Buoy changes in 2014 and beyond

[Bizer]

Bizer had a meeting with the Marine Patrol on February 21st. I thought I'd share with you some of the changes that are in place for 2014 as well as anticipated changes.

What prompted the meeting was a phone call that Bizer received last fall. The Marine Patrol is considering decommissioning (removing) many buoys over the next few years. There are a fair number of buoys that have been around for eons and nobody knows whether the need exists. In many cases, it was a case of a shorefront owner knowing the Commissioner of Safety and having a buoy placed in front of the shorefront owner's property to keep boats away. The Marine Patrol will be creating a list of buoys they feel are superfluous. The Marine Patrol will be allowing the public to comment before actually removing the buoys.

Meanwhile, the following buoy changes should be in place for the 2014 boating season.

• The black-and-white buoy on the north side of Sandy Island, which has been missing for two years, will not be replaced. The buoy was close to shore and marked a rock that was more than six feet down.
• At the western end of Moultonborough Bay there were three black-and-white buoys aligned north-to-south. The middle of these three has been missing for two years and will not be replaced.
• There used to be a red-and-white buoy about 80m east-northeast of light #56 at the lower end of Paugus Bay. This buoy marked the intake for the Laconia water supply. It did not mark a boating hazard. This buoy has been decommissioned. When the companion buoy at light #56 changed from black to red a few years ago, the traffic pattern was altered and boats no longer approach this red-and-white buoy.
• The easternmost of three black-and-white buoys off Dockham Shore Road in Gilford has been decommissioned and will not be replaced.
• There is a new no-rafting zone. The area north and northeast of Ledge Island in Meredith, which includes three coves, is now a no-rafting area. Ledge Island is northeast of Stonedam Island.
• Currently there are three No-Wake buoys near Meredith center. These will be adjusted slightly and a fourth No-Wake buoy will be added in 2014. This is in response to a few boaters who failed to notice the No-Wake buoys as they approached the Meredith Docks.
• The lone buoy off Ellacoya State Park has been eliminated.
• The red-and-white buoy in Greens Basin will be moved about 100m north. It will be returned to its pre-2001 location to mark a submerged rock. In this photograph, the camera is facing south looking at a man standing on the submerged rock.
• 

Also: A boater asked me what happened to the bouy at the Barbers Pole. A buoy that looked like a barber's pole was placed just north of light #17 back in 2001. It was maintained by a local resident. That resident passed away and the family did not want to assume the responsibility of maintaining the buoy. It was removed as it had no navigational value.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Bizer

The black-and-white buoy on the north side of Sandy Island, which has been missing for two years, will not be replaced. The buoy was close to shore and marked a rock that was more than six feet down.

UMMMMMM.... I am in this area all the time..... there was / is no missing bouy that I am aware of in this area....... There are in fact 3 black, and white spars in this area, which I am sure where mostly placed to keep people off of Sandy Island....

There is one, that is often hard to see.....

[Bizer]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

UMMMMMM.... I am in this area all the time..... there was / is no missing bouy that I am aware of in this area....... There are in fact 3 black, and white spars in this area, which I am sure where mostly placed to keep people off of Sandy Island....

There is one, that is often hard to see.....

I think you are thinking about the east side of Sandy Island. The removed buoy is on the north side of Sandy about 350m east of light #9. It was the only black-and-white buoy between light #77 and light #9.

Of the three black-and-white buoys on the east side of Sandy Island, the northernmost buoy marks a rock that is three feet below the surface and was 10m west-southwest of the buoy when last surveyed in 2011.

[Bear Islander]

I wonder if they will remove the buoy at the southern point of Pine Island that keeps mysteriously moving itself away from shore. The Mount could pass inside that buoy without danger.

[Rich]

First, thanks for the information!

But sorry, I have to ask:

Is that a penguin in the center of that picture? Or is it a lighted marker with solar panels on it?

[pcmc]

Originally Posted by Rich

First, thanks for the information!

But sorry, I have to ask:

Is that a penguin in the center of that picture? Or is it a lighted marker with solar panels on it?

Lol. The tin man in a wet suit???

[SIKSUKR]

The penguins are considered black top spars and should be navigated as such.

[Bizer]

Originally Posted by Rich

... Is that a penguin in the center of that picture? Or is it a lighted marker with solar panels on it?

It's a man standing on the subject rock in a wetsuit with his arms outstretched to keep his balance.  This rock was marked until 2000.  My hunch is that the buoy was destroyed one winter and the person who came up to replace it put it in the wrong position.

Also, I originally forgot to mention in my original post:

• The lone buoy off Ellacoya State Park has been eliminated.  On Bizer's first edition (1996), there were five buoys off Ellacoya State Park.  From 1997 to 2005, there were four buoys.  From 2006 to 2013, there has been one buoy.  These buoys had no navigational significance.  Their purpose was to keep boaters away from the park.

[BroadHopper]

Before 1996, to the right if the main beach was a popular rafting spot much like Braun Bay. When the state bought the property and add to the park, the buoys were placed to prevent rafting. For a long time boats were not allowed on the beach. I notice lately a number of pontoon boats beached to the furthest right looking toward land. Have there been a changed in policy?

[Pine Island Guy]

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

I wonder if they will remove the buoy at the southern point of Pine Island that keeps mysteriously moving itself away from shore. The Mount could pass inside that buoy without danger.

that red spar has been moved so far away from shore that it has become meaningless/ignored, and actually more of a hazard to navigation (especially at night).

Question for Bizer - in your surveys do you track the placement and/or migration of buoys over time?

ice is nice, but i'm ready for it to be just in my drinks -PIG

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Bizer

It's a man standing on the subject rock in a wetsuit with his arms outstretched to keep his balance.  This rock was marked until 2000.  My hunch is that the buoy was destroyed one winter and the person who came up to replace it put it in the wrong position.

Thanks! I can see how a man in a wetsuit would look like a penguin!

It's good to know that NH Marine Patrol hasn't contracted the dreaded PC disease yet, so we still have a Nipple Rock on the lake!

Does anyone know how often the MP checks the markers after ice out? Or are they not checked unless someone reports them?

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Bizer

I think you are thinking about the east side of Sandy Island. The removed buoy is on the north side of Sandy about 350m east of light #9. It was the only black-and-white buoy between light #77 and light #9.

Of the three black-and-white buoys on the east side of Sandy Island, the northernmost buoy marks a rock that is three feet below the surface and was 10m west-southwest of the buoy when last surveyed in 2011.

Yep just pulled out the trusty Bizer Map, and now see the Marker you are referring to.... Forgot all about that one, I believe it has been MIA in the past as well as right now.....In fact as I think about it, it probably been missing more years then it has ever been there... But given its location, it probably doesn't even become a consideration for most boaters going up through the cut.

[Sandy Island fan]

My husband - who's been staff/volunteer at camp for 50 years, told me that the marker on the north side has been missing for as much as 20 years - based on the age of his kids (how his memory works....) it could be more.

[rgilfert]

It's great to know that the two copies of the new 2014 Duncan Press navigation chart that I just ordered are already out of date (and they haven't even arrived yet)!

[Rich]

How do you know they are out of date? Perhaps they also updated their charts with this information, did you email to ask them?

[rgilfert]

Originally Posted by Rich

How do you know they are out of date? Perhaps they also updated their charts with this information, did you email to ask them?

No, I've got to admit that I didn't ..... it's simpler and more fun just to whine about it!

[Rich]

And they are not showing pictures of Penquins standing on rocks!

[Marine Patrol]

Thanks to Bizer for his post.

For those inquiring minds...Patrols begin shortly after ice-out but are limited. Officers report nav aids off station at this time. We also get many calls from the general public. We do not accept reports via email or this forum as we cant guarantee a timely review! Our goal is to have all lights and nav aids on station by Memorial Day Weekend.

Also, Marine Patrol reaches out to all chart manufacturers when we are making significant changes to the nav aids. Obviously these changes extend beyond Winnipesaukee and involve a significant amount of effort. We thank all the chart manufacturers for their participation.

We are looking to "phase-in" some new regulatory buoys as well as improve our posting of No Rafting areas in the next couple of seasons. We hope the improvements will make things better/easier for the boating public and have a positive influence on the budget!


Safe Boating!!

Tim Dunleavy

[Rich]

Thanks for what you do and making our boating safer!!

[Descant]

I hope there will be postings here when the GPS chips are updated. In the meantime sounds like my 1956 tan and blue chart is coming back into favor.

Who remembers when there were three red buoys on the northeast side of the Hole in the Wall? The intent was to go close to shore either way, and around all three regardless of compass heading. Much confusion. Eventually the rocks and the buoys were removed. I guess the penguin protectors won't allow blowing up single rocks anymore, just as contractors can no longer mine the Witches for breakwater materials.

We used to hear a story about a boat getting hung up in the middle of those three buoys and another boat putting great effort into pulling them off, to no avail. Eventually, as it started to get dark, they gave up and offerefed the men a ride. When the three men on board came to the gunwale to offload, the boat slid off the rock and they were on their way again.

[Bizer]

Originally Posted by Descant

I hope there will be postings here when the GPS chips are updated. ...

Bizer has updated it's GPS chips that go into Garmin devices. Bizer has also sent along the corrections to Navionics and Jeppessen Marine (aka C-Map).

I would not consider these as major changes as the changes do not involve newly found navigation hazards.