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Autumnal weekend
Perfect autumn weather prevailed for the weekend, with temperatures mainly in the 50s and winds blowing from the south. Commercial traffic on the River was steady and fairly typical, with a few exceptions.
DonJon Marine’s J. Arnold Witte is designed to operate on the NY State canal system as well as in tidewater environments. Tug came through Sunday on its way back from Oswego and Lake Ontario, having been photographed just the day before by a canal watcher passing through Kingston. In the photo, J. Arnold is overtaking the Kimberly Poling. 
CMT’s Helen was pushing hoppers north loaded with bauxite lightered off a bulker in the Upper Bay on Sunday 
CMT’s Daisy Mae was bringing empty hoppers down on Friday, perhaps the same ones that headed upriver on Sunday 
Friday saw Moran Towing’s Barney Turecamo park in the North River with a loaded looking barge for a few hours before heading back down to the bay 
Reinauer ATBs were busy over the weekend as usual, bringing cargos north and light barges south 
American Petroleum’s Stephen B has been making runs up to Rensselaer and back. 
A load of scrap came south on Sunday 
Vane Brothers’ Fort Schuyler was also bringing cargo north 
As was this Poling-Cutler tug 
Buchanan12 was on its usual crushed dolomite run 
John Joseph was running light on Sunday 
The privately owned lifeboat Legs III was heading back to its home off Yonkers on Friday afternoon 
Centerline tugs brought a bunkering barge to refuel an Norwegian cruise liner on Saturday. 
DonJon brought a DSNY recycling barge out of Pier 99, heading for Staten Island 
This large Sikorsky chopper is apparently owned by billionaire Ira Rennert. It made a some loops up the river before landing at 30th Street. 
A large sailboat enjoyed a southerly breeze Sunday -
Spring time?
Beautiful weather arrived at last, with the rains gone and temperatures rising into the 70s. Winds were light and out of the south. The long-term resident super yacht Moca was not waiting around for things to get worse again though—she sailed for West Palm Beach just after dawn. Norwegian Prima also departed on her maiden voyage from New York, heading for Halifax. The dredgers were back in the cruise terminal after a hiatus which was perhaps weather related. Commercial traffic seemed rather light after heavy movement observed Wednesday.
Norwegian Prima making an afternoon departure for Halifax 
DonJon Marine heads for Pier 99 with a DSNY scow 
The DonJon dredging team at work at pier 94, with Sarah Dann also on the team again 
Buchanan12 on its usual route, passing a mud scow 
Stephen B made its way north with a loaded barge in the late afternoon -
New kid in town
Wednesday brought a long-awaited break in the weather, with rain stopping, temperatures warming, and winds abating, though the rain was back by the late afternoon. Commercial traffic was heavy, with activity pent up during the storms of the past few days seemingly unleashed. There was excitement at the cruise terminal as the newly launched Norwegian Prima made its first arrival in New York after being launched in Iceland earlier this summer. Prima will run Caribbean cruises from here for the next few weeks. Disney’s Magic was also back in town, loading up for another cruise down to Bermuda.
The Prima tied up at Pier 88 Centerline’s Lightning bringing a bunkering barge to Prima 
And later in position with the barge 
A Moran tug headed up to assist Disney Magic 
Got into position… 
And helped Mickey on his way 
The large bulker Arizona headed for Coeymans, arriving from Turkey 
Franklin Reinauer was heading for Newburgh with a cargo 
Buchanan 12 made its usual rounds, passing the still-resident Moca 
Helen was heading back to Coeymans with what looked like either sand or salt 
A load of scrap came south in the afternoon rain 
Dann Marine pushed a cement barge towards the Lafarge Brooklyn terminal 
A large crane headed north from the Bayonne Weeks dock, with James K pushing 
North Bergen’s fireboat was on the river ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Still soaking
Tuesday was yet another day of cold temperatures, northerly winds and soaking rains. Observed river traffic was light, with even the cruise terminal devoid of ships and dredging activity. The Pocamoke left the river with its barge and headed for new cargo, while the Haggerty Girls remained off Edgewater.
The Royal Wagenborg bulk carrier Edenborg came through loaded with wood pulp or other lumber products from Sweden, heading for Albany and, ultimately, paper mills upstate or in Pennsylvania. This is the third time this year than Edenborg has come through, along with numerous similar Royal Wagenborg freighters. Coast Guard Cutter Beluga was back on the River as well, making a relatively rare run up from its Sandy Hook base to rest at the Coast Guard mooring south of the GW Bridge.
Royal Wagenborg’s Edenborg heading upriver in the rain loaded with Swedish wood pulp 
Coast Guard Cutter Beluga left its Sandy Hook base and made a run up the North River, stopping at the Coast Guard mooring ball south of the Bridge. 
Kirby’s Mount St. Elias made an appearance on the River after delivering cargo in New Haven, briefly anchoring before heading back down to the Buckeye Port Reading terminal for a new cargo. 
CMT’s Helen was making another run down from Coeymans with a hopper loaded with very large rocks. We have seen her on this run before. 
Buchanan12 with its usual raft of hoppers hugged the Jersey side of the river to allow Edenborg to overtake on one whistle and Helen to pass on two. 
This unusual looking boat named Aby was on the river with a diner table on the back deck and a Canadian flag. Not seen before and no information on her purpose was available, with no AIS signal being transmitted. -
Port in a storm
Soaking rain and cold north winds persisted Monday for a third day in the aftermath of the hurricane and low pressure moving through to the south. Tug and tanker barge combinations have been sitting out the weather at anchor, with Pocamoke and Haggerty Girls in the North River and a number of boats sitting off Riverdale and Yonkers. Cruise ships were undeterred by the conditions, continuing to arrive and leave Sunday and Monday.
The luxury yacht Moca continues to linger at anchor as well, now going on three weeks and entering the realm of extended residency. The Moca was reportedly visited by fireboats Monday afternoon, and Citizen’s Ap ran a report of an unspecified emergency on an unspecified boat at around 4:15pm, when AIS shows the fireboat Feehan was in the area as well as Marine 1’s large Three Forty Three boat.
Pocamoke at anchor Sunday evening 
A crowd anchored off Yonkers Sunday night
Source: MarineTraffic
Moca in the rain Monday, with fenders out for her launch 
The Army Corps of Engineers looking for hazards swept downriver by the rain 
Buchanan12 was back on its usual route Monday, brining empties back to the Tilcon quarry in Clinton Point 
HMS Justice was preparing to move a bunkering barge out of the way after refueling Norwegian Joy ahead of trip down to Bermuda Monday Norwegian Breakaway left Sunday night for Newport and Nova Scotia -
Lots of Magic heading into a wet weekend.
Temperatures barely got into the 60s Friday as New York heads into a soaked weekend thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Ian. With the storm moving ashore in South Carolina now, Norwegian Getaway made a late Thursday departure without passengers for its winter base in Cape Canaveral. Getaway was replaced by Carnival Magic and Disney Magic. The Disney boat was returning from cruising in Norway and the UK, and will run a series of cruises out of New York to Bermuda now in October, beginning later Friday. The Carnival Magic was completing its last cruise of the season out of New York and left early in the day, probably deadheading down to Norfolk where it will be based for October. Meanwhile, barge traffic seemed light, and Kristin Poling remained anchored off 96th Street.
Mickey Mouse ears and a Carnival stack protruding above the Pier 99 DSNY facility Disney Magic bunkered as arriving passengers waited for transport 
As did Carnival Magic, with Centerline’s HMS Justice positioning the barge. 
Vane Brothers Cape Fear helped Mickey to the dock in the morning and returned in the afternoon to help with departure 
There are now two sailboats anchored south of the Boat Basin 
Evening Mist was bringing aggregate down from the limestone quarry in Catskill NY 
Mister Jim brought a high sided hopper down from the Carver base in Coeymans New York 
A pair of Dann tugs brought a huge Weeks crane upstate in the morning 
Haggerty Girls had a tanker cargo heading north 
Dann Marine’s Coral Coast had a light cement barge heading back to the Lafarge plant in Ravenna, NY -
Feeling like fall
Thursday opened with temperatures in the 50s, with highs on the day only in the mid-60s. The wind has now fully rotated around to the north. Commercial traffic seemed lighter, though the gypsum carrier that had been up in Buchanan slipped back to sea before sunrise, avoiding the camera. Norwegian Getaway remains laid up at Pier 88, waiting for Ian to pass before deadheading south for the winter. Kristin Poling remains anchored off 96th Street.
The north wind running against the flood tide created chop as this Cutler-Poling tug brought a cargo north… 
…and DonJon Marine brought a DSNY scow to Pier 99 
First thought on seeing James William on the North River with empty hoppers heading north was that Buchanan12 had called in sick on the Clinton Point run, but B12 was an hour behind, creeping north against the Ebb tide as well, so for whatever reason there were more BMLP empties heading north Thursday than usual. 
The Army Corps’ Hayward was on patrol for hazards 
A dual hulled sailboat anchored about where the Boat Basin mooring field would be if there were a Boat Basin morning field this year. 
Vane Brothers’ Kings Point brought an empty back after making a delivery at Sunoco Rensselaer The towers of Weehawken were dramatically backlit by the autumn sunset -
We’re here to help
Mid-week brought more beautiful weather, with temperatures rising from the 50s into the high 60s. Winds remained above 10 knots, but rotated a bit up to the northwest. Tanker barge traffic was lighter after Tuesday’s crush, with mostly empty barges coming south. Some light tugs were seen heading upriver, most likely on their way to docking assist jobs in Westchester.
Meanwhile, the cruise ship Norwegian Getaway remained docked at Pier 88, an unusually long stay after departing Tuesday and turning around in the Upper Bay and coming right back. According to an article in Cruisehive, Getaway’s planned cruise from Cape Canaveral to the Caribbean was cancelled due to the hurricane and she is waiting out the storm up here before heading south, having completed her summer cruising season up north now.
Coral Coast was heading to Yonkers early Wednesday, mostly likely to assist with docking the large sugar barge which arrived at the Domino plant Tuesday evening. 
A pair of Moran tugs moved north in the late afternoon, most likely heading for the wallboard plant in Buchanan where the bulker delivering Spanish gypsum which arrived last Wednesday is likely getting ready to depart. 
Kristin Poling remained anchored off 96th Street after returning Tuesday from delivering a cargo in New Haven 
Patuxent was visible in the morning haze anchored north of the bridge 
Kimberly Poling brought a light barge down from Albany 
As did Quenames 
Coast Guard 65’ harbor tug Line was on the River again, but this time singling Burlington as destination. We can assume Coast Guard knows how to use AIS, so this implies a transit of the Champlain Canal, which we will have to monitor in the coming days. NOTE: As of October 3, Line was back on the dock in Bayonne, so the AIS destination was incorrect. 
Some teens were exploring the abandoned Boat Basin. Parks Department would likely not be happy, but did not look horribly unsafe at low tide ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Some less familiar faces
Tuesday brought beautiful conditions once again, with pleasant temperatures and steady 15 knot southwest winds making for great sailing. Commercial tanker traffic remained steady and a few boats less often seen on the River were observed.
This NYPD boat does not have the typical paint job and is in fact not part of the Harbor Patrol at all. CT3 is assigned to the Counter-Terrorism Bureau. Media reports indicate it is equipped with radiation detectors, sonar arrays, and other cool gadgets. 
Fireboat Bravest, based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and more commonly seen on the East River, was in our neck of the woods, testing its water canon near the still-anchored super yacht Moca. 
Research Vessel Blue Sea, a training vessel of Monmouth County maritime magnet high school Marine Academy of Science and Technology, was on the River again, having visited last in July 
Coast Guard cutter Line, one of two 65’ 1963 vintage small harbor tugs based in Bayonne, moved north up the River in late afternoon Frigate HMS Richmond remained tied up on the south side of Pier 88 
Dann Marine was brining the Knot Refined sugar barge, which made its maiden voyage here back in May, up to Domino in Yonkers 
Reinauer Twins passed through with a light barge coming back from Newburgh 
Vane Brothers’ Kings Point had what looked like a partially loaded barge heading north 
Another Vane tug, Patuxent, came up the coast from Charleston with a light barge on the wire and headed up the River, presumably to anchor 
Vinik 6, which seems to be becoming a North River regular, came down from Albany and muscled its light barge into the ebb to anchor off the Boat Basin 
Kristin Poling brought a light barge up the River from New Haven to anchor further north near 96th Street 
Buchanan12 was heading north, surrounded by its flock as usual 
Sarah D passed Patuxent on one whistle at sunset coming down from Coeymans with what looked like a load of rock 
Mary Alice was hading north with empty hoppers just before sunset 
Evelyn Cutler passed the towers of Riverside Boulevard with a light barge coming down from Albany 
Followed by the DEP’s Red Hook on is appointed sewage sludge rounds 
Norwegian Getaway made an usual early afternoon getaway, passing Pier 66, but then turned around in the Upper Bay and headed back up river. Perhaps hurricane activity is disrupting her schedule. 
Centerline’s Neptune left after bunkering Getaway earlier, with the cranes of Bayonne Port visible in the distance 
Dredgers remained active in the cruise terminal 
The Intrepid was getting a needed paint job ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
HMS Richmond at the pier
Monday brought the Jewish New Year and beautiful fall weather, with temperatures climbing into the 70s after a cool start. The Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond remained tied up on the south side of Pier 88. In the morning, sailors and an officer could be observed doing some kind of formal drill, raising and lowering the naval ensign several times, perhaps rehearsing for some ceremony planned for this week. The flagship Queen Elizabeth remains anchored in the Upper Bay ahead of the Atlantic Future Forum it will be hosting on Wednesday. Meanwhile, commercial traffic remained heavy, with a lot of oil products heading north as we enter heating oil season.
Frigate HMS Richmond tied up on the south side of Pier 88 …with some kind of drill underway on the stern. The sailors are holding rifles and the officer in front has a sword. 
Meanwhile, dredging continued on the other side of Pier 88 
Later on, Sarah Dann handed off a full mud scow to Atlantic Enterprise which would tow it out to the dump site off Sandy Hook 
While Douglas J brought in an empty barge for more mud 
A pair of F/A 18s escorted a seagull up the river, with the flyover perhaps related to the same forum that brought the Royal Navy to town 
A Coast Guard dolphin helicopter was also on patrol 
As was what looked like a US Air Force Huey helicopter 
and an NYPD 45’ boat 
A loaded Reinauer ATB passed between two anchored yachts off 79th Street. The Moca on the left has been there for two weeks, apparently not subject to the Coast Guard 96-hour limit for tugs. The one on the right stopped in that unusual anchorage spot for just a few hours and then was on its way to Greenwich, Connecticut 
Vane Brothers’ Fort Schuyler pushed a loaded barge north as well 
As did Boston Marine’s Quenames 
And Kimberly Poling 
Haugland Group’s Evening Mist was bringing empty hoppers north, probably heading for the company’s Tomkins Cove intermodal port ©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 