navigation around weather buoy off golden gate

[dannyjoh]

While sailing out of Golden Gate last Saturday, I came across a weather buoy a few miles off the coast. It looked like the one on the attached picture, but black (menacing black like naval mine). When I saw buoy, I was only 7-8 boat length from it. I didn't see it on my AIS screen. It didn't seem to be charted. I was thinking that I could bump into it at night. Are these weather buoys lit at night?

[JPA Cate]

Yes, you could hit one at night. Some radars might pick one up, but the shape is a difficult one for radar.

A.

[gamayun]

I have some contacts in NOAA and will ask. Recently, some friends were coming back from the Farallones (singlehand race and late at night) and reported a near miss on this, too. Given that radar may not pick it up in a high sea state, it's a bit curious that you say nothing showed up on AIS. It seems like it should have a transmitter, but at the very least, it should have a light, right?