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Observations on the Hudson River as it passes through New York City. The section of the Hudson which passes through New York is historically known as the North River, called this by the Dutch to distinguish it from the Delaware River, which they knew as the South River. This stretch of the Hudson is still often referred to as the North River by local mariners today. All photos copyright Daniel Katzive unless otherwise attributed. For more frequent updates, please follow northriverblog on Instagram.

  • Wednesday May 8–hot wind and cold water

    Wednesday May 8–hot wind and cold water
    Buchanan12 headed back to Clinton Point with empty hoppers just before a thunderstorm moved through in the morning.
    Erin Elizabeth has been moving scrap recently and brought three hoppers full down from Coeymans down to the Sims metal dock in Jersey City.
    Erin passed Sapphire Coast on one.
    Sapphire was heading back to Ravenna with a light cement barge.
    A small powerboat ran aground in the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, bringing a Coast Guard 45’ response boat all the way up from the harbor.
    One of Harbor Charlie’s 35’ boats later returned from the area.
    A Metro North “maxibomb” rounded the curve at Spuyten Duyvil and headed for Westchester.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • May 7–Hot Tuesday

    May 7–Hot Tuesday
    Poling-Cutler’s Marilyn George brought a freshly repainted A87 barge down from Rensselaer. A87 is normally paired with the Saint Emilion, also operated by Poling-Cutler, but the Saint last pinged AIS from the Brooklyn Navy Yard GMD shipyard a month and a half ago so likely out of service.
    Marilyn passed a J80 sailboat.
    Reinauer’s Kristy Ann/RTC 80 ATB returned from Buckeye Albany terminal, heading for the Upper Bay in the afternoon heat.
    Kristy Ann passed the towers of Guttenberg.
    The low slung J. Arnold Witte continues to shuffle dredging barges and mud scows at the cruise terminal.
    Vane’s Charleston passed the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument on West 87th Street with a tank barge, returning from the Sprague Terminal in Rensselaer and heading for the Shell Terminal in Sewaren.
    Another Vane tug, the Wye River, last seen almost exactly a year ago on NRN, left anchorage off Yonkers and headed for the Vane docks in Red Hook/Gowanus Bay.
    The survey vessel Time and Tide is operating off Pier 66, likely mapping the bottom in preparation for work on the new Hudson rail tunnels to be dug through here.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • May 6–Monday observations

    Kristin Poling was paired with the Eva Leigh Cutler barge and came up to anchor on the North River after returning from a run up to Boston.
    Kirby’s big Cape Hatteras/DBL 81 ATB later passed by heading north from the Buckleye Port Reading terminal. If they continue north rather than anchoring it would be a somewhat rare upriver run for a Kirby unit.
    Stasinos’s Charles James returned to the harbor in the afternoon haze after a run up to Tompkins Cove.
    DonJon’s Atlantic Salvor and Thomas D. Witte were on dredge duty at the cruise terminal
    Carnival’s Venezia left their New York City homeport unassisted, heading back to the eastern Caribbean.
    A stand up paddle border was sitting down, riding the flood tide north as he enjoyed the warm afternoon

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • Wednesday April 24–Windy Wednesday

    Stasinos Marine’s James Charles was running light, with business to attend to in Kingston.
    Jill Reinauer returned from Newburgh with her barge and headed for Erie Basin in Red Hook.
    Discovery Coast returned from Newburgh with Double Skin 58 and also headed for Red Hook.
    Sapphire Coast was coming the other way as they returned to Ravenna from the Lafarge dock in Red Hook with a light cement barge
    The cruise ship MSC Divina, in transit from its Miami winter homeport to its Mediterranean summer cruising grounds, was docked on the south side of Pier 88.
    The DonJon dredger Michigan was at work between Piers 92 and 94, adding depth back, not the Delaware Bay who we see more often at work here.
    A Marine Viper helicopter flew up the North River from the base of Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 at Joint Base Mcquire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
    As usual, the Viper was accompanied by a larger Venom helicopter.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • Tuesday 23 April—Reverse Angle

    Tuesday 23 April—Reverse Angle

    Traffic Tuesday included a foreign sugar cargo heading for Yonkers, plus a typical mix of oil and stone products. A trip to the Jersey side provides some good reverse angle opportunities.

    Carver’s Erin Elizabeth came through early, returning to Coeymans with light looking hoppers.
    Later in the day, Stasinos’s Charles James brought loaded hoppers north from the harbor.
    A lot of DonJon assets are down in Baltimore working on the bridge salvage operation, but the DSNY paper and cruise terminal dredging contracts keep some equipment local. Paul Andrew was moving paper, while Atlantic Salvor moved mud.
    Paul Andrew guided the DSNY barge into the shed at Pier 99.
    The low slung J. Arnold Witte was also on dredging detail as a paddle border enjoyed the sunny skies though challenging wind.
    Balsa 92 brought a cargo of Central American sugar to the Yonkers refinery, trailed by Marjorie D McAllister who will help with docking at the plant.
    Marjorie later returned to the harbor.
    As Balsa 92 remained behind to unload at the plant (photo taken from Henry Hudson Drive in Palisades Interstate Park).
    Stephan Reinauer, now paired with the 300’ RTC 42, headed north past the Dyckman Street dock and Inwood Hill Park.
    Kimberly Turecamo ran light heading for an assist job sailing a bulker up at the wallboard plant in Buchanan (usually a two tug job), passing the Little Red Lighthouse and Great Grey Bridge.
    This unusual boat headed north, looking like something that might be seen on the NYS Canal System. She did not broadcast on AIS and only part of the name could be read, indicating ‘aryMotel’ or something like that.
    More familiar was Marilyn George, returning from Albany with the Edwin A. Poling barge.
    Moorings were in place at the Dyckman Marina, awaiting boats.
    Hoboken fire department keeps a small fireboat in a marina in the city.
    Edgewater has a pair of similar sized vessels.
    Seagulls presided over the old 67th Street Transfer Bridge.
    The ground hogs of Palisades Interstate Park do not fear humans.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • Catching up on a weird month

    Catching up on a weird month

    North River Notes has been quiet for a few weeks due to other projects (see my article in lohud.com for example) but the first few weeks of April have seen plenty of news on the river. In addition to a theft of the Harvey fireboat, we have seen an apparently minor oil spill from Con Ed’s Pier 98 and vandalism of the chairs at the Pier i restaurant. Meanwhile, traffic on the river continues as normal, with the photos below covering several weeks of observations.

    On Monday, cargo ship BBC Rushmore headed for the Port of Albany, likely bringing or collecting some heavy load cargo.
    Last week bulker Maryam D headed for Sims Metal in Albany to collect scrap for export after first calling on Providence.
    A Wagenborg cargo ship left town after delivering wood pulp in Albany
    Earlier in the month, asphalt tanker Da Hua Shan headed for Rensselaer with a cargo from Canada
    Janice Ann Reinauer/RTC 102 was laden and heading for Albany.
    NYS Marine Highway’s Sarah D brought a deck cargo of spooled cable down from Port of Albany heading for Erie Basin Monday.
    CMT’s Erin Elizabeth had loaded stone hoppers heading for the Bay Ridge flats.
    Topaz Coast had the sugar barge Knot Refined in tow heading back to Florida after unloading in Yonkers
    The Jonathan barge followed a week later behind the East Coast.
    A cement barge headed back towards Ravenna in the early April fog.
    A Don Jon crew was working off Pier 92 on Monday, perhaps dredging
    It was surprising to see a Tow Boat doing towboat work Monday.
    The Flaco barge was back on the North River earlier in the month.
    Miller crews were cleaning up oil after the spill at Con Ed’s Pier 98
    An HC-130J search and rescue plane/tanker from Gabreski Air National Guard base in Westhampton Beach made a loop up the North River.
    Harbor Charlie checked in on a tattered sailboat making a wayward course up the river.
    Brant geese visit the North River at this time of year and were seen up by 100th Street.
    The resident Canada geese are starting to hatch goslings.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • Thursday April 4–after the storm

    Thursday April 4–after the storm

    Winds abated and skies cleared Thursday, though a few tug/barge combinations remained at anchor in the North River through the day.

    Pinuccia returned from Newburgh with the New York 30 barge on the hip, perhaps looking for better control in the still elevated wind and chop. The pair headed for Perth Amboy on the Arthur Kill.
    Marilyn George was also towing on the hip with the Edwin Poling barge. Marilyn travelled as far up the river as New Hamburg during the storm without anchoring or visiting a terminal and then came back to Raritan Bay.
    The articulated Janice Ann was in the notch on RTC 103 as usual, heading for Newburgh with cargo
    Timothy Reinauer, built in 1979 but substantially modernized with a modern wheelhouse and tower and ATB connections, remained anchored off 72nd Street with RTC 84
    Morgan Reinauer remained anchored further north with RTC 100 seemingly loaded, perhaps waiting for calmer seas outside the harbor before heading for their destination.
    Pocomoke made a slow trip up the North River…
    …but did not stay long, soon heading back to the Arthur Kill
    Skies cleared in the afternoon at last.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • Wednesday April 3–crowded anchorages

    Wednesday April 3–crowded anchorages

    Drenching rains and high winds saw the relative shelter of the North River anchorages in high demand. A marine storm warning is in effect through Wednesday night, and by 1600, Ambrose Light is seeing gusts approaching 50 knots and wave heights over 12 feet, while Robbin’s Reef in the Upper Bay reported gusts over 30 knots.

    Five tug/barge combinations at anchor Wednesday afternoon. Source: MarineTraffic
    Josephine/RTC 80 were anchored off the North River sewage plant.
    The big Kirby Cape Canaveral ATB was anchored north of the bridge, beneath the Englewood section of the Palisades.
    Kristin Poling with Eva Leigh Cutler abandoned an anchorage in the Upper Bay and came up north of the bridge to sit out the storm.
    On Tuesday, the specialized work boat HOS Bayou returned from several days working up in the Tappan Zee and Haverstraw Bay and returned to Port Newark. She appeared to have loaded some deck cargo at Tompkins Cove as the deck was clear when she headed past us going north last week. Work on the Champlain Power Express remains a possible project, but no information is readily available.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • Saturday March 23–Super Soaker

    Traffic was light as steady soaking rain drenched the eastern seaboard, with Central Park recording 3.6” of rain. Kristy Ann and Pocomoke remained at anchor on the North River and were joined by CF Campbell overnight.

    CMT’s Erin Elizabeth headed back north in the morning rain.
    Dean Reinauer/RTC 106, not seen on NRN since last summer, was heading for Newburgh or Albany.
    Haggerty Girls, now paired with the smaller RTC 60, headed for anchorage on the North River Saturday after delivering at the Sprague Port Morris terminal Friday.
    Boston Marine’s Pinuccia was fighting the ebb and heading north with the loaded New York 30 barge
    Pearl Coast was returning from Boston to Ravenna with a cement barge

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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  • Friday March 22–Flood watch

    Traffic on the North River remained busy ahead of heavy rains and gale warnings set to go into effect Saturday.

    Coral Coast was heading back north with a light cement barge after delivering a cargo to the Flushing Bay terminal Wednesday evening.
    CMT’s Erin Elizabeth pushed stone and scrap cargos past the anchored Pocomoke with Double Skin 56
    Ruth M Reinauer/RTC 102 returned from Newburgh.
    Jordan Rose headed for Yonkers anchorage with RCM 250
    Kristy Ann/RTC 80 were anchored off 125th Street.
    Not all freight in NYC moves by truck or barge. CSX delivered a string of box cars to the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx Friday afternoon.

    ©2023 Daniel Katzive
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