|
Boating with Buoys & Safety
Don't rely entirely on buoys or channel markers. They can move off station due to wind, waves, current or other reasons. Channel markers are the red & green buoys - always go between them. White buoys with the orange diamond are hazard buoys meaning stay away, hazardous area. These buoys mark rocks, reefs and shallow water. They do not always sit right in the middle of the hazard area or directly on top of the rocks. Some hazardous areas are 100 to 200 ft in diameter and have only one buoy marking the whole area. The buoys are placed in front of or alongside the hazard area because with the anchor weight, cable and buoy it all sets down about 4 to 5ft in the water. This also allows for the movement of the buoy and cable due to wave action so it does not rub on the edge of the rock and break the cable or damage bottom of the buoy. Generally the buoys are set to the heavier traffic side of the hazard area. REMINDER: all of your GPS navigation units state the warning "Do not rely on this product as your primary source of navigation!". The coordinates off the GPS maps are not always exactly on the rock pile or buoy markings. Remember that not every rock or reef piles are marked and when lake levels are lower these reefs are closer to the water surface. When approaching a hazard buoy a good rule of thumb is a no wave speed of 4 to 5 mph or slower and trim up lower unit or motor approximately 10 boat lengths away (160 to 200 ft away). When accelerating you have to remember that your back end of the boat is auguring down in the water until sufficient speed to reach to set the boat to plane out. The larger the boat the deeper the auguring down - several feet. Fisherman should not tie their boats to buoys unless for emergency- this can cause buoys to move from their position and is violation of statute. Please report any damage to buoys or buoys that appear to have moved or broken loose. Also let us know if you see loose buoys or parts of buoys washed up on shore so we can pick up the debris and keep the lake clean. Atention: Matt Clines 7401 Oak Narrows Road Cook, MN 55723 218-666-2424 |