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Monday Feb 5–stop and go
Kimberly Poling killed some time on the North River off West New York with the Noelle Cutler barge, stopping before sunrise on the way back from Albany before heading for the Newark Shell terminal by 0900. 
Colleagues on Evelyn Cutler with Poling-Cutler’s other medium-sized tanker barge the Edwin A. Poling also returned from Albany but did not stop, heading straight through in the afternoon to head for the Arthur Kill. 
Dace Reinauer made a quick turn after Sunday afternoon’s run up to Newburgh and passed down the North River to anchor in the Upper Bay with RTC 83. 
The upper wheelhouse of Patrice McAllister was just visible poking out above the RCM 262 barge after they came up from Bayonne just before midnight and anchored off 96th Street where they remained through sundown. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Sunday Feb 4–pushing and pulling
On Sunday morning, Vane’s Potomac arrived on the North River from the Sprague Port Morris terminal in the South Bronx with Double Skin 51 and anchored off 72nd Street. 
Later, the tug dropped alongside the barge and set up for towing astern. 
After securing the tow line… 
The pair then headed for the Narrows and proceeded south to Philadelphia, passing Sandy Hook by sundown. 
Old Dace Reinauer and RTC 83 were heading for Newburgh, just a day after returning from Albany. 
The bulk ship CMA Jordaens headed up the North River for Coeymans after seemingly partially unloading at Atlantic Salt in Staten Island and likely carrying salt from the northern deserts of Chile. 
Maddie K had two hoppers heading north after shuttling between the Bay Ridge flats and Newtown Creek over the previous 24 hours. -
Saturday Feb 3–new or unusual
Saturday brought some new or less frequently seen travelers to the North River.
Dann Marine’s Zeus has not previously been seen on NRN, even though the 50-year old tug has been back in New York Harbor for a couple of years after previously working several years in the Great Lakes according to the Tugster blog. Zeus was heading for New Hamburg NY with Vane’s Double Skin 40 barge. The barge is a more regular visitor, most recently pushed by Stephanie Dann, who is currently in Philadelphia, and in the past we have seen it with Discovery Coast and Vane’s Cape Fear. 
Dann’s East Coast, which works sugar, was also on the river Saturday, running light to rejoin a sugar barge in Yonkers after visiting a boat yard on Mariner’s Harbor. 
The Reinauer Twins/RTC 104 ATB has not been seen on NRN in about a year. With over 500’ of combined length this is one of the larger ATBs in the Reinauer fleet. On Saturday they were pushing for Albany. 
North River regulars Saint Emilion and barge A87 returned from Albany and headed for the Shell terminal in Newark. 
The venerable Dace Reinauer with RTC 83 came through at civil twilight, returning from Albany 
With temperatures warming, Coast Guard icebreaker Sturgeon Bay returned to Bayonne base Friday evening after deploying up north during the cold snap. 
The American black duck was back on the North River Saturday morning, along with a mate. -
Thursday Feb 1–new and not new
Thursday brought limited traffic but observations included a very familiar vessel and one not seen before.
Saint Emilion was heading for Albany Thursday morning with barge A87. The pair are North River regulars. The Saint wears unmarked livery but according to Tugboatinformation.com is owned by Apex Oil and operated by Poling-Cutler whose green and white tugs are familiar on the river. The A87 barge always rides high even when carrying cargo for some reason. 
Seen for the first time by NRN was the newest towboat in the Carver Marine Towing fleet, Erin Elizabeth, heading for the Bay Ridge flats with hoppers loaded with large rocks and crushed stone. -
Wednesday January 31–fueling the north
Tanker barges headed north loaded with fuel Wednesday as temperatures continued to hover above freezing on the final day of January. A bulk ship headed for sea after unloading cement upstate.
Dace Reinauer, vintage 1968 and the dean of the fleet, headed for Albany with RTC 83 loaded with fuel. 
Poling Cutler’s Kimberly Poling had the Edwin A. Poling barge on a similar mission 
Colleagues on Evelyn Cutler with the Eva Leigh Cutler barge were a few hours behind, passing through just at sunset and moving slowly against the increasing ebb. 
Susan Rose and RCM 252 were also loaded and Albany-bound 
Bulk ship SSI Magnificent was riding high and heading for sea after discharging a cargo of Turkish cement at the depot in Cementon, NY. 
A ring-billed gull presided over A Dock in the shuttered 79th Street Boat Basin Marina. -
Sunday Jan 28–rain, sugar and cement
A short window for observation and steady rain makes for a short post Sunday. The morning saw a cargo of foreign sugar arriving for the Yonkers refinery, while a light cement barge headed back to Ravenna.
Balsa 87 headed for Yonkers with a load of sugar from Dominican Republic. 
Coral Coast had a light cement transporter barge heading back to Ravenna after unloading at the Flushing Bay terminal 
After 36 hours anchored off 79th Street, Vane’s Potomac headed for Bayonne with the loaded looking Double Skin 9 barge Sunday afternoon. -
Saturday Jan 27—A gap in the weather
Saturday brought typical traffic to the north river and moderate temperatures with a break in the precipitation, bringing some paddle boarders out.
It was still wet Friday afternoon as the Ruth M. Reinauer ATB returned from up north. 
Boston Marine’s Pinuccia brought New York 30 loaded with cargo through heading for Newburgh. 
Vane’s Potomac brought a loaded looking Double Skin 9 barge up the North River Friday evening and spent the next day anchored off 79th Street. 
The bulker Cosco Taihangshan came through Thursday evening, passing J24s moored of Pier 66 and heading for Albany from the Mediterranean. The spent Friday and Saturday anchored off Hyde Park. 
Dann’s Topaz Coast headed for sea, returning to Florida with the Montvale sugar barge on the wire after unloading in Yonkers. 
The B. Franklin Reinauer/ RTC 81 ATB passed the Little Island park heading for Albany. 
DonJon’s Thomas D. Witte brought a DSNY waste paper scow out of Pier 99, heading for Staten Island. 
Vane’s Fells Point had a refueling barge alongside Norwegian Getaway as passengers waited for transportation. 
Getaway headed south a few hours later. 
A Coast Guard 45’ response boat made a patrol up the river to the bridge from the Staten Island base. 
An Atlantic City based MH-65 Coast Guard chopper also made a run up the river. Warmer air temperatures brought paddle boarders out. 
An American black duck mingled with the mallards off Riverside Park South. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
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.
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 