Tag: NYPD
-
Smoke on the water

Brisk winds and occasional squalls rolling through did little to clear out the layer of smoke which sat over the North River Tuesday, a product of forest fires up north in Quebec. Commercial traffic was fairly heavy, with the knot of tugs anchored in the North River breaking up leaving only The Beatrice anchored off…
Daniel Katzive
-
Summer and smoke

Memorial Day has come and gone, putting us in the cultural summer, with meteorological summer a few days away, and astronomical summer still a few weeks out. Commercial traffic has been light over the holiday, while the Fleet Week ships departed with much less fanfare than seen on arrival. A haze of smoke had descended…
Daniel Katzive
-
Memorial Day weekend ahead

The cruise terminal is teaming with sailors and coast guards and heavily guarded as we head into Memorial Day weekend. Observed commercial traffic has been moderate.
Daniel Katzive
-
The Fleet is In

Fleet Week kicked off Wednesday with the traditional parade of ships. The surprise this year was the participation of the destroyer USS Cole, famous for surviving a deadly al-Qaeda attack in Yemen back in October 2000. For more on Fleet Week, see my write up in the West side Rag. Meanwhile, the marine highway remained…
Daniel Katzive
-
Get ready for the fleet

Fleet Week officially kicks off Wednesday with the arrival of the parade of ships heading for Pier 88 and Stapleton, but there were signs of preparation already on Tuesday. The Italian frigate Virginio Fasan was tied up at Pier 90 in the morning, though they later headed back to the Harbor, presumably to join the…
Daniel Katzive
-
Outdoor activity

Perfect weather brought heavy recreational activity back to the North River, with motor, wind and human power vessels very much in evidence. Commercial traffic was heavy as well, particularly on Sunday. Norwegian’s Prima spent the day on the north side of Pier 88 and the USS Coooperstown remained tied up on the south side after…
Daniel Katzive
-
Through traffic

The North River saw steady two-way traffic Tuesday. Early showers gave way to sun, but temperatures remain unseasonably chilly.
-
Need help?

The wing surfer was back on the North River off Riverside Park South for a second day, despite continued high winds. But this time he must have appeared to be having difficulty, because someone called for help on his behalf. The Harbor Patrol boat came up from the cruise terminal and so did Marine 1’s…
Daniel Katzive
-
Windy Wednesday with a visitor from afar

Mid-week traffic on the River seemed light and entirely unremarkable after a more interesting start to the week, with the exception of a visiting fast ferry heading to Nyack for service. However, whipping northwest winds limited NRN observation opportunities. A bald eagle was sighted off 73rd Street but, sadly, not photographed.
-
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…
-
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
-
Air and Sea

Skies cleared on Tuesday and temperatures dropped into the 30s, with a brisk 15knot wind blowing out of the west. Some interesting traffic passed on the River, but an occasional glance upward was also rewarding. Vessel traffic included a 650 foot bulker headed to Coeymans from Chile and likely carrying road salt, as well as…
Daniel Katzive
-
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…
Daniel Katzive
-
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…
-
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.
-
Storm arrives
Small craft advisory was in effect this afternoon as a big storm system moves through and a gale warning kicks in tonight as winds build. By 5pm, winds were gusting up to 20 MPH out of the northeast. Traffic was moderate ahead of the storm and a couple of tugs have sought the sheltered anchorages…
Daniel Katzive
-
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…
-
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…
-
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.
Daniel Katzive
-
Labor Day: Loaded and light

Labor Day was a day off for many of us on land, but tugboat crews were hard at work, with tanker traffic fairly heavy. Evelyn Cutler began the morning anchored off Edgewater after seemingly loading a barge at Bayonne’s IMTT overnight. Tugs with loaded barges normally do not anchor in the River, but perhaps the…
