If you are coming to Annapolis for the boat shows, be advised of this hidden hazard. From active Captain. I am on Back Creek but not aware of this.:
Obstruction :
The remains of the old "2E" channel marker, a steel post, is submerged
appox. three feet under water to the north of the new "2E" nun marker.
This hazard had been marked by the Coast Guard, but the hazard mark has
since disappeared. Boaters should give this mark a wide berth when
passing in navigable waters on the north side. And then noted with alarm the comments:
Stay South of "2E"!
Date: 2017-08-24
Almost certain that the remains of the old steel beacon "2E" is the
submerged obstruction. Stay south of nun "2E"! Red, right, return.
Back Creek Old channel marker "2E"
Date: 2017-08-21
On 8/19/17 at 4pm while motoring NW at 5 kts, in 8' of navigable waters
to the north of the Back Creek "2E" red nun, we struck a submerged
obstacle that bought my 37' Beneteau (4'8" draft) to a complete stop.
Damage to boat has not yet been surveyed, but several crew members were
hurt by the impact. This old marker seems to be common knowledge to
some of the locals, but I have not seen any reports as a hazard on any
maps. Note the dates. The incident occurred only four days prior to me seeing
this. This was quite a learning point for my client who I introduced to
Active Captain back when we first started looking at boats. Later in the
day while the boat was in the slings during haul out, we discovered our
sea trial Captain knew all about it, and in fact had pictures on his
phone of the damage to this boat. The damage was severe and will be very
costly to address. Very unfortunate, indeed. I think the key take-aways are :
* There is good water in the vicinity of that ATON. It is understandable
given the charted depths how someone might be lulled into complacency,
but... 'red right returning'.
* Encouragingly, the mishap Captain did the right thing and posted the
issue to ActiveCaptain, showing the true worth of the crowd sourced
approach to providing information, good or bad.
And here is the real point. ....
* How is anyone not familiar with 'local common knowledge' going to
know about the hazard without ActiveCaptain?
What about NOTAMS you say? Well, the issue is noted, somewhat
cryptically, in the USCG District 5 local notice to mariners, on page 6
of 36, with the following verbiage:
19885 Eastport Harbor Entrance Light 2E STRUCT DEST/HAZ NAV/TRLB
12283 145MD 19/17
STRUCT DEST/HAZ NAV/TRLB translates as "structure destroyed / hazard to
navigation / temporarily replaced by lighted buoy". Let's be honest, how
many recreational boaters take the time to complete a local NOTAM
review, at best a burdensome task? Even if this Captain had reviewed all
pertinent local NOTAMS how would he have known the specific location and
nature of this hazard without referring to ActiveCaptain?
Obstruction :
The remains of the old "2E" channel marker, a steel post, is submerged
appox. three feet under water to the north of the new "2E" nun marker.
This hazard had been marked by the Coast Guard, but the hazard mark has
since disappeared. Boaters should give this mark a wide berth when
passing in navigable waters on the north side. And then noted with alarm the comments:
Stay South of "2E"!
Date: 2017-08-24
Almost certain that the remains of the old steel beacon "2E" is the
submerged obstruction. Stay south of nun "2E"! Red, right, return.
Back Creek Old channel marker "2E"
Date: 2017-08-21
On 8/19/17 at 4pm while motoring NW at 5 kts, in 8' of navigable waters
to the north of the Back Creek "2E" red nun, we struck a submerged
obstacle that bought my 37' Beneteau (4'8" draft) to a complete stop.
Damage to boat has not yet been surveyed, but several crew members were
hurt by the impact. This old marker seems to be common knowledge to
some of the locals, but I have not seen any reports as a hazard on any
maps. Note the dates. The incident occurred only four days prior to me seeing
this. This was quite a learning point for my client who I introduced to
Active Captain back when we first started looking at boats. Later in the
day while the boat was in the slings during haul out, we discovered our
sea trial Captain knew all about it, and in fact had pictures on his
phone of the damage to this boat. The damage was severe and will be very
costly to address. Very unfortunate, indeed. I think the key take-aways are :
* There is good water in the vicinity of that ATON. It is understandable
given the charted depths how someone might be lulled into complacency,
but... 'red right returning'.
* Encouragingly, the mishap Captain did the right thing and posted the
issue to ActiveCaptain, showing the true worth of the crowd sourced
approach to providing information, good or bad.
And here is the real point. ....
* How is anyone not familiar with 'local common knowledge' going to
know about the hazard without ActiveCaptain?
What about NOTAMS you say? Well, the issue is noted, somewhat
cryptically, in the USCG District 5 local notice to mariners, on page 6
of 36, with the following verbiage:
19885 Eastport Harbor Entrance Light 2E STRUCT DEST/HAZ NAV/TRLB
12283 145MD 19/17
STRUCT DEST/HAZ NAV/TRLB translates as "structure destroyed / hazard to
navigation / temporarily replaced by lighted buoy". Let's be honest, how
many recreational boaters take the time to complete a local NOTAM
review, at best a burdensome task? Even if this Captain had reviewed all
pertinent local NOTAMS how would he have known the specific location and
nature of this hazard without referring to ActiveCaptain?