The Most Recent Ship Report Podcast:

Holiday weekend weather outlook is one to savor

As we head on into the holiday weekend, the forecast is looking amazingly dry and sunny for the next few days. Savor the moment, as rain will return next week, and our winter weather promises to be on target for a normal weather year: and that means, wind rain and snow. Winter in the Pacific Northwest.

Archive Podcasts:

Marine pilot support staff help make it all happen

Mar 15, 2022

We talk a lot about marine pilots on the Ship Report. Alongside those accomplished professionals works a cadre of skilled support professionals – from boat operators to deckhands to helicopter pilots and winch operators, to dispatchers and office staff. These folks together make this amazing matitime work possible on the river every day.

More on shiphandling: outbound ships and low tide

Mar 14, 2022

A look at another facet of the fine art of shiphandling: most of our ships here on the Columbia enter the river light and leave loaded.

That means they have to negotiate low tide somewhere along their journey to the sea, when they have less water under their keels than when they arrived. Pilots do a lot of careful planning to insure that ships are safe at all points along that outbound trip.

Lithium ion batteries and ship fires

Mar 11, 2022

A look at the problematic lithium ion battery, which seems to be the culprit in an increasing number of fires on board car carriers.

Note: image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The Sincerity Ace, sister ship to the Felicity Ace, which sank in the north Atlantic this month after a fire on board that experts believe was likely caused by lithium ion batteries.

How did that big ship fit in the Columbia River?

Mar 08, 2022

Today we take another look at the Navios Unite, that humongous containership that made her way to Portland up the Columbia yesterday. She was the biggest containership ever to call on the Columbia. We’ll take a look at what the limiting and helpful factors are that determine whether a ship can fit on the Columbia.

Photo Credit: Photo by Astoria photographer Scott Saulsbury. This image really shows the immensity of the ship compared to Astoria’s waterfront.

Are Russian ships coming to the Columbia River?

Mar 07, 2022

Today, a look at what it means to say a ship is “Russian,” and what we know about Russian cargo on the Columbia. And the largest containership ever to come into the Columbia heads for the Port of Portland today.

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