EtOH and The Ultimate Shortcut
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WEAR) —
A vessel crash that happened Thursday night left four people injured.
The vessel, a 28-foot World Cat center console with six people on board, was traveling from the Gulf into Perdido Pass in Orange Beach, and crashed into a jetty...
Investigations show alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.
This is not the first time that an incident like this has happened at this location. Over the last twenty years or so, I've seen several other boats piled up in the same general location, for the same reason — short cutting the sea buoy. Perdido Pass is one of those places that can be nasty, even in the daylight and when the boat operator is sober.
Aside from the pharmacological effect of ethanol on nighttime boat operation, I'd like to comment on the reason why we call these channel entrance buoys "Safe Water Marks." They are distinctively marked for both daytime and nighttime use.
Painted with red and white vertical stripes, with a red spherical cap, for daytime, and white light flashing the distinctive morse code letter "a" for nighttime. They are also lettered for distinctive identification.
When returning from sea, the proper procedure is to approach the safe water mark first, and then pass it close aboard, while carefully lining up the channel markers. It should go without saying that at night, or in reduced visibility, it's wise to go slow...
The following excerpt from NOAA Chart 11382 shows the Perdido Pass safe water mark.
Once you have located the safe water mark, you can usually use your compass to find the next charted mark when visibility is restricted.
It's not safe, or wise, to shortcut a safe water mark!
/fl