Those Who Serve: Columbia River bar pilots risk their lives to guide cargo ships
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2019
- Columbia River Bar Pilots risk their lives every day and night to keep cargo ships moving across the dangerous Columbia River Bar. They work in any weather and help protect the environment by making sure the big ships do not crash on their way in or out of the river.
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My grandfather, Clarence E. Ash, was a Bar Pilot in Astoria, in the mid-20th century. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest serving Bar Pilot there. A fitting end to a career that began when he ran away to sea at 14 as a full deck hand, on a sailing ship in about 1904. I idolized him. Even was an Oregon state senator for a term once.
That’s wonderful….thanks for sharing this ❤.
And my younger years I Captained a pilot boat I can tell you everything you see in this video is 100% real. Now a retired merchant sailor
I bet you hv alot of great stories?...
Hats off to you. You should write down your stories to share. Would be interesting to read.
I used to be a ships agent out of Portland. I was the guy who hire the pilots to go out and bring our ships in. I had nothing but admiration for them. I miss working in that industry. I live down in the Rocky Mountains now, but I keep the the Columbia Bar River Pilots phone number in my contacts for sentimental reasons.
What do these guys make a year?
@@eugeneselyuzhitskiy2431 years back it was 160k if I remember right.
@@fungidungie shoot I bet it's over 200k now?
@Chad Hansen So you were a non essential worker then during covid times I take it. Actually I know you were...
@@nateb-runs5053 what are you talking about?
I've been over that bar many a time. And once I was almost washed over board in the bar. The destroyer that I was on was crossing the bar. And as I exited the chow hall we had to exit to the main deck. The seas were really rough when I step out onto the main deck, and while securing the hatch a huge wave washed over the deck and swept me all the way back to the fantail of the ship barely able to hang on to the life line my body was over board now. I had to climb back abroad and I ran for safty as another huge wave washed over the fantail. I was lucky to have survived the infamous Bar of the Columbia River. True Story my buddy Rex was with me at the time & we lived to tell about this. I remember very well as time stopped in that moment.
I was on a river cruise through the Columbia a couple summers ago, and the first night we stopped in Astoria. Lots of mentions of the pilots by the tour guides and ofc in the maritime museum. BIG respect for these folks and the coast guard.
I crossed the bar with my parents in a 35' offshore sailboat. We where late getting out and ran into some big steep waves that where stacked up crossing the bar. We where shadowed by the pilot boat who was concerned about us getting out past the breakers. Everything worked out great, but we where sure grateful to have the watchful eyes of the Pilot follow us out. Big thanks to the Pilots for going out of their way! 👍
Doesn't surprise me Aaron- they seem like very caring folks to me. Glad they were there for you and also that you did not need them.
Aaron - nonymous gotta make sure you don’t go out on that ebb
@@Mo-zv5yc is the ebb tide the one " going out " to sea ?
Last time I did it (2015) I said to myself "NEVER AGAIN" and I kept the promise. Absolute admiration and respect to all pilots of the world
You were a bar pilot? How does one look into doing this for a career
@@DavidGarcia-hi4we he's a social media bar pilot
Respect to these Columbia River Bar Pilots. Thank you for what you do to keep cargo moving safely to their docking destination❤
@@smeeself Doesn't look at all difficult to me, especially for 200K a year. But then again, I'm a Marine. Almost nothing looks difficult to me. lol
@@tima.478 Humility might be a stretch.
@@smeeself I just know what I'm very good at, and this would be one of them. That's just facts. Aside from me serving as a crew chief on H-53E Super Stallions in the Corps, this is ride down my alley. We did all manner of crazy things like this when lifting armored vehicles and fuel/water tanks, water rescue evacs, etc.
@@tima.478just wondering, have you ever driven a vessel as long as 3 football fields long? The specific knowledge a Pilot has to have regarding everything involved with the ocean, tides, weather, specific ship, etc., is extremely intense. It takes years of ride alongs for on the job training plus years of studying to get licensed. Each port, Canal, river, you must be licensed by the Coast Guard. My dad was a Coastal and Harbor Pilot on the East Coast, pilotages from Maine to Maryland. Boston Harbor, NY, NJ, Delaware River, Cape Cod Canal, etc. Not to mention, docking these behemoth vessels in all sorts of ports. God Bless you and all Steamship Pilots around the world.
Oh I'm only referring to the "jumping onto the ladder portion." That looks fun and not that difficult, for me. The piloting of the ship, naaaaahhh. I'll leave that part to the pro's. I can't even imagine having that huge responsibility! @@AriaPS99
When I was a young seaman I worked for a shipping company called Furness Withy and they called regularly into the Columbia river, (Usually Portland Oregon.) I well remember the pilots boarding from the cutters before the days of choppers. Whilst the pilot's job is undoubtedly very dangerous, the captain also has to make decisions and I well remember one voyage when the ship was crossing inbound with Pilot on Board
We felt a hell of a jarring thump as the ship hit an unexpectedly large breaker and we definitely touched bottom in the deep trough that followed the wave.
Soundings were quickly taken all around the ship but we found no leaks and when the diver went down in Portland he reported a couple of slightly dented bottom plates but no serious damage to the ship's structural integrity. Because I was young and small; I was the one selected to accompany the first mate into the double bottom tanks to identify which plates were dented.
All I could say was 'Thank God for welded construction. Rivets would have been popped by the impact and distortion. Fortunately the Columbia bar is essentially hard sand and no rock so we got away with it.
That is a great profession and a great story , when i was young the cutter i was steering hit a underwater rock while my eyes were contemplating a beautiful spring sunny day and the birds flying around not fairly adjusting my distance to the outcrops nearby ,while the crew got out bloodied from the impact we found no water coming in or visible damage and decided to keep going . the keel was made of steel and body made of fiberglass.
The Astoria Column, I watched for a few when I lived up there.
The Astoria Column was where we could go to the top and watch everything going in...
On a big night you could get that column to sway up to some inches to each side with a sustained wind of 50, or better.
I saw an entire mill stripped of any ceiling cover in about 3 minutes, in Tillamook.
The master and owner are liable while the pilots are not.
I made it up to Portland on a Landing Ship Tank (LST 836) I still remember taking the railing of a ship when we turned to starboard to get into Astoria in 1945!
@@myweed26 Good to hear that ,God Bless.
Not the exact same outfit , but one of my very best friend's is a river pilot. Waited about 10 years on the list to get that position. Proud of him. All the guy's in these types of positions should be commended.
yes, they are the sort of guys that should get a knighthood in the UK. real men. not the little piano-fingered men in their best suits, all limp wristed. how can a pop star be so awarded,
My grandfather was a Columbia River Pilot in the 1950's. He loved guiding those big ships from Astoria to Portland.
wow, didnn't realize this profession existed to bring in all our cargo, much respect.
You must have had some inkling.
Been there a number of times in the 1980s . A unique experience . It could be calm at sea but once over the bar , the ship rolls and pitches , as if in rough weather and then steadies again as she slides into the Columbia River off Astoria for a change of pilots . I think the pilots earn their money while boarding and disembarking. Very brave and cool headed pilots .
I work in a shipyard. My friends father is a pilot at the welland canal...I watch the pilot boats going out to the lake every day...
Salute to you all..
It's amazing to me that these guys are as old as they are, and can still do this, and do it so well. Very impressive.
Kinda hard to leave a job unless you really have to when you're making the salaries these folks are paid.
@@heavyg1653I'm thrilled these Pilots of today get paid well. Back in the 1950s thru 1970s, Coastal Pilots were not paid awesome wages. So glad to see they are finally compensated for their extreme intelligence and bravery. It's not easy driving 3 football fields long of a vessel 😮😮😮😮! My dad was my hero. He got my brothers into Piloting on the East Coast. Hard gig, if you can get it. And if you have what it takes to become a Pilot! ❤
Aye I dredged the Columbia this past summer. Hope everyone has safe bar crossings!
did you dredge it? wow, so did I.
It's cool that we can see this stuff nowadays . Well done people
Much respect to the Bar Pilots. I cut my teeth as a sailor, salmon fishing around the Bar. I have seen pretty much the entire Eastern Pacific from the Bering Sea, to the equator, and there are few rougher passages than the Bar.
Loved the video. My father was a Merchant Marine back in the 1950's. He told many stories about life on the ocean. He told me one story about the Columbia. He said a ship was properly loaded for the salt water in the ocean, however, as it entered the Columbia's fresh water, it almost sank. I had no idea that ships behave differently in salt water versus fresh water.
Different density, different pressure and buoyancy. Just physics
The wind is amazing at sea, when in my twenty's off the coast of Newfoundland I tried to go on deck but opening the door was impossible because the wind was pushing so hard. What a fantastic job getting to feel the power of the oceans.
I am from a boating family who ferried pilot to and from coastal ships past Gladstone Qld, and am not aware of any deaths until the boats were swapped for helicopters. As scary as it looks good practices were followed to avoid injury, including getting the ship captain to steer the ship providing the lee side shelter for boarding/disembarking.
liar, (ferried) is the wrong word. basically you have no idea what you're talking about
Pilots are a breed unto themselves. I worked as a dispatcher for them in Georgia some years back. They impressed me (a former journalist) enough to write a book about them called "Waking Up Men," because part of my job was to call and wake them up to go get a ship. I've since met pilots all over the world. They're the same everywhere, witty, tough and courageous.
Late 2000, they tested taking the bar pilots out by helicopter. They used former Coast Guard helicopter pilots who had been stationed on the Gulf Coast. One of them was quoted in the paper as saying, "We have weather like this were I come from. We call it hurricanes."
May God bless our river pilots and USCG!!! We are so very blessed to have them in our area and grateful for all that they do. 🌊🏄♀️⛱
Obviously you guys should do more stories like this! The world will watch! These guys are incredible. Society couldn't do without em
I thought my job at a distribution center was dangerous. These guys are heroes.
Their monthly pay check would be what you male a year
That is sadly true. :) More risk usually will equal more reward.
I was helmsman for 10 years off of Alaska to the west coast. Much respect. Very dedicated and smart. Thank you.
Nothing comes close to Alaska. Simple!
@Katie Rae , Nope, I know Alaska though! Top two nastiest oceans in the world in winter, the gulf of Alaska and the Bering sea!😉
@@troyottosen8722 i think Dutch harbor bar is more dangerous than fishing
@@troyottosen8722 southern Ocean is the most dangerous
@@barackobama9552 , You have no clue! Alaska’s gulf coast and Bering sea in the winter is by far the most dangerous! You are clueless!Simple!
If we are in the market for new monuments we need a monument to river pilots. Its amazing how much dangerous work goes into this and how relatively unknown it is.
these are bar pilots but yeah
And this might have been a 'nice' day in Astoria. It gets really gnarly as soon as you clear the river entrance. I've seen it many times and I have nothing but deep respect for anyone who choses this as a career!
Although I don't visit Astoria often. The time I went over the bridge during a rainstorm scared the living hell out of me
Yep!!!
You nail it Willy!
WOW! This is one impressive film. Thank you for sharing.
Speaking as an X Merchant Navy able seaman I have great respect for a pilot's they do a great job!👍
I'm a commercial fisherman, my boat is docked right next to these two pilot boats in the Local marina. Awesome to see this
its nice to recall my happy days picking up the bar pilot and same time dropping same when outbound. its also nice to recall those hard days when the bar is closed and have to manuever your ship in a very rough weather which happen to me twice and capt. Barret was very significant to me as he opened piloted my ship in and out during my liner days carrying logs to japan from longview.
This is a nice piece of journalism. Great story, well done and amazing camera footage too.
Thanks Tim!
Beautiful work to share... Thank you
I agree. This was riveting. The explanation by the pilot so clear and the videos confirming the challenges that these time, weathered tested mariners face. Such vital and essential work these Bar Pilots do for all of us. Thank you for your journalism and my respect and awe to the Pilots.
I’ve climbed the ladder with my dad, scariest thing of my life
In mid sea? If so, from what kind of boat did you claim? Cuz it's dangerously close.
Still very brave though, good job 👍
Bet it was a hell of a rush though
@@b3nisrael >ii>>>i>8>>i>>>
Oh Hell Bro!!
They are brave people for certain! Awesome to do this kind of work!!!!
As a bridge watch officer , a have been over that bar ... it certainly can be a wild ride ,and,kudos to the pilots
Good show! Informative and more than a little thought provoking. What wasn't mentioned, and only occurred to me at the end of the video, was that "Piloting" is a two way journey. The video focused on ships going into the harbor but they also need guidance leaving port which means reversing that rope ladder climb at sea.
That was quite an education for a guy from Canada who never realized that this job existed ; and it is so dangerous. Those guys are awesome !
Are your lakes permanently frozen???
Two guys working together is big improvement
I skippered the Pilot Boat a couple seasons in False Pass and the Nushagak River (Dillingham) in Alaska for the Southwest Pilots Association and Aleutian Pilots Association. They didn't have their own pilot boats "out west". Great job and the pilots were all great guys. It's a real thrill pulling up to a tramper in the open ocean for a pilot transfer when it's blowing 60 knots. You'd never find me crossing the Columbia bar in bad weather!
My dad used to run the Columbia River back in the 70s to pick up lumber in Long View. Took some photos of it some years ago and sent him. He got nostalgic
BTW he lives/lived in Norway
Salute these Pilots!!
God bless them
I’ve sea kayaked alone across the bar hugging the North jetty to stay out of the way of vessel traffic and under the radar of CG. It was pure hell distal to the jetty end with sneaker waves breaking in different directions, current flowing at an accelerated rate around a pinch point, and sandbars suddenly exposed in “deep water” where dredging spoils had been dumped and visible in the troughs. More than a few crabbers have floundered taking this short cut. Anyway, respect for these bar pilots and all the professional personnel that deal with this often calamitous section of the coast.
Respect to these boat crews and pilots. Great coverage.
My dad is a pilot here in Mexico. He spend like 16 years sailing and applied to be a pilot like 10 years ago. I climbed the ladders in several types of ships: car carriers, bulk carriers, maersk container ships. It is so exciting when you’re approaching the ship and when you start climbing, you can feel how the adrenaline flows. Once you’re in the wheelhouse you had suceeded part of the mission.
Geez, they let you climb as well, weren't they concerned about lack of insurance for you ?
Well done!
Now I understand why pilots are so generously compensated! Rope ladders no less. hasn't changed since the Age of Nelson. Thanks for the upload.
These guys are awesome! Their bravery has no bounds.
Its one of those jobs that you need to have presence of mind always. Cant have an “off day” like a heart surgeons
Great video.
Yes, the pilots do a fantastic job and in all weathers too.
I often see them leaving the River Tyne in the north east of England, but thankfully the weather isn't usually too bad. No doubt, there are some storms, but at that time, I am not normally out filming.
Regards from the UK
Much respect to harbor pilots they are so essential to the specific routes knowing all the nuances of the channels ..tides depths …weather..bouyes …they earn their keep🤙🏻….climbing that ladder during rough seas is a scary feat no matter how fit u are
You're welcome I'm just happy to be able to go home to my family everyday
Thank you for sharing. Dangerous work watching the pilot navigaters board the boat.
Its not only risking of their lives but the enormous responsibility of piloting the ships to their intended berth. It requires a very detailed knowledge of water depth and tidal understanding, cross currents and traffic movements in congested waters. They must have an extensive knowledge of ship handling of various types, propulsions , thrusters and also harbour tugs handlings.
now what do you know about MARINERS or seamanship?🤔🤔
@@xChromerSatanasx for me to know and you to find out.😁. I spent 35 years as a Mariner. 20 years sea going and 15 years as a Harbor Pilot.
@@shahza2508 🤔, you didn't bite good job. I am a wise guy crabber and you're the first individual in the comments I believe. 👍
@@shahza2508 since you are a pilot why don't you tell us stories of you boarding a 900' ship from a tug or small boat in 30' swells??? or even 20' swells? it doesn't happen it's impossible, no merchant company would risk such stupidity, or any captain of a large ship. the vessel would simply jog to calm area or wait to enter the BREAKWATER PERIOD. most ports have a breakwater before entering any port
I don't doubt that they use this method to board a ship, but no way on Earth would a pilot or any crew member board a ship in high seas. I have been crab fishing since 1996 and have boarded TRAMPERS by tug 100s of times in DUTCH HARBOR.
I boarded the bar many times in my years here in California... beer on tap, good people, and just good memories overall.
Me to i found bars safe and real fun .
Thank you very much! You missed out the other half of this challenging work - Getting off the Ship to the Pilot boat in bad wx
A friends son is a pilot, I am always in awe of his courage required to transfer from pilot boat to the cargo vessel. Neil, you rock.
I truly enjoyed this video it brought back so many fond memories of my childhood when my dad and brothers were pilots❤ on the East Coast. Boston Harbor, NY, NJ, Cape Cod Canal, Delaware River, you name it, they brought ships safely into port.
Amazing ppl doing amazing things!! ✌💗☺⛵❣
Deep respect for these pilots....Especially at the Columbia. I went to Motor Lifeboat School there at Cape Disappointment in the Coast Guard and often those seas are no joke.
It's pretty gnarly out here for sure, I know a young bar pilot that works the Columbia river bar. I live in Long beach/ seaview
Greatest respect to these gentlemen. And great video describing this industry niche.
Got to see pilot jump from the ferry I was on in Normandy back to the pilot boat in a storm and a night last year; incredible efficiency and professionalism.
Pilot boat is beautiful inside and out
These men are classy as hell. I salute them.
Very cool. My pastor has talked about growing up near Glasgow and going down to the River Clyde with his grandfather. They’d watch the great ships and the wee boats that would ferry a man out to the ship to guide it safely through the twists and turns and shallows of the River.
“Do you want a Pilot?
Signal then to Jesus;
Do you want a Pilot?
Bid Him come on board;
For He will safely guide
Across the oceans wide
Until you reach at last
The Heavenly Harbour.”
- origin unknown
Big respect !!
My Grandfather was a Columbia River Bar Pilot for over thirty years.
Your grandad kicked a$$
Alright, alright....."butt out"!
So cool!
Captain Robert Johnson?
These guys deserve that good money, they are hero's!
They make a good chunk of money. 100-200k a year.
Kuba Page Depending on what company you are employed by it can be much much more
Heroes??!! I think you're throwing that term around rather loosely...
@@ruserious8761 that tends to happen a lot nowadays. It's pretty annoying
Brave yes, heroes no
This is why we should respect the differences with people, some people are just made for certain jobs. I can’t even comprehend how anyone would choose this type of work!
I was a longshoreman for a few years off and on working on the big ships is hard and dangerous work much respect top all the seaman
👏 wow. I could definitely see that being an awesome job. I would definitely do it if I could drive a huge boat but my biggest fear wouldn't be just falling in the water, it would be falling in the water and getting sucked under 1 of those huge ships and not being able to get out from under it😓
Been here 4 years before... This place is unpredictable.
There is a reason why they call it Cape Disappointment.
So many brave people who are out there doing ridiculous jobs to keep others safe.
Wow... I live within a couple of hundred yards of the Columbia River, and I never gave this type of activity a thought!
Imagine getting on a rope ladder and the only thing between you and the drink is a bad list, rogue wave, or bad mistiming of getting on it. And you'd better hope the guys who dropped you off can find you before the waters claim you.
Да, но за 15 лет моей морской карьеры ни один лоцман не упал и не пострадал. Это просто профессия.
Youd probably get squashed between the boats or sucked under the big one and disposed of by the gigantic propeller
Becoming a river pilot is about equal to winning the lottery.
D Briggs that’s because it’s a know someone type job. Requires a fancy expensive degree then you have to be voted into the associations. Majority of average joes aren’t because someone son, daughter or cousin is getting that vote.
@@bradgt5130 reminds me of Australian maritime industry jobs -,it's all about being in the unions, being someone son/nephew for e.g.
I admire “the humbleness of the pilot”
Amazing Men!! God Bless their brave Hearts☘🕶👍🇨🇦
Getting on and off the ships reminds me of when I was boarding foreign fishing vessels on the Bering Sea when I was active duty U.S. Coast Guard during the 70's and 80's.
I'm a retired seaman, I've done that job on the 80's preparing a pilot ladder on a very rough sea
than you would know those big tramper vessels have gangway ladders and they would board a ship like this in bad weather. I know this I am a crabber and longshoreman from Alaska
liar
Are you maestro amo before?☺️
@@jeffreygarcia145 Mr. ChromerSatanas here is apparently then only one who knows how ships and pilots operate! No need to go against him. Due to the fact that he spent a few years aboard a crab fishing vessel he now knows everything! And everyone apparently! He's the one and only.. Twat
@@jeffreygarcia145 able seaman
These harbor pilots keep the ship traffic going in and out safely. Most of them have decades of experience. Although most ship captains are competent, you want someone familiar with that stretch of water. They are worth every penny.
most dangerous jobs I've ever seen. all pilots in this one and crew on smaller craft. And I floated down the Columbia on the U.S.S. Iwo Jima amazed at the power of the sea looking off the fantail. Can't imagine boarding on the move, in the dark with high winds and seas. some crazy brave mothers.
Climb on just like in Somalia! 😳 good luck guys be careful!
Спасибо за интересный сюжет. Заходили в июне 1986 в Асторию. Очень чистый маленький городок в Орегоне. Приятно снова увидеть великолепный мост через Колумбию, соединяющий штаты Вашингтон и Орегон. Бар в устье реки действительно очень мощный,суда качает и валяет как щепку.
Great piece.
The Navy Destroyer I served on Crossed the Columbia bar twice while I was onboard, 1986 for the Rose festival and 1987 for Vancouver Navy Days. Even military ships are required to be under the control of a pilot. 1st the bar pilot, then in Astoria the river pilot boarded as the bar pilot left. Then a new river pilot at the mouth of the Willamette. Was repeated on the trip back out to sea.
All the brave souls dying for money deserve more recognition!
its was literally one guy dead lmao
@@williamcutrell7456 yea, all one of them....
“Love being outside” inside a warm room controlling a ship
These people are amazing. I want puke just looking at that big ship swaying back and forth in rough waters. Can't imagine working on it.
Great presentation…I was 12 and on a Chris Craft type boat 45’…it was Labor Day weekend 1960.We were salmon fishing on the Columbia going out across the bar. The ocean was so calm, we cut just cut the engine and floated, the Captain couldn’t believe it. I caught 2 salmon in the first 1/2 hour, the limit, what’s the big deal, I thought. I spent the rest of the time watching everyone fish, unsuccessfully the rest of the day. Beginners luck I guess? Thanks
Damn you know its rough out when one of those ships are swinging 50 degrees left and right...
My two fears in life... Heights, and the ocean.... This is my idea of hell 😂
Same here lol! Even the smell of the sea gives me anxiety!
Same
You haven't met my wife...
pennise 😂😂
Me too....just watching gave a cold sweat....
Two of my favorite words- bar’s open!
Wow, learn something new each day. This is amazing. They really take risks that payoff. Great job but very demanding. One mistake and it will cost hundreds of millions. Smart guys.
Thank you very interesting 🤗
Glad you enjoyed it Peggie!
Had a uncle who use to be a ship pilot on the Columbia back in the 70’s and I think 80’s last name was wade if memory serves me well
Last name was float if memory doesn't serve well.
Great storytelling.
Great video thanks for sharing
many areas the pilots keep a tight lock on who gets in. friends and family only are allowed
No walls, read you loud and clear!
Back in 1974 I was stationed on the buoy tender Coast Guard cutter Iris (WLB-395). One night we got a search and rescue call so we got underway around 2am. The bar was breaking from jetty to jetty and could be heard as we got close. All of a sudden there was a shuttering thud and then the ship vibrated for a few seconds and that was that. After doing what we needed to do we stayed out and worked a buoy. As we were doing that fuel oil could be seen surrounding the hull. It was apparent that hull plates had been ruptured during the 'bottom bounce' so a damage inspection was made to determine the extent of the leak. As it was pretty bad we then made way to Lake Union in Seattle for repairs. We were put into dry dock then lifted out of the water. The entire working area was surrounded by a collar to keep fuel leakage contained. We were there for about five weeks.
Great job guys, nothing worse than cargo all over the sea and land, and no oil on the beaches is a positive and most of all the cost, well done 👍🇳🇿😎🌈 KIWI PIP 🌈😎🇳🇿👍