T&T: Aids to Navigation NOT

[Mike Maurice]

These are the pics of a boat that struck a submerged day marker, damaged 
by a tug and tow the night before.

http://www.aftertuition.com/Sunk.html

Buoys break free of their anchors with some regularity. I recall one 
that dragged it's anchor into a deep spot, from which it regularly would 
pop up to announce it's presence. Then move back into deeper water and 
disappear; the chain to it's anchor being of just the right length(less 
than 50'), to allow this sort of behavior. It took the CG some days to 
figure out where it was and retrieve it.

One of the reasons I know about the pop up buoy was that I saw it. 
Fortunately it was about 100 feet off of our track and we did not hit 
it. On the other hand it could have been, on our track and submerged and 
we would have had a nasty accident, hitting it. The resulting collision 
near the end of "A" jetty, mouth of the Columbia River could have been 
fatal to the boat and to those aboard, if it had happened under poor 
conditions of visibility, wind, waves or current.


Aids to navigation which have become hazards to navigation should be 
reported immediately. Notices should be broadcast by vhf regularly to 
notify mariners operating in the area of these anomaly's. These notices 
are not always done and some hazards are not reported timely.

Lessons: it pays to keep track of aids as you pass them and to not pass 
closer than prudence would dictate. In shallow water, like a lot of the 
East Coast, it is always possible that someone has sunk a boat or 
obstacle a few minutes ago, directly in your path; God Help you if you 
are first to discover it.

Mike

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Capt. Mike Maurice
Beaverton Oregon(Near Portland)