Laura,

On the Hudson you get the upstream push soon after low tide wherever you are.  I'm not talking about low tide at NYC, I am talking about low tide at your location that moment.

If you enter the river 4-5 hours after low tide, considering trawler speeds, you are almost at high tide and will soon be getting dragged back south as you will not be able to keep up with the moving point of low tide.

When you set off in the morning, locate the nearest measurement point, and plan on being at that point perhaps an hour after low tide.  If you can go 12 knots, you may be able to get the push all day long.  If you only go 7 knots, it will catch up to you and then start dragging you back.

Slow boats should reach that low tide spot as soon as possible right after low.  Faster boats can delay a bit and ride mid tide the whole way.

You are not concerned so much about how fast the current is, but rather it's direction.  The speed of the current is mostly dependent on how wide the river is.  I mention the "point of low tide" which is the location of where the lowest tide is at any given moment.  For example, when the tide starts coming in at NYC, it is still going out at Tappan Zee.  So you want to start at NYC after low tide when it is rising at that location, and you want to arrive at Tappan Zee after it has stopped going out and is now coming back in at the Tappan Zee location.  I had once calculated how fast that location of low tide moves, I think I came up with about 12 knots.  That 12 knots is not the speed of the current, it is the speed that the location of low tide moves.  So, going at around 12 knots is perfect.

If you go 7 knots, you want to be sure to start as soon as the tide turns, or even at slack water before it starts coming in ... then the tide will push you for hours, until the tide has reached the high point ... and it will catch up to you at 7 knots ... and then you lose the advantage.  A faster boat at 12 knots keeps the advantage all day long.

I usually ran the Hudson at about 12 knots, and when I started at the correct time, I kept the push til I reached the next port.  It worked nicely, though I was often not able to depart the next morning at the correct speed.  You'll see tugs & barges anchored near the Palisades, they are often waiting for the right time, they do the same thing I did.

If this isn't clear, let me know your cruising speed and date of arrival at NYC and I'll give you more specifics.

Fred
Tug 44

From: lortmann@optonline.net
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 6:39 PM
To: fred@tug44.org
Cc: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: RE: GL: FW: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

Fred, thanks for the response.  Looking at this site http://www.iboatnyharbor.com/Currents%20and%20Tides.htm - scroll down to the charts near the bottom,  it appears that we want to be entering the Lower Hudson between four and five hours after low, to ride the current past Manhattan. This seems to be keeping with our prior experiences when we thought we would catch slack current and felt like we were hitting a wall as we came under the Verrazano bridge.  So I guess my question is whether there is a similar chart or reference for the currents further north.  Or will I get the upstream push immediately after low tide at around Haverstraw and Kingston.  Thanks for the input, Laura

From: fred@tug44.org [mailto:fred@tug44.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 3:47 PM
To: lortmann@optonline.net; great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: re: GL: FW: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

yes, you can get a nice push up the Hudson, I used to do that all the time.  Just shove off around low tide for the location, or soon after.  Tide tables for the Hudson are here:

http://ny.usharbors.com/monthly-tides/New%20York-Hudson%20River

Fred
Tug 44

From: lortmann@optonline.net
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 2:39 PM
To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: GL: FW: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

From: Artie [mailto:skylite7@optonline.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 8:37 AM
To: 'great-loop@lists.trawlering.com'
Subject: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

Longtime lurker here, this is my first post. I was wondering if anyone has
a reference to a current table for the Hudson at Haverstraw and Kingston. We
are planning our trip to take advantage of the current push in the lower
Hudson but were wondering if we could ride the currents or get a push
further north (we will be northbound). Thanks for any assistance. Laura on
Narcosis

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Thanks Fred, and thanks to all of you for your kind and detailed responses.
I am trying to digest all of the detailed responses from you, and others on
list and off list.  We are coming from the south shore of Long Island. Our
boat is a downeast / lobster boat conversion and we are going to try to stay
at 8 knots as that is our sweet spot for fuel economy.  However we can
certainly go faster as necessary.

Looking at coming though NY Harbor on July 5th or July 6th with a first stop
at Haverstraw.  There are six hours between high and low tide at the
Battery, and I think that if we are through the Verrazano at four to five
hours after low tide we will get the push up to about Haverstraw.  Haven't
gotten any further than that in planning yet; I am still reviewing all of
your responses.  We are ultimately heading up the Champlain for as long as
our time lasts this summer.  Regards, Laura  / Narcosis

From: fred@tug44.org [mailto:fred@tug44.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 7:28 PM
To: lortmann@optonline.net
Cc: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: RE: GL: FW: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

Laura,

On the Hudson you get the upstream push soon after low tide wherever you
are.  I'm not talking about low tide at NYC, I am talking about low tide at
your location that moment.

If you enter the river 4-5 hours after low tide, considering trawler speeds,
you are almost at high tide and will soon be getting dragged back south as
you will not be able to keep up with the moving point of low tide.

When you set off in the morning, locate the nearest measurement point, and
plan on being at that point perhaps an hour after low tide.  If you can go
12 knots, you may be able to get the push all day long.  If you only go 7
knots, it will catch up to you and then start dragging you back.

Slow boats should reach that low tide spot as soon as possible right after
low.  Faster boats can delay a bit and ride mid tide the whole way.

You are not concerned so much about how fast the current is, but rather it's
direction.  The speed of the current is mostly dependent on how wide the
river is.  I mention the "point of low tide" which is the location of where
the lowest tide is at any given moment.  For example, when the tide starts
coming in at NYC, it is still going out at Tappan Zee.  So you want to start
at NYC after low tide when it is rising at that location, and you want to
arrive at Tappan Zee after it has stopped going out and is now coming back
in at the Tappan Zee location.  I had once calculated how fast that location
of low tide moves, I think I came up with about 12 knots.  That 12 knots is
not the speed of the current, it is the speed that the location of low tide
moves.  So, going at around 12 knots is perfect.

If you go 7 knots, you want to be sure to start as soon as the tide turns,
or even at slack water before it starts coming in ... then the tide will
push you for hours, until the tide has reached the high point ... and it
will catch up to you at 7 knots ... and then you lose the advantage.  A
faster boat at 12 knots keeps the advantage all day long.

I usually ran the Hudson at about 12 knots, and when I started at the
correct time, I kept the push til I reached the next port.  It worked
nicely, though I was often not able to depart the next morning at the
correct speed.  You'll see tugs & barges anchored near the Palisades, they
are often waiting for the right time, they do the same thing I did.

If this isn't clear, let me know your cruising speed and date of arrival at
NYC and I'll give you more specifics.

Fred
Tug 44

From: lortmann@optonline.net
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 6:39 PM
To: fred@tug44.org
Cc: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: RE: GL: FW: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

Fred, thanks for the response.  Looking at this site
http://www.iboatnyharbor.com/Currents%20and%20Tides.htm - scroll down to the
charts near the bottom,  it appears that we want to be entering the Lower
Hudson between four and five hours after low, to ride the current past
Manhattan. This seems to be keeping with our prior experiences when we
thought we would catch slack current and felt like we were hitting a wall as
we came under the Verrazano bridge.  So I guess my question is whether there
is a similar chart or reference for the currents further north.  Or will I
get the upstream push immediately after low tide at around Haverstraw and
Kingston.  Thanks for the input, Laura

From: fred@tug44.org [mailto:fred@tug44.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 3:47 PM
To: lortmann@optonline.net; great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: re: GL: FW: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

yes, you can get a nice push up the Hudson, I used to do that all the time.
Just shove off around low tide for the location, or soon after.  Tide tables
for the Hudson are here:

http://ny.usharbors.com/monthly-tides/New%20York-Hudson%20River

Fred
Tug 44

From: lortmann@optonline.net
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 2:39 PM
To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: GL: FW: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

From: Artie [mailto:skylite7@optonline.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 8:37 AM
To: 'great-loop@lists.trawlering.com'
Subject: current table Haverstraw and Kingston NY

Longtime lurker here, this is my first post. I was wondering if anyone has
a reference to a current table for the Hudson at Haverstraw and Kingston. We
are planning our trip to take advantage of the current push in the lower
Hudson but were wondering if we could ride the currents or get a push
further north (we will be northbound). Thanks for any assistance. Laura on
Narcosis

http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com

To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address,
unsubscribe, etc.) go to:
http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com