Data Buoys

[ChamJam]

Morning, I was on Google Earth and found a considerable number of Data Buoys
scattered all over the Eastern USA coast. Looking at some of the pics, they are up to 9 ft tall and 3 ft wide! Are they marked on charts and can you see them clearly during day or night sailing? Would not want to meet one at close quarters doing 6 knots in the middle of the night!!

Steve

[Sailormantx]

Weather bouys are marked on charts and changes will be found in the Notice to Mariners. They show up on radar as well as any other bouy and usually have a flashing yellow light. It is a good practice not to approach their charted position too closely in conditions that make them difficult to spot. Deep water bouys have a long moorings and are not exactly in their charted position.

[mbianka]

I would expect they are lit but, always one needs to keep a watch maybe even fire up the radar once in a while at night just as another tool to find them if you are concerned. Actually it might better idea to plot them on your chart. I actually use the data from these buoys as a more reliable indication of what is currently happening with the weather as opposed to totally depending on the NOAA broadcasts for information.

[jackdale]

The buoys are marked on charts and they are lit, if they are moored. There is at least one drifting buoy on the west coast (NDBC - Station 46562), not sure about the east coast.

It is unlikley that you will actually see the buoy, you have to be within a few miles.

National Data Buoy Center shows the location of weather buoys.

[ChamJam]

thank you for your replies. Another answer to the million of questions in the sailing world!

[Hydra]

Some temporary waverider buoys aren't mentioned in Notices to Mariners but they should be lit at night (5 yellow flashes, 20 seconds).

The one I operate is small (1.5 foot diameter, 55lbs) but some are bigger (up to 3 feet and 500lbs). See Datawell BV - Datawell

Alain