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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 -
Mean reversion weekend
The run of unseasonably warm temperatures finally came to an end over the weekend, with the mercury dropping into the 30’s and 40’s. Winds were light though and skies increasingly clear by Sunday. Commercial traffic has been light, with tanker cargos seemingly absent during daylight hours—perhaps the warm temperatures have reduced demand for heating oil up north. Cement barges have been active, perhaps also a symptom of the warmer winter.
Buchanan12 pushed empties north on Friday at sundown. B12 has not been observed on this blog since mid-December, perhaps the quarry had a holiday shutdown or else the rock was moving in the dark and fog and eluding photos 
What goes up must come down. On Saturday, Buchanan12 was heading south again with crushed stone quarried at Clinton Point 
Stasinos’s Brinn Courtney travelled light heading north on Friday 
DonJon Marine was working the DSNY Pier 99 facility on Friday, hauling paper to the Pratt Industries mill on the Arthur Kill in Staten Island 
Genesis Vigilant anchored off 72n Street on Saturday with a rusty tanker barge about three times the length of the tug. 
B. Franklin Reinauer had the only oil products cargo observed this weekend heading north for Albany on Sunday, shown here as the DEP’s Port Richmond sludge tanker overtakes on one whistle. 
The Port Richmond is one of the new 2014 generation of tankers, designed for harbor work. 
CMT’s Daisy Mae had gravel and a deck barge with an excavator coming down from Coeymans and heading for Bayonne and then Newtown Creek 
Dann Marine’s Coral Coast pushed an empty cement barge from the College Point Queens terminal back towards the Ravenna Lafarge plant on Saturday 
Dann’s Sapphire Coast was moving the other direction Sunday morning, pushing a loaded cement barge past the Norwegian Getaway, on the way around the Battery, through Hell Gate an onwards towards New England via the Sound 
Norwegian Getaway got refueled Sunday with help from Vane’s Cape Fear and a bunkering barge. Getaway later sailed for the Caribbean, probably the first departure from the Manhattan terminal this year. 
One of the Coast Guard’s Staten Island-based 29’ boats patrolled on Saturday 
And so did a NYPD 35 footer 
New Jersey State Police keeps on a boat on the River as well. Local police departments on the Jersey side do not, though Union County Police have a boat based on the Arthur Kill. 
Kayakers and paddle boarders were out Sunday morning despite sub 40 temperatures A view from Riverbank State Park atop the North River pollution control (i.e. sewage) plant late afternoon Sunday shows a flat river as light winds move in the same direction as the ebb tide 
If you zoom, you can see three tanker barges and a sugar barge anchored off Yonkers and, of course, the Little Red Lighthouse. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Hazards to navigation
Damp and fog continues to linger over New York City as temperatures remain unseasonably warm. Storms up north appear to have produced a lot of debris in the River, the larger pieces of which the Army Corps of Engineers has been busy cleaning up. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard’s ice breakers are less busy, though the Sturgeon Bay did leave its dock in Bayonne and headed for Albany Thursday. Commercial traffic was light on Thursday.
The Corp of Engineers boat Hayward fished a large tree limb or tree trunk out of the River as Dann Marine’s Treasure Coast pushed an empty cement barge north, heading for the Lafarge plant in Ravenna NY. 
The Hayward had to make several trips to collect all the hazards, with a pile of lumber visible on the deck in this photo. 
Another Corps boat, the Moritz, also made a loop up the River. 
The diminutive Kenny G and another Sound Marine work boat brought a deck barge with what looked like parts for marina pilings (note Marine Guard stenciled on the black cylinders). They were coming from the Sound Marine base at the North River boat yard in Nyack and heading for Red Hook. 
The Rockaway DEP tanker, one of the newest generation vessels in the fleet, was working the North River plant Thursday, ferrying sludge to Wards Island for dewatering. 
An NYPD 35’ boat was patrolling the River -
Weather records
January 4 brought sunny skies and warm temperatures, with at least one location in the New York area recording record highs in the 60s.The River is a source of coldness this time of year, and a layer of mist lingered above the water for most of the day before some light rain arrived with sunset.
Commercial traffic was light but there were some less frequently seen vessels in evidence. Traffic to and from Westchester was also a notable feature: a pair of Moran tugs were seen heading to Buchanan, very likely to assist with the departure of the bulker Belfriend which has been unloading a cargo of Spanish gypsum at the wallboard factory there, and Dann Marine’s East Coast was towing a light sugar barge south from the Yonkers Domino plant back towards Florida after unloading there. The wallboard plant and sugar refinery are the only businesses receiving bulk cargos on the Hudson in Westchester County these days, while the Peekskill fuel depot also occasionally receives a tanker barge delivery. The bulker Belfriend seems likely to slip by Manhattan after dark.
City Cruises’ Celestial, built in the style of the Parisian bateaux mouche and normally only seen on the River at dinner hour, was cutting the early morning mist on a non-revenue run up to the North River Boatyard in Nyack for repairs. 
NY Waterway’s Edgewater ferry passed in similar hazy conditions 
Dann Marine’s Captain Willie Landers had a Lockwood Marine deck barge heading for Albany 
Their Dann colleagues on the Calusa Coast pushed a tanker barge south from the Yonkers anchorage to a pier in Red Hook. Calusa may have been up in Yonkers with this barge since she passed heading up there before Christmas. 
Dann’s East Coast had the sugar barge Jonathan on the wire, heading back to Florida on the ebb tide after unloading at the Yonkers Domino plant. 
Vane’s Fort McHenry, more often seen delivering bunkering barges to the cruise terminal, had a tanker barge cargo heading north 
Kimberly Turecamo passed Englewood Cliffs heading for Buchanan to assist the bulker Belfriend leaving the wallboard plant there. Kimberly was followed by the Mary J. Turecamo 
The DEP’s 2008 vintage Red Hook tanker, the second oldest in the fleet, was heading to the North River plant to load sludge for dewatering at Hunts Point 
The Corps of Engineers tug Gelberman was on patrol, making a loop up to the GWB after making a survey of the East River up to Throgs Neck 
An NYPD 45’ launch came up the River from the Sunset Park base, made a loop and then headed for Erie Basin. 
This NY Air National Guard Pave Hawk chopper (Air Force search and rescue version of the Blackhawk) flew up the River from its base at Grabeski airport in West Hampton with a trooper’s boots visible hanging out the door. 
A Metro-North “maxi-bomb” train bound for Grand Central with the locomotive pushing approached Spuyten Duyvil. A maxi-bomb is a diesel plus 7 Bombardier coaches. ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Welcome to 2023!
UPDATED: Post updated to reflect that Treasury Coast was heading for Yonkers Domino plant to assist East Coast with departure of barge Jonathan rather than the cement plant in Ravenna.
A return to the River after a 10 day absence found conditions somewhat improved from the frigid temperatures prevailing before Christmas, but light commercial traffic and a blanket of fog sitting over the city were not conducive to photography. Observed vessels were mainly North River regulars, though the cargo ship BBC Aralia did slip by unobserved at midday. Her colleagues on BBC Topaz arrived at Port of Albany earlier in the morning carrying equipment for the Plug Power hydrogen cell plant which opened near there earlier this year. Perhaps Aralia has similar cargo.
Dean Reinauer heading north in the morning fog 
Kimberly Poling passed with a cargo before sundown but was nearly invisible from Dock A at the Boat Basin 
Treasure Coast was moving light up river to assist with departure of a sugar barge from the Yonkers Domino plant Port of Albany welcomed a BBC cargo ship Tuesday, and a second BBC vessel passed New York on the way 
The sludge tanker North River, dean of the DEP fleet, was heading for its eponymous plant to pick up product 
This looked like an NYPD or Coast Guard fast boat but it was unmarked The pre-war towers of Riverside Park loomed above the dolphins protecting A Dock at the Boat Basin 
A line of debris in Riverside Park South still marks the extent of the pre-Christmas super high tide The holiday period itself was characterized by big swings in temperatures, ranging from the single digits to the fifties. Fire was a notable theme as well on the River and in the Harbor: after the FDNY’s marine units saw action on December 14 fighting a warehouse fire in Erie Basin, the Staten Island ferry Sandy Ground suffered an engine room fire on December 22 on the Upper Bay. Tugs from CMT and Stasinos Marine helped hold the ferry in place as the 600 passengers were evacuated onto NY Waterway and NYC Ferry vessels. More recently, a tug suffered an engine room fire on the River between Catskill and Hudson on New Year’s Day. According to a Facebook post from the Catskill Fire Department, local marine units extinguished the fire. The fire department did not identify the tug, but the photos seem to show a CMT tug, with the Kimberly Poling providing assistance. Luckily, none of these three emergencies occurred on a day with extremely frigid temperatures.
©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Coastal flooding and plunging temperatures
High tide brought serious coastal flooding to New York Harbor Friday morning, with reports indicating neighborhoods on Jamaica Bay seeing their worst inundations since Sandy. Impact on the Hudson was much less dramatic, though high tide was still visibly above normal and some areas of Riverside Park South and Hudson River Park saw water where it does not normally reach. Flood waters receded with the ebb tide by 11am, but then gale warnings went into effect as winds picked up and a storm came through from the southwest, bringing heavy rain and even a bit of snow, with winds gusting to over 40 MPH. Temperatures are set to plunge sharply as we move into evening, falling into teens from over 50 in the morning. The North River anchorages were crowded Friday morning, but traffic continued to move through the rough afternoon conditions.
HOS Browning, a survey ship involved in wind turbine work offshore, remained anchored off 72nd and may be intending to remain through the Christmas weekend, as she did over July 4th weekend. There were two Norwegian cruise ships at the cruise terminal Friday, with Gem seemingly having delayed her departure for the Caribbean after arriving from Europe the day before, and Getaway scheduled to leave Friday night.
This will be the final installment of North River Notes for 2022. Best wishes to all for a happy end to the year!
High water Friday morning 
HOS Browning anchored off 72nd Street 
Adeline Marie and Timothy Reinauer at anchor Friday morning 
Dylan Cooper was further south 
And Grace Reinauer further south still 
Adeline Marie was on her way later in the morning, but then turned around and came back to anchor in the River again 
Dylan Cooper left later, as visibility deteriorated, and headed for Port Reading 
Saint Emilion was heading for Albany with a cargo during a break in the weather 
Dace Reinauer was heading back up to Albany with cargo as well, passing the DEP’s Red Hook sludge tanker on one whistle as the southerly wind ran against the ebb tide, kicking up white caps 
Marie J Turecamo was in position behind the tanker barge at the Con Ed steam plant fuel pier, Pier 98, for unknown reasons. She later left light, without the barge. 
Centerline’s Lightning had no difficulty bunkering Norwegian Getaway as the rising tide lifts all boats. Getaway had a derrick hoisting one of her small boats back up at the same time. 
A DonJon tug brought hoppers full of scrap metal south into the wind Friday afternoon ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Beginning to feel a lot like…
The week before Christmas and the arrival of astronomically defined winter saw clear and cold conditions giving way to heavy rain at the end of the week. Tanker barges remained active, and by the end of the week some less familiar vessels arrived.
Tuesday saw a Coast Guard 29’ boat heading for the bridge… 
Followed by North Hudson Fire Rescue’s marine unit with a team on the back deck, perhaps doing drills up by the Bridge 
One of the Coast Guard’s Bayonne-based 65’ harbor tugs was also operating up by the Bridge, and headed for base later 
An NYPD large boat was heading for the Bridge on Thursday 
Vane’s Charleston brought an empty barge south on Tuesday morning 
Pinuccia had a loaded barge heading north Tuesday 
And returned lighter on Wednesday 
The venerable 1968 vintage Dace Reinauer, upgraded with ATB hardware, anchored overnight off 79th Street after returning from Albany before heading for the harbor 
DonJon Marine kept the paper moving out of the DSNY’s Pier 99 facility on Wednesday 
HOS Browning, the offshore vessel that has been doing wind farm related survey work in the New York Bight, was back on the River for the first time since July, anchored off 72nd Street. Browning spent 4th of July weekend on the River and perhaps has similar plans for Christmas, or else just looking to get out of the rain for the next few days. 
Adeline Marie arrived with a light barge and anchored off Harlem after returning from Providence. 
Don Jon had hat looked like some type of tanker barge by the cruise port on Thursday, an unusual location and towing company for this type of barge. 
Dann’s Calusa Coast, not seen before on this blog and normally Chesapeake Bay-based, arrived Thursday with a light tanker barge and headed for Yonkers anchorage. 
MHT’s Sara D headed north with a hopper barge Thursday -
Sunday drivers
Sunny skies prevailed Sunday but the temperature held below 40. Three tugs and tanker barges had accumulated in the River overnight, though Patrice McCalister was on her way by 9am.
Josephine Reinauer and Jeffrey S at anchor Sunday morning south of the Bridge 
Patrice McAlister left her anchorage, traveling with RCM 262 on the hip as this tug always seems to when its barge is light, and headed to the Arthur Kill for new cargo. 
For a second day in a row, Everly Mist was making an early run bringing what looked like dirt fill down from Tomkins Cove to the Newark Bay side of Bayonne. 
Kayakers and SUPers were on the River again in the morning despite the cold, surprisingly far out in the channel 
Centerline tugs brought a bunkering barge to refuel Norwegian Getaway which is making runs to Bermuda and the Caribbean from New York this winter. 
For a second day in a row a Marine Super Stallion helicopter made a trip up the river with markings of Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 based at McGuire AFB in New Jersey. 
A red tail hawk also put in an appearance ©2024 Daniel Katzive Uncategorized -
Winter sports
The rain cleared Saturday and temperatures climbed into the 40s with winds around 15 knots. HRCS had its J24s on the water, and a group of kayakers was also seen in the midday sun. Patrice McCalister anchored off 96th Street in the rain on Friday, and remained Saturday morning with her barge on the hip, her usual configuration when the barge is unloaded. Saint Emilion returned from Albany Friday night and appeared to have handed off its barge to Copper Mountain, which came up from Caddell’s dry dock and anchored with the barge about half a mile north of Patrice, remaining there Saturday. Tanker barge traffic Saturday was heavy, but was mainly empties moving south, while some stone hoppers were also seen heading south.
Patrice McCalister with RCM262 on the hip at anchor showing off its notch 
Copper Mountain and barge at anchor a bit further north 
Brinn Courtney brought a load of stone down from Tomkins Cove 
Everly Mist brought what looked like dirt down from up north 
Jordan Rose left anchorage off Yonkers and headed out of town, passing south along the Jersey Shore by evening 
Evelyn Cutler came down from Albany and headed to Bayonne IMTT for new cargo 
Curtis Reinauer, seen less frequently on the North River, came down from Albany and headed for the Upper Bay to anchor 
DonJon’s Brian Nicholas serviced the DSNY pier and headed for Staten Island 
A 29’ Coast Guard boat was on patrol, following a Dolphin chopper overhead 
A Marine Viper attack helicopter looped up the River 
Escorted by a larger helicopter, maybe a Huey, as we have seen in the past 
A big Navy Sikorsky chopper also passed south on the River 
Warmly dressed sailors were out on a J24 
And kayakers put in an appearance with a stand-up paddle border ©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.
