Ships and piers

A view of Mount Hood from the wheelhouse of the Shaver Transportation tugboat Lincoln as it transports 13,000 metric tons of wheat down the Columbia River in early August. The Tidewater Transportation and Terminals tugboat The Chief approaches, coming upstream carrying empty barges ready to haul more grain downriver to terminals in Portland.

A view of the lock at The Dalles Dam as the Shaver Transportation tugboat Lincoln, pushing four barges loaded with 13,000 metric tons of what, approaches in early August.

The Tidewater Transportation and Terminals tugboat The Chief hauling barges up the Columbia River to be filled with grain in early August. In addition to wheat, Tidewater also hauls petroleum products to terminals along the Snake and Columbia rivers, as well as shipping containers and bulk bins of wood chips.

Inside the locks of the John Day Dam. It takes about 30 minutes for the tow — the name given to the assembly of tugboat and barges — to transit a dam lock going downstream.

A Shaver Transportation grain barge fills up at the Pomeroy Grain Growers terminal on the Snake River in Central Ferry. This particular barge can hold up to 4,200 tons of grain, and takes about eight hours to fill, according to Lincoln Captain Troy Moore.

Reassembling the barges of the tow at the Port of Umatilla. A tow is held together by various cables and need to be adjusted occasionally as cables loosen and when barges are added or removed.

The Hong Kong-registered bulk grain carrier La Fresnais loading grain at Kalama Export’s massive grain terminal in Kalama, Washington, in early August. Capable of carrying nearly 40,000 tons, the La Fresnais was scheduled to sail to Japan once loading was completed.

The Shaver Transportation tugboat Lincoln, furthest from camera, tied up at the company’s terminal in Rainier, Oregon. The tug is used to transport cargo along the Snake and Columbia Rivers.

Shaver Transportation senior captain and tugboat pilot Troy Moore in the wheelhouse of the tugboat Lincoln during a voyage down the Snake and Columbia rivers in early August. With 22 years of experience as both a deckhand and a captain, Moore knows his way around the rivers. “This is a nice tow. It’s little,” Moore said of the four barges carrying roughly 13,000 metric tons of wheat he was pushing down the river to Portland.

Tugboat captain and pilot Andy Bradley at the controls of the tugboat Lincoln. Even with all the equipment in the wheelhouse to help with navigation, Bradley said nothing beats spending time on the river. “You can’t train experience,” he said.

Deckhand Sean Malloy prepares to loop a 1.5-inch steel cable to lash barges together and hold them secure. Captain and pilot Troy Moore, who started out his career as a deckhand, said the work is physically demanding and very tough. “That cable can make a young man old,” he said.

Deckhands Sean Malloy, front, and trainee Colby Glaze stand on the edge of a barge as the tugboat Lincoln edges toward other barges, part of the process of building a tow.

Deckhand Sean Malloy uses a winch to tighten 1.5-inch steel cable in place to secure barges to each other. Despite wind and some rough river conditions, none of the cables or ropes worked loose and the entire tow was very stable during the four-day trip downriver in early August.

Colby Glaze listens as Captain Troy Moore gives him some orders and make some suggestions. Glaze, a midshipman at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, spent several weeks as a trainee with Shaver Transportation during the summer. In order to help alleviate a shortage in personnel, Shaver’s vice president for upriver grain operations, Phil Trochim, said the company works closely with maritime academies like CMA to provide students and cadets opportunities to learn about river hauling work.

Deckhand Harold Lively kicks the lid of a grain bin closed as the tugboat Lincoln prepares to leave the Pomeroy Grain Growers terminal in Central Ferry.

Deckhands Colby Glaze, top, and Sean Malloy lash their tow to a pier. Shipping professionals like Glaze and Malloy help to ensure grain and other products are shipped economically, which helps keep the prices of products made with their cargo affordable for consumers.