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43rd Annual Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race in the Columbia River

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Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland was organized in 1974 for the primary purposes of sponsoring sailboat racing activities on the Columbia River, providing social and networking opportunities for its members and the sailing community as a whole, sponsoring educational activities and programs on sailing, and promoting amateur sailboat racing in general. We remain committed to the concept of a club just for sailors, and primarily for racing sailors. We are probably best known for organizing and running of the Pacific NW Offshore International Yacht Race (formerly the Oregon Offshore) and Sailing on Sundays.  But we are just as proud of our other events, the success of our members in races all over the Northwest (and beyond), and the other contributions we are able to make to the sailing community.  Join us by registering for one of our races and by clicking on the button to the left to volunteer

Published on May 9th, 2014 | by Editor

Record setting Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race

Published on May 9th, 2014 by Editor -->

Twenty-nine yachts started the thirty-eighth annual Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race on Thursday, May 8, 2014. This 193-mile race began at 8:10 am in confused seas and heavy chop, with winds at the start of the race from the south, gusting to 20 knots. Rain went from drizzle to pelting as the southerly front enveloped the fleet, air temperature was 51 degrees for the start of the race.

The race begins off the coast of Astoria, Oregon, starting off the mouth of the Columbia River, with the fleet heading north along the coast, then turning east into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and finishing in the harbor at Victoria, British Columbia.

Kevin Welch’s 65′ Custom Bob Perry carbon fiber sled Icon crossed the finished line at 23:06:20 on Thursday, giving her an unofficial elapsed time of 14:56:20 – beating the 2000 record by 4:50:21. Also beating the record were the Santa Cruz 70 Neptune’s Car, which crossed at 23:13:20, and the Fox 40 Ocelot which crossed at 23:29:32.

Icon’s boat manager, Ian Sloan, reported to Pressure Drop that the wind gradually built to 25-30 with gusts to 35 later on the course. Swells maxed out in the 12-15′ range and the boat averaged 15 knots all the way up the course. “We were well ahead of our routing,” said Sloan. “With SE winds and confused seas all the way to Cape Flattery, we pushed the boat as hard as we have ever pushed it, sending 6 inches of green water into the cockpit at times. It was the wettest ride any of us have ever had, with rain at the start and rain, heavy at times all the way up. With only 9 people on board, everyone was working all the time, so we never really got cold!”

Division winners PHRF Overall: Blade Runner, Santa Cruz 27, Ward Naviaux PHRF A: Time Bandit, J/120, Robert Brunius PHRF B: Free Bowl of Soup, J/105, Eric Hopper, Doug Schenk, and Matt Davis PHRF C: California Girl, Cal 40, Timm and Victoria Lessley PHRF D: Wy’East, Cascade 36, Frank Colistro Santa Cruz 27: Blade Runner, Ward Naviaux IRC: Ocelot, Fox 44, Kevin Flanigan Cruising: Souffle, Cal 34, Phil Lewis

Results – Race website

Tags: Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race

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A sailboat heads out of the marina at the Port of Astoria to begin the 2019 Oregon Offshore yacht race.

• Colin Murphey/The Astorian
• Copy article link

Race will begin near Ilwaco

Annual yacht race returns to the coast

• By Alyssa Evans
• Jun 2, 2021

Come next week, 26 boats will make a splash as each travels north along Washington’s coast.

The boats will participate in the Pacific NW Offshore Race, the annual yacht race that was previously known as the Oregon Offshore.

This year marks the 45th annual race, which is sponsored by the Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland. Participants will travel from Ilwaco, Washington, to Port Angeles, starting about 10 a.m. on June 10 near Buoy 2. The starting line for the race is drawn by former Ilwaco Mayor Mike Cassinelli, owner of the Coho Sally, who positions the boat in range of Buoy 2. Boats are then aligned along an “imaginary starting line.”

“You can’t cross the starting line until that 10 o’clock horn goes off. Then, folks race up along the coast, turn the corner into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, then race down the strait to Port Angeles and finish in the bay there in Port Angeles,” said Dennis Damore, race captain and commodore for Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland.

The event will be the club’s first since 2019, because the event was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s event will look a bit different than previous years. Previous races ran mid-May between Astoria and Victoria, Canada, ahead of the Swiftsure, another race. This year, since the U.S. and Canada border is closed to commercial boats, the race is ending in Port Angeles.

Boats will arrive in the area throughout the week before the event, offering local residents a chance to meet some of the sailors and see their ships up close. On Wednesday, from 1 to 4 p.m., local residents can receive information about the race and view vessels at the Port of Ilwaco as part of a special event featuring live music and local mermaids.

“The skippers are pretty welcoming people. Whether they’ll allow anyone onto their boat is up to the individual skipper … but more often than not, we’ll invite them on board,” Damore said. “We’re hoping we’ll get some people from the local community to come on down.”

The Oregon Offshore began in 1976 as a challenge between Portland sailors Jack Gainer and Richard Kipp. The first race began from Astoria and headed south to Newport, for a length of 100 miles. The race’s length and direction has varied over the years but has remained to last 193 nautical miles since 1991. The race’s current record is about 14 hours, though most sailors take about 36 hours, Damore said.

This year’s boats range in length from 30 feet to 70 feet long. The average crew size for a boat is six people, Damore said. He expects 150 to 200 people associated with the race will participate this year. About half of the participating boats are from the Seattle area; one is from Port Angeles; and the others are from Oregon.

“Coastal currents, the prevailing Japanese current and big tides can happen on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The variability and the scenic beauty of it is really pretty unique, especially for the Northwest because we’re the longest single segment offshore race in the Northwest,” Damore said.

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Discover a world of diverse activities at RCYC designed to cater to every member’s interests. From the excitement of cruising and competitive racing to engaging social events, our club offers an array of experiences to enrich your membership. However, the opportunities extend beyond recreation.

Embrace the chance to contribute to the community by lending a hand in various capacities, both on-site and administratively. Members fulfill their required work hours through a plethora of tasks, catering to individual preferences and work styles. Whether you thrive in solitary projects or prefer collaborative endeavors, there’s a role suited for you.

Explore a wide spectrum of opportunities, ranging from hands-on tasks like carpentry, electrical work, and landscaping to creative ventures such as graphic design and photography. Delve into the realm of administration with roles in database management, web development, and more.

Become an integral part of our vibrant community by participating in areas like the cruising program, dredging initiatives, or contributing to publications such as newsletters and yearbooks. Take the helm as an administrative officer or committee chair, or lend your skills to enhance our racing program and publicity efforts. At RCYC, there’s a place for everyone to make a meaningful contribution while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow members. Join us in shaping unforgettable experiences and building lasting connections within our dynamic community.

2024 Destinations

If you are planning to join us on Lazy day, it is best to let our Cruising Chairs know your plans in order to secure a spot on the docks together with our group during our time in Cathlamet.

In general it’s best to please keep dogs on a leash while cruising with groups.

• Spring Equinox Cruise Friday March 22, to Sunday March 24—Bartlett Landing (Govt. Island East Dock) 
• April Showers Cruise Friday April 26 to Sunday April 28—Bartlett Landing (Govt. Island East Dock)
• Memorial Day Weekend Cruise Friday May 24 to Monday May 27, Bartlett’s Landing

S chool’s Out Cruise

• Friday June 21, Coon Island – west side
• Saturday June 22, Kalama
• Sunday June 23 to Monday June 24, Martin Slough
• Tuesday June 25, Coon Island – east side

July 20-27 — Lazy Days Downriver Cruise

• Saturday July 20, Martin Slough (Rockin the Cove is there) or Kalama
• Sunday July 21, Walker Island
• Monday July 22, Westport
• Tuesday July 23 and Wednesday July 24, Astoria West Basin
• Thursday July 25, Cathlamet, Pot Luck dinner
• Friday July 26, Walker Island
• Saturday July 27, Martin Slough
• Pirates Family Fun Cruise Friday August 9 to Sunday August 11, Schwitter’s Landing
• Labor Day Weekend Cruise Friday August 30 to Monday September 2, Beacon Rock
• Autumnal Equinox Cruise Friday September 20 to Sunday September 22, Schwitter’s Landing
• Fall Foliage Cruise Friday October 11 to Sunday October 13, Bartlett’s Landing

RCYC kicks off the racing season with this traditional one-day regatta held in March. Races are held on the river in front of the club, and generally consist of 4-5 short races around marks set by the club race committee, followed by a BBQ social event at the clubhouse. This regatta is often challenging due to the early spring conditions, which means strong current and unsettled winds, and the presence of many fishing boats.

2024 OCSA Race Calendar Spreadsheet:

RCYC Frostbite Regatta

This challenging race starts right at the RCYC breakwater, and heads upriver against the still-strong May current, past several islands, under the I-205 bridge, to round a special mark near Lady Island at the entrance to the Columbia River Gorge, then back to the finish line at the breakwater, for a total distance of approximately 15 miles. Often the winner is the boat that most ably uses current relief found behind several wing dams and islands. In many years, the conditions make it difficult for some or all competitors to finish before time expires, but win, lose, or finish, everyone seems to have a grand time, and to enjoy the post-race BBQ at the club house.

RCYC Medium Distance Race

Harry Brault Memorial Long Distance Race

This two-day race in early September is considered the ne plus ultra of long distance racing on the river. Starting just past the confluence of the Willamette River with the Columbia, the racers beat downriver against the prevailing northwesterlies approximately 15 miles to round the northern tip of Sand Island, near the City of St. Helens, to finish with a brief but usually thrilling spinnaker run at the Sand Island docks. Hundreds of sailors convene on the docks for a post-race party, and most spend the night either camping on the island or snug in their berths. The next morning the racers arise (some the worse for the night’s festivities, alas), and the next leg starts, racing downriver to round the northern tip of Sand Island, and the beginning of what is often a 15-mile spinnaker duel back upriver. A classic event, the Long Distance is a fitting culmination to the summer racing season.

The RCYC racing program is only one part of the larger Portland-area racing community, which offers year-round races and events. Here is a brief overview of the larger racing community.

A number of clubs organize races on the river. Their efforts are coordinated by an umbrella organization, the Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association (OCSA), which hosts the main website,  sailpdx.org . OCSA also publishes the racebook and local racing rules, provides a protest resolution process, offers training events and lectures, and hosts the big year-end awards party, the Tropical Party, in November. All boats that race in the scored events listed in the OCSA Racebook must be members of OCSA. Membership is very cheap (currently $20). Individual clubs also charge fees, either to enter individual races or regattas, or for membership (which usually entails free entry into races).

RCYC is one of at least five clubs that run local races, each of which specializes in particular types of races or events.

• The Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) runs three race series from April to August, focusing on short-course buoy racing during the week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings. Membership in SYSCO is inexpensive (currently $120 per year) and gains members free entry into dozens of races. Best bang for the buck.
• The Portland Yacht Club (PYC) offers several weekend regattas, including Opening Day and two fall regattas.
• The Corinthian Yacht Club of Oregon (CYC) organizes the Oregon Offshore race, from Astoria to Victoria, BC, and specializes in offshore races. CYC also hosts the Sail on Sundays (SOS) series, which runs from October to March, and offers casual races on Sunday afternoons starting right outside the RCYC breakwater. SOS has no entry fees, and is a great way to keep away the winter blues or gain racing and boat handling skills without committing to a formal race.
• The Willamette Sailing Club (WSC) offers dinghy racing on the Willamette River for youth and adult sailors, but also sometimes operates dinghy and keelboat races on the Columbia.
• The clubs rotate hosting beer cans on some Saturdays and Sundays during most weekends of the summer. A great way to get some experience racing in a casual environment without all the stress and fuss. Free to all. Please check  Event Notices – Sail Portland .

Until further notice, all Board and General Meetings are being held via Zoom. Social activities noted on the calendar are placeholders, so people can tentatively make plans. However, County and State guidelines will dictate when we can safely hold such gatherings. Emails will provide further information as the year progresses.

• Board/General Meetings
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• July 4th: Land Cruise
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Work Parties

A minimum of 16 hours is required of each Active Membership annually, with 8 hours minimum required before June 10th. The calendar year for work hours ends on December 10th.

Active Memberships are those who are boat owners and who are eligible for moorage, whether their boat is in the moorage or not.

Work Parties will return to traditional format this year. Work Party invitations will be sent out before each scheduled Work Party. Please RSVP to help in planning. All Work Parties will be on Saturdays and will begin at 9:00 unless otherwise noted. Lunch will be provided.

Assignments will be given out by the Work Party Leader at the Club House the morning of the Work Party. Please observe all Covid restrictions in effect at the time of the Work Party.

There may be some opportunities outside of work parties, like special projects or emergencies but please do not depend on those.

We plan on 4 spring work parties – 3/2 , 3/23 , 4/6 , 4/27 and 4 fall parties – 9/14 , 9/28 , 10/19 and 11/2 . Sign up to assist, lead or organize lunches for a work party.

Learn about the maintenance tasks performed by members: Annual Schedule of Tests, Inspections, and Maintenance  (PDF)

Questions? Email RCYC work party Program Lead , Greg Douglass.

Each year RCYC dredges the moorage. In the last year, however no dredging occurred in response to the COVID virus. Therefore, as many members have noticed, the moorage has silted in. The dredging effort generally commences the first week of November and continues until completion, which takes about 6 weeks depending the progress made. The moorage is surveyed and the depths to be dredged are determined. A final survey is undertaken the second week of October.

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The Pacific Northwest Offshore (formerly the Oregon Offshore) is a 193-mile race that starts at the mouth of the Columbia River and normally finishes in Victoria, BC. 

However, in 2021 and 2022, the race finished in Port Angeles due to COVID requirements for entering Canada. The PNW Offshore is not your average weekend sailboat race, especially for a sailboat moored in the Salish Sea. For Nordic Sun II and crew, it was a 10-day, 600-mile round trip adventure, with 270 of those miles spent offshore.  

I have wanted to sail offshore for a long time and purchased Nordic Sun II , a Hylas 44 Mark I, to go offshore cruising when I retired a few years ago. But then the pandemic hit and some other life changes benched the idea of offshore cruising for a few years. It was during Winter Vashon 2021 that I asked some of my long-term racing crew if they were interested in doing the PNW Offshore again. We had all done the race before, in 2004, on the original Nordic Sun , a C&C 39. By doing the offshore, I could test the waters to see if I still wanted to sail off over the horizon. 

To get to the starting line took some boat work and a 300-mile delivery down the coast of Washington, to the Columbia River from Tacoma Washington. I started preparing Nordic Sun II  long before the starting gun fired on May 13 th .  To get my punch list of boat projects, the first thing I did was to read the Safety Equipment Requirements , commonly call the SER’s, for the race.  

The SERs contained 80 or so different safety requirements that the boat and crew would need to meet, in order to participate in offshore event. From this review, I noted all the things needed to prepare the boat and crew for the race. I will not bore you with a listing of everything I had to tackle to meet the SERs, but I will mention a few things, that I think were noteworthy. 

The first boat item that had to be fixed was my manual cockpit bilge pump. According the SERs my bilge pump could not share a thru-hull fitting with the self-bailing cockpit drains. Therefore, I had to re-plumb where the water from the pump exited the boat. As part of the re-plumbing task, I decided I should test the pump. I had never used it, since my electric bilge pump was working just fine. I’m glad I tested it, because I found it not working properly. The pump was old and was unable to build up enough head pressure to pump the bilge water up and over the anti-syphon loop. I replaced it with a new pump, which had no problem overcoming the head pressure requirements to pump it overboard.    

Have you tested your manual bilge pump lately? If you haven’t, it might be worth a quick test to verify it is in working order. I’m glad I found out my pump didn’t work at the dock, instead of discovering it was not working properly when the boat was sinking.   

Each boat participating in the race also needed to have an Automatic Identification System (AIS). AIS broadcasts your boat’s information, course and speed to others around you via a VHF antenna. This allows other boats with AIS receivers to see you electronically. Lots of times you can see a boat on AIS long before you can actually see them with your eye. I had already installed AIS a few years back in preparing my boat for sailing offshore, but from talking to other racers, they had to install AIS so they could do the race. 

Another requirement for each boat in the offshore race was to have a life raft with a current certification. My boat had a raft, but the certification had expired in 2014. I took it to Marine Safety Services in Seattle to get it re-certified. While dropping it off for certification, I asked them if it would be possible to be on hand when they unpacked and inflated the raft, during the recertification process and they agreed.

It was extremely informative to be there when my raft was unpacked and inflated. They walked my wife and I through all the equipment in the raft. Not only that, but they explained how to board the raft, and use the equipment inside of it. The knowledge I gained during the life raft certification process definitely brought down our anxiety level a notch, should I ever have to deploy the raft. If you ever have to get your raft certified, I recommend you be there when your raft is inflated to inspect it first-hand. 

Another requirement for sailing offshore is having jacklines. The jacklines consist of two lines, normally webbing, that runs down each side deck from bow to stern. The line is used to keep you and your crew attached to the boat via a tether and harness. If you should fall overboard while being clipped in to a jackline, at least the boat will not sail away without you.

Some boats have a single set of jacklines, one running along each side deck from bow to stern. I decided to put on two extra sets of jacklines on my boat. One set ran along each side of the cockpit and the other ran from each side of the cockpit to the base of the mast.  The ones in the cockpit allowed crew to clip to it before  coming up on deck from below. This allowed them to move around the cockpit without unclipping. The other set ran from each side of the cockpit to the base of the mast, so it was more inboard than the other deck jackline that ran the length of the boat. Being more inboard meant it was virtually impossible to fall overboard, while being clipped to this jackline. The crew was glad for these extra short jacklines to the mast, especially when we had to put in a second reef in 30+ knots of wind and big seas during the race.

Another requirement to participate in this event was to have an emergency rudder. As luck would have it, my boat came with a monitor windvane and a MRUD emergency rudder which could replace the self-steering water paddle. We mounted the monitor windvane and MRUD to the boat prior to leaving Tacoma, so it was ready to deploy should we need it. 

The last SER item worth mentioning was the requirement that one-third of the crew take the US Sailings Safety at Sea course Part 1.  The requirement meant myself and at least one other crew member needed to take the course. The course reinforced some of what I already knew about being safe on a boat. Additionally, it covered a number of other things I had never considered. The course contains 10 different units that cover topics like, lending assistance, communication, cold water exposure, safety equipment, signaling, and marine weather to name a few. If you are contemplating going offshore, or just want to be safer at sea, regardless of where you sail, I would recommend taking this course. I am now considering taking Part 2 of this course before my next trek offshore. 

With all the SERs requirements completed, one crew member and I left Tacoma Yacht Club heading for Columbia River. We departed six days before the race was supposed to start. The first day we motored to Port Townsend, then on the second day we continued on to Port Angeles (PA), where we picked up two more crew members.   

Leg two of our delivery from Port Townsend to PA started out as a motor. But then the wind blew in from Pacific Ocean, so we rolled out the headsail and started beating while the wind steadily rose. The farther we sailed the more it blew, and the bigger the waves got. Eventually we shortened sail by rolling in the headsail a several feet.  

With the increased winds, the sea state was starting to have big breaking waves. The bow was diving under the big waves often, sometimes so far that the boat would scoop up a ton of green seawater. So much so, that a wave of seawater, 1 foot high or more would rush down the deck, down the cabin top and then right up over the dodger. It was a rough, wet slough as we sailed toward our destination.  It was so nasty that it made me wonder why I was putting myself through this self-imposed torture treatment.  It was like riding the last part of the Splash Mountain roller coaster ride, at Disneyland, over and over again.    

Eventually we tack and were heading straight for PA.  When we were out a mile or more from our destination the roller furler line broke.  This caused the head sail to roll out. The additional sail caused us to be slightly overpowered, for final stretch to PA. We were glad when we cleared Edez Hook, at the entrance to Port Angeles’s harbor. This allowed us to lower the headsail in relatively calm waters 

It was a good thing I was meeting a couple of other delivery crew in PA, because that meant I had a car at my disposal. After we topped off the fuel tanks with diesel, the crew member with the car drove me to West Marine in Port Townsend to buy a new furler line. We spent the night in PA, licking our wounds, replacing the parted line and doing a few other boat tasks. We were now ready to sail the boat down the coast of Washington.

The next morning at 6 am we headed out of PA toward the Pacific Ocean and our offshore delivery leg of this sailing adventure.  We motored against the headwinds and incoming waves as we worked our way toward Neah Bay.  On our AIS we could see two other offshore participants, Equilibrium and Gone with the Wind gaining on us from behind. They both passed us just prior to making the big left-hand turn around Tatoosh Island. As each boat turned the corner sails went up. We were all beam reaching down the coast. I would say the race was on, but we only rolled out our headsail, since our plan was to catch the incoming tide at the Columbia River on Tuesday morning and it was only Sunday evening. 

As we sailed close to the shoreline, we could see the surf pounding the rock infested Washington coast. As the light of day slowly disappeared below the Pacific Ocean horizon, the temperature rapidly cooled. It was time to break up the crew into two shifts of two. Each shift spending three hours on deck, and three below, every six hours.  

We kept a sharp eye out for ship traffic and watched a few AIS targets pop up. Not all boats have AIS, therefore we had to be diligent  keeping a constant lookout for those non-AIS enabled boats, moving along the Washington coast.

It seems the work boats, crabbers I assumed, were the ones without AIS. It would have been nice if these work boats had AIS, but at least they were all lit up with their deck lights shining. The bright illuminating work lights made them very easy to spot, but did make it hard to tell how far off they really were. 

We spent two nights at sea and sailed all the way to the entrance of the Columbia River.  The sail was totally uneventful, which was a blessing after our experience sailing to Port Angeles. We arrived at the mouth of the river just as the sun was coming up. The bar was benign, as we motored across. By 7:15 a.m., just over 48 hours after leaving PA we were safely tied to the Ilwaco Marina dock.  

The first half of our offshore adventure was now in the books. I was glad I spent the time, effort and money to prepare Nordic Sun II for the race. It was an enjoyable delivery to the Columbia River from the Salish Sea. 

Read about Nordic Sun II’s PNW Offshore Race in the June issue of 48° North . 

Greg Larsen

Cruiser/Racer with a lifetime of sailing experience, Greg and his family have been cruising the waters of the Salish Sea from Olympia to Alaska for decades.

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Oxford coach blasts Thames pollution as a national disgrace ahead of Boat Race with Cambridge

By STEVE DOUGLAS and PAN PYLAS Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The coach of Oxford’s crew taking part in the Boat Race has described the pollution in London’s River Thames as a “national disgrace.” His team has also expressed concerns about maintaining the post-event tradition of throwing the winning cox into the water. Testing by a campaign group has found high levels of E.coli along a section of the Thames in southwest London that will be used for the historic race on Saturday. Crew members have been warned about the risk of entering the water and advised to use a “cleansing station” at the finish area. The company responsible for the upkeep of the Thames faces mounting financial difficulties that critics say should force the company to return to state hands.

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Good Friday

Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before it collided with Baltimore bridge, officials say

Police officers who were warned a ship that lost its steering was headed toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore had only about 90 seconds to stop traffic before the bridge collapsed early Tuesday.

The cargo ship that caused the Baltimore bridge collapse was carrying hazardous materials, the National Transportation Safety Board said. (AP video by Nathan Ellgren)(AP production by Javier Arciga)

Investigation of Baltimore bridge collapse picks up speed as divers recover 2 bodies from water

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is highlighting the importance of the collapsed of the Francis Scott Key Bridge to the U.S. economy and says it is “imperative” to get the port of Baltimore up and running as quickly as possible

Economic worries are hitting home for many Baltimore-area residents after Tuesday’s bridge collapse. (AP production by Rod Jussim)

A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse. Six people were missing and presumed dead. (AP production by Javier Arciga) (Thumbnail image: Maxaar Technologies via AP)

The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is diverting driving and shipping around one of the busiest ports on America’s East Coast. Baltimore Harbor Tunnel expected to absorb traffic.

A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse. Six people were missing and presumed dead. (AP production by Javier Arciga)

Transportation Secretary Buttigieg says it’s too soon to say how long it will take to reopen the Port of Baltimore or replace the destroyed bridge. The U.S. Coast Guard says hazardous materials aboard the damaged ship pose no public safety threat.

Ship traffic entering and leaving the Port of Baltimore has been suspended indefinitely after a cargo ship lost power and crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse on Tuesday. Authorities say it is too soon to know how long it will take to reopen the port or replace the bridge.

An engineering expert says there would be no economically feasible way to protect a bridge from a large ship strike like what happened with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and he’s not even sure it would perform successfully in a similar incident. (27 March 2024)

In this aerial image released by the Maryland National Guard, the cargo ship Dali is stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (Maryland National Guard via AP)

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A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

People at Fort Mchenry view a container ship as it rests against the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore. The ship rammed into the major bridge early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore. The ship rammed into the major bridge early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Police boats work around a cargo ship that is stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is pictured on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore. A cargo ship rammed into the major bridge Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Shown is the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Dundalk, Md. The ship rammed into the major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In this image taken from video released by the National Transportation and Safety Board, the cargo ship Dali is stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (NTSB via AP)

A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. The ship rammed into the major bridge early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge as dawn approaches on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. Recovery efforts resumed Wednesday for the construction workers who are presumed dead after the cargo ship hit a pillar of the bridge, causing the structure to collapse. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge near sunrise on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. Recovery efforts resumed Wednesday for the construction workers who are presumed dead after the cargo ship hit a pillar of the bridge, causing the structure to collapse. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Boats work near wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. Recovery efforts resumed Wednesday for the construction workers who are presumed dead after the cargo ship hit a pillar of the bridge, causing the structure to collapse. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A container ship rests against the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge during a rainstorm on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. The ship rammed into the major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A Coast Gaurd cutter patrols in front of a cargo ship that is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge Wednesday March 27, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

BALTIMORE (AP) — The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent “routine engine maintenance” in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday, as divers recovered the bodies of two of six workers who plunged into the water when it collapsed. The others were presumed dead, and officials said search efforts had been exhausted.

Investigators began collecting evidence from the vessel a day after it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bodies of the two men were located in the morning inside a red pickup submerged in about 25 feet (7.6 meters) of water near the bridge’s middle span, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent of Maryland State Police, announced at an evening news conference.

He identified the men as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, who was from Mexico and living in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, who was from Guatemala and living in Dundalk, Maryland.

The victims , who were part of a construction crew fixing potholes on the bridge, were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Butler said.

Here’s what to know:

• Victims: At least eight people went into the water. Two were rescued but the other six, part of a construction crew that had been filling potholes on the bridge, are missing and presumed dead.
• Investigation: The cargo ship, called Dali, lost power and issued a mayday call shortly before it rammed the bridge. The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel Wednesday to collect evidence about the exact circumstances of the crash.
• Impact: The collapse is diverting shipping and trucking around one of the busiest ports on America’s East Coast, creating delays and raising costs in the latest disruption to global supply chains. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it’s too soon to say how long it will take to reopen the port or replace the bridge.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore addressed their families in Spanish during the news conference, saying, “Estamos contigo, ahora y siempre,” which means, “we are with you, now and always.”

AP AUDIO: Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before it collided with Baltimore bridge, officials say.

As the search for victims under a Baltimore bridge continues, survivors of previous bridge disasters shared their stories with the Associated Press. AP correspondent Jennifer King reports.

All search efforts have been exhausted, and based on sonar scans, authorities “firmly” believe the other vehicles with victims are encased in material from the collapsed bridge, Butler said. Divers are to resume searching once the debris is cleared.

Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said at the news conference that authorities were informed that the ship was going to undergo the maintenance.

“As far as the engine goes, we were not informed of any problems with the vessel,” he said.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a view of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. (Maxaar Technologies via AP)

The Baltimore region has reeled from the sudden loss of a major transportation link that’s part of the highway loop around the city. The disaster also closed the port, which is vital to the city’s shipping industry.

National Transportation Safety Board officials boarded the ship to recover information from its electronics and paperwork and to interview the captain and other crew members, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said during a separate news conference. Twenty-three people, including two pilots, were on the ship when it crashed, she said.

The vessel was also carrying 56 containers of hazardous materials including corrosives, flammables and lithium ion batteries, Homendy said. She added that some containers were breached, and that a sheen on the water from those materials would be handled by authorities.

Marcel Muise, NTSB investigator in charge, laid out a preliminary timeline assembled from the voyage data recorder comprising audio from the bridge and VHF radio ahead of the crash, which federal and state officials have said appeared to be an accident.

The vessel, the Dali, left port at 12:39 a.m. Tuesday and, after it entered the channel, signs of trouble came at about 1:25 a.m. when numerous alarms sounded, according to the NTSB. About a minute later, steering commands and rudder orders were issued, and at 1:26 a.m. and 39 seconds, a pilot made a general radio call for nearby tug boats.

Maryland Transportation Authority data from about the same time shows the pilot association dispatcher called the transportation authority’s officer on duty about the blackout, the NTSB said.

Just after 1:27 a.m., the pilot commanded the ship to drop an anchor on the left side of the ship and issued added steering commands. About 20 seconds later, the pilot issued a radio call reporting that the Dali had lost all power approaching the bridge.

At about that time, the state transportation officer on duty radioed two of its units already stationed at each end of the bridge saying to close the bridge to vehicle traffic. They were already there because of the construction.

Around 1:29 a.m., when the ship was traveling at about 8 mph (13 kph), recordings for about 30 seconds picked up sounds consistent with it colliding with the bridge, the NTSB said. A Transportation Authority dash camera also shows lights on the bridge going out.

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports the Biden administration is looking at rebuilding and reopening in Baltimore -- while warning of a long road ahead.

At 1:29 a.m. and 39 seconds, the pilot reported to the Coast Guard that the bridge was down.

A Coast Guard cutter passes a cargo ship that is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship his the bridge Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Muise said experts will review the entire voyage data recording and develop a detailed transcript.

At least eight people initially went into the water when the ship struck the bridge column , and two of them were rescued Tuesday, officials said.

Traffic was still crossing the span as the ship approached, and some vehicles appeared to escape with only seconds to spare. The crash caused the bridge to break and fall into the water within seconds.

Authorities had just enough time to stop vehicle traffic . One officer parked sideways across the lanes and planned to drive onto the bridge to alert the construction crew once another officer arrived, but he did not get a chance.

The debris complicated the search for the workers, according to a Homeland Security memo described to The Associated Press by a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss details of the document or the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Gov. Moore said the divers faced dangerous conditions, among the mangled metal and low visibility.

A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge as night falls on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Sparrows Point, Md. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“They are down there in darkness where they can literally see about a foot in front of them,” Moore said.

The Dali, which is managed by Synergy Marine Group, was headed from Baltimore to Sri Lanka. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., and Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had chartered it.

The vessel passed foreign port state inspections in June and September 2023. In the June inspection, a faulty monitor gauge for fuel pressure was rectified before departure, Singapore’s port authority said.

The ship was traveling under a Singapore flag, and officials there said they will conduct their own investigation in addition to supporting U.S. authorities.

The sudden loss of a highway that carries 30,000 vehicles a day and the port disruption will affect not only thousands of dockworkers and commuters but also U.S. consumers who are likely to feel the impact of shipping delays .

“A lot of people don’t realize how important the port is just to everything,” said Cat Watson, who used the bridge to get to work every day and lives close enough that she was awakened by the collision. “We’re going to be feeling it for a very long time.”

Baltimore is a busy entry point for vehicles made in Germany, Mexico, Japan and the United Kingdom, along with coal and farm equipment.

Ship traffic has been suspended indefinitely. Windward Maritime, a maritime risk-management company, said its data shows a large increase in ships that are waiting for a port to go to, with some anchored outside Baltimore or nearby Annapolis.

At the White House, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the Biden administration was focused on reopening the port and rebuilding the bridge, which was completed in 1977. He did not put a timeline on those efforts, while noting that the original bridge took five years to construct.

Buttigieg also planned to meet Thursday with supply chain officials.

Barges, including some with cranes, were on their way to help remove the wreckage, Gilreath said.

Homendy said the NTSB investigation could take 12 to 24 months but the agency may issue urgent safety recommendations sooner. A preliminary report should come in two to four weeks.

“It’s a massive undertaking for an investigation,” Homendy said.

From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions, according to the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.

AP AUDIO: Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before Baltimore bridge fell. 6 workers are feared dead.

This is sound of first responders at the Key Bridge in Maryland is captured by Broadcastify.

Witte reported from Dundalk, Maryland. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report, including Nathan Ellgren, Colleen Long, Sarah Brumfield, Rebecca Santana, Jake Offenhartz, Joshua Goodman, Ben Finley, Claudia Lauer, Juliet Linderman, Josh Boak, David McHugh, John Seewer, Michael Kunzelman, Mike Catalini, Sarah Rankin and Lisa Baumann.