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Thursday Jan 25–peering through fog
Warm moist air moved over the region midweek, producing a layer of fog as it came in contact with the cold water of the North River and limiting photographic opportunities.
SV Arista was barely visible as she headed to sea after unloading a cargo of Spanish gypsum at the wallboard plant in Buchanan 
Only the mast and upper wheelhouse of Kimberly Turecamo can be seen as they headed back to the harbor after assisting Arista leaving the dock. Marie J Turecamo followed behind and appeared briefly in a gap in the fog. 
DonJon’s Thomas D Witte brought a waste paper scow back to the DSNY’s Pier 99 transfer station with the towers of Journal Square visible beyond 
Before the fog moved in, Carnival Venezia, one of two ships making winter runs out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, left Pier 88 Tuesday heading for the Caribbean, with the usual Harbor Patrol escort. -
Monday Jan 22–moving product
North River traffic was off to a slow start Monday as temperatures finally climbed back above freezing. Reinauer ATBs were on the move bringing oil products such as heating oil, diesel and/or gasoline north. A well-dressed paddle boarder was out on the water.
The B. Franklin Reinauer/RTC 81 ATB, with close to 450’ in combined length, had a products cargo heading for Albany early Monday; by sundown they were approaching Hyde Park. 
The larger Janice Ann Reinauer/RTC 103 ATB was a few hours behind B. Franklin, also Albany-bound 
Centerline’s The Beatrice left an anchorage on the river late Sunday, loaded cargo on the Arthur Kill and went through the Gate and up the Sound Monday. 
DonJon’s Mary Alice brought hoppers north, probably to pick up scrap. -
Saturday Jan 20–Waiting for ice
Cold temperatures lingered into the weekend, but ice has not yet reached the North River. Traffic Saturday was light.
Justine McAllister spent some time off 79th Street early Saturday anchored with RCM 260 light and on the hip after a run up to Newburgh. 
Later Saturday, Justine left town towing astern on a short leash, heading for sea and Philadelphia. 
Boston Marine’s Pinuccia was also returning from Newburgh, with the New York 30 barge heads/tails on the hip heading for the Kills. 
The Dylan Cooper/RTC 108 ATB arrived on the North River at slack tide and anchored off 72nd Street. 
Colleagues on the Ruth M. Reinauer/RTC 102 ATB passed them with cargo heading north. 
Buchanan12 brought empty hoppers back from the Greenville Flats heading for Clinton Point. 
Coast Guard 65’ harbor tug Hawser came back from West Point heading for the Bayonne base. -
Thursday Jan 18–cold running
A return from warmer climes found the North River cold but not yet icy. Traffic was light and anchorages were empty south of Yonkers.
Stations Marine’s James Charles brought a Hughes Marine deck barge down from Kingston and headed out of town towards the Delaware River. 
DonJon’s Sarah Ann brought a work barge down from where dredging operations had been underway up in Yonkers. 
Centerline’s HMS Justice brought a fuel barge up to Con Ed’s Pier 98, probably to top up the GCS 230 barge stationed there with backup fuel for the winter. 
Metropolitan Marine’s Normandy had work to do in Yonkers, probably assisting with moving a sugar barge there. 
Moran’s Barney Turecamo/Georgia ATB anchored loaded off Yonkers in the early hours of Thursday and headed to a pier near Bayonne’s IMTT. 
The Janice Ann Reinauer/RTC 103 ATB was heading north with cargo. 
A Coast Guard 2-engine turboprop, possibly an HC-144A, flew down the Hudson from the Falmouth base on Cape Cod. -
Thursday Jan 11–after the storm
Vessels sheltering on the North River cleared out and went back to work as conditions improved and winds moderated. By Thursday evening, anchorages were empty again.
Offshore wind vessel Sea Gull remained at anchor Thursday morning but she soon headed back to her work area off Jersey. 
The Ellis Island dredge and their paired tug also left anchorage and headed back to their work site off Fire Island passing Saint Emilion at anchor who were on their way shortly after. 
Potomac left anchorage north of the bridge and headed for the Bayridge flats. 
A cement transporter barge headed back towards Ravenna 
CMT’s Mackenzie Rose had the company’s e-crane in tow and was heading for the Upper Bay. 
James William brought hoppers down from Albany heading for the Waste Management dock in Elizabeth. 
A Coast Guard MH-65 flew a loop up from their Atlantic City base up past the bridge and then returned home, using about half of their 400 mile range. 
The big high tides in the storm left a lot of debris in Riverside Park -
Wednesday January 10–storm warning
Deteriorating weather conditions brought heavy traffic to the North River as ATBs and tugs with tanker barges sought out anchorage space and some specialized offshore vessels also came in to get out of the chop. Storm warning was in effect from 18:00 with gusts up to 60 knots and seas of 16 to 21 feet forecast for New York Harbor. As of 16:00, wind gusts had reached 37 knots at Ambrose Light, with waves reaching 8 feet.
UPDATE: USCG Sector NY has required all vessels at anchor to have a pilot aboard during the storm. This will not affect tugs, but explains the pilot boat visit to the Sea Gull offshore vessel this afternoon.
Kirby’s Denali with the 400’ DBL 104 barge arrived at anchorage off 79th Street Monday evening but moved to a dock at Buckeye Port Reading late morning Tuesday. 
Justine McAllister came up from the Delaware River with RCM 280 and dropped a hook off 96th Street. 
Genesis Eagle came up from the harbor with GM11103 and anchored off Yonkers for the day, though she was underway and heading south again by sundown, probably with some pier space lined up. 
Evelyn Cutler was through traffic, making an early run north with a cargo for Albany. By sundown they had made it past Hyde Park. 
Saint Emilion and A87 were also going through, passing West Point by sundown. 
CMT’s Daisy Mae got back from New Bedford before the storm hit and was heading for Coeymans. 
The Josephine/RTC 107 ATB came up from the harbor and found space to anchor off Edgewater. 
Moran’s Barney Turecamo/ Georgia ATB dropped in a bit further north. 
Offshore supply vessel Sea Gull has been working on wind projects off the Jersey Shore but came out of the weather and anchored off 72nd Street. 
A pilot boat came alongside Sea Gull briefly. UPDATE: likely delivering a pilot in line with USCG requiring a pilot aboard for anchored vessels overnight. 
The US flagged Ellis Island/Douglas B Mackie hopper dredge combo has been working off Fire Island and also came up the river to avoid the weather. 
Vane’s Philadelphia came up a bit later with the Double Skin 59 on the hip heads/tales and anchored north of the Bridge. 
Vane’s Potomac followed similarly made up but on the port side of the barge (or is it starboard since the barge is reversed) and proceeded to Riverdale or Yonkers. 
Buchanan12’s stone had a coating of snow as they came down from Poughkeepsie in the morning. B12 stayed with the barges in the Greenville flats, perhaps to keep an eye on them and was one of the view tugs anchored in the Upper Bay by sundown 
There was quite a crowd in place on the North River by the end for the day. -
Monday January 8–moving mud
The weekend departed with light traffic on the North River, as dredging scows continue to be towed down from Yonkers and tanker barges returned from fuel runs up north.
DonJon’s Atlantic Enterprise towed a dump scow down from dredging in Yonkers on the way out to the remediation area off Highland, NJ. 
The similar Atlantic Salvor was moving an empty back north late Thursday. 
Vane’s Fort Schuyler returned with Double Skin 56 after a run up to the Buckeye terminal north of Newburgh. 
Poling Cutler’s Evelyn Cutler left anchorage north of the GWB and headed for the Bayonne IMTT with the barge Edwin A Poling. 
Buchanan12 headed back to Clinton Point with light hopper barges, passing the 9/11 memorial on the Weehawken shoreline built with trident beams from the World Trade Center. 
A 45’ Coast Guard response boat came up from the Staten Island base and made a loop around Manhattan. -
January 6 2024–Wintry mix
North River traffic was light on Saturday with a winter storm arriving by late afternoon. Accumulation in New York City is expected to be minimal, but winds were building by the end of the day.
Icebreaker Penobscot Bay headed north ahead for the storm, replacing Sturgeon Bay which arrived back at the Bayonne base before the snow began. 
Coral Coast came south from the Lafarge Ravenna plant with a loaded cement barge, reaching the Lafarge Sunset Park dock before the snow arrived. 
A decapitated striped bass was on display at low tide on the banks of the river in Riverside Park South. -
Friday January 5–non-petroleum products
Tanker barge traffic slowed on Friday but other types of barges were observed, including mud scows, sugar barges, and cement transporters coming down with product. Skies cleared and winds and seas were calm but a gale warning is in effect from 5pm Saturday.
Dann’s Treasure Coast had a loaded cement transport barge coming down from the Lafarge plant in Ravenna, NY heading for the company’s Bayonne terminal. 
Dann’s Margery left Yonkers with the Portsmouth dry bulk barge, presumably after offloading Florida sugar at the refinery there, and headed towards Port Newark initially before likely heading back south. 
There is dredging underway up near the Yonkers plant, and DonJon’s Atlantic Enterprise had a mud scow on the wire, heading for the dump site off Sandy Hook. 
The DEP sludge tanker Hunts Point came up the North River early Thursday heading for the sewage plant. Visible in the background was heavy smoke from a fire burning in an industrial complex in Elizabeth. 
Fireboats from Newark and North Hudson FD responded along with a 29’ FDNY boat. FDNY’s mid-sized Feehan boat was later on the scene. Source: MarineTraffic -
January 4 2024–weather coming
Thursday started mild but by afternoon winds were gusting above 25 knots ahead of a winter storm coming this weekend. After a very quiet Wednesday, North River traffic picked up Thursday though still was below Tuesday’s heavy post-holiday volumes.
Kimberly Poling took a break for a few hours at the North River anchorages between runs up to Albany. By midday they were heading for Carteret to load new cargo. 
Stephen Dann came up the North River early Thursday with a cargo on barge Double Skin 40 heading for points north. 
The Timothy Reinauer/RTC 84 ATB was loaded up and heading north as well. 
DonJon’s Thomas D. Witte brought an empty DSNY scow back to Pier 99, passing sailboats enjoying the breezy conditions and mild (enough) temperatures. 
Thomas later headed back to the Kills without the scow 
A small Coast Guard work boat traveled upriver early 
Later, the 65’ harbor tug Line returned to their Bayonne base 
The Pier 97 park has had a soft opening, though playgrounds remain under construction. 
Pier has cleats and bumpers which should allow some mid-sized recreational or historical boats to tie up. 
And offers a good view of the GCS 230 barge tied up at the Con Ed fuel dock and holding back up fuel oil for the 59th Street Steam Plant.
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 Facebook or Instagram.
North River Notes 