Today on the Ship Report we begin an interview I did with Capt. Mike Balensifer, Columibia River Pilot, about how to dock a ship. It’s a complex process that’s different with every vessel. Today Capt. Balensifer talks about the many issues that come up when you try to stop a ship. Among them: current, wind, tide, position of tugs and the design of the ship, to name a few. It’s a delicate maneuver that requires considerable skill, experience and finesse. It happens every day on the Columbia and ports worldwide, mostly unseen by the public.
Healing River Trip: posted on the Ship Report website is a radio story I did for Coast Community Radio in Astoria, about a special group of kayakers who paddled from Portland to Astoria for the Labor Day weekend. The trip included disabled U.S. combat veterans recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. I loved doing this story – it allowed me to talk with some amazing people, and also do radio feature production, which includes ambient sound and other fun stuff. Thanks to Albert Smith for letting me know about the trip – the group camped on his pasture land in Brownsmead. Listen online at www.shipreport.net
