A look at who’s on the river today, cargo and transit times

A look at today’s ship schedule, with some details about individual ships, cargo and travelign on the river.

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Some answers to listener questions about bar and river pilots

After yesterday’s show about bar and river pilots locally, I got some questions from a listener that include: How do pilots get from one place to another on land when they are working and not aboard ships? Are there places for them to sleep between shifts if needed? We’ll talk about pilot logistics on land, an important part of the job.

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Marine pilot overview – a vital but unseen profession

For folks who may be new to the region, or any of us who haven’t thought recently about what it takes to get a ship from the mouth or the river to Portland – today’s show is an overview of what marine pilots do, and who is doing that work here on the lower Columbia.

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Chinook Observer story analyzes beach drownings

An incisive story in local newspaper the Chinook Observer analyzes the commonalities n drowning victims over the years on the Peninsula.

A distinct pattern has emerged: victims are mostly young, fit swimmers who are overcome by cold water and rip currents, often on days when beach conditions appear ideal and unthreatening.

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Cliff Mass predicts low-key summer PNW weather, cites cooler ocean temps

In light of scary news about high ocean temps off Florida (90 degrees, F.!), we take a look at what’s happen in the opposite corner of the country, in our Pacific NW ocean and weather neighbothood, courtesy of University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass.

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New containership highlights green methanol as ship fuel

A new containership has joined the  fleet of the huge shipping line Maersk, and what makes it special is that it runs on green methanol. We’ll talk about what that is, and why it’s an important step in the evolution toward cleaner fuels for the shipping industry.

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Sailboat races off Astoria in the Columbia River

Tuesday nights in the summer, Astoria residents and visitors can see the Astoria Yacht Club sailboat races happening in the river, starting at about 6 pm a little downriver from the Megler Bridge. It’s a neat opportunity to watch sailors negotiate the tricky waters, currents and winds of the lower Columbia.

Photo credit: Joanne Rideout, photo of Rattler, a contender in the Tuesday Night Astoria Yacht Club Races.

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A look at today’s ship schedule, including a luxury cruise ship, and a chance for northern lights this week

A luxury cruise ship arrives in Astoria today. She’s on her way south to San Francisco, where passengers will board her for a 20-day trip through the Panama Canal to NY. If you have a spare $8K you’d like to spend, that’s what costs to book passage.

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A trip to Samoa on the training ship Golden Bear, and becoming a Golden Shellback

Today, in the final installment of an interview with Samaro Bannister, the captain of the Cal Maritime training ship the Golden Bear, Captain Bannister describes the ship’s two-month intinerary around the Pacific, ending up in Astoria for the 4th of July holiday.

The trip included a rare honor: students became “golden shellbacks” after the ship crossed the spot where the Equator and the International Dateline intersect in the open ocean north of Samoa. It’s a traditional milestone of experience in the lives of mariners, and one that not that many people in the world can say they’ve done.

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More about life at sea aboard the Cal Maritime training ship, the Golden Bear

Today we hear more from my interview with Captain Samaro Bannister – she’s the master of the Cal Maritime training ship, the Golden Bear, which spent 5 days in Astoria pver the 4th of July holiday weekend. Today we talk more with Captain Bannister about running a training ship, where your cargo is students who need to learn all they can during the “at sea” portion of their education.

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