Sideways ship was “turning at anchor,” port explains

Frenchman’s Bar — “Was the pilot smoking something?” is what one passerby wondered. But it only looked that way to folks strolling the beach on a recent Sunday morning: a huge ship, the Ken Sei, appeared to be stopped sideways across the Columbia River, perpendicular to the bank, and swinging slowly around. Theresa Wagner, spokeswoman for the Port of Vancouver, said the 561-foot bulk carrier was most likely “turning at anchor,” that is, parked with a single anchor and rotating naturally with the tide. Ships turning at anchor rarely block the river because they are stopped in designated spots that allow for movement, Wagner said. If a ship did block the channel, it would call for a tug to move it out of the way, she said. Because modern ships are larger than ever, she added, there is growing need to find appropriate places where they can anchor and also attach to stern buoys, preventing them from moving at all. Doing that keeps river and related port traffic flowing efficiently; failing to do it slows down commerce. Learn more from the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, www.pnwa.net.