A listener question about ship costs and pollution on the river

Today, I’ll estimate an answer to a listener question about what it costs to take a ship upriver to Porltand and back, and also about pollution ships give off while they are on the Columbia.

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Navy adds Buddhist pennant to its roster of religious flags

For the first time in history this month, a US Navy ship displayed an official Buddhist pennant, developed by the Navy for this purpose, during a religious ceremony on board. It’s part of U.S. military efforts at religious diversity and inclusion.

Image courtesy U.S. Navy Press Office

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Where do ships go when they leave here?

Today we take a look at the most common destinations ships are heading to when they leave the Columbia River, often loaded with cargo from a local port.

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NTSB calls for personal EPIRBs after fishing boat sinking

In the wake of the sinking of a commercial fishing boat in 2020 in the waters off Maine, the NTSB is recommending personal EPIRBs. Had the crew of the lost boat, the Emmy Rose, had them, they might be alive today.

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The pilot boat Peacock: a game changer for Columbia River commerce

Today we take a look at a prominent boat in the Astoria community: the pilot boat Peacock. She’s on display on the grounds of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, and you can’t miss her as you drive through town.

But there’s a reason why she’s there and it’s not just that she was a good old hometown working boat. The Peacock changed the course of commerce on the Columbia River when she arrived here in the late 1960s, because she was the first pilot boat that could handle heavy weather without batting an eye.

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Operation Boatlift

Each year, around the anniversary of 9/11. the Ship Report shares this reminder of the best of human nature in tough times. Today’s show is all about Operation Boatlift, a spontaneous US Coast Guard request for help from “all available boats” in NY harbor after the twin towers fell on September 11, 2001. The response from area mariners was instantaneous and inspiring.

Inicluded in this show is an audio clip from an amazing short film called “Boatlift.” Below is a link to this 11 minute film. It’s among the most inspiring 11 minutes you’ll ever see in historical filmmaking. I defy you to watch it without choking up.

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Here’s a link to the film, “Boatlift” and some information about the film’s makers and their efforts to foster community in the face of disaster.

The following text is posted on the “road2resilience” YouTube channel along with the film, Road2resilience is a group formed after the release of the film to promote resilience in communties facing disaster.

“Tom Hanks narrates the epic story of the 9/11 boatlift that evacuated half a million people from the stricken piers and seawalls of Lower Manhattan. Produced and directed by Eddie Rosenstein. Eyepop Productions, Inc.

BOATLIFT was executive produced by Stephen Flynn and Sean Burke and premiered on September 8th at the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Summit: Remembrance/Renewal/Resilience in Washington. The Summit kicked off a national movement to foster community and national resilience in the face of future crises. The film was made with the generous support by philanthropist Adrienne Arsht, Chairman Emerita, TotalBank (www.arsht.com)”

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New iPhone touts ability to send emergency signals by cell phone

The newest incarnation of the iPhone comes out next month, and Apple is touting a new features: the ability to send SOS calls via satellite even in remote areas. We’ll talk about what this could mean for boaters in trouble on the water.

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New wave energy device could make this evolving tech viable

Today we’ll talk about the evolving field of wave energy – using waves in the ocean to generate electricity. A company in Cypress says they have developed a new device that’s cheap to make and can compete with fossil fuels. We’ll take a look.

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Who’s on the river today?

We have a solid ship schedule today, and a typical mix of the usual types of vessels we see on the Columbia. What does that mean? We’ll talk about the most common types of ships on the river, what’s on them, and what their cargoes say about the world economy in some cases.

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In Memoriam: Remembering the incomparable Terry Wilson

Today we’ll break format on the Ship Report to honor a maritime friend and one of community radio’s greats: KMUN Radio Engineer Terry Wilson, who passed away this summer.

With many years at sea under his belt, Terry was a frequent guest on the Ship Report during the show’s early years, and a radio expert who used his knowledge to keep KMUN (the station that has aired the Ship Report for almost 20 years) alive and well for many years. He was an an unforgettable presence at the station, and we honor him today for all he gave to us.

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