WHALES ARE A BIG CONCERN TO THE NAVY AND NOAA

Aside from hump backs, sie, fin and right whales, the Cuvier’s Beaked Whale is common to the U.S. Eastern seaboard.  However, sightings of Cuvier’s Beaked Whales in the New York Bight are rare.  They are more plentiful further north and east of Montauk where they have been studied by NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer Research vessel last Autumn in the underwater deep exploration of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.   No doubt, the Navy is as concerned about whales as its sister agency.

A NAVY MISSION TO HELP PROTECT MARINE MAMMALS

THE NAVY’S LIVING MARINE RESOURCE IS COMMITTED TO MARINE MAMMAL PRESERVATION

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NYHC wants to take the opportunity to remember the 50 veterans that reportedly died in the Long Island nursing home. To date, there are more than 1000 veterans in VA health system sites that have been lost due to Covid-19 infections. Along with the veterans who are not getting the proper ceremonial honors at their burials due to Covid-19. However, hundreds of other veterans were lost in the state-run homes.  We ask, how many of these veterans would still be alive today if they were fast-tracked to USNS Comfort.  And for those who would have succumbed to the infection, how many would have been happier spending their final hours on the military hospital ship?  Of course, these are tough questions.

On this Memorial Day Observance, NYHC is honored to have Congressman and veteran Max Rose offer words of thanks to the crew of USNS Comfort.  A purple heart recipient, Max Rose served as a platoon leader in Afghanistan and was wounded there in 2013.  In addition to his representation of the 11th Congressional District from Brooklyn and Staten Island, he currently is attached to the New York Army National Guard for active duty.

NYHC is proud to have found men and women of distinction to help tell our Covid-19 New York story.  The time span of the documentary is from March 7th (the first covid deaths in NYC) to April 30th (when Comfort leaves NYC).   The key focal characters are Rachel Hartley, who answered the call for ICU nurses, sailing her temporary residence into New York Harbor and USNS Comfort’s Chaplain, Lt. Johnny Bravo.  There is a strong spirituality between the two, told from their respective ships.  The working New York Harbor personnel is represented by the Sandy Hook Pilot, Captain Tim Ferrie, who navigated Comfort into its NYC pier.  USNS Comfort’s Commander Amersbach offers his precise detail of the Hospital ship operations.

New York Harbor is in lock down for all passenger ship traffic.  The cruise ship industry ties NY waters to the oceans of the world.  We also touch on Erika Butters’ plight stuck on a Cruise Ship stranded in the Atlantic Ocean.   As Covid-19 tears apart careers and industries, Erika’s 56 day saga offers a musical therapy as she records a consistent daily post on Facebook from her ship.  Erika’s music offers uplifting melodies under our visual footage.  NYHC has taken the best of our interviews over the past two months to piece together this unique story.

Governor Cuomo and President Trump provide the Covid-19 reality as well as the backstory as to why Comfort was in NYC for only 30 days.  The hospital ship only treated 182 Covid patients over a mere 14 day period.  Despite the political tension that permeates the atmosphere, Comfort does exhibit its  marvelous medical deployment and staff acumen.  Not a single Covid-19 patient treated on-board was lost.

We conclude with shout outs from New Yorkers including one from  Congressman Max Rose.  With Comfort’s return to the Norfolk Naval Station, one missing element remains… a Mission Name.  We invite everybody who was touched both physically and spiritually to offer a name for the Navy Command to consider.  NYHC has chosen ‘Operation Gentle Shadow’ as its reach in dark times has brought calm and compassion to the waters of New York Harbor.

After USNS Comfort sailed out of New York Harbor, the torch had been passed to a visiting nurse from Lynchburg, Virginia and the hundreds of other healthcare workers like Rachel Hartley.  Of course, we cannot forget about the thousands of healthcare workers who started this battle when Covid-19 first entered the NYC hospital system back in February.  Departure day for the Comfort marked a significant Turning Point for New York.  The number of Covid-19 cases was slowly, but steadily on the decline.

NYHC wishes to take this opportunity to personally thank the men and women of the USNS Comfort for their service to the nation   The ship exemplified professionalism.  What’s more, the hospital ship also served as a ambassador.  It was indeed a Gentle Shadow that spread compassion from the waterfront to all the New York and New Jersey front line workers.   As you sailed out of the harbor, you took your excellence with you to serve on another mission.  For New York, Operation Gentile Shadow will live on as a shining light that helped bring us out of the unknown darkness.  We wish you fair winds and following seas!

For more in depth articles and interviews found in New York Harbor Channel, please click below

Commander Amersbach

Captain Tim Ferrie

Erika Monet Butters

Nurse Rachel Hartley

Chaplain Johnny Bravo

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Erika Monet Butters’ ‘Melodies At Sea’ may soon be a Covid-19 memory after 56 days, if all goes according to plan.  Erika and her two year old son, Ezra, are scheduled to depart the Emerald Princess this weekend, just in time for Mother’s Day! With some discretion of proper social distancing,  Key West awaits a glorious family reunion.  Erika keeps her fingers crossed that she will be allowed to disembark.  As we post this article, Emerald Princess is steaming at 11.5 knots due west toward Fort Lauderdale.

SOUNDING OF THE SHIP HORNS

At 7:30pm every evening, the ensemble of ships would all blast a shared sentiment, announcing “We’re all in this together”!  Then the sunset would arrive with a glorious view.  Erika always welcomed it as its awesome beauty calmed her nerves.  She made it her mission to foster a sense of renewal every day.  Thinking of how the rest of the world was spending their days, Erika is grateful that her social distancing experience might realistically have been a lot different back in Florida.  In some ways, she’s grateful for winding up in a healthy, clean environment for the past six weeks.

BREAKING IRREGULAR AQUATIC PATTERNS

But there are others who are still left floating on an uncertain future.   Chaos in the Cruise Industry pretty much sums up what is going on in Covid waters.  Earlier this week, Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) was forced to secure a two billion dollar loan to carry them into the Fall Season.   Ninety-nine cruise ships that terminated operations while sailing routes in North and South America anchored in a triangular zone between Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas.  However, the eerie ring of idle ships slowly breaks formation as Repatriation efforts continue.  In total, 80,000 crew members were reportedly stuck at sea,  approximately 1000 of them U.S. citizens.

ENTANGLED  CONNECTIONS

The aquatic dance continues as crew members move from one ship to another in the middle of the ocean.  Erika was originally on board Holland America Lines’ Nieuw Statendam with her husband who serves on the bridge.  NYHC reported the situation back on April  22nd.   Crew, like the corporate negotiations between the liners and the CDC, were going in circles.   We learned of harrowing stories posted on social media on personal pages.  Charter flights and private shuttles were purchased and paid for by the excited crew.  As ships pulled alongside the dock, hopes were suddenly dashed when officials withdraw their offer.  Erika watched as several Canadians serving aboard Empire Princess were denied exit. These poor souls could only stare at the lowered gangplanks and watch another routine refueling as rations were loaded onboard before the ship pulled up their lines and slowly returned to anchor once again.

On Day 50, Erika offered a parody that pleaded to government officials to hear the ships cry.  She used Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go” and changed the lyrics to her own rendition that she titled “Song To America: We Want To Come Home” which sheds light on the crew all being healthy and just wanting to get home to their loved ones.  But the legal struggle between the cruise industry and the CDC continues, mostly in court proceedings in Miami.  It is inconceivable to ask these U.S. Citizens to remain captive aboard ships for the entire duration of the U.S. ‘No Sail” order.

U.S. PORTS AWAIT THE RETURN TO NORMALCY

Back on the U.S. eastern seaboard, NCL has made arrangements to dock three ships in Norfolk Harbor for the next two months.  As far as we know, the American crew aboard are still prohibited from disembarking.  Meanwhile, here in New York, NYHC reports not a single ship returning to port.  The last spotting was February 10th when Coronavirus-tested passengers were allowed to board RCCL’s Anthem of the Sea at Cape Liberty Marine Terminal.   The only ship to visit New York’s waterfront was the USNS Comfort, the Navy Hospital Ship that we covered extensively during the month of April.

MELODIES AT SEA:   ERIKA AND EZRA’S FAREWELL SEGMENT

When asked about returning to the sea, her response was “I am not jaded!  The ships did take good care of us.”  And how will her music continue?  She indicated that Melodies At Sea will have an easy transition into an anticipated weekly series with a temporary working title of “Melodies On Land’.

Erika’s final post from sea will be “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.  She and the others awaiting departure tomorrow, are saying their final farewell as their ship was finally approved to disembark after what will be 56 days out at sea.  How will history look back at this imposed marooning of crew?    We would like to think Erika’s soothing vocals eased the tension back in Miami.  Dry land is afoot!

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One day, while driving around Jersey City running errands at the early days of the Covid-19 crisis, Michele Smith-Wiemer and Barry Richards saw many homeless people out on the streets. They decided to take action and help them, especially during the time where there are very few people outside and welfare services are either shutdown or overwhelmed. For the first drive, Michele – who owns a Carver 36 trawler in Liberty Landing Marina – cooked chilli and tortillas at her boat galley. They shared their story and plan with their local community of boaters in the Morris Canal via Facebook and invited other boaters to join them and contribute. 

Over the past 6 weeks the donation drive became bigger and bigger and they were able to feed almost 50 of Jersey City’s homeless each Sunday. In addition to food donations they received from their fellow boaters, they started a Go Fund Me campaign that is raising funds to get masks for the homeless as part of an effort to educate them as well as protect them from the pandemic. The masks are being made by seniors, of which are Michele’s Mom Susan Smith and her Oregon retirement community working on sewing masks. Funds raised are helping getting materials – specifically elastic for the masks as well as to cover shipping costs. 

The donation drive is happening for the 7th time this coming Sunday, and I will be joining Michele & Barry to collect and distribute food and masks. The goal for this week is to supply 60 meals for the homeless, as well as get more masks supplied.

Interested in getting involved and contributing to this effort? Here are ways you can do so:

1. Donate elastic and fabrics for mask making
2. Donate food – since many homeless have bad teeth – it’s best to donate soft and creamy foods such as: pasta, chilli, curry (not too spicy), rice, chips, bread, cupcakes, canned goods, chocolate and other soft candy
3. Contact local restaurants or catering services that are willing to donate meals (we are willing to facilitate coverage of the cost of produce and man power)
4. Any connection to postal or shipping services that can provide a quick delivery to Jersey City – as shipments from Oregon seem to take way too long….
5. Donate money through Go Fund Me

If you are interested in helping out or have any contacts who might be helpful – please contact Michele at: [email protected]

The post Sailors And Seniors Helping Jersey City Homeless During Corona Times appeared first on New York Harbor Channel.

USNS Comfort sails under the Navy’s Military Sealift Command.  The joint assembly of civilian and Navy doctors, nurses and medical technicians began receiving a few non-infected patients within days of arrival.  But with infections rising in April, the greater demand for Covid-19 ICU admissions around the metropolitan New York area suddenly transitioned Comfort from a trauma-only medical facility to a full fledged Covid-19 treatment center.  The 180 degree turn was smoothly and efficiently handled.

As the media covered politicians and CDC officials crying.  “Test, test, test!”, Chaplain Bravo was quick to attest the Navy world is all about “Train, train, train!”  Comfort swung into action.  Ventilators were uncrated, Personal Protective Equipment was unwrapped and skids of full-face respirator gear were lowered on deck by the Nightdippers helicopter squadron.  All the while, Comfort hospital staff carried out a mission that required flexibility and precision.

Comfort has a cadre of nurses that are specifically trained in accepting and admitting new patients onto the ship, a stressful and difficult task wielding the heavy ventilation equipment that accompanies the patient when they are transferred from the ambulance. Then, it is a long procession down the long corridors into the ICU.

A MIRACLE OR JUST ANOTHER DAY OF NAVY PREPAREDNESS?

USNS Comfort received official U.S. notification that it will no longer be required as a backup hospital facility here in New York Harbor.  Comfort treated 182 Covid-19 patients in total.  Twenty nine patients were released over the past two weeks.  The remaining patients were transferred back to local hospitals in New York and New Jersey.  The last recovering patient was transferred yesterday.  There were no Covid-19 deaths aboard Comfort.

Today, the ships’ medical rooms are silent, the blood laboratories have no new samples to test, and the Chaplains & doctors have no rounds to attend to.  Chaplain Bravo did have the opportunity to answer a few questions while the rest of the ship continued readiness for its departure later this week.

A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

Today’s interview with Chaplain Bravo revealed his personal feelings about his service.  We learned of his constant use of PPE and following all CDC guidelines.  He encouraged patients and crew members to use the Zoom mobile app for Easter and Passover celebrations.  In the absence of a brick and mortar church, temple or mosque, he has no qualms practicing individual religious faith through any medium available.  Ultimately, Chaplain Bravo was happiest accompanying his recovered patients off the ship and walking them onto the Pier toward solid ground.

As he spoke from the ship, New York Governor Cuomo and NYC Mayor DeBlasio both announced plans to slowly re-open facilities and businesses as Covid-19 hospitalizations and mortality rates decrease.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

As Comfort leaves New York Harbor, it will pass Governor’s Island.  On the port side, there will be a lone sailboat in an empty Brooklyn Marina.  The sailboat is called The Turning Point.  On a path similar to Comfort’s just three weeks earlier, it journeyed up the Easter Seaboard from Virginia.  But this time, the ship was occupied only by a husband and wife team.  It was Easter weekend.  Rachel Hartley, an ICU nurse who is working a 60 day stint at NYU Langone Hospital in Sunset Park Brooklyn will now take over where Comfort left off.  Along with a galley full of hospital workers, this crew will be living on the sailboat to fulfill their mission to aid New York’s Covid-19 patients.  As Comfort passes, the Chaplain will include Rachel and her crew in Comfort’s prayers.

A native of the Bronx, Johnny Bravo is a die-hard Yankee fan.  Uncertainty is hitting home in the heart of New York baseball.  He mulls over the reality that the season may not be up to speed until much later this summer.  It must be tough being a Yankees fan on this ship having a thousand other crew mates from the rest of the country who are baseball fans of other teams.

CHAPLAIN BRAVO’S BLESSING OF NEW YORK HARBOR

Johnny Bravo is a Comforter Aboard The Comfort.  Danielle Petito joined him in prayer for his blessing of New York Harbor.  He leaves behind a bitter sweet memory, but offers a positive message to all of us.

The hospital ship may leave as early as this Thursday, April 30th. A Sandy Hook Pilot will make the controls on the bridge as the McAllister tugboats help maneuver the ship out into open waters just beyond the Verrazzano Narrows.  The New York State flag will be lowered, folded and re-crated. Destination Norfolk Naval Station before it is dispatched to another region of the world where it is needed once again.

CAN YOU SUGGEST THE MISSION NAME FOR USNS COMFORT’S DEPLOYMENT TO NYC?

When Danielle interviewed Commander Amersbach and asked him if Comfort’s mission to NYC had a name?  Chaplain Bravo said he knows what name he would use but deferred divulgement.  “I believe it is either up to the Captain or up to the public to give it a name.” he said.  From what we can gather, it is our understanding the Captain is also open to suggestions.  If you would like, we invite all of our readers to offer a name of your own.  NYHC will pass it along and see how far it gets.

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As Spring arrives, New York Harbor marine terminals, ferry landings, and tour boats are closed tight.  Walking along the waterfront is a pastime that usually signals outdoor recreation activity.  Kayaking, sailing, and cruising are all signs of a budding season.  Street musicians usually fill the parks,  But now, the ‘Stay at Home” order has defined the arrival of Spring, 2020.

What a difference eight weeks can make.  Our January 20th post of ‘Music On The Water’ celebrated the beauty and accomplishment of Holland America Line’s Lincoln Center Stage aboard the MS Nieuw Statendam.  Music of any description has been a definition of New York City’s energy and creativity.  Indeed RWS Entertainment generates the source of greatness found on the dozen of HAL’s Music Walks.  Our countdown clock started marking the days till MS Zaandam would arrive in New York Harbor on its way to Canada on September 7th,2020.  We were hoping to capture the sounds of its ensemble to herald the event.  Little did we know the true impact that was brewing the week we posted the article.  Now we know.  This is the new normal.

CRUISE SHIPS AFFECTED BY GLOBAL PANDEMIC

The global pandemic has shut down port entry to every harbor city in the United States.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) witnessed the last cruise ship to discharge infected passengers as well as remove those who died from Holland America Line’s (HAL) Zaandam two weeks ago in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The industry lock down had begun.

This was the end of a three month long horrific odyssey for more than two dozen cruise ships, starting with the first case of Covid-19 fatalities on the Diamond Princess in Japanese waters.  Helicopter airlifts of medical supplies and emergency equipment became a daily scene on the news channels, but what must have been worse to those was the sight of intensive care unit patients being medivacked off the ship.

CDC ORDERS A ONE HUNDRED DAY ‘NO SAIL’

The CDC reported that approximately one hundred cruise ships were outside U.S. ports.  Approximately eighty thousand crew members were still aboard.  Crew members including ship physicians who treated infected passengers were part of those who perished from the virus.  On April 9th, the CDC put a one hundred day ‘No Sail’ order into place that was effective immediately.  New York Harbor marine terminals are completely empty.

UNPRECEDENTED ANCHORAGE

Cruise ships such as Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas will not return to its’ home port until July at best.  So where did the ships go?  According to Marine Tracker, the global GPS app that identifies ships at sea, Anthem has joined a ghostly anchorage of more than two dozen liners that dot the ocean waters in an unprecedented configuration pattern from the Bahamas to Florida.

Our video taken on April 11th shows the incredible number of moored cruise ships that made up the historic assembly.  Under normal conditions, the temporary anchorage is called a “warm lay-up” mode.   Of note, is an eerie ring of HAL ships comprised of the MS MS Nieuw Statendam, MS Nieuw Amsterdam, MS Zuiderdam, MS Zaandam and the MS Rotterdam.  It’s shocking to see, since these ships were once riveting with excitement and pleasure and now they are sitting idle waiting in limbo.

MAROONED

Once moored, engineers and maintenance employees implemented a complete disinfecting regiment while the ships silently rest idle.  But what about the crew still stuck on the ship?  Why are they still aboard?

A catch-22 forced most of them to remain.  When Zaandam was finally allowed to offload in Fort Lauderdale, many crew members had a tough decision to make.  They could break their contract and possibly loose employment with Holland America, or they could ride out the term of the contract to ensure their option of a renewal.  Most only had nine days left and gambled they would quickly find travel arrangements back home.

The greatest majority of crew are Filipino or Indonesian; however, a small minority are American.  Within days of leaving Fort Lauderdale, these U.S. citizens learned the severity of the ‘No Sail’ order and what it meant to them.  The U.S. Coast Guard stated that anyone left aboard these ships would not be allowed entry or access to any U.S. port in the southern Seventh District for treatment and the responsibility for care would be left to the ship’s operators.  Would it come as a surprise that there are reports of complaints of covid-19 symptoms?  The tragedy of MS Zaandam is too horrific to describe with four dying on the ship before passage was granted through the Panama Canal.

There Americans cannot return to their home states.  They remain on the boat until an alternative plan can overcome this regulation.  To every extent of the word, they are ‘marooned’.  According to the FreeDictionary, marooned means, ‘To abandon or isolate with little hope of ready rescue or escape’.

Most crew have been restricted to less than an eight square meter cabin with no  window.  For the few hours they spend above deck, the ship is relatively empty with all services and amenities shut down.  The remaining kitchen staff is forced to ration food as there is no guarantee of food being delivered to the ship.

Bedsheets cover tables and chairs.  The casino is dark.  For a morale boost, the pool remains open.  Now that the HAL contracts expired this week, most of the crew is now jobless with future prospects unknown.

CREW MEMBER STORIES OF THEIR PAST MONTH’S MEMORIES MEMORIALIZED

Not unlike those of us in New York City who observe and adhere to the “stay at home” order, crew members have taken to social media to communicate and correspond with their loved ones and the outside world.

There are cabaret singers and dancers on MS Volendam.  Erika Monet Butters, singer on MS Nieuw Statendam is spending her days on the ship continuing to do what she loves through Facebook. She uses this outlet to continue to stay connected with others. Resorting to her performing roots, she posts daily “Melodies at Sea” videos where she sings different songs each day. It’s reassuring to see music on the water continuing on during this pandemic. We’re sure, Butter’s will continue to post daily videos to entertain her viewers, until she has a live audience once again.

Holland America Line has taken to Facebook also.  In hopes of keeping the music alive, they are posting members of Lincoln Center Stage performing from living rooms.  It is called HAL At Home and the performers offer their recent contributions through videos of solo work or duets.

MASSIVE REPATRIATION OF CREW MEMBERS TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.

This week, it was announced that HAL will sail a few of their ships to Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa to deliver their employees back home.  The Bahama ring of moored ships has broken.  MS Zuiderdam and MS Zaandam are under way and presently due east of Fort Lauderdale.  Will the U.S. authorities grant an exception?  The Governor of Florida has allowed its beach-going population to return to the sea.  Perhaps the American crew members will be allowed disembarkation in Florida?

MS ZAANDAM COUNTDOWN CLOCK FOR NYC

New York Harbor Channel will keep its fingers crossed that MS Zaandam will be able to keep the September 7th, 2020 arrival date into New York Harbor.  We will keep all of you posted on every update.  Until then, we hope the ships safely return the crew members home and music will once again fill the streets and venues of New York City in time for Autumn.

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The Comfort is fully equipped with over 1,100 personnel on board, as well as an ample amount of medical equipment and supplies. Commanding Officer Amersbach states “We are working with the New York State and local health departments, the department of health & human services and FEMA who’s setting up communications to help us make sure that we have the appropriate patient population to bring aboard the ship. There won’t be any walk ups, we are not going to be an emergency department for EMS to drop patients off to us, it will be like a hospital to hospital transfer.”  

The USNS Comfort will provide care for patients who do not show symptoms of Covid-19. If it is determined a patient on the ship has Covid-19 they will be transported to a local hospital. This is the first time the Comfort will ever deploy on a mission for an infectious disease outbreak and C.O. Amersbach assures us they are following DOD and CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of their crew and civilians.  When asked how long the Comfort will stay in NY, Amersbach said “we’re going to be there as long as we are needed.” Those sure are some reassuring words, in a much needed time!

Itinerary for the USNS Comfort

You can track the Comfort live on New York Harbors Live GPS Tracking Map.

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The USNS Comfort will be making its way to New York Harbor in order to help control the influx of crowded hospitals due to Covid-19. On Wednesday, President Trump ordered the Comfort, and its sister ship USNS Mercy to help states affected by overpopulated hospitals. Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, stated the Comfort would allow local NYC hospitals to transfer trauma patients to the ship, allowing the local hospitals to free up much needed quarantine ICU space.

The Comfort’s Background History

The last time the Comfort was here in NY was 3 days after the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks. The mission was called ‘Noble Eagle.’ It helped aid the injured. NYC will greatly benefit the Comforts arrival. It offers 1,000 beds, 12 fully equipped operating rooms, a helicopter landing pad and up to 1,200 medical staff. The USNS Comfort is just under 3 football fields long and 10 stories high, making it the worlds largest hospital ship.

USNS Comfort will bring civilian doctors and hospital technicians to New York.  Similarities to other USNS vessels where the U.S. Navy is responsible for the operation of the ship, and civilian experts perform on-board missions.

USNS Comfort is one of the Military Sealift Command ships of the U.S. Navy.  Aside from the hospital ships, other specialty vessels such as those operating under the Navoceano division assign civilian scientists to map and gather data of ocean floor topography.  During Fleet Week 2018, NYHC interviewed the USNS Maury and learned about Navoceano’s unique missions.  In 2010, USNS Comfort was deployed to Porto Prince, Haiti after its devastating earthquake.  But, before Comfort was able to enter the port, Navoceano scientists searched for underwater debris in the harbor channel, allowing safe entry.

With its massive size, red defining crosses and solid white exterior, the ship is soon set to station in NY.  It will definitely be an amazing site to see. “The Comfort is currently in for maintenance in Norfolk, so they are going to expedite the maintenance if they can and prepare it.” Jonathan Hoffman, assistant defense secretary for public affairs, told CNBC. Presently the ship is at the Naval Operation Base in Norfolk, VA.

Live GPS Tracking USNS Comfort

You can track the USNS Comfort on New York Harbors Live GPS Tracking Map. Simply type in the vessels name and it will tell give you a live view of where it is.  Look for the uncharacteristic large, long, white object.  In addition, the NYHC countdown clock will advise on when the ship will be passing under the Verrazzano Bridge.

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