast from UW meteorologist Cliff Mass that bears watching, predicting a big atmospheric river headed our way next week.

Archive Podcasts:

A look at our evolving weather, and good thoughts for those in the path of Hurricane Melissa

We’re looking at our evolving weather, and ships traveling on the river, with a “there but for the grace of God go I” moment of humility and solidarity for those in the path of Hurricane Melissa – which is battering Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba with sustained winds of 185 mph.

The coastal jet is here again – a disconcerting weather quirk of our maritime environment

Ship captains don’t like the coastal jet much. It’s a quirky local weather phenomenon that can cause the weather to get worse the closer approaching ships get to the Columbia River Bar.

Today we’ll hear from Capt. Thron Riggs, who spent many years as a Columbia River Bar pilot, explaining what a coastal jet is.

The USS Plainview, a relic of lower Columbia history, beached in the shallows of Hungry Harbor

Today we take a look at the USS Plainview, a once-innovative, prototype hydrofoil ship design that was decommissioned by the Navy in the 1960s. She ended up sidelined by her civilian owner after plans to make her into a seafood processing vessel didn’t pan out. She remains, partially dismantled, on the shores of the Columbia on the Washington side of the river, a few miles east of the Megler Bridge, beached on private property.

Today we’ll take a look at her once exciting history, and why she remains where she is.

A look at the ship schedule, the weather and the origin of the term “ides” on this, the Ides of October

In the ancient Roman calendar, the Ides of March marked the 15th of that month, and a fateful day in history for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare’s play, named for him, the story recounts a historical fact: that Caesar was assassinated on March 15 (The Ides of March) in the year 44 BC.

Thanks to Shakespeare, that term “ides” persists in our culture, but it’s not just March. October has one too. And today is the Ides of October, a day that marks the middle of the month.

We’ll also take a look at our seesawing fall weather, and see who’s on the river today moving cargo.

The Ship Report comes in small bites as SHIP REPORT MINUTES: The Fast Scoop on Maritime News and Info!

Monday through Friday (except major holidays) watch for 10-MINUTE SHIP REPORTS: Ship Traffic, Marine Weather, News and Interviews

Subscribe to the RSS feed.

The Ship Report is also broadcast Weekdays at 8:49 am on Coast Community Radio Astoria, Oregon

Follow The Ship Report on and