Barnegat Bay Nav Aid Changes

[Martin610]

Hi,

For those of us in the New Jersey area, or planning to visit, the Coast Guard is proposing some changes to Nav Aids in Barnegat Bay. The ICW day markers are currently mounted on steel pilings. The CG is proposing to do away with those and replace them with floating buoys.

See below:

NEW: NJ -NJICW -Changes in Aid Type:
The Coast Guard is proposing the following changes to the aids to navigation marking the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway (NJICW). This action is due to the age and extensive deterioration of the aid’s steel piles, the necessity to prevent future hazards to navigation and the inaccessibility to the aids by Coast Guard assets

The list includes markers 14, 27, and others. The 27 marker is the one that broke off last year.
Here's the specific for 27:

Change NJICW Light 27 (LLNR 35070) to NJICW Lighted Buoy 27 (LLNR 35070) Flashing Green 4 second Light, Green Can with yellow square ICW mark. Removed when endangered by Ice.

What concerns me is that the pilings sit up nice and high. To me, that offers better visibility. These markers are spread out pretty far in some cases. Floating buoys closer the water can make that worse.

My first reaction is that the Coast Guard is trying to cheap out. I can't see accessibility being an issue. I see big dredges and barges traversing the area all the time.

What do others think about this?

-martin

 

[MACHAYA21]

Prefer pilings,bouys won't be good in low visibility situations.

 

[SgtAlf]

With the entire Barnegat Bay ICW plotted on my Garmin I don't see a problem with this in daytime, nighttime, low light, or fog. You got to be prepared.

 

[pete s]

And why are the "piling" markers in Barnegat Bay any different than anywhere else along the ICW in other states ?? Are you telling me they rot out faster or are more difficult/expensive to replace than everywhere else?
The pilings are definitely more visible from a distance than buoys... and I know they are marked on my GPS chartplotter, and when in doubt, I can navigate by the moon and stars and land based references.. and " I got to be prepared" ...but why change a "standard"..
Coast Guard "inaccessible" ??? What's that mean? I also see plenty of relatively large barges and workboats plying along without problemo....
"Moola"?? Really... what does it cost to water jet a concrete filled steel piling into the silt in 6-8 ft of water ??
My vote, as a lifetime Barnegat Bay boater is for the pilings....
Pete S... Barnegat Light, NJ

 

[MACHAYA21]

Bad decision to replace the pilings. There will be chaos on the Bay after July 4th fireworks displays ,when hundreds of boats head home. Low visibility buoys are not going to work. Flashing pilings have always worked, why change. Electronics are not always correct.

 

[doke01]

I've been through the NJ ICW many times, all the way from Manasquan Inlet to Cape May in the actual ICW, not around the outside on the southern portion like many travelers. Without the steel pilings navigation would be difficult. The pilings are higher than the marshlands and easier to see from much farther away and in the dark. They are harder for boats to block.

Bouys also move easier than pilings, and in the ICW you can be at 7 feet deep on one side of the marker and less than one on the other. One bouy knocked off by a storm or a boater could spell disaster.

Bouys would also be more difficult to see on radar, especially in marshland. Eyes and radar see actual things. GPS does not. I'd rather have the pilings and I agree that the Coast Guard going the cheap route. Probably so they can buy themselves another fancy boat. Definitely not because they are being safe.

Is it not true that the ICW overall uses these markers? I remember going through the ICW and DE and they had the same markers. Also, the markers don't follow the red right returning rule. I can see a lot of confusion where normal bouys are in place that follow these rules.

 

[Martin610]

Some very good points there Doug. My understanding is that the pilings now is use for the ICW mark the middle of the channel, not the edge. I think it very possible that boaters would be confused by a switch to buoys. The inconsistency is an issue too, since the proposal is only for a subset of the pilings.

I have written to Congressman Chris Smith of NJ. I live in his district. That district covers Bayhead and northern Barnegat Bay. He has worked on marine related issues before, maybe he will help.

-martin

 

[Martin610]

I had expected it to go this way, but still a little disappointed. Here's the new ICW marker at number 27 Barnegat Bay. I was out for a shakedown cruise with the boat so I thought I would check it out.



At least it does have a light on it. I think that's important since there's a secondary channel right here that goes to Channel Marker Café. You can just make out the smaller buoys in the background.

It doesn't appear that the Coast Guard takes boater opinion into account.

-martin