Category: Uncategorized
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Looking for a ship

A blanket of thick fog sat over the river for almost the whole of Wednesday, with visibility ranging from poor to worse than poor. At sunrise it was practically pea soup, such that a bulk freighter coming down from Coeymans was nearly completely invisible at less than 500 yards off the end of pier i…
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Another soaker

Tuesday brought another day of soaking rains, with temperatures in the 40s and light winds, swinging around from northerly to southerly. The brand new MSC cruise ship Seascape remained at Pier 88 for a second day and will remain at least through Wednesday evening for a scheduled naming ceremony here. MSC is also celebrating commencement…
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Just visiting

The first full work week of December kicked off with clear skies, light winds and seasonable temperatures. The week brought two visitors to the passenger ship terminal area, with the Woods Hole-based 110’ Coast Guard cutter Tybee tieing up at the end of Pier 86 Monday morning for a one-day port call, and a brand…
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A soaker

Temperatures climbed Saturday but a soaking rain for most of the day and 15 knot southwest wind did not make for great vibes. Commercial traffic remained fairly typical, with a Royal Wagenborg wood pulp freighter heading for Albany the most notable ship of the day. A Coast Guard 29’ boat came up the River from…
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Deeper in

One day deeper into meteorological winter on Friday saw temperatures climb into the 40s, clear skies and light winds. Overall, not bad, but more rain is coming Saturday. The anchorages cleared out, with Dean Reinauer making a dawn departure, and the two Kirby tugs leaving later in the day. By Friday evening, only Saint Emilion…
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Winter is here…sort of

The first day of astronomical winter is December 21, but the first day of meteorological winter is December 1 and it is beginning to feel a lot like winter this week. The skies cleared Thursday, but temperatures dropped. Winds remained elevated for the morning after Wednesday’s gale, with a small craft advisory in effect, before…
Daniel Katzive
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Gales of November come…late

The final day of November brought gale warnings to New York Harbor, with wind gusts from the southwest up to 35 knots and steady rain. A crowd of tug/barge combinations crowded into the the calmer waters of the North River but a fair number also rode out the storm on the Upper Bay, including the…
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Over the rainbow, plus the fireboat mystery solved

Dawn on Monday brought a glorious rainbow to the River, arching from Weehawken up to North Bergen. A last line of rain showers came through at 7:20am, ending the effect, but it was great while it lasted. Activity on the River remained heavy. Adeline Marie remained at anchor on the River as she has been…
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Holiday hangover
Thanksgiving weekend passed with mostly pleasant weather, interrupted by heavy winds Friday evening and rain Sunday afternoon. Commercial activity on the River remained fairly heavy. Adeline Marie remained resident in the North River anchorages, shifting between 79th Street and 72nd Street. She was joined by Kristy Ann, who anchored off Edgewater after a delivery in…
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Back to work Friday
Activity on the River was unsurprisingly subdued over Thanksgiving, but Friday seemed to bring a wave of catch up traffic. Three tug/barge combinations were anchored in the River at sunrise on Thanksgiving, but by afternoon the Kimberly Poling had pulled up her hook and headed for Raritan Bay for the overnight. Adeline Marie made an…
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Pre-holiday traffic
Conditions improved into the the Thanksgiving holiday, with temperatures climbing and winds moderating. The North River anchorages were full again on Tuesday, perhaps anticipating a lull in cargo loading and unloading for Thanksgiving.
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Everyone knows it’s windy
Temperatures climbed a bit Monday, reaching 40 by midday after starting out below freezing. Winds remained elevated, with a small craft advisory in effect again for the harbor, and shifted to the southwest, putting a bit more visible chop on the River. Tugs continue to shelter in the North River with their tanker barges during…
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Small Craft Advisory
Clear and cold again Sunday, with temperatures just above freezing and stiff winds gusting over 20 knots out of the west. A small craft advisory was in effect for New York Harbor. Wind was visible on the River but conditions did not look choppy, at least not from shore. Chop seems to be worse on…
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First Freeze

Temperatures fell below freezing early Saturday, the first freeze in New York City this year, but clear skies allowed us to get back to 40 by the afternoon, and the River remains a source of warmth for the time being as well. The North River anchorages remain in demand, with Kimberly Poling remaining off 72nd…
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Ready to freeze
After a brief period of rain mid-week as the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole lingered, New York shifted to classic clear and cold autumn weather, with morning temperatures in the 30’s and 15 knot winds out of the southwest. Tanker barges remain busy and seem to be favoring the River over the Bay during their…
Daniel Katzive
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Cold at last
Temperatures finally fell into the 30s Monday morning, a shocking return to reality to many who were getting used to summery conditions sticking around. Tanker barges continue to move back in forth on the river, while the Patrice McAllister and Centerline’s William J. Fallon were laid up at North River anchorages. With the Veterans Day…
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Variable weekend
Friday’s tropical storm cleared out Saturday but left behind balmy conditions. Twenty-four hours later, the mercury was dropping and winds were increasing as more rain came through. Oil product tanker barges remain on the move, transporting heating oil, gasoline, and diesel upstate and coming back empty, though Reinauer ATBs that anchored during Friday’s storm remained…
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Get out of the rain
The remnants of Hurricane Nicole arrived in New York Friday with a steady drenching rain, but not much wind. There was a modest shift to the sheltered waters of the North River, with Dean Reinauer and Timothy Reinauer coming up from the Lower Bay and anchoring off the Upper West Side, and Genesis Victory returning…
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Search and Rescue

The Coast Guard demonstrated the service’s search and rescue capabilities on Pier 86 Thursday, ahead of Friday’s Veterans Day parade at which the Coast Guard will be the “featured service.” The Coast Guard brought in a Jayhawk MH60 helicopter, the Coast Guard version of the Blackhawk, and dropped a rescue swimmer in the water who…
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Parade of Ships

The Coast Guard will be the “featured service” at Friday’s New York City Veterans Day. In recognition of this, USCG organized a small parade of ships, entering the Harbor this morning and proceeding up to the passenger ship terminal. The flagship was the Cape May-based 154’ fast response cutter Lawrence Lawson, which docked at the…
