MonkeySea2

+1. I was looking at my GPS to set my course and almost clipped one. I was doing about 15 as well.

SB

Hit a buoy sideways with my car. Put it up on it's side for few. Ripped a good gash thru both doors on passeneger side and left a huge red stripe down the side. Fellow workers that Monday morning couldn't understand how I hit a buoy in my car. It was February. Duh !

Thank god ours aren't like the one's in the picture. Our our mostly thick 4 sided wooden poles.

Crude Intentions

I can absolutely call it self inflicted. If he avoided another boat and wrecked into a buoy he was going to fast for the conditions. A good captain always has his vessel ready to safely maneuver to avoid collision or allision. The coast guard tends to agree with me. Basically if you are not moored there usually something you could have done to prevent it from happening. What mechanical failure causes you to hit a buoy? I will
Never ride with you.

Crude Intentions

I never debated if it's charted. I hold a 1600ton masters license. The light can be extinguished and many are. The local notice to Mariners published weekly would tell you that. Based on the dance to the vessel he didn't hit it at idle speed. That means he was going to fast. If he was plane at night without radar he's going to fast. I do that too and if I hit something lot or not it's purely my fault.

SB

I've been lucky where as I was almost hit by a boat with it's lights off while we where rafted, and I almost hit one (it had ni lights on and was travelling at us) at speed, in which I had to swerve to wrong side of buoy. Could have hit it easily. Just missed it.

Call those my fault and I'll hit you with a buoy. LOL.

flatlanderbill

One night , in that same spot, on the other side of the channel , the side you are supposed to be on when returning, ( hitting the green buoy means you are on the wrong side of the channel when returning, just sayin ), my gps said I was well clear of the buoy when in reality I passed by it at 50mph , it was about 15' off my starboard side. Point is , buoy's get moved when they are repaired or for whatever reason the coast guard deems necessary. If your gps map isn't current ( as was the case for me that night) you could be in for a big surprise . I try to be on the lift by dark now, washing her down and having a beer, since that night.

Crude Intentions

Relying solely on the plotter is not a very smart thing to do. I'll plotter only shows you where things are supposed to be. It is an aid to navigation nothing more. Radar shows you where things actually are and that is what makes it far superior to a plotter for Night running. Not to mention at night you should also run slower speeds. If it is pitch black you should not be on plane.

SB

I don't agree at all, but this solely depends on your knowledge of the area, the area itself and etc.Definately something it takes years of practice/knowledge, etc.

Fog, heavy dew - where you can't see any other vessel lights or etc, I totally agree. Suks when this sneaks up on you. Any chance of this and I stay in.

Crude Intentions

If it's pitch black no moon light or backlights and you're in plane you are an idiot. Asking for trouble. Even with a plotter. A plotter only shows what is supposed to be not what is actual.

MullenTJ86

I'm not questioning your navigational intelligence, I'm questioning whether a buoy had a functioning light or not. On a dark night, 5kts or 70kts, unless you have radar, you're not seeing an unlit buoy. Yes, he hit the buoy...probably over 20kts, and no matter the reason, he'll most likely be held accountable for it. I'm just curious how it happened, like most other ppl on here and I'm not pointing the finger at the guy because god forbid, it could happen to most anyone.