Playing the Current

On a recent trip back East, San Francisco Bay Area racer and Latitude 38 advertiser Chris Boome, who is well versed at rounding marks in the Bay’s notoriously tricky currents, noticed one mark in strong currents that no one should ever attempt to round. The navigational mark below rests just meters from the lip of Niagara Falls. Misjudge this mark and you’ll end up heading over a 165-ft drop. As you might suspect it’s not a frequently used mark in local racing. In fact we really wonder what it’s doing there at all! We understand why a USCG buoy tender won’t be sent to pick it up.

Millions of tourists probably capture this mark in a photo, but most probably don’t notice it or have the same questions as a sailor.