Astoria Local Customs

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The Columbia River Bar - aka “Graveyard of the Pacific” - at the mouth of the river, can be one of the most treacherous spots for an ocean-going vessel - any vessel for that matter - in the World. This is the only Bar in the US where it is mandatory for a ship to have to take on a Bar Pilot to help navigate the ship into the river from the sea. Once over the Bar, the pilots then have to take on River Pilots to help navigate the ships up the river channel to ports like Portland or other upriver ports. The process is repeated - at some expense to the ship owner - on the return trip. Both sets of Pilots are very well-paid - and there are not a lot of them (only 19-20 Bar Pilots) - but they take on enormous responsibilities. Conditions are ever-changing and one mistake could mean an instant change in career direction or even death. The Bar Pilot boats are lime yellow (this is for the University of Duck fans) an orange (Oregon State Beavers get the newer $4 million boat. These rugged boats are engineered to take on very exacted conditions that one can encounter out on the Bar. The River Pilot boats are more like fast tugs and while strongly built, they don’t have to be able to flip over and come up singing like the Bar Pilot boats do. A great place to watch ships take on and let off their River Pilots is from the deck of the Wet Dog Café of Astoria Brewing Company - weather permitting, of course.