The Most Recent Ship Report Podcast:

More weather, ships arriving, and a look at a common cargo: toluene

We'll take a look at a tanker coming into Kalama, whose cargo is a liquid called toluene. We'll talk about what it is and what it's used for. Turns out we all probably have some toluene in our lives.

Archive Podcasts:

Listener question about anchored ships and what it says about sudden public interest in shipping

I got a listener question from someone this weekend who asked me why there were ships anchored in the river off Astoria. It’s a telling question, in this season of public anxiety about tariffs. We’ll talk about why those ships are a normal part of life here, and how to learn more about what may happen next.

Why so many cruise ships in Astoria all of a sudden? The answer is “repositioning cruises”

Today we’ll talk about marine weather and ship schedules, but also about why there were so many cruise ships in Astoria this week. The answer lies in a cruise industry protocol that happens around this time of year: repositioning cruises, to take ships from their winter grounds to their summer grounds. Astoria is along the way for these West Coast maneuvers, and people like out city. So they stop here along the way to somewhere else.

An unusual cruise ship adventure in the river today

Lots of folks saw that big cruise ship sitting at anchor near Warrenton, instead of at the Port of Astoria where we all thought she should be.

Turns out Mother Nature had other plans for her… there was a extra-low low tide this morning, and that meant that the ship had to wait in deeper water for the tide to rise, so there would be enough deep water at the dock so she could tie up there.

It was a planned maneuver executed by the bar pilots. Once the tide rose enough, the ship was able by midday to head to the dock.

Part of the unseen expertise that keeps ships of all kinds safe on the river.

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