The Carver Companies tug Helen passed up the North River Friday afternoon, headed for her home port of Coeymans with a high-sided hopper barge loaded with prodigious amounts of what I believe was probably salt lightered off the bulk ship Astro Sanistra, in from Egypt and anchored in the Upper Bay off Bay Ridge. Erin Elizabeth followed the next morning with more of the same, seen passing under the GW Bridge in the photo, and in the afternoon the 650-foot Marshall Islands flagged bulker herself came through, seen passing the old convent atop the Englewood Cliffs, also headed for Coeymans and presumably considerably “lighter” than she was when she arrived in New York Harbor a few days ago. As of Sunday morning, Astro is passing Hudson, NY after having anchored overnight off Hyde Park.