In Episode 4 we learn of the pilots and their boats who assist vessels navigating into New York Harbor. The hazards (then and now) are many: shifting sands, submerged shipwrecks, frequent fogs, etc. 

We discover the losse regulation of pilots during the early 19th century and the confusion it caused incoming ships.

Part 2 of Episode 4 introduces us to the ship the John Minturn;  its dimensions, construction and "enrollment" and a history of its voyages prior to its fateful trip in February 1846.