Floating Hazards

[Bob S]

I was curious how you report a navigational hazard? We just got back from a week cruising. On Tuesday I saw an object bobbing and as I got closer I saw it was a log about 4' long x 36" log. I didn't give it much thought but then I thought maybe I should report it. What is the protocol for this?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I often hear folks on Ch16 reporting similar things to the CG who rebroadcasts them as security warnings

 

[Gary_H]

Put out a "Securité" call on the VHF or call the Coast Guard and let them do it.

Something like,

Sécurité, sécurité, sécurité. All ships, all ships, all ships. This is station identifier. For a weather forecast and important navigational warnings for the such-and-such area, please tune to frequency or channel number. This is station identifier out.
​

 

[dscribner]

I can't count the number of floating logs, dock frames, boat parts, 6X6's, 4X4's, trees etc floating a couple of miles out after a storm and a high tide. I've never thought of calling them in. Too many. Maybe I should have but I mean, way too many!

 

[RobertLangdirect]

It is isn't a log, in the Potomac, it is a crab pot.

 

[Bad Obsession]

True Rob....and the Potomac can be like running a minefield. Those crab pots are even in harbors in the Virginia side of the river. I would love to see some stricter regulations and enforcement on where they are placed. I dare not sail out at night because getting back into my harbor would be very hard.

 

[Bob S]

We were in the main channel of Nantucket Sound. I can't imagine a high speed ferry hitting it. I've seen a lot of junk out there but nothing that potentially damaging. Guess we sail in a pretty clean environment compared to the responses. The night before we were averaging 5.5 kt well into the night. It was amazing watching my main sail back dropped by the most beautiful star filled sky. I was a little worried about snagging a lobster trap and having to dive at night but hitting a 300 lb log.

 

[All U Get]

I can't count the number of floating logs, dock frames, boat parts, 6X6's, 4X4's, trees etc floating a couple of miles out after a storm and a high tide. I've never thought of calling them in. Too many. Maybe I should have but I mean, way too many!

I agree, with all the seaweed and grass that's floating in huge mats in Maine, a piece of wood seems to be less of a hazzard. I did see some pot warp floating like an end of a trap line had the buoy cut off, hard to tell and I wasn't backing up to find out. Is there a minimum size that should be reported? I look closer when a "pan pan" is broadcast.
All U Get

 

[justsomeguy]

Be careful of all those rocks floating NE of New Zealand!

 

[DJW]

When we made the crossing from Seattle to HI we saw floating piles of junk in huge cargo nets 50-75' long by 20-30' wide in the Pacific. We always saw them during daylight. Sailing into one of those in the dark would be a very large PIA. We did not sail at night going out to Niea Bay(sp) to make the turn south for fear of hitting some very large objects floating around at night.

Dennis

 

[capta]

I've seen everything out there; miles and miles of abandoned fishing nets with the glass ball floats, dead whales, trees large enough to easily sink a yacht, abandoned vessels (I assume; not underway and very, very rusty), containers and acres and acres of trash. When I sailed the Mediterranean I called it southern Europe's garbage can for there were huge rivers of plastic shopping bags.
From Newport to Providence RI the bay is littered with trap floats; they are a serious hazard to navigation IN THE MAIN SHIPPING CHANNEL and the RI water cops and the USCG couldn't care less about them or our trashed running gear.
So either get used to it and take a chance, or stay in the slip and dream of sailing. Nobody is going to listen to us complaining about the trash, man made or otherwise, that many of us see quite regularly when we do venture off the dock.
It sucks, but money trumps clean water, clean air and an ocean that our children's children will enjoy.

 

[okawbow]

Not THAT bad!

I sailed 3500 miles total last year in the Gulf and up the East coast to Down East Maine. I saw very little trash or hazards floating anywhere we went. I did see thousands of crab and lobster floats everywhere we went, but I was in a full keel ketch with a protected prop, and never worried about snagging anything. ( I really don't see how fin keel boats with exposed props ever get through the "lollypop fields" in some of the channels in Maine!)