Recruitment changes could open up Coast Guard opportunities

Recruitment of their usual demographic in the Coast Guard is down: 18-year old high school grads are not choosing to sign up as much as they once did.

So the agency is making plans to open up recruitment to older people with work experience and education, and possibly part time opportunities as well.

It’s part of an effort to get the personnel they need for their mission, and also to diversify their workforce in a changing world.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Tragedy at the beach

It was a weekend of rescues, missing kids, and a lost life at the beach. One more time, let’s talk about how the ocean is more powerful than any of us, and how it needs to be respected. And the ripple effect that beach tragegies have on the people involved, their rescuers and the personnel who conduct often fruitless recovery efforts. Not to mention anyone on the beach when a tradedy happens. The effect is profound and long lasting. And it’s so preventable.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

CL Lindy Q & A

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the situation with the bulk carrier CL Lindy and her wind turbine blades being at the Port of Astoria for the past week. So I’ve looked over the questions and put together a Q&A show that I hope answers your questions.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

CL Lindy to depart Astoria today

If current projections hold, the CL Lindy will be on her way upriver by noon today. The ship has been at the Port of Astoria since last week, preparing to transfer six wind turbine blades to a barge for transport upriver to Longview. The ship herself will head to Longview today as well, if all goes well.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

CL Lindy may finally be on her way after cargo transfer

The story of the bulk carrier CL Lindy and her cargo of wind turbine blades may be reaching its logical conclusion today, unless plans change. We may see her finally transferring six of her blades to a barge for transport to Longview. It’s been a complex saga that’s kept the ship at the Port of Astoria since last week.

Today we’ll look at our ship schedule and where the CL Lindy fits into the mix.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Equipment problems plague cargo ship at Port of Astoria

The CL Lindy, the cargo ship carrying wind turbine blades that made an unscheduled stop at the Port of Astoria last week to resolve some cargo issues, is still there. She’s waiting on repairs to a broken crane on board. Until that’s fixed, she’ll stay in Astoria. Depending on how quickly those repairs happen, she could be on her way soon. If she is still here by the end of the day today, she will move to the Astoria Anchorage temporarily to make way for a cruise ship that is calling at the Port on Tuesday.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Unusual cargo transfer at the Port of Astoria today

Today, in a very unusual maneuver, a bulk carrier will stop at the Port of Astoria and unload six wind turbine blades onto a barge for transport to Longview.

It should make for an interesting sight for folks who can stop by the port docks for a peek. Look for the CL Lindy around 8 am at the Port.

The reason she’s stopping there is that some of her cargo is blocking visibility from the bridge and that has to be remedied for safety reasons. It will be a time consuming and delicate operation.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Spring brings a dangerous combination: hot weather and very cold water

Today we’ll talk about cold water immersion issues when the air is hot and the water is cold. We’ll talk about why that can be a dangerous combination.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Two cruise ships for the price of one today in Astoria

Today we’ll see two huge cruise ships in town for the day, potentially doubling the population of Astoria in visitors. One ship will anchor off the downtown waterfront, and take passengers back and forth between the ship and land by boat.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Today we celebrate the humble shipping container

Last week marked the 67th birthday of an invention that utterly changed shipping: the humble, ubiquitious shipping container. It’s advent, the brainchild of an efficiency-minded trucker, shifted how the world moves cargo, and led to the fast-paced world of ocean commerce we have today.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More