BUOYS RECONSIDERED!

A response from the U. S. Coast Guard Ninth District stated that
buoys #2 and #6 would be reset shortly. 

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

Word was received this morning that the U. S. Coast Guard Ninth District Waterways Management has reconsidered placement of #2 and #6, and will be conducting further study of Detroit Harbor aids.  The email exhange follows:

From: richard@wisferry.com [mailto:richard@wisferry.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 1:34 PM
To: Kugel, Ralph BOSN2
Cc: Hoyt Purinton; Rich Ellefson; Joel Gunnlaugsson
Subject: Re: Confrence call

Mr. Kugel -   I would like to add my thanks to your email response, for reconsidering the placement of Buoys 6 and 2 that we believe are of immense help to our ferry captains, and for your continued study and solicitation of comments regarding the Detroit Harbor waterway.  
  We understand that your organization's job, collectively, is to manage all of the Ninth District aids to navigation, no small task, and that as such it may involve more than we in our corner of Lake Michigan may appreciate.   If anything, this tells us we ought to make a more concerted effort to communicate with your office (and the other way around, too).   Again, our appreciation for your willingness to listen and solicit comment.
    -  Respectfully,  Richard Purinton, CEO, Washington Island Ferry Line, Inc.


On Sep 6, 2012, at 9:51 AM, Kugel, Ralph BOSN2 wrote:

Hoyt,

Thank you for all your input. We are going to step back and conduct a waterway study of Detroit Harbor. The study is currently being advertised in the Great lakes Notice to Mariner.  Comments can be made to Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan in Milwaukee or myself. Your comments are very valuable in this study as they have been all along and we will continue to take comments until 01 January 2013.  We want to make sure that we get it right for all users. I have attached a survey that you could reproduce locally and hand out to marina patrons, ferry captains, other waterway users if you like. Mr. Doug Sharps contact information is located at the bottom of the survey. 

We are sending ANT Muskegon back out to put 2 and 6 back in the water. They should be there next week weather depending. 

Again, thank you for all your valuable input and local perspective. 

Ralph

*****   (With thanks to all who have commented with their support and advice... Following - printed BELOW - is a form supplied by Mr. Kugel that can be used by boaters and citizens to express their thoughts about aids to navigation in Detroit Harbor.   DP)  ***

Waterway Analysis and Management System Survey

Name of Waterway:_________________________________________

User Information

___Commercial User

___Recreational User

Name:________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:________________________________________________________

E-mail address: ________________________________________________

Company/Employer:____________________________________________

Number of years in the maritime industry or number of years using this waterway:____________________________________________________

Number of transits in the waterway per year:________________________

Number of night transits of waterway:_____________________________

Seasonal Dates:      Start:______________End:____________________

Name of Vessel:________________________________________________

Vessel Description:_____________________________________________

Length:___________Beam:__________Draft:_________Gross Tons:_____

Net Tons:_________Bridge Height of Eye:___________________________

Cargo Carried:_________________________________________________

Navigational tools used: (ECDIS/ECPINS, GPS, DGPS,VISUAL, RADAR)_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What area do you believe is the most dangerous or difficult to navigate:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are the floating aids to navigation (lighted and unlighted buoys) adequate for this waterway:_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are the fixed aids to navigation (lights, ranges, lighthouses, daybeacons) adequate for this waterway:_______________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are the year round and lighted ice buoys adequate:____________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there buoys that you feel should be changed to fixed aids to navigation:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there any buoys that could be eliminated from this waterway:________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there any buoys with sound signals that the bell or gong could be removed:______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there any areas that require additional aids to navigation in this waterway:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do the nautical charts, Coast Pilot, and Light List meet your needs for this waterway:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there private Aids to Navigation that you find misleading or interfere with the current system in the waterway:_____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Any addition comments on this waterway:___________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking time to comment on this waterway.  Your input as a mariner very valuable to the U. S. Coast Guard in evaluating waterways to make them safe and as easily navigable as possible.  Please fell free to contact Mr. Doug Sharp at william.d.sharp@uscg.mil or (216) 902-6070 with any other questions or concerns about any aids to navigation in the Great Lakes.