New Astoria pilot launch follows venerable tradition

摘要

The notorious Columbia River bar is one of the most dangerous river entrances in the world, and it's just the first of many navigational hazards that ships face on the dredged, 43-foot channel that extends 100 miles upriver to the ports of Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore. Two pilotage associations, the Columbia River Bar Pilots and the Columbia River Pilots, have cooperated for years to provide a seamless service to visiting vessels, which now total more than 2,000 annually.