Shipping News, No. 5: Update

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Shipping News, No. 5: Update
New York Harbor Region
Tuesday, January 11, 2000

See also: Shipping News; Shipping News: Update; Shipping News, No. 2; Shipping News, No. 2: Update; Shipping News, No. 3; Shipping News, No. 3: Update; Shipping News, No. 4; Shipping News, No. 4: Update; Shipping News, No. 5.

A quiet day on the waterfront, and few general observations.

The wind that continued to whistle across the region's waters again required tugboat captains to tie-up to their moored fuel/oil barges, and ship captains to keep their engines on standby. The tanker that had almost become a casualty of another ship's nighttime swing circle in a New York Harbor anchorage was sent to set four hooks in the water in Gravesend Bay for a 24-hour commercial delay.

Graceful seagulls floated silently upon the sharp winds that crossed Newark Bay. In the distance, twelve black-iron giants -- the container cranes of Port Newark -- juxtaposted themselves in a rigid silence along a shipless bulkhead, standing in motionless array above the waiting racks and stacks of multicolored cargo containers.

Around a treacherous point and eastward along the channel, seven tugboats were unusually tied-up to the dock of an accommodating yard. Though they declared their proud lineage through the variety of their bold color schemes, the tugs also gave quiet notice that there was no scheduled need for their horsepower and push-gears at mid day.

Today's Quote from The Harbor:

"This has been the watch from hell."



-- Harbor Guy (HarborGuy@OnThe.Waterfront), January 11, 2000

Answers

Sorry, sp. "juxtaposed."



-- Harbor Guy (HarborGuy@OnThe.Waterfront), January 11, 2000.

So, not much happening today. :) Keep up the good work, Harbor Guy!

-- Dean -- from (almost) Duh Moyn (dtmiller@midiowa.net), January 12, 2000.

Ahoy Harbor Dude!!!

Your writing style and content are as refreshing as the sea breezes.

Thanks for keeping those maritime reports coming in.

-- Me (me@me.me), January 12, 2000.


Oh how I wish I still had my 29-ft Columbia sailboat, she was a dandy. We sailed the San Francisco Bay and reefed a few sails as we manuevered the squirrely currents and winds. It was fun and challenging, definately sharpened my survival skills. I saw a gull today, 200 miles inland from the nearest ocean beach, it wasn't lost, it was looking to devour left over rice field crops. Thanks for the post, it brought back memories

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 12, 2000.

--U-h-h-h, kinda SLOW over to the harbor that feeds the money capital of the world, a little, isn't it? I woulda expected like-well--HUNDREDS of ships! Is this "normal" (<--whatever that is)?

Hope you're wigglin these reports into that Great American Novel or something, definetly good!

-- itain'twhytookay (keepincount@harbordoods.reports.good), January 12, 2000.



Hey "ME" What is the latest on those banks in Brazil. I loved your post on 1-1-2000. Very revealing. Any more? Thanks Earl

-- Earl (earl.shuholm@worldnet.att.net), January 12, 2000.

Harbor Guy,

As usual, a treat to read. Are there any professional info sources (such as, Coast Guard, Port Authority) one could examine for data or statistics on port activities?

-- J Wheel (motherof5@wellprepared.noregrets), January 12, 2000.


This WAS a quiet day, indeed- in the middle of the week! Thank you, Harbor Guy, for the update.

-- Swissrose (cellier@aztstarnet.com), January 12, 2000.

Grew up on sailboats.

Ah, for that elixer sniff of salted ocean breeze, and a pungent wind in one's face.

Thanks, Harbor Guy.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 12, 2000.


Not a word on the banks.

-- Me (me@me.me), January 12, 2000.


Hey Harbor Guy, Are you listening to the ships on the marine band radio? Let us know. Love the posts, keep them coming!

-- formerly (formerly@nowhere.zzz), January 12, 2000.

Harbor Guy...I scan the TB2000 first looking for your harbor reports and a "breath of fresh air". Its just fun and interesting, "seeing" something I have never seen...through your eyes and words. Thank you

Taz

-- Taz (Tassi123@aol.com), January 12, 2000.


BTW, The Shipping News is a grim (but good) novel by Annie Proulx.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), January 12, 2000.

Hey Harbor Guy - So the traffic is abnormally slow. On a scale, just how slow is it and what possible reasons could there be from the most likely to the least likely and yet still possible? As a landlubber I don't know what to extrapolate from your reports.

Appreciate your input, thanks.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), January 12, 2000.


J: The Port Authority of NY and NJ has a website, http://www.panynj.gov/, with facility descriptions, etc., and also a page of updated press releases. I don't know of a U.S. Coast Guard page that gives specific port updates.

Tom: Uh oh, could I be infringing on copyright :-)

Guy: There is much of subjective observation in the posts; basically, it has appeared to me that shipping traffic has been light post-rollover; anchorage space has been extraordinarily tight; schedules have been repeatedly delayed and changed; and thus. If things iron out soon enough, I will assume there has been essentially no Y2K impact on shipping.

Thanks to everyone for the generous comments.



-- Harbor Guy (HarborGuy@OnThe.Waterfront), January 12, 2000.


A reminder: Ships ship when there are shipments in the ships to ship....if there are few shipments being shippped, there will likely be few ships seen shipping shipments

Try saying that twelve times quickly.

The preseived delays, or reduction in shipping implied by the perceived reduction, could be seasonal, or could be from delays in loading at the other end.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 12, 2000.


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