As ports around the country resumed operations, vessel traffic moved slowly at the Port of New York and New Jersey as the Coast Guard implemented stricter security procedures.

"In the wake of such a tragedy it's important for us to restart our maritime transportation system not only for commerce, but for recovery as well," said Rear Admiral Richard E. Bennis, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port for New York and New Jersey. "It affects many lives and livelihoods throughout the northeastern United States."

The new security measures are slowing traffic, but Bill Sherwood, president of the New York Sandy Hook Pilots said, "I think it is understandable at this point. The Coast Guard is probably being no more cautious than they should be."

Sherwood said Coast Guard teams are boarding each vessel as they arrive at Ambrose Light at the entrance to the port with teams of five to seven and closely examining crew lists and manifests. "They are looking for anything unusual."

"It's a bit time-consuming," he said, with reviews taking about an hour to an hour-and-forty-five minutes.

He says 19 ships were scheduled to arrive at the port over the 24-hour period ending Friday at about 5:30 p.m., but he said only about 14-15 would probably be served in that time because of the new procedures.

"We are going to have a meeting with the Coast Guard this afternoon to see if there is anything we can do clear the backlog. It is a break-in period for them and for us and it is not going to be business as usual for some time."

As of 1 p.m., 11 ships were waiting to enter the port near the entrance of the Ambrose channel, the main shipping channel through the Verrazano Narrows.

Because the Coast Guard vessels patrolling the harbor are so large, the Sandy Hook pilot boat is helping the boarding crews reach the arriving ships. Friday's rainy weather also has hampered the boarding crews, said Sherwood.

Cruise ships are being diverted to ports in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and elsewhere after the Hudson River terminal was commandeered by authorities as a staging area for the cleanup of lower Manhattan. cruise ships are being diverted to other ports.

Some cargo ships have been diverted or changed their schedules and are calling at containers terminals in Baltimore and Norfolk.

"Ports are normally fierce competitors," noted an official in one of the ports receiving those ships. "Normally we would love to get that business. But we just want things to get back to normal in New York."

Maersk Sealand says all terminal and port operations in the New York and New Jersey area have been fully operational since Thursday morning. The company also said its Berth 88 terminal in Port Elizabeth will be open this Saturday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., including the lunch hour, to expedite shipments.

The company also said its terminal in Port Everglades has been operational since Thursday morning.

The Coast Guard's security measures restricts large commercial vessels to transiting into the port through Ambrose or Sandy Hook Channels. They ships must also meet an array of precautions before being permitted to enter port, the Coast Guard said, including a safety inspection, a pilot on board, and an escort of two tugs.

Additionally, vessels may anchor only if they intend to lighten their load in order to enter a berth, and with Coast Guard approval. Vessels may not take on bunkers while at anchorage.

Vessels of any kind are still prohibited from entering the area near the Battery at Manhattan's extreme southern tip without specific Coast Guard consent. This area is defined as north of Governors Island, south of the Holland Tunnel ventilators on the Hudson River and south of the Manhattan Bridge on the East River.

The Coast Guard is also permitting passenger ferries to resume operations between all ferry slips within the port with the exception of ferry slips on Manhattan south of 14th Street. Each commuter vessel must have uniformed police officers on board.

Elsewhere, the Port of New Orleans is open with heightened security. Two cruise ships are scheduled this weekend. The cruise terminal at the port also will have increased security measures.

Vessel movements through the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex are returning to normalcy, according to the Marine Exchange.

"Things are running very smoothly, indeed," Manny Aschemeyer, executive director, wrote in an e-mail alert at midday East Coast time on Friday.

The number of ships at anchor awaiting Coast Guard inspections has dropped from 21 at midday on Wednesday to four currently. Ships must be inspected at the outer anchorage before being cleared to berth, a process that takes about an hour, according to the Exchange.