Commercial Traffic

Shipping of materials and goods was once accomplished solely on the waters.  Ships carried goods around the world.  The Erie Canal was built to be able to ship goods from Europe and New York to the midwest and to ship raw materials from the midwest to New York and Europe.  The canal is credited with the building of New York City into a major city in worldwide terms.  To move something from one place to another is still called "shipping."  Railroads and, later. federal highways and trucks changed the face of shipping.  Shipping on the water makes up only a small part of commercial transportation today, but still exists as some products are more easily and economically transported in large qualities on ships.

The above freighter is powering up the Hudson River toward Albany, NY.  A closer look in front of the boat's bow will reveal a rock pile with a red marker on top.  This ship must round that marker, taking it on his starboard side.  Last Dance is traveling in the opposite direction and must find water deep enough to pass the ship on its port side.  Large ships cannot make tight turns.  A bit of communication between the two captains made for a safe, but close pass.

The Erie Canal was originally all commercial traffic.  Today, all the traffic is pleasure boats, with a few exceptions, one of which is illustrated in this image.  A tug is pushing a barge through the canal, followed by another commercial boat, a work tug.

Another freighter on its way up the Hudson River.  From its high water line, it is empty and will be picking up a load.  Two tugs follow the freighter and will position it at the dock when it arrives.

The two tugs.

A fuel or oil barge heading north on the Hudson River with a tug tucked in and connected behind.  The tug has two flybridges, a lower one for when it is underway by itself and a higher one to provide visibility when pushing a barge.  For the size of the hole they make in the water, they do not throw off a massive wake.  Looking at the bow of this barge, you can see that the water us pushed up about 6 feet higher than the water alongside.

Here the tug has move alongside pushing the barge on the hip.  The tug would have pushed from the stern, as in the other photos, but has moved alongside in the anticipation of docking not too far away.  From the side, it can maneuver the barge next to the dock.

The New York City Harbor had many commercial vessels at anchor awaiting a place at a dock to load or unload.  This ship was one of those.  After we passed, it hoisted anchor and ran past us in Raritan Bay, just south of Staten Island, on its way to the commercial docks on the north side of the island.

Note that the anchor is still down in the water as it travels.  This is the method they are using to clean the mud off the anchor.

Heading up Delaware Bay from Cape May, the chartplotter indicated three vessels approaching from behind, moving twice the speed of Last Dance.  There were three freighters in a row heading up the bay, which leads to Philadelphia.

The first was a liquefied natural gas tanker.

This ship displayed the flags of the countries it visits, along the starboard stern.  Most ships can visit any country and any port, but LNG onshore facilities are only in a few places.

Ship two in the line was a tanker.  Note that the red marker is between the ship and Last Dance.  Heading up a waterway from the sea the red markers are to be passed on the right, to starboard.  Last Dance is out of the channel giving the commercial traffic the entire channel for their use.

Ship #3 was another tanker.  From the large No Smoking sign, it would seem they are transporting something flammable.

As soon as the three ships heading up the bay passed Last Dance, a freighter passed heading south.  There were opposing commercial ships heading up and down the channel.  A good reason to be out of the channel giving them all of the space.

The Chesapeake Bay also had heavy commercial traffic at the time of our journey.  This freighter and Last Dance had courses that intersected.  No question as to which vessel has the right of way.  The handrail on Last Dance is in the image to give some perspective.

As we were leaving the south end of the Chesapeake Bay, nearing Norfork, a ship gave a securite' call stating that they were entering the channel at a high rate of speed and that boats in the area should stay clear.  In the image, you can see the ship will be passing the green buoy to his port.  Last Dance should be also, but with deep water the decision was made to completely get out of the channel, passing the green to starboard.  Container ships have become one of the largest segments of the shipping industry.  It is easy to compartmentalize the shipments ashore and quickly load the ships.  A negative for the other boats on the water is that 1000s of containers have fallen off ships, some floating just under the surface, a huge hazard - huge in that they are very large and huge in that they could damage a boat to the point of sinking it.

After the container ship passed Last Dance, it stopped, two tugs grabbed hold of it, and they turned it completely across the channel right before Last Dance's bow.  Have no images of that move since the crew was busy navigating a way around, but did catch one after we passed with Last Dance's flag in the foreground.