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A story of survival on the Columbia River Bar
Aug 29, 2024On this day, 52 years ago, a commercial fishing boat sank on the Columbia River Bar. KMUN comentator Michael McCusker was aboard. He and his crewmates survived, thanks to the quick intervention of fellow mariners.
I’ve shared his story before on the show, but not on the anniversary of its occurrence. Today we take a closer look.
We commemorate the anniversary of his rescue, and talk about what happened to the boat that caused it to sink in a matter of minutes. It’s a cautionary tale about where you should and should not go on the Columbia River Bar in a boat.
And, thanks to Michael, it’s a darn good sea story.
Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082924.pdf
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Washington ports get electrification grants to provide dockside power for vessels
Aug 28, 2024In the industry it’s called “cold ironing” – the capacity of a port to provide electric hookups for arriving ships and other vessels. Ports that are so equipped, and ships that are configured to plug in, can reduce air pollution signicantly while in port.
Soon, 11 Washington ports, including, locally, the Port of Kalama, will receive funds to upgrade their facilities to provide shoreside power to ships and other vessels when they are at the dock. It’s a big step forward in air quality control for the region.
Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082824.pdf
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Mililtary Sealift Command proposes sidelining vessels
Aug 27, 2024The Military Sealift Command, which has ships stationed on the Columbia, has proposed sidelining 17 of its ships to address a dwindling workforce of mariners.
The situation reflects a wider trend worldwide, especially since the pandemic, where sailors simply don’t want to be away from home for months, with often mediocre compensation, and not enough time off to create healthy work-life balance.
The workforce of mariners in the world is getting smaller as demands increase, and these are the folks who bring us our “90 percent of everything.”
Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082724.pdf
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Red Sea tanker attack highlights international risks
Aug 26, 2024Right now, a crude oil tanker is ablaze in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi forces. If the ship sinks, it could create a massive environmental disaster. The ripple effects from this incident show how what happens in one part of the world can affect people elsewhere, and how any ship presents a risk that marine professionals are careful to plan for.
Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082624.pdf
Photo of the Red Sea: This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
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A look at ships and cargo on the river today
Aug 23, 2024A look at ships and their cargo on the river today.
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It’s fall cruise ship season in Astoria
Aug 22, 2024Today we’ll see the first of five cruise ships that will visit Astoria over the next couple of months.
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An overview of ships and cargo
Aug 21, 2024Today, a quick overview of what comes and goes on the river here, in terms of ships and cargo.
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An icebreaker joins the USCG Alaska fleet
Aug 20, 2024The US Coast Guard has purchased the Aiviq, a commercial icebreaker previously used to support Arctic oil production operations. She’ll become a medium icebreaker for the USCG and will be berthed in Juneau. The Aiviq will be ready for Coast Guard service in about two years.
Transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript082024.pdf
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Autumn is in the air, and with it, thoughts of the Beaufort Wind Scale
Aug 19, 2024With some tempestuous weather happening the past few days, and that feeling in the air, we all know that fall is not far away even though it’s still summer. Seems like a good time to revisit the Beaufort Wind Scale, a reference table dating back to the 1700s that is still in use today. It allows mariners and land dwellers the opportunity to assess conditions around them and gauge the strength of the wind.
Show transcript here: http://shipreport.nfshost.com/audio/SRTranscript081924.pdf
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Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership receives EPA grant for local projects
Aug 16, 2024Today we’ll talk about a large grant that the EPA just awarded to a local environmental group, the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, funding the group’s work to enhance communities and address watershed needs in our region posed by issues like sea level rise and other challenges. The grant is part of a massive funding bill called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed into law last fall.
It’s another example of behind the scenes work that often unsung organizations do routinely, to make our communities more resilient, and the public funding that makes such projects possible.
(Having some issues with posting transcripts… they’ll return here – in this space – as soon as I figure it out…)
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