Coast Guard Sector-New York’s official ice season began Monday, requiring vessels to check in with the Coast Guard VTS before heading north of the Bridge. It is still too early, of course, to see actual ice on the River, but there was some snow north and west of the city Monday morning after Sunday’s drenching rain, and vessels and commuter cars heading south brought with them a layer of white on their flat surfaces.

Heating oil continues to move north, and we see tug/barge combinations less frequently seen on the River, presumably a reflection of a need for more capacity, as well as an apparent cargo coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. Adeline Marie’s services apparently remain unneeded however, as she continues to sit at anchor off 79th Street.

Foreign flagged bulkers also continue to head up the River with salt from Mexico and Chile to keep the roads safe. A bill has passed both houses of the New York State legistature that would require municipalities to only use salt mined in the United States, presumably to benefit the mines located up near Rochester. The Governor has not signed it yet, however, and the DSNY commissioner is urging her to veto it, as presumably it would increase costs for the city. If it were signed into law, we would see fewer bulkers heading north on the River, though we might see more salt bearing barges heading south to supply the city with product from upstate.