Tag: tanker barges
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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.
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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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Working weekend
Saturday evening brought another bulker bringing Spanish gypsum up to the Buchanan wallboard plant, and Sunday saw the tanker Hanfia Lise heading back to sea after delivering a cargo of what was probably Canadian-refined oil products in Albany. Otherwise, traffic seemed light after the flurry of recent days. By the end of the weekend, all…
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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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Buying in bulk
The dip down to freezing on Saturday was short-lived, with temperatures climbing back to just shy of 50 again on Sunday. River traffic remained moderately heavy, with the third bulker of the weekend coming through Sunday. The Reinauer Twins remained anchored off 110th Street for a third day.
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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…
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Weekend warriors
The weekend brought pleasant weather with temperatures in the 40s and occasional periods of gusty wind. River traffic seemed rather light. By the end of the weekend Vane’s Pokamoke and Gracie Reinauer were anchored off the Upper West Side.
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Freezing spray
Temperatures troughed just after sunrise Saturday in the low single digits across the New York City area, but climbed steadily through the rest of the weekend as winds abated. The cluster of tug/barge combinations on the North River began to break up as conditions improved and visitors went back to work. By Sunday evening, Kristy…
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Winter gales
Temperatures plunged below freezing just before sunrise on Friday and fell below 20 F by sundown. Gale warnings were in effect for the harbor as the NOAA weather station at Robbins Reef lighthouse in the Upper Bay clocked gusts above 50 knots. With Upper Bay anchorages unappealing, a crowd of tanker barges took up residence…
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Special delivery
Thursday brought clear skies with temperatures in the 30s and 15 knot winds out of the southwest. Conditions are set to deteriorate as we move into the weekend, with temperatures dropping sharply. Small craft warning was in effect for the Harbor Thursday, and a gale warning goes into effect Friday. On the River, tanker cargos…
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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…
North River Notes 