Columbia River Bar Pilots Dispatcher Samantha Steerman

This week we’ll hear excerpts from my interview with Columbia River Bar Pilot Dispatcher Samantha Steerman.

She’s a seasoned professional in the maritime industry, and the first woman ever to hold the dispatcher’s position for the pilots.

Her job requires her to multi-task like mad: handling emergencies, coordinating pilot transfers, and working daily with people from many different countries.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Jones Act tankers on the Columbia

The Jones Act is a US law that says that cargo ships going between US ports in domestic trade must be US built, US flagged, and crewed by US citizens or nationals.

We have a Jones Act tanker on the river today, hauling Petroleum for Chevron. She’s an unusual ship because of her Jones Act status, but she is also among a small number of cargo ships that may not need to take a pilot on board.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

The Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth

Today a look at one of the great mysteries of the world: the Mariana Trench. Seven miles deep, it’s almost impossible to visualize how far down it is from the surface of the Pacific Ocean. It would be eerie to be floating above it in a ship, but that’s how a research vessel originally found it in the 1800s.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Sick at sea: what happens when someone on a ship needs help

Cargo ships pass by us in the ocean all the time, often many miles offshore. What happens when someone becomes ill enough to need serious help? A case in point happened this weekend, when a sailor was hoisted off a passing cargo ship after having a stroke 1000 miles from shore.

What it took to get him to shore and medical help shows the challenges of getting sick at sea.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Meteorologists expect another La Nina winter in the PNW

The National Weather Service says we’re on track for another La Nina winter here in the PNW. That means snow, rain and probably good snowpack this winter. Elsewhere however, La Nina is not good news, since southern climes experience drought and increased fire danger. Some areas of our country and even our state here in Oregon are already experiencing critical drought conditions.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

A close look at cargoes today on the river

Today we’ll take a look at what ships are on the river and an indepth look at their cargoes.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

The bulbous bow – funny looking but functional

On all the cargo ships we see on the Columbia is an odd looking design feature that’s quite important. It’s the bulbous bow, an odd looking protuberance off the very front of the ship just below the waterline. It may look strange, but it helps ships save fuel by reducing drag.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

When is big too big? Another look at large ships

With the announcement of the newest “largest containership in the world,” we take another look at huge ships and what their limits may be, in terms of access to ports and their human crews being able to control them when they are underway. And, a look at the biggest ship in the world ever, so far, in terms of deadweight tonnage: the crude oil tanker Knock Nevis.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

How big is big? A look at containerships

Today we’ll take a look at that big, really big, containership that came into the Columbia on Friday. The MSC Shay – she is now officially the largest containership to transit the river.

But what does that mean, and how big is she compared to the biggest ships in the world? We’ll take a look today at how size is assessed in big ships like this.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Cold Ironing: an odd nautical term explained

Today we’ll talk about cold ironing. It’s an odd nautical term for something some ports offer to visisting ships: the ability to shut off their engines and plug into shore power at the dock.

Saves fuel, cuts pollution, while allowing life to proceed normally on board for the crew who call the ship their workplace and home away from home.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More