The Most Recent Ship Report Podcast:
Archive Podcasts:
Drought on the Rhine threatens European trade – a glimpse of things to come?
Aug 16, 2022Right now the Rhine River in Europe, a major trade route, is seeing record low water levels that threaten trade. Experts say it’s a look at things to come. We’ll talk about water and commerce, and why drought matters.
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Preventing drownings on the river
Aug 15, 2022Earlier this month, a tragic incident near Skamokawa where two young men drowned in the Columbia.
Today we’ll talk again about river hazards and how to prevent incidents like this from happening.
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Archive Week: Running Lights Part 2
Aug 12, 2022More on on running lights from Capt Robert Johnson.
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Archive Week: Running Lights
Aug 11, 2022A look back in the archives at an interview with Capt Robert Johnson about ship running lights.
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Archive Week: Rogue Waves
Aug 10, 2022A look a back in the archives at a conversation with Capt Debprah Dempsey and Radio Officer Terry Wilson, about rogue waves,
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Archive Week: Meteor Part 2
Aug 09, 2022The conclusion of the story of the sinking of the Meteor.
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Archive Week: The Sinking of the Meteor Part 1
Aug 08, 2022I’m taking a little time off this week and am sharing some great clips from the archives. Today is part one of the Sinking of the Meteor, told by Michael McCusker as only he can.
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Buoy 10 fishery on the Columbia
Aug 04, 2022Every year in August, the Buoy 10 salmon fishery opens, and lots of boaters in small craft head out onto the lower Columbia off Astoria. It’s an opportunity for great fishing, and also an opportunity to use common sense to stay out of trouble on the water. We’ll also talk about the legalities of interactions between boats and ships. The bottom line there: Ships Rule.
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Cleanup begins on the Tourist No. 2 Ferry sunk in Astoria
The Tourist No. 2 is an old wooden ferry, with a long history in Astoria, that’s currently lying on its side in shallow water off the Astoria waterfront, leaking diesel. Her owner apparently doesn’t have the resources to mount a cleanup effort, so the Coast Guard is stepping in. Here’s what we know so far about what’s being done.
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John Day Dam lock damage highlights river commerce
Aug 02, 2022The John Day Dam lock system upriver from the Dalles is broken and a workaround in place means tug and barge traffic is slow through the dam. This would be an issue anytime, but more so now – because it’s harvest time and lots of wheat is waiting to come downriver to ships for export overseas. The mechanical breakdown highlights the importance of the chain of river commerce that we take for granted.
Image courtesy US Army Corps of Engineers – USACE, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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