The Most Recent Ship Report Podcast:
Archive Podcasts:
Who’s on the river today?
Feb 21, 2024A look at today’s ship schedule – the comings and goings on the river.
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The Desdemona Sands lighthouse: a bit of lower Columbia history
Feb 20, 2024Today, in answer to a listener question, we take a look at the long and illustrious history of lighted navigational aids and rescue stations on the lower Columbia between Astoria and the ocean.
In particular, we’ll delve into the history of the once proud (and quite useful) Desdemona Sands Lighthouse, which once stood on pilings in the river near Hammond. The Desdemona Light even had her own lighthouse keeper, which must have been quite a job!
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A look at today’s ship schedule, including the ship getting repairs at the Port of Astoria
Feb 16, 2024Today, to round out the week, we’ll take a look at today’s ship schedule and talk a little about the cargo ship, the Manila Trader, that is at the Port of Astoria for repairs.
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Latest on Oregon offshore wind energy projects
Feb 15, 2024The Bureau of Ocean Enerby Management, BOEM, released the latest info this week on the proposed floating offshore wind energy projects slated for southern Oregon coastal waters. Even after a lengthy public comment period last fall, stakeholders like tribes and commercial fishermen still say they aren’t being heard.
A 30-day public comment period opens this week. Info online: Google “BOEM Oregon Activities.”
Share your comments here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/14/2024-02985/notice-of-intent-to-prepare-an-environmental-assessment-for-commercial-wind-leasing-and-site
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But wait, there’s more!… A Bit about Tugboats, Part 3
Feb 14, 2024A timely listener question led me into another interesting line of thought about tugboats and how they control their barges, and so… I bring you: A Bit about Tugboats on the Ship Report, Part 3…
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A Bit about Tugboats, Part 2
Feb 13, 2024Yesterday we started talking about tugboats, and there was so much to say that I decided to to do a second episode.
Tugboats are the maritime essence of the saying, “big things in small packages.” Today, among other things, a story about how tugs helped a big ship dock safely in heavy current in a port in British Columbia.
Today we’ll hear Part 2 of “A Bit about Tugboats on the Ship Report.”
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A Bit about Tugboats, Part 1
Feb 12, 2024Today I’ll answer a listener question about tugboats on the river. It’s an interesting and broad subject, so much so that I had too much to share to fit into just one show. So today is Part 1 of “A Bit about Tugboats on the Ship Report.”
Tugboats haul cargo on barges on rivers and oceans, and assist tugs in port. They are vital in the maritime industry and ships could not do their work without them.
Part 2 tomorrow…
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Two familiar hometown ships will leave Astoria soon
Feb 09, 2024Two familiar ships, the USCG cutters Steadfast and Alert, will soon be leaving Astoria for good. The reasons for each ship’s departure are different, but we’ll miss seeing them grace our waterfront by the Columbia River Maritime Museum. We’ll talk about why these beloved vessels will no longer be here on the Columbia
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Ship at Port of Astoria for repairs
Feb 08, 2024Today we’ll take a look at our ship schedule on the river, including a bulk carrier that is at the Port of Astoria for engine repairs.
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Red sky at night, sailors’ delight?
Feb 07, 2024Today we take a look, thanks to a listener question, at an old nautical saying that goes, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”
Is it true? Can we really predict the weather from colors in the sky? Well. to a degree, yes. We’ll take a look today at the science behind red sunsets and sunrises.
Photo credit: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Photographer Robert Havasy. Sailboat on Edgartown Harbor against a red sky at sunset. Taken July 4, 2012 on Edgartown Harbor, Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, MA.
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