Navigation General · Aids to Navigation — Reliability
Why should a floating aid (buoy) never be relied upon to maintain its exact charted position?
- ABuoys are always wrong
- BBuoys move with the sun
- CBuoys can drag, shift, sink, or be off-station due to weather, ice, or collision✓ Correct
- DCharts do not show buoys
Explanation
Buoys ride to their moorings and can be driven off-station, capsized, extinguished, or set adrift by storms, ice, or being struck. Prudent mariners treat buoys as approximate and confirm position by fixed aids and soundings where possible.
Authority: Light List; Bowditch
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