Tag: hoppers
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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…
Daniel Katzive
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You don’t need a weather vane…

A whipping northwest wind made it feel like winter again on Tuesday. Robbins Reef recorded gusts over 40 knots and a small craft warning was in effect for the harbor. River traffic slowed a bit after a frenetic start to the week but tanker barges began to accumulate at the anchorages again. Activity this week…
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Philadelphia Story and the voyage of the Baylander

Wye River arrived on the North River Monday with a loaded looking tank barge on the wire. This towing configuration is not usually seen on the River other than for tugs coming from or heading directly to sea, and, indeed, in this case, Wye River’s AIS showed it arriving from Philadelphia. This is another pattern…
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Return to work

The sun rose Saturday morning on a crowded North River anchorage, as tug and barge combinations took shelter from the overnight gale conditions. Robbins Reef recorded a gust over 40 knots Friday night, but conditions improved Saturday with clearing skies and reducing winds even as temperatures dropped a bit. Tugs in the River headed out…
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Weather coming

Tanker barges and tugs seem to be accumulating in the North River anchorages ahead of weather coming in Friday night. By sundown, Genesis Vigilant, Adeline Marie, Patrice McCallister, and Dean Reinauer were all anchored south of the Bridge, and Mount St Elias and Kimberly Poling were to the north. Gale warnings and coastal flood warnings…
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Tanker time

A foreign-flagged tanker moved up the River Thursday morning, arriving from Montreal and likely bringing a cargo of refined products from the refinery there. Most oil products move north on US flagged tanker barges pushed by tugs or articulated tug/barge combinations (ATBs), coming from the refineries and pipeline terminals in North Jersey or, sometimes, from…
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Snow at last

Snow finally arrived on the final day of February, bringing 1.8” of accumulation in Central Park and ending a record long winter snow drought. The powder did not last long though. With snow switching to rain and temperatures rising into the high 30s, there was little left on the roads for the evening commute. March…
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Finishing windy

Damp conditions prevailed through Thursday. By Friday, the sun was out, but a brisk 25 knot wind out of the northwest brought gale warnings to the harbor and put a good chop on the river. Thursday morning saw the B. Franklin, Genesis Glory, and William F. Fallon, Jr all anchored in the fog on the…
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Less common traffic

Conditions have deteriorated as the week has progressed following the Washington’s Birthday holiday, with Wednesday bringing rain and hail, though still no measurable snow. Traffic on the River has included some vessels seen less often, though activity has been generally light.
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Substitutes
Skies cleared Saturday and temperatures slowly climbed back above 40 amid bright sunshine. A bulker came through in the morning, heading out to sea after delivering a cargo of gypsum from Garrucha, Spain to the wallboard plant in Buchanan, NY. At sunset, another bulk ship came through heading north for Coeymans with unknown cargo, or…
Daniel Katzive
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Wet close out
Warm weather persisted through the end of the work week, but Friday brought periods of heavy rain and cooling temperatures. North River anchorages were busy Friday morning as a blanket of fog sat over the region. Reinauer’s Josephine remained anchored in the River with her loaded barge, shifting up north closer to the Bridge. By…
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Anchoring heavy

The balmy February has continued into the Ides of the month, with temperatures climbing into the 60s midweek. The River has been busy, with two-way traffic and active anchorages. The year so far has been unusual in terms of weather, but also because of an increased number of tugs anchoring with what appear to be…
Daniel Katzive
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Snow at last

Central Park recorded 0.4” of snow overnight into Wednesday morning, ending the record-breaking snowless winter streak. The dusting had all disappeared by midday though as temperatures climbed up above freezing. Meaningful cold is supposed to arrive Friday. Meanwhile, the River remains strangely bereft of traffic, with no tanker barge cargos observed moving upriver. Janice Ann…
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Presidential visit

Winter made an attempt on Tuesday, with temperatures dropping back into the 30s and snow flurries in evidence in the morning, though not with any accumulation. River traffic seemed strangely light, with a pair of tug/barge combinations at anchor in the morning and no cargos observed on the move. President Biden was in town, visiting…
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Weird winter

The weird winter of 2023 continues, with temperatures climbing into the 50s and only the brisk 15 knot southwest winds providing a reminder of the season. A tanker barge cargo of what was most likely ethanol moved south en route to Boston, and stone hoppers were heading north.
Daniel Katzive
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Tanker traffic

Wednesday brought precipitation and even some snow flurries, but we remain without significant accumulation of snow this winter, rapidly closing in on a record. Winds remained brisk, and gale warnings went into effect for the Harbor Wednesday afternoon. Deteriorating conditions saw Norwegian Gem postpone her scheduled 4pm departure from Pier 88 until 3am Thursday, according…
