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Classic lines
The vessel anchored in the North River on July 4 after arriving from Fort Lauderdale is not your typical super yacht as often seen in these waters during the summer months. The luxury motor yacht Haida 1929 was launched in 1929. According to articles in yachting magazines, the vessel was built for American yeast tycoon Max Fleischmann and served as a sub hunter in World War II. Haida received a full renovation a few years ago, but retains her original engines, which are controlled from the engine room in response to telegraph signals from the bridge.
Aside from the Haida, traffic observed in the final days of June and early days of July has been fairly typical. Intermittent thunderstorms and one afternoon of poor air quality have kept recreational boaters on their toes.
The 1929 vintage luxury motor yacht Haida 1929 arrived from Fort Lauderdale and anchored off 72nd Street 
A more familiar vessel was DEP tanker Red Hook, seen working the North River plant in the final days of June 
The Kristy Ann/RTC 80 combination spent some time anchored off 79th Street before the Haida’s arrival 
Evelyn Curtis, seem mostly in relief on the North River recently, had a cargo on Edwin A Poling heading north on Thursday June 29. 
Air quality deteriorated again on Friday due to Canadian wild fires, obscuring a Reinauer ATB and the North River Lobster Company’s evening cruise which can’t have been all too pleasant a dining experience. 
The icebreaker Penobscot Bay made a patrol north on the first day of July as skies cleared. 
Patrice McCallister had RCM 262 made up on the hip heads & tails as usual when the barge is light, heading for Yonkers anchorage on Tuesday June 27 
They returned to the harbor Saturday 
This Navy chopper appeared to be a MH-53E Sea Dragon designed for mine countermeasures and one of only a handful flying, based on the retired Sea Stallion. It flew down the North River on Tuesday June 27. 
A mighty thunderhead approached the city on Independence Day late afternoon from central Jersey, threatening to put a damper on fireworks displays scheduled for 3 hours later. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Cement dynamics
Cement usually moves south on the North River, coming down by specially designed barge from the Lafarge plant in Ravenna, New York for delivery to terminals in Bayonne, Queens and out in New England. Occasionally, though, imported cement comes north on foreign flagged bulk ships heading for Catskill, NY. The old Lehigh Cement plant there has been closed for years, but current owner Heidelberg Cement appears to be using it as an import terminal for cement from Turkey. River traffic has been fairly typical otherwise, though Port of Albany reports in their social media feed that a bulker carrying Polish wheat has arrived unobserved by NRN, the first ever wheat import received at the port.
On Sunday, the SSI magnificent passed the Pier 66 moorings, heading to sea after discharging their cement cargo in Catskill, NY. 
A cargo of cement was brought south by the Sapphire Coast on Monday, passing the anchored Noelle Cutler barge and accompanying tug 
Things got busy as Saint Emilion prepared to overtake the slow-moving Sapphire on two whistles while passing the Army Corp’s Gelberman on one. 
Shannon Dann had interesting deck cargo on the wire headed for the Port of Albany on Monday. 
Patrice McCalister arrived on the North River Tuesday with her barge heads-to-tails on the hip and went on to anchor off Yonkers 
This pair of light tugs came down the River Monday, seemingly involved in the work happening at the Spuyten Duyvil Amtrak swing bridge. 
CMT Pike had a crane seemingly coming from that work site Saturday. 
A survey ship headed upriver Monday 
A stand-up paddle boarder came down river against the flood. 
And took a dip to fight the heat 
Norwegian Joy received a fuel deliver from Vane’s Fort Schuyler 
Fort Schuyler later headed for the Upper Bay 
Dean Reinauer and RTC 106 returned from a Newburgh run and headed for the Bay after spending some time anchored on the North River off Edgewater. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Invasion day
Saturday brought the annual jet ski invasion, a mass gathering of personal water craft circumnavigating Manhattan in a clockwise direction. Its a great day not to be on the water if you don’t have to be, unless you have a jet ski. Also in town was a 340’ Canadian navy patrol ship, the Harry de Wolf, docked on the south side of Pier 88 on a tour of the northeast coast. Otherwise the final days of the work week and the start of the weekend brought typical traffic with a heavy Reinauer component.
The invasion in full swing, with a Jersey City fireboat providing part of the official escort. 
Coral Coast was returning to Ravenna with a light cement barge on Wednesday. 
Vane’s Philadelphia brought a loaded tank barge to anchor on the North River Wednesday as it does from time to time. 
The Canadian patrol ship Harry De Wolf was visiting Pier 88. Vane’s Fells Point brought a refueling barge Friday. 
Fells Point later left without the barge 
Another Vane Brothers tug brought the barge back, passing a J24 sailboat 
And following on the heals on Buchanan12 with their usual haul 
Seven Seas Navigator was docked on the opposite side of Pier 88 from the Canadian navy ship, having arrived from Montreal and preparing to set sail for Reykjavik 
Jonathan C Moran was on hand, tied up at Pier 90, to assist the Navigator leaving the dock. 
Dean Reinauer and RTC 106 came up the North River Friday evening heading for Newburgh 
Centerline’s HMS Liberty came up the North River with what looked like a bunkering barge on the hip, not a typical move for this company. The pair travelled up to the Kingston anchorage area and then returned to the harbor, perhaps bunkering a vessel up there. 
Kristin Poling was coming south with the Eva Leigh Cutler barge Thursday 
Marilyn George was coming the other direction with the Noelle Cutler barge loaded on Saturday 
The Timothy L Reinauer/ RTC 84 combination returned from Albany light on Saturday afternoon 
The Coast Guard cutter Beluga came up the North River from its Sandy Hook base to help monitor the jet ski parade Army Chinooks were over the River earlier in the week 
As was an osprey, not often seen on this part of the River ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Arrivals and departures
Through traffic seemed light on the North River Tuesday, as anchorages began to fill up. Kirby’s Cape Canaveral ATB moved up the River and dropped anchor north of Lincoln Sea, while Kimberly Poling taking up position to the south. The Spanish Navy schooner Juan Seabastian de Elcano departed from Pier 86, heading back for Spain after about a week in New York City. The cruise ship Viking Neptune arrived from Nova Scotia and docked at Pier 90.
Kimberly Poling anchored off 79th Street 
Fort Schuyler arrived early at Pier 90 to refuel Viking Neptune, with Pegasus on hand to help. 
Viking Neptune was docked at Pier 90, with Fort Schuyler alongside with the bunkering barge. 
Fort Schuyler later headed for Red Hook 
Buchanan12 was tending to its usual business 
The Spanish Navy schooner visiting New York this past week departed from Pier 86, with help from Brinn Courtney and Foxy 3 
The NYPD’s cruise terminal launch monitored the departure 
A self-propelled crane barge belonging to Sound Marine of Nyack was on the way home. 
Canadian cruisers are common the North River in the summer ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Input and output
The Lafarge cement plant in Ravenna, NY and the Domino Sugar refinery in Yonkers are two important users of the Hudson River marine highway. Though sugar and cement barges are not seen as frequently as the tanker barges and rock scows that are a constant presence, they do pass through quite regularly. Domino uses the river to bring in raw material—unrefined sugar comes up from Florida by barge. Lafarge exports its final product by barge, with cement shipped south to terminals in Bayonne, Brooklyn, Queens and New England. Dann Marine has the contract to service both businesses, and had loaded barges moving in opposite directions Monday.
Dann’s Sapphire Coast headed south with a loaded cement barge Monday afternoon. They continued around the Battery, up the East River, through the Gate and were heading for a New England terminal by sundown Dann’s Ruby Coast arrived from Florida with the Knot Refined sugar barge, heading for Yonkers and passing the Lincoln Sea ATB which has been anchored off the Boat Basin for the past few days. 
Diamond Coast followed close behind, to assist with docking 
Norfolk Towing’s Pathfinder, more often seen moving Covanta municipal waste containers on the East River, was making a rare run up to the Tilcon quarry in Clinton Point. 
Carnival Venezia, now home-ported in New York, left on a Bermuda run Monday afternoon 
No mooring? No problem. This cruising sailboat anchored where the Boat Basin’s mooring field would be, if the Boat Basin were open. 
The sailboat’s dingy was tied up on A Dock, the passengers apparently had scrambled up over the railing. They left a phone number, which is blacked out above, in case there was any objection to their parking spot. -
Happy Fathers’ Day
Fathers’ Day weekend saw mostly typical traffic, with a heavy recreational component as dads took to the water Sunday in force. A large Dutch-flagged cargo ship heading north Sunday was the most notable traffic observed.
Buchanan12 was heading back and forth to Clinton Point over the weekend, surrounded by its usual flock 
Mister Jim came south from Coeymans Friday morning with light barges, returning Saturday afternoon running light 
Evelyn Cutler was also running light Friday, heading up the river to relieve Kristin Poling on an anchored barge. Kristin seemed to be heading for Staten Island but then turned around and returned to their barge 
Carolina Coast was running light Frida as well, returning to a barge at the Yonkers sugar plant after a visit to the boat yard on Staten Island 
The Coast Guard’s small harbor tug Wire was heading towards Poughkeepsie Friday 
Kirby’s Cape Hatteras and a loaded 339’ DBL 81 spent some time on the North River Friday 
Another Kirby ATB combination, the Lincoln Sea and the massive 474’ long DBL 140 where anchored on the River light on Sunday 
FDNY Marine 1’s alpha boat was on the North River Sunday morning 
Along with the nearly identical Marine Battalion chief’s boat Sunday afternoon saw the cargo ship Spaarnegracht heading for Albany from Jacksonville. With no deck cargo visible, they may be scheduled to pick up some bulky cargo up north. 
A group of paddlers got Sunday off to a good start, getting a good look at the Lincoln Sea and DBL 140 
The retired fireboat John J Harvey got on the River Sunday morning. See Fireboat Special for photos of the Harvey in action. 
Norwegian Joy departed Sunday evening, heading out on its regular Bermuda run. The masts of the Spanish navy barque are visible on the left as they remain tied up on the end of Pier 86 ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Helping hands
The work week has passed with typical North River traffic as we move into the final days of astronomical spring. The Poling-Cutler and Reinauer lines continue to move oil products north as usual, while Boston Marine seems like it might perhaps be in the ethanol delivery business as we head into summer driving season based on NRN observations. Light tugs headed north, assisting with docking at the two remaining receivers of bulk cargo in Westchester County.
In North River pier news, the New York Times reported Sunday that Pier 94, currently an exhibition space leased by Vornado, would be converted to movie studios under a deal with the city. The unused Pier 92 next door will be returned to the city as part of the deal, perhaps saving it for some maritime use in the future.
Metropolitan Marine’s Pegasus headed for Yonkers Tuesday to assist with a sugar barge at the Domino plant. Miriam Moran was also heading north… 
As was Laura K. They were heading for Buchanan to assist a gypsum ship leaving the dock at the wall board plant there. 
Kristin Poling pushed the barge Eva Leigh Cutler north with a cargo for Albany Wednesday, passing MHT’s Nathan G pushing quarry output south on one whistle. 
Stephen Reinauer followed suit just at sunset 
Kimberly Poling was coming the other way with the Noelle Cutler barge light on Thursday morning 
Boston Marine’s Pinuccia came south from Albany with a loaded tanker barge Wednesday, heading for the Inwood terminal on Jamaica Bay and then around to Hempstead Bay. We usually assume loaded tankers coming from Albany are carrying ethanol, but this is just an uneducated guess. 
Coast Guard Sector New York’s buoy tender Katherine Walker was on the North River Wednesday 
DonJon Marine brought a load of scrap down from Albany Tuesday 
A pair of Blackhawk helicopters with medical markings flew up the river Tuesday 
On Wednesday, it was a NY Air National Guard HC-130J flying from Grabeski airbase in West Hampton. The search and rescue tanker made a loop out to Martha’s Vineyard and then returned to base. 
Riverkeeper’s patrol boat R. Ian Fletcher, probably skippered by Captain John Lipscomb as usual, was on the North River Wednesday 
The Spanish Navy’s four-masted schooner barque the Juan Sebastian de Elcano is visiting New York and tied up at the end of Pier 86, by the Intrepid 
The cruise ship Carnival Venezia was in town Thursday at Pier 88, also arriving from Spain to commence a summer of cruising from New York to the Caribbean and Canada 
Marcella Discovery was next door at Pier 90 
Discovery departed before 18:00, continuing to make round trips to Florida by way of the Bahamas 
An outrigged canoe fought the ebb Wednesday morning ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Comings and goings
After the weird air quality conditions of the work week, the weekend was refreshingly normal. Familiar tugs and barges went about their usual business, with oil products moving north and stone coming south, and empties moving in the opposite direction.
Janice Ann Reinauer had a cargo on RTC 103 heading for Newburgh on Saturday 
The much older Stephen Reinauer with RTC 61 was heading for the same place a few minutes behind Janice Ann 
Stephen came back first, returning to the Harbor Sunday morning 
The even older Dace Reinauer seems unlikely to be on the North River again soon. Dace is on the hard, laid up at Bayonne Dry Dock and Repair for now 
Reinauer’s Dylan Cooper was also not on the North River Saturday, seemingly instead lightering a cargo of European refined products later delivered to a terminal on the Arthur Kill Reinauer’s Kristy Ann/RTC 80 combination was anchored on the North River early Saturday, but departed in the afternoon and headed for the Arthur Kill as well. 
Kimberly Poling returned from Albany with the Edwin A Poling barge light. By Sunday morning they were already heading back north again. 
Kristin Poling spent Sunday anchored in the North River 
Dann Marine’s Shannon Dann brought loaded hoppers up to Coeymans Saturday, perhaps filling in for CMT tugs currently working out of town. 
Buchanan12 headed back to the Clinton Point quarry with empty hoppers 
Loaded hoppers were left behind on moorings in the flats off Jersey City 
On Sunday, there was more crushed dolomite heading south 
The DEP Red Hook tanker has been working the North River treatment plant. 
Pier i fisherman Luis had a good looking stripped bass hooked up on Saturday, holding him in the water pending an ice delivery 
Vane Brothers delivered a bunkering barge to refuel Norwegian Joy Sunday morning 
By later afternoon Joy was heading back for another Bermuda run 
A Huey with the markings of the Air Force’s DC-based VIP transport squadron flew up the North River Saturday 
The outrigger canoes are back on the North River for summer. New York Outrigger has relocated from Pier 66 to Pier 96, making it more likely to see them in the uptown reaches of the River ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
From worse to bad
Smoke cleared Thursday and air quality went from ridiculously bad to just pretty bad. It was enough to keep recreational boaters off the North River, but commercial traffic was typical, with energy products and salt moving north and empties coming south. The Coast Guard Cutter Sanibel dropped lines from Pier 86 and headed for Delaware Bay, seemingly not returning to their Woods Hole base just yet.
Saint Emilion headed north with cargo loaded at Bayonne IMTT 
Kristin Poling left the Yonkers anchorage with the Eva Leigh Cutler barge and headed for Kinder Morgan in Carteret 
Kimberly Poling headed the other way later in afternoon heading for Albany with cargo loaded on the Edwin A Poling barge 
The Stephen Reinauer/RTC 61 combination returned from Albany and headed for the Upper Bay 
Mackenzie Rose had another large cargo of salt and another material picked up in the Upper Bay and headed back north to Coeymans for the second time in 3 days. The 65’ Coast Guard small harbor tug Line was heading upstate from the Bayonne base -
Orange Wednesday
Weird smoky conditions persisted Wednesday, reducing visibility, delaying flights, ruining air quality and keeping recreational activity off the River. Commercial traffic continued of course, though the haze made photography difficult. The Coast Guard cutter Sanibel remained tied up at Pier 86, while Viking Saturn made a 5pm departure for Iceland, set to work the Reykjavik to Bergen, Norway route over June and July. The dredging team seems to have paused or completed operations.
The GW Bridge and The Beatrice were barely visible in the morning haze at a distance of 5.5 mile south of the Bridge and 3.5 miles south of Beatrice 
The Beatrice and the 400’ barge Patsy Paulie later headed for the Upper Bay and then the Arthur Kill 
Kristin Poling returned from New Haven with a light barge and headed for anchorage off Yonkers 
Boston Marine’s Pinuccia was loaded returning from Albany’s Fort Edward Express Terminal and may have loaded ethanol up there for delivery at the Global Terminal in Inwood, Queens, on Jamaica Bay 
Carolina Coast returned to the sugar barge left behind at the Domino plant in Yonkers after a visit to the Caddell boatyard By early afternoon the River was barely visible from shore
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 