BoatBanter.com - Improper shoal marking?

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Improper shoal marking?

I saw this pic at another boating forum.

http://tinyurl.com/dewyu

No navigation buoys, just a non standard sign marking the hazard....looks
more like a sign for the 'Danger Shoal Bar and Grill'. The sign was
apparently put their by the city.

Here is a recap of the information provided by one contributor to that
thread in the forum:

============================================

"The shot was taken in Alexandria Bay, NY ... on the St. Lawrence River. The
water there is not tidal.

There used to be a "standard" diamond-buoy marker noting the shoal but the
town changed it because many more boats would run aground than they
currently do.

This fellow ran aground - and instead of shutting down and assessing the
situation ... he decided to try and "go over" the obstacle. We watched (and
yelled for him to stop) as he drove his boat full throttle up higher onto
the shoal.

The interesting thing about this particular shoal is that the water is about
ankle deep under the sign.. and about 5'+ deep in the vicinity of his
outdrives at the stern of the boat.

He wound up getting another boat to pull him off (to the stern). When they
other boat pulled him, the Donzi spun clockwise on its keel - surely
grinding away even more fiberglass.

The shoal is solid granite.

The St. Lawrence has a very interesting river-bottom...with depths varying
from shallows to canyons hundreds of feet deep along sheer walls and
underwater cliffs across only a few feet of surface distance.

In one location I know of, the depth goes from 3' to 200' in a boat length.

Not to capitalize on this fellow's misfortune.. but I just thought it to be
somewhat of a striking image of a boat run aground set against such an
obvious warning sign.

(The sign is the same on each side and it is visible from the "natural"
navigational approaches to the shoal.) "
==============================

It seems that there could be some liability by the city for damages done to
boats running aground due to improperly marking a known navigation hazard.

What are your thoughts?

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
I saw this pic at another boating forum.

http://tinyurl.com/dewyu

No navigation buoys, just a non standard sign marking the hazard....looks
more like a sign for the 'Danger Shoal Bar and Grill'. The sign was
apparently put there by the city.

Here is a recap of the information provided by one contributor to that
thread in the forum:

============================================

"The shot was taken in Alexandria Bay, NY ... on the St. Lawrence River.
The water there is not tidal.

There used to be a "standard" diamond-buoy marker noting the shoal but the
town changed it because many more boats would run aground than they
currently do.

This fellow ran aground - and instead of shutting down and assessing the
situation ... he decided to try and "go over" the obstacle. We watched
(and yelled for him to stop) as he drove his boat full throttle up higher
onto the shoal.

The interesting thing about this particular shoal is that the water is
about ankle deep under the sign.. and about 5'+ deep in the vicinity of
his outdrives at the stern of the boat.

He wound up getting another boat to pull him off (to the stern). When they
other boat pulled him, the Donzi spun clockwise on its keel - surely
grinding away even more fiberglass.

The shoal is solid granite.

The St. Lawrence has a very interesting river-bottom...with depths varying
from shallows to canyons hundreds of feet deep along sheer walls and
underwater cliffs across only a few feet of surface distance.

In one location I know of, the depth goes from 3' to 200' in a boat
length.

Not to capitalize on this fellow's misfortune.. but I just thought it to
be somewhat of a striking image of a boat run aground set against such an
obvious warning sign.

(The sign is the same on each side and it is visible from the "natural"
navigational approaches to the shoal.) "
==============================

It seems that there could be some liability by the city for damages done
to boats running aground due to improperly marking a known navigation
hazard.

What are your thoughts?

edit: spelling

*JimH* wrote:
I saw this pic at another boating forum.

http://tinyurl.com/dewyu

No navigation buoys, just a non standard sign marking the hazard....looks
more like a sign for the 'Danger Shoal Bar and Grill'. The sign was
apparently put their by the city.

Here is a recap of the information provided by one contributor to that
thread in the forum:

============================================

"The shot was taken in Alexandria Bay, NY ... on the St. Lawrence River. The
water there is not tidal.

There used to be a "standard" diamond-buoy marker noting the shoal but the
town changed it because many more boats would run aground than they
currently do.

This fellow ran aground - and instead of shutting down and assessing the
situation ... he decided to try and "go over" the obstacle. We watched (and
yelled for him to stop) as he drove his boat full throttle up higher onto
the shoal.

The interesting thing about this particular shoal is that the water is about
ankle deep under the sign.. and about 5'+ deep in the vicinity of his
outdrives at the stern of the boat.

He wound up getting another boat to pull him off (to the stern). When they
other boat pulled him, the Donzi spun clockwise on its keel - surely
grinding away even more fiberglass.

The shoal is solid granite.

The St. Lawrence has a very interesting river-bottom...with depths varying
from shallows to canyons hundreds of feet deep along sheer walls and
underwater cliffs across only a few feet of surface distance.

In one location I know of, the depth goes from 3' to 200' in a boat length.

Not to capitalize on this fellow's misfortune.. but I just thought it to be
somewhat of a striking image of a boat run aground set against such an
obvious warning sign.

(The sign is the same on each side and it is visible from the "natural"
navigational approaches to the shoal.) "
==============================

It seems that there could be some liability by the city for damages done to
boats running aground due to improperly marking a known navigation hazard.

What are your thoughts?

I thought that is what 'cardinal buoys' are for.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/BoatingSafety/sbg-gsn/cardinal.htm

Y'all actually mark shoals. My Gawd, who'd a thunk of that. 'Round
here, we jes kinda know where not to go and if someone goes aground its
his fault.
Seriously, marked shoals would be a miracle here in NW FL