The Case of the Missing Buoy

For a typical sailor, the fact that an offshore navigational buoy mysteriously disappeared last Tuesday probably wouldn’t be earthshaking news. But imagine how you’d feel if your were a bar pilot charged with bringing an enormous freighter safely into port, and the buoy in question was the crucial Sea Buoy. It normally lies 12 miles offshore, pinpointing the proper approach to the Golden Gate.

Of course, pilots have a variety of navigational aids to guide them in, so the greater concern was that the 32-ft high, 26-ton monster might be adrift out there somewhere, posing a serious threat to mariners. Imagine the damage it could do to your boat if you smacked into it doing hull speed on a foggy night.

Thankfully, the mystery was soon solved. The Sea Buoy had simply sprung a leak and sunk to the bottom, where it was recovered, still attached to its mooring, by the 225-ft Coast Guard Cutter Aspen. A replacement buoy is now in position while the original is being repaired. The Coast Guard is investigating the possibility that an outgoing ship may have struck the Sea Buoy while exiting the Bay.