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The ubiquitious, but seldom noticed, Quonset hut
Today a look at a common but oft-overlooked maritime structure – the Quonset hut. First designed and built for the US Navy in 1941, they were styled after a WWI version called the Nissen hut. Once used in military installations during WWII, the Navy sold them surplus to the public after the war, and the rest, as they say, is history.
And we’ll hear what is probably the quintessential artistic work regarding this unusual style of building: Fisher Poet Jon Campbell’s reading of his hilarious poem, “Quonset Hut,” in which he refers to the Quonset hut as being a testament to Rhode Island’s “indigenous school of meatloaf architecture.”
Image: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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Who’s coming and going on the river today?
A look at today’s complement of cargo vessels on the river.
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As weather improves, a backlog of ships getting back to work
Whenever the Columbia River Bar at the mouth of the river temporarily becomes too dangerous to cross because of bad weather, the result a day or so later is a backlog of ships that have been waiting to leave or to arrive. That creates a steady stream of vessels, 24/7, until everything is back to normal.
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As rough weather keeps the bar on Red status, we’ll talk about how weather matters here
Today the bar is on Red status because of the weather, meaning few if any ships will cross the bar today at the river’s entrance.
We’ll talk about how weather matters here, and why it can seem calm off Astoria and be crazy dangerous just 17 miles to the west.
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Inclement weather and King Tides add up to increased beach risks and flooding
Today we take a look at our seasonally rowdy weather forecast, which already has the Columbia River Bar on Red status this morning, meaning ship traffic is halted across the river entrance until conditions improve. Add that to King Tides we’ll see starting on Friday, and it’s a recipe for some serious beach hazards you need to know about.
It’s tun to see big waves, just make sure you’re in a safe place to watch. And there are plenty of places to go for a good perch so you can see everything but not risk your life in the process.
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The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Every year around this time, I do a show about an enduring maritime tragedy: the sinking of the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. The incident, where the ship was lost in a storm and all hands perished, is emblematic of the risks all mariners take when they go to sea, and of the grief endured by their loved ones on land – waiting for those who never return home.
Today and every year on the show, we honor those lost at sea by commemorating this tragedy.
This show features Gordon Lightfoot’s iconic song about the tragedy, which is a factual account of what happened. We’ll take a look at what happened aboard the FItzgerald that led her her demise on an icy night on the big lake.
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The invention of the shipping container
The presence of a large containership, outbound on the river today, offers a good opportunity to talk about the invention of a device that revolutionized the shipping industry: the now ubiquitous shipping container.
This commonly seen metal cargo box, which made its debut on a ship 68 years ago, soon permanently changed how cargo was shipped worldwide.
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A look at who’s on the river
A look at today’s complement of ships, what they’re carrying, where they’re from and where they’re headed.
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An unexpected change of sea route means less stress for some sailors
Today we take another look at the lives of sailors at sea, and talk about how some ships that formerly transited the Suez Canal are now taking a longer route around the southern tip of Africa, to avoid violent vessel attacks in the Red Sea.
The result for diverted ships has been voyages that last about two weeks longer than before. The unexpected perk for sailors on board has turned out to be reduced stress, more job satisfaction, more time to do their work, and obtain needed training.
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Who’s on the ships we see passing by?
Today, a look at the lives of the people who live and work on the ships that travel the world and bring us all our “stuff.”
We’ll look at the latest data from the Seafarers Happiness Index, which assesses how life is going at asea for sailors. and a look at what countries sailors are mostly like to hail from.
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Monday through Friday (except major holidays) watch for 10-MINUTE SHIP REPORTS: Ship Traffic, Marine Weather, News and Interviews
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