-
Atypical behavior
Rains continued to soak the New York area as the work week kicked off Monday and River traffic was light, with someCoast Guard icebreaking assets seen heading north. Marilyn George, a tug newly acquired by Poling-Cutler this year according to tugboatinformation.com, was seen heading up river with a cargo for the first time.
Reinauer’s Kristy Ann remained a puzzler. The company’s articulated tug-barge combinations (ATBs) normally behave in a fairly predictable manner, loading oil product cargos at the refinery and pipeline terminals along the Arthur Kill or in Bayonne and then heading up the Hudson or out along Long Island Sound to make deliveries. Occasionally a loaded barge will come down from Albany, probably carrying ethanol, and head for a fuel depot in New England. They will then sometimes return with their barges empty and wait at anchor on the North River until it is time to load a new cargo.
Kristy Ann’s movements this past week, however, have been difficult to explain. The ATB arrived Thursday with what appeared to be a loaded barge and proceeded to anchor for several days off 72nd Street, unusual because loaded barges typically head directly to their destinations, and it is typically tugs with unloaded barges which we see anchor. On Saturday, Kristy Ann returned to the Arthur Kill, and then came back to the River Sunday with the barge looking unloaded, presumably having discharged cargo in Linden, again unusual since this is where oil product cargos typically originate. Monday saw her weigh anchor and leave town, heading for the Philadelphia area. There is of course likely a very simple commercial, mechanical, or logistical reason for this atypical movement, but for those of us watching from ashore, it counts as an unsolved mystery.
Kristy Ann’s barge looked loaded at anchor on Friday, and light Monday morning after a trip down to Linden 
Saint Emilion, another tug whose movements have been difficult to interpret lately, was anchored Sunday off Edgewater but was heading for Albany Monday after a visit to Linden, seemingly back at work moving product north. 
Poling-Cutler’s newest acquisition, Marilyn George, headed north Monday with a loaded barge. Marilyn was formerly Norfolk Tug’s Steven Wayne, which did not work the River. 
Coast Guard icebreaker Sturgeon Bay left her Bayonne base and headed north Monday, reaching Kingston by sunset en route to Albany. 
The nearly identical Penobscot Bay followed a few hours later, heading for Poughkeepsie. The smaller Coast Guard tug, Hawser, was also on the move, traveling from Bayonne up to Haverstraw Bay 
NYPD launch 702 was also on the River Monday morning, with no AIS signal for some reason. 
DonJon’s Sarah Ann brought hoppers down from the Sims Metal recycling dock in Albany to the Sims dock in Jersey City. -
Weekend anchor
Thursday’s rains abated and temperatures climbed into the 40s by Saturday, warm enough for kayakers and for HRCS’s winter sailing crew. A number of tugs with empty tanker barges accumulated in the River by Friday evening. Reinauer’s Kristy Ann also remained with her apparently loaded barge from Thursday into Saturday morning, and then departed to anchor in the Upper Bay. Loaded barges usually do not idle at anchor, and its unclear what logistical reason might be keeping this one from delivery for so long.
Kristy Ann at anchor with her seemingly loaded barge Friday before heading for the Upper Bay Saturday 
Saturday morning saw Timothy Reinauer and Kristin Poling at anchor, with Mister Jim underway and heading south visible between them 
Mister Jim had hoppers, at last some of which were loaded with stone, coming south. 
Kristin Poling had arrived Friday and anchored off the North River DEP Plant after returning from a cargo delivery in Boston Timothy Reinauer left his anchorages Saturday midday and headed for Bayonne IMTT and then the Reinauer dock on the Kill van Kull, seen here passing kayakers from perspective of a J24 sailboat passing astern 
The kayakers and SUPers were warmly dressed 
Dace Reinauer, born in 1968, came the other direction and anchored with a light barge off 72nd Street. 
Saint Emilion, who has been anchored up in Yonkers, shifted down to drop anchor off 96th Street with a barge, continuing its pattern of unusual movement. Her colleagues on Copper Mountain have left town with their barge in tow, heading south down the coast. 
The small 85 foot Coast Guard Cutter Beluga tied up at the Coast Guard’s permanent mooring just south of the Bridge on Friday before returning to her Sandy Hook base on Saturday 
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy training ship Liberator made a loop up the River Saturday before heading back to the academy at Kings Point on Long Island. 
DonJon’s Sarah Ann was servicing the DSNY recycling pier 
The small tug Eastern Dawn brought a deck barge to the DSNY pier Friday 
It remained there Saturday as work continues on the structure 
Corps of Engineers crews captured a piece of driftwood with boat hooks on Friday 
And used the Hayward’s crane to remove it from the River 
A Marine viper attack helicopter made several loops up the River and back 
This camera-equipped helicopter belonging to Hover-Views Unlimited, was also making loops out of Teterboro, presumably filming 
Norwegian Getaway joined the Queen Victoria at the passenger ship terminal Friday and was bunkered with help from Vane Brothers tugs 
By Friday evening, Getaway was heading out on a 12 day Caribbean round trip. Victoria left after sunset, heading for Saint Maarten as she continues her round-the-world cruise ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Winter weeks
We continue to count off the weeks of winter, with sunset after 5pm finally arriving. Weather has remained unseasonably warm, though Thursday brought more rain limiting scope for recreation on the water. River traffic has been fairly typical, with a few exceptions noted below. Thursday also brought Cunard’s Queen Victoria to Pier 90, a rare visit as Cunard usually uses the Brooklyn cruise terminal these days. Victoria is on the first leg of an around the world cruise, having departed Southampton last week. Tanker traffic was Reinauer-heavy.
Dace Reinauer, with its retro 60s lines, remained anchored in the River Monday 
Dean Reinauer headed for Newburgh with a cargo on Monday 
And was heading the other way with the barge lighter on Thursday 
Gracie M. Reinauer spent some time anchored off 72nd Street Tuesday 
Curtis Reinauer, not often seen on the River, spent some time anchored with a light barge Wednesday 
And was passed by CMT’s Daisy Mae pushing hoppers loaded with stone 
Reinauer’s Josephine returned from Providence Thursday with a light barge, killed a few hours on the River and then headed for Philly. In the photo, Haugland Group’s Everly Mist overtakes her heading for the quarry dock in Catskill NY with hoppers 
Kristy Ann anchored with a loaded-looking barge on Thursday, unusual because loaded barges are usually hastening to their destinations. 
Outside the Reinauer family, Balco’s Navigator brought a light barge south Tuesday 
Evelyn Cutler had the Noelle Cutler barge also heading south Tuesday 
Copper Mountain had a loaded looking barge on the wire Thursday coming down from Yonkers, heading for sea after starting the day at the Newark Buckeye Terminal. Towing tanker barges on the River is not common, and the routing is also unusual, but Copper Mountain and her fleet-mate Saint Emilion’s moves have been anything but typical in recent months. 
Mister Jim came down from Coeymans with a high sided hopper Wednesday 
Buchanan12 was pushing north with empty hoppers, returning to the quarry for more crushed rock 
Icebreaking tug Penobscot Bay returned from a deployment up to Poughkeepsie. 
Corps of Engineers tug Gelberman has been seen on the River several times this week. 
DonJon Marine’s Sarah Ann worked the Pier 99 DSNY paper facility Vane’s Cape Fear bunkered Cunard’s Queen Victoria at Pier 90 Thursday ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Bulk Sunday
Temperatures barely broke 40 on Sunday, and with a stiff wind blowing from the north, it felt much colder on the River. Commercial traffic was heavy, with three large foreign flagged ships moving through. A pair of 600’ long bulkers came through, heading for Albany. One was arriving from Northern Europe and the other from Ivory Coast, with little to go on in terms of what cargo they might be carrying.
The 500’ long cargo ship Dijksgracht came through, returning from Albany after passing us on the way up Thursday. The yachts lashed to her deck which were observed as she passed heading north, remained in place, so they were not, in fact, delivered in Albany. What was unloaded was the large tank that had been visible forward of the yachts. According to a Facebook post from the Dagen Trucking Company, the tank was delivered to Plug Power, a hydrogen cell manufacturer which is setting up a plant near Albany and has been receiving a lot large deliveries by ship. As for the yachts, the Dijskgracht is signaling West Palm Beach as its next port of call, so this is the likely destination for them. Looking at historical port calls, it seems likely the tank was loaded in Turkey, consistent with the lettering on the tank, and the yachts were added in Genoa.
The 600’ bulker Felicia K overtakes the Corp of Engineer’s Hayward en route to Albany from Northern Europe 
Followed by the Bunun Wisdom, arriving from Ivory Coast 
Cargo ship Dijksgracht with a deck load of yachts en route to West Palm Beach after delivering a large tank from Turkey to Plug Power in Albany 
The 1968 vintage Dace, oldest in the Reinauer fleet, spent Sunday anchored off 90th Street after returning from Albany. 
Dace was joined by a large Kirby ATB Cape Hatteras which we have not seen before on the River. Hatteras has been working Connecticut ports in recent weeks and was returning most recently from Providence, RI 
Evelyn Cutler had the barge Noelle Cutler heading for the Bayonne IMTT after laying up north of the Bridge overnight. 
The Beatrice came through with a cargo heading north, the first time we have seen her since late November. 
DonJon’s Thomas D Witte brought a load of scrap down from Albany, heading for Newark, perhaps to transfer the metal to a bulker for overseas shipment 
A Coast Guard Dolphin MH-65 helicopter cruised up the River. These smaller Coast Guard choppers patrol the New York Bight from their Atlantic City base. The larger and longer-range MH-60 Jayhawks patrol from Cape Cod and are less frequently seen over the River. 
A quartet of Huey helicopters came down the River and made a loop over North Jersey ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Finally Freezing
Updated to correct Evelyn Cutler’s destination
New York City temperature fell slightly below freezing Saturday, the first freeze of the new year, believe it or not. Winds also began to pick up, and a small craft advisory is in effect for the harbor from 6pm. There were some light snow flurries, but we remain without any significant snow events so far this winter. River traffic seemed fairly light.
The Reinauer tug Matthew Tibet’s brought a light barge back on the hip from a fuel depot in Poughkeepsie. We have not seen Matthew on the North River before; it is one of Reinauer’s small tugs and one of the few not equipped as an ATB. The depth at the Poughkeepsie terminal may require a smaller barge. 
Copper Mountain brought a light barge down from Yonkers anchorage where it has been hanging out for a few days to a dock on the Staten Island North Shore. Copper Mountain and Saint Emilion’s movements have been difficult to interpret in recent weeks. Saint Emilion remianed anchored off Yonkers Saturday. 
Evelyn Cutler came north at sunset heading for anchorage north of the bridge after visiting a terminal in Port Morris (Bronx), the first time we have seen her this year. 
Manhattan II of the Classic Harbor Line overtook Buchanan12 on its daily run pushing hoppers with crushed dolomite rock from Tilcon’s Clinton Point quarry. 
By the end of the day, B12 was on the way back with empties 
DEP’s Red Hook was servicing the North River plant, collecting treated sludge for dewatering at the DEP’s Hunts Point plant. Friday afternoon saw USCGC Sturgeon Bay return from a patrol up north and head for base in Bayonne where she remained through Saturday. Her colleagues on Penobscot Bay are docked up in Kingston. -
Shipping boats
The extraordinarily warm January continued Friday, with temperatures in the 50s and rain falling periodically. Traffic was typical with the exception of a Dutch registered cargo ship heading for Albany from Genoa with a deck cargo comprised of luxury yachts.
These will presumably be transferred to trucks in Albany, brought to dealers and many will likely find their way back down the River to New York and beyond this summer. UPDATE: The yachts were not unloaded in Albany at all; instead, the large tank on the deck was delivered to Plug Power there. The yachts remained on board and seem to be on their was to West Palm Beach, the vessels next destination. See Bulk Sunday for more.Dutch registered Dijksgracht heads for Albany with new yachts arrayed on her deck 
Morning saw Reinauer’s Kristy Ann and Josephine anchored south of the Bridge 
By the morning slack tide, Josephine had relocated down to the Upper Bay after several days in the North River, but Kristy Ann remained 
We have seen this unmarked fast utility boat before on the river. Today it was heading south, overtaking the Edgewater Ferry 
The Army Corps of Engineers has been very active on the River this year. The crew boat Hocking made a run up to the Bridge and back Friday. 
Elk River headed for Red Hook after completing a delivery to the Bottini terminal in New Hamburg. 
Saint Emilion was returning light from Caddell Dry Dock in Staten Island to Yonkers, where they may have left a barge. Copper Mountain has been anchored there in recent days as well, and Saint Emilion and Copper Mountain have appeared to be trading places on a barge periodically in recent weeks based on a number of previous observations. 
A mid-sized keelboat took advantage of the warm weather to get out on the water. 
Kimberly Poling pushed a cargo north as the sun went down in a fiery blaze beyond Jersey City -
Typical traffic
Temperatures warmed Thursday but intermittent rain put a damper on things. Traffic was largely typical, dominated by Reinauer ATBs. Cement barge traffic remains heavier than usual, perhaps reflecting the warm weather supporting construction activity through the winter.
Timothy L. Reinauer anchored in the North River overnight on the way back from Albany, not far from Josephine, who was returning from the Riverhead terminal on the north shore of Long Island. By late morning, Timothy was on their way to Bayway on the Arthur Kill but Josephine remained into the evening. 
Dean Reinauer returned from Newburgh and headed for Raritan Bay 
Dann’s Sapphire Coast brought an empty cement barge back from Providence and headed up towards the Lafarge plant in Ravenna for new cargo 
Centerline’s William F. Fallon was pushing the loaded barge Long Island north towards Albany 
MHT’s Nathan G came south with a pair of hoppers after making a loop up to Newburgh, heading for the Lafarge dock in Sunset Park 
The Army Corp’s survey boat Moritz was busy make runs back and forth to the bridge, presumably for survey purposes -
Familiar faces
Clear and cold remained the watch words on Wednesday, with temperatures holding in the 30s. River traffic was steady but largely familiar vessels, many already seen at least once this year.
The Army Corp’s Hayward has been making daily patrols for debris 
The DEP’s Rockaway was servicing the North River plant 
Mister Jim was back on the water with hoppers on Wednesday. Based on photos shared by Catskill Fire Department on Facebook, Mr. Jim appears to have been the boat involved in the New Year’s Day engine room fire up north. Jim was off AIS for the past week but is now apparently back in service so clearly not badly damaged. 
Dean Reinauer had another cargo bound for Newburgh Coast Guard icebreaker Penobscot Bay was on the move again, heading up to the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge area over the course of the day. Sturgeon Bay was also up near Poughkeepsie. 
The smaller Coast Guard tug, Line, returned to base after traveling as far north as Saugerties, with the “Burlington” destination on AIS apparently an error or an attempt at humor—the Champlain Canal is closed for the season so that destination was not realistic. We saw a similar AIS misdirection once last winter. 
Vane’s Elk River returned from up North as well after passing us on the way up Tuesday. Elk went off GPS somewhere south of Kingston so we do not know exactly where they discharged. 
Fort McHenry, which we had seen making delivery runs up to Buckeye Newburgh twice in the past week, was back on bunkering duty, refueling Norwegian Gem 
Gem departed before sundown on a 5-day Bermuda roundtrip 
Kristin Poling, which returned from a run up to Maine earlier this week, was heading for Rensselaer with a new cargo. 
Meaghan Marie, a Stasinos tug which we have not seen before on the River, came up from Delaware, stopped in Newark (perhaps to pick up this hopper) and then headed upriver 
Dann’s Captain Willie Landers, which we saw pushing a deck barge north to Albany last week, was running light heading back upriver Wednesday. 
This New Jersey State Police helicopter touched down very briefly at the Palisades Medical Center on the River in North Bergen. A check of their route saw they previously stopped at the main Hackensack University Medical Center previously and then went on to stop at the university hospital in New Brunswick. Overall, this seems more likely to have been a training exercise of some kind. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
On official business
Tuesday brought clear skies, light winds, and chilly ttemperatures, with the mercury barely breaking 40. Traffic on and above the River was dominated by government boats and aircraft, though not for any particular obvious or coordinated reason. The Coast Guard had some Cape Cod based aircraft in the area, and also had its big icebreaking tugs out, as a few traces of ice appeared floating down with the ebb tide from up north for the first time this season. The smaller harbor tug Line was on the way back to New York after traveling as far north as Saugerties overnight. Tanker barges were busy, with the Vane Brothers seeming to have picked up some market share in the new year based on proportion of observed daytime traffic.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk flew up the East River and then up the Hudson, making a big loop from its base on Cape Cod. These offshore search and rescue versions of the Army Blackhawk are bigger than the orange Atlantic City-based MH-65 Dolphin choppers that we see more often over New York 
The Jayhawk’s route down from Cape Cod and back
Source: Flightaware
A Coast Guard HC-144 plane also flew down the River. This plane was probably also based on Cape Cod, but it was not pinging on flight trackers so we cannot say for sure. 
An Army Blackhawk helicopter also flew up the River 
Icebreaker Penobscot Bay made a loop up to the Bridge but then returned to its Bayonne base. 
Penobscot was followed later by the nearly identical Sturgeon Bay, which headed up to Haverstraw Bay. 
A few patches of ice passed by on the ebb, suggesting the icebreakers may finally have some work to do up north. 
The Army Corp’s Gelberman visited the 125th Street Pier and then returned to its base at Caven Point in Jersey City 
The Corp’s Hocking travelled up to Edgewater, then returned to Craven Point as well. 
The NYC DEP’s water quality monitoring vessel, the HSV Osprey was also making the rounds. 
Reinauer’s Franklin pushed a cargo north. Not to be confused with the B. Franklin, the Franklin is the smallest of the Reinauer fleet at just 81 feet and is paired with a 300’ barge. 
A larger (and newer) Reinauer ATB Kristy Ann with the 347’ RTC80 was heading for Albany with a cargo from Bayway terminal, keeping pace with the DEP’s Rockaway en route to the North River Plant 
Vane’s Elk River also had a cargo heading north 
Vane’s Fort McHenry, seen Monday heading north, was returning Tuesday after a delivery at the Buckeye terminal north of Newburgh 
Kristin Poling returned from Maine with a light barge overnight and anchored north of the Bridge, before leaving Tuesday morning and heading for the Arthur Kill 
Buchanan12 was on its daily quarry run 
A double-crested cormorant was looking for breakfast Tuesday ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Tanker traffic
The first full work week of the new year opened with clearing skies and temperatures climbing into the 40s. Tanker traffic appeared to be picking up after the weekend lull, and some of the Coast Guard’s icebreaking assets were on the move.
Kimberly Poling pushed a cargo north towards Albany 
Vane’s Fort McHenry was on a similar mission once again, five days after we saw them heading north last week. 
The 1968 vintage Dace Reinauer, probably the oldest tug in the Reinauer fleet, brought a light barge back from Albany at sunset 
Shannon Dann, a boat not seen often on the River, had a light Poling-Cutler barge on the hip coming back from upriver, definitely not a typical combination. We last saw the barge Noelle Cutler being pushed by Evelyn Cutler, but Evelyn is off AIS and perhaps laid up somewhere. 
Dean Reinauer spent Monday anchored south of the Bridge, seen here in the morning fog. 
Statue of Liberty ferry boats are not typically seen on the North River, but this one was heading for the North River Shipyard in Nyack, presumably for repairs or work. 
Sound Marine, which is based in that same shipyard, had a small workboat heading downriver in the morning 
The Line, one of two Coast Guard 65’ small harbor tugs based in Bayonne, was heading north where her icebreaking capabilities may be needed. She was signaling Burlington, VT on AIS but we’ll see if they actually get that far. 
One of the two larger icebreaking tugs based in Bayonne, the Sturgeon Bay, was also on the move, returning to her homeport after spending some time in Poughkeepsie. The other Bay Class icebreaker, Penobscot Bay, was also at the Bayonne dock. Sturgeon Bay trails a cloud of smoke from her stack as usual for these heavy tugs built in the 1980s. 
By accident of history, the Coast Guard is tasked with keeping ice off the navigable rivers, but the Army Corps of Engineers keeps other obstructions, including driftwood, off the water. The Hayward has been busy in recent days with lots of debris in the River after storms up north and they made a patrol up to Spuyten Duyvil Monday. 
Schubert Meyer Jr. made a loop up the River. Once part of the NY Water Taxi fleet, the boat bears no markings now (though still yellow) and may have been sold or is part way through a re-painting job. 
Buchanan12 seems to be very much back to its daily routine after its holiday hiatus, making daily runs to and from the Clinton Point quarry. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized
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 