The Most Recent Ship Report Podcast:

Who’s on the river today?

A look at ships coming and going, including a couple of US-flag Jones Act ships, and a little about flags, cargo and the weather.

Archive Podcasts:

The Rose Festival Fleet heads upriver

Jun 05, 2024

It’s Wednesday of Rose Festival Week, and the fleet is heading upriver to join the festivities. Today, ship watchers on the river between Astoria and Portland will see four military ships traveling: One US Navy ship, two Canadian Navy ships, and one USCG cutter. All ships will leave Astoria in the morning and arrive in Portland sometime in the afternoon.

The USS Montgomery is part of this year’s Rose Festival Fleet. She’ll be open for tours through Sunday at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. For more info see the Rose Festival 2024 website.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript060524.pdf

The Rose Festival Fleet

Jun 04, 2024

This year’s arriving Rose Festival Fleet ships will all be in Astoria today, and you’ll have a chance to take a tour of a ship at the dock.

We’ll talk about US and Canadian military ships stopping in Astoria before they head upriver to Portland for the annual Rose Festival there.

Show Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript060424.pdf

Vessel strike suspected in Nehalem whale death

Jun 03, 2024

The necropsy results are out for the dead whale that washed up on the beach in Manzanita: bruising and internal bleeding suggest the whale died from a vessel strike.

We’ll talk about this unfortunately not uncommon cause of whale death on the West Coast, and about some measures taken along the coast of California to route ships away from areas where whales are known to be. And about other voluntary measures ship operators can take to avoid whales.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript060324.pdf

Recreational boater stats show the need for safety and paying attention on the water

May 29, 2024

The US Coast Guard released their 2023 boater safety stats this week. While fatalities are down, alcohol and boater inexperience remain big factors in water deaths and injuries.

The bottom line: the ocean and the river near you are not a carefully controlled water park designed for fun times.

Out on the water is the real deal, a place where Mother Nature makes the rules, and you need to learn, pay attention, and boost your chances of survival by being prepared.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript052924.pdf

Dead whale washes up on the beach near Manzanita

May 28, 2024

Yesterday a dead humpback whale over 30 feet long washed up on the beach at Nehalem Bay State Park near Manzanita, Oregon. Officials are working to determine the cause of death.

This incident brings the total to 5 of whales that have washed up on Oregon beaches in the past year and a half. We’ll talk about possible reasons for whale death, other than natural causes.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript052824.pdf

Oil spill hits beaches in Oregon and Washington

May 24, 2024

Today, a few things: We’ll talk about two maritime related holidays that happened this week: International Turtle Day and National Maritime Day.

And a note of concern as this holiday weekend arrives: mysterious tar balls have been showing up on beaches in SW Washington and Oregon, along with oil soaked wildlife. So far authorities have not been able to determine the cause.

If you see a bird or other creature covered in oil, callĀ 1-800-22-BIRDS. (1-800-222-4737). This hotline is good in both Oregon and Washington.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript052424.pdf

Update on the containership Dali in Baltimore

May 23, 2024

It’s been less than two months since the containership Dali lost control as was leaving Baltimore Harbor at night, hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge and destroying it, causing the deaths of bridge workers, and closing this key US harbor to vessel traffic.

Since then a unified command operation of skilled agencies and experts have been working to clear navigation channels so ships can resume calling on the port.

This week they made huge progress and were able to move the ship out of the way and open the deep draft ship channel.

We’ll talk about what it took to get there.

Photo: Salvage operations on the containership Dali in Baltimore Harbor. Image from DVIDS, courtesy US Army Corps of Engineers.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript052324.pdf

The US Coast Guard overseas

May 22, 2024

Most people know that the US Coast Guard is a big presence in our coastal waters. But the Coast Guard also has a big international presence too, in over 160 countries.

Today we’ll talk more about the US Coast Guard, our fleet of ships and how to tell them apart, and the many Coast Guards of other nations, some of whom have partnerships with ours.

Photo: The USCGC David Duren at the 17th St. dock in Astoria, Oregon. Photo credit: Bruce Cary Jones, executive director of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, and retired USCG commander.

Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript052224.pdf

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