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Weekend traffic
North River anchorages filled up Friday night as a weather system came through Saturday, generating a small craft warning for the Harbor and steady rain. Through traffic was fairly heavy, with product barges heading north, a sugar barge arriving for Yonkers, and a foreign-flagged tanker leaving town after a delivery in Albany.
Chem Norma headed for sea Friday evening after visiting the Buckeye Terminal in Albany. Norma arrived from Northern Europe and marks the third tanker load of foreign oil product deliveries to Albany observed by NRN this month. 
Saturday morning found Reinauer’s Janice Ann and Haggerty Girls at anchor off the West Side as a storm moved in 
Dean Reinauer was anchored further south Josephine arrived later from the KvK with a light barge of her own, keeping pace on the flood tide with Vane’s Cape Henry which was arriving with a loaded barge from Philadelphia as they passed the anchored Dean. Josephine went on to anchor south of the Bridge while Cape Henry anchored off Yonkers. 
Janice Ann weighed anchor and headed for the Upper Bay as rain came down in the afternoon 
The Genesis Eagle arrived with a light barge after a delivery in New Haven and anchored off Yonkers as well. 
Gracie M Reinauer had a loaded barge from Buckeye Port Reading and was heading for Albany. 
Stephanie Dann, who’s homeport is in Florida and has not been observed by NRN before, brought a light barge back from Newburgh and headed for the Arthur Kill. 
Coral Coast headed for Yonkers to help dock a sugar barge which had been brought up the coast by Ruby Coast a few hours earlier. 
Coral later headed back to the Lafarge dock in Sunset Park 
DonJon’s Meagan Ann was servicing the DSNY Pier 99 facility -
Light rain, light traffic
Observed traffic was light on Thursday as light rain settled over the region, with temperatures still pleasant. A bulker came through from Albany, likely having loaded scrap at the Sims Metals dock up there and on the way to Newark to load more before heading overseas.
The Marshall Islands flagged bulker Yaso Mimosa came down from Albany where it had been docked at Sims Metal, likely loading scrap. It was signaling Newark, where they might load more scrap before heading overseas with the cargo. 
Reinauer’s Haggerty Girls killed some time before sunrise on the North River on the way down from Albany, getting passed here by the Edgewater Ferry 
The Girls later in the morning were headed for the Reinauer dock on the Kill van Kull 
In the afternoon, Reinauer’s Josephine also came down from Albany and headed for anchorage in the Upper Bay 
Vane’s Schuykill came through with a loaded barge, passing Pier 90 en route to an intermediate stop at the Hyde Park anchorage 
DonJon’s Thomas D. Witte was tied up at Pier 99 Thursday afternoon, awaiting their next run to the Staten Island paper recycling facility -
Springing ahead
Days continue to start cold, but warm up as the sun rises, and the morning lows also have begun to trend higher. River traffic has seemed rather light, though minerals and oil products continue to move.
Kimberly Poling began the week at anchor off 72nd Street but was soon on her way. 
Nicole Reinauer brought a partially loaded barge north to Newburgh on Monday 
The FDNY’s Brooklyn Navy Yard-based Bravest, one of two shallow-draft medium sized fireboats, was on the North River Monday 
Norwegian Gem was at Pier 88 on Monday 
But was heading back to the Caribbean by evening, with the usual Pier 86 NYPD launch keeping watch 
Coast Guard icebreaker Sturgeon Bay returned from a trip up to Haverstraw Bay on Tuesday 
Kristin Poling had a cargo heading north on Tuesday as well 
A pair of Marine Super Stallion heavy lift choppers flew up the River Wednesday The bulk ship Athos arrived from Mexico Wednesday en route to Albany. Cargo is uncertain but possibly a late season shipment of road salt. 
Dann’s Chesapeake Coast, seen more often on bunkering runs in the Harbor, was heading north with a fairly light looking barge 
This picnic table was visible at low tide below the sea wall at around 90th Street in Riverside Park. It could have been dropped over the railing but that would have meant carrying it some distance and it seems more likely to have drifted to this spot. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Winter is still with us
North River anchorages filled up again Sunday as 25 knot winds swept the Harbor and temperatures dived on the penultimate day of astronomical winter.
Stephen Reinauer sat off 86th Street for a second day 
Saint Emilion returned from Albany and anchored off 96th Street, turning broadside to the River at the morning slack 
Kimberly Poling anchored farther south 
and used her barge’s derrick to maneuver or perhaps drain a hose at one point 
Genesis Eagle, not seen by NRN before on the River, came in from New Haven with a light barge and anchored between the Saint and Stephen. 
Everly Mist fought the northwest wind and the ebb tide, pushing a trio of empty hoppers back to the Haugland Group’s Tomkins Cove facility -
Oil and sugar as the winter fades
Days continue to start chilly in mid-March and the River remains a source of cold, but by late Saturday the temperatures were climbing into the low 50s and flowers and trees are beginning to bloom. Traffic on the River was fairly light, and recreational boaters remain scarce as their boats are not yet in the water for the most part. Oil products and sugar were moving on the River.
Stephen Reinauer, launched in 1970 but retrofitted with ATB connections, came up the River Saturday and anchored off 86th Street 
Vane’s Fort McHenry was heading north with a cargo Saturday 
Dann’s Carolina Coast came up from Florida with another load of sugar for the Domino Plant in Yonkers on the dry-bulk barge Jonathan. 
The tug Normandy headed up to Yonkers ahead of the Carolina Coast to assist with docking the barge 
DonJon’s low-slung J. Arnold Witte was servicing the Pier 99 DSNY paper facility again. 
Norwegian Getaway arrived before sunrise Saturday and was on her way south to the Caribbean again before sunset 
An Army Blackhawk helicopter flew up the River from Lakehurst AFB in New Jersey, looped up past the Bridge, circled the Statue and headed home 
A New Jersey State Police helicopter looped over the River… 
And landed briefly at the Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen -
Dual Power
Friday saw a small tanker moving up the North River, Albany bound and notable for a number of reasons:
1) this is the second oil products tanker from Northern Europe to come through in two days, but the first two such cargos this year;
2) the Mia Desgagnes is a dual LNG/oil powered ship, the first such vessel we have seen on the River;
3) the Mia Desgagnes is Canadian-flagged, also not common on the North River despite periodic oil product cargos moving from Canada to Albany; and,
4) the Mia Desgagnes was the first polar class dual-powered vessel ever when it was launched in 2018 according to articles at the time.Otherwise, traffic was fairly typical on Friday as temperatures climbed into the 50s and winter seeming like a distant memory already.
The Mia Desgagnes, a Canadian-flagged LNG/oil dual-powered tanker headed for Albany Friday with refined products cargo from Northern Europe. 
Buchanan12 came through at sunrise with its usual hoppers of crushed dolomite from the Tilcon Clinton Point quarry. 
DonJon’s Mary Alice brought a scow full of scrap down from Albany to the Sims Metal dock in Jersey City, passing the anchored Haggerty Girls who spent Friday off 72nd Street. 
The survey ship Yeti belonging to S.T. Hudson Engineering headed up the River Friday morning for the second day in a row. 
CMT’s Mackenzie Rose brought a light hopper down from Coeymans on the hip, passing Manhattan in the late afternoon Friday 
Vane’s Elk River was heading north with a cargo in the late afternoon Friday 
Their colleagues aboard Fort Schuyler was heading the other way after a delivery to New Hamburg, NY. -
Clearing up and clearing out
The North River anchorages cleared out Thursday as winds abated and temperatures climbed. The highlight of the day in terms of traffic was a foreign flagged tanker heading north for Albany, arriving from Europe and likely carrying a cargo of refined products, the first presumed European products cargo observed by NRN this year.
The oil products tanker Chiberta heading for Albany with a European cargo, passing Poling-Cutler’s southbound Marilyn George on one whistle. 
Dann’s Ruby Coast had the sugar barge Knot Refined on the wire, heading for sea and returning to Florida after spending over a week unloading at the Yonkers Domino plant and perhaps waiting for lighter winds before heading south. 
Ruby was followed by Diamond Coast who likely helped the barge leave the dock in Yonkers and stayed with Ruby at least as far as South Jersey 
After nearly four days at anchor off 72nd Street, Kirby’s Denali pulled up their hook and headed for the Kill van Kull just after sunrise 
Buchanan12 brought its usual flotilla of empty hoppers back to the the Tilcon quarry in Clinton Point, NY 
The DEP’s Red Hook tanker was servicing the North River plant, ferrying sludge to Hunts Point for dewatering. 
The survey vessel Yeti, belonging to S.T. Hudson Engineering, traveled up the River in the morning and returned late in the afternoon. 
Nyack-based Sound Marine continues to move up and down the River with their own small boat 
The Coast Guard had a 45’ response boat on the River for a bit 
Canada Geese 
Mallard males 
Gadwalls? Water birds were traveling in twos on Thursday -
Beware the Ides
Skies cleared Wednesday but the winds remained elevated, gusting above 40 knots with gale warnings in effect all day. Tanker barges were moving around the River but through cargo seemed rather light.
Vane’s Fort McHenry came through not long past sunrise heading for the Buckeye terminal north of Newburgh 
Treasure Coast was heading the other direction, pushing a loaded cement barge down from the Ravenna Lafarge plant and heading for Lafarge’s Bayonne terminal 
Morgan Reinauer, one of the older Reinauer tugs, arrived on the River in the morning with a light barge and anchored off 96th Street 
Morgan passing by with somewhat retro lines 
Ruth Reinauer, Dean Reinauer and the Genesis Glory were anchored further north 
Dean Reinauer made a loop up to Yonkers and then headed south for the Arthur Kill in the afternoon 
Josephine made a loop up the River in the afternoon but didn’t stay long 
CMT’s Mister Jim brought a cargo of large rocks down from Coeymans 
Kirby’s Denali remained anchored off 72nd for a third day -
Mid-March Nor’easter
Storms have rolled through the New York area as we reach the middle of March, with a wintery mix on Friday followed by a nor’easter arriving Monday evening. By Tuesday afternoon, winds had shifted around to the northwest and were gusting above 40 knots, with gale warnings going into effect. Heavy snow accumulated on the northern end of the Hudson, but in New York City there was no accumulation, just occasional white-out conditions. River traffic has been relatively light and anchorages crowded during periods of heavy weather.
Gracie M. Reinauer, Dean Reinauer, and Genesis Glory road out the nor’easter south of the Bridge 
Denali, a Kirby tug not seen before on the River, arrived from Boston with a light barge Sunday and remained anchored off 72nd through Tuesday 
CMT’s Mackenzie Rose came south with hoppers during a break in the weather over the weekend 
And a Dann tug brought a light cement barge north 
The Army Corps Driftmaster was filling in for Hayward on North River patrol over the weekend 
Hayward appears to be on the hard, hauled out at Bayonne Dry Dock for service 
American Petroleum’s Stephen B came south in Tuesday’s storm, returning a light barge from Albany and heading for Tottenville 
USCG icebreaker Penobscot Bay left Poughkeepsie at midday Tuesday and returned to their Bayonne base, joining Sturgeon Bay there ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Double arrival
Friday kicked off with dual cruise ship arrivals, with Norwegian Getaway and Gem pulling into the North River terminal within minutes of each other. Otherwise traffic was unremarkable, with familiar tugs pushing tanker barges in either direction. Bad weather was on the way, with a mix of rain and snow expected Friday evening.
Norwegian Getaway arriving at Pier 88 With Norwegian Gem close on their heals 
Vane Brothers scrambled a bunkering barge… 
As did Centerline Logistics 
By evening, both ships were on their way back to the Caribbean 
This privately owned RIB boat was making its near-daily run down the river 
The tiny Kenny G and Sound Marine’s small work boat were bringing a deck barge north towards the Nyack North River shipyard. They passed the Haggerty Girls, anchored with a light barge after returning from New Haven.
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 