Boats on the Hudson River

As one travels the waterways by boat, interesting boats are often a part of the scenery . . . and sometimes a part of the challenges of navigation when multiple vessels are moving through a narrow channel.  The trip down the Hudson River had a number of different boats.  A few are shared below.

In Albany, the capital of New York, this camouflaged Navy ship lies by the river's edge as a museum exhibit.

The most common commercial transport on the Hudson River is a barge with a tug behind.  The decommissioned and restored fireboat was making a demonstration tour of the river.  The river channel is green on the right downbound.  So, Last Dance should be passing the green marker to the left, leaving little room between the tow and the marker.

The barges are built with a notch in the back to fit the bow of the tug.  Assembled such, the vessel is known as a tow.  The tug has two flybridges.  The lower one is used when the tug is actually towing the barge, as they do on Long Island Sound, the upper flybridge provides visibility over the barge when the tug is snugged up behind.

This fireboat is an old NYC Fire Department vessel that has been restored by a group and operated as a moving museum.  Volunteers crew the vessel to stops along the Hudson River and around New York City.

Hudson River's great depth allows large ships passage into the upper reaches of the river, all the way to Albany.  This freighter was being loaded along the western shore.  Although this is at a wide point along the river, the channel here is narrow, passing right next to this ship.