Life aboard the boat that keeps the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’ clear and Oregon’s economy moving

Simply getting aboard the Essayons is a hairy proposition this time of year.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge ship stretches the length of a football field and surges through the surf. To reach it, a motor launch pulls alongside, matching the Essayons’ speed, and two enormous hooks are attached. Then the whole launch — passengers included — is hoisted up and out of the water.

“In the unlikely event someone falls into the water, if you see it, you shout: ‘Man overboard!’ and point,” the safety instructions flash back to mind.

Ocean-going transportation is key to Oregon’s economy. For bulk products like wheat and cars, there is no more efficient way to get goods to market. Last year, $22 billion worth of cargo was shipped through Pacific Northwest waterways.

But sand silts up many rivers, including the Columbia, making them dangerous to navigate. That’s where the Essayons comes in, dredging up sand to maintain a 43-foot-deep navigation channel. During this time of the year, it’s working along the Columbia River Bar, a treacherous stretch at the mouth of the river known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific.”