TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale Recovers Another Buoy
On March 3rd 2009 a call was transmitted by a passing ship on VHF Channel 16 reporting a large buoy adrift over 10 miles off the coast of Ft Lauderdale Florida creating a serious hazard to navigation. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale dispatched a boat to the scene immediately to get more information about the buoy and to attempt to discover the identity of the owner. Upon arrival on scene, the captain of the towboat reported that the exposed portion of the buoy was approximately 12 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter and appeared to be constructed of steel. The captain found some markings on the buoy that led to a company that specializes in offshore oil rigs and Jack up drilling rigs all over the world. This particular buoy marked a jack up rig in the Gulf of Mexico; it had broken loose from its mooring several months earlier.
TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale arranged a charter and recovery agreement with the owner of the buoy and got to work immediately formulating a plan to recover it. A larger towboat was dispatched and the buoy was put in stern tow, the captain of the towboat noted that it towed like large sea anchor making towing speeds over 4 knots impossible to attain. Owner's agents reported that it was possible that there was up to 150' of chain and 100' of large cable still attached to the base of the buoy. As a precautionary measure a diver was deployed once the buoy was towed into shallower water to determine how much mooring gear was left; the diver reported that the chain and cable was short enough to allow the buoy and mooring gear to be towed intact directly to the Richard L. Becker's home dock in Dania Beach, Florida. Once alongside the dock, divers were able to retrieve the mooring gear and cutting torches were used to free it from the buoy. Early the next morning a crane was used to pick the buoy from its dockside location and place it on an awaiting truck for transport back to its owners.
TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale has recovered several buoys in recent years. The gulfstream currents push items like this past the coast and in some cases the onshore winds have pushed them right up into shallow water where the mooring gear gets hung up on bottom structure. "This operation illustrates our company's diverse capabilities" States Director of Sales Barney Hauf "We have 11 boats and nearly 30 employees standing by to help solve our customers' most difficult situations on the water. We continue to strive to be the company to call if you need any type of assistance that involves a work boat ranging from 26 feet to 100 feet throughout the Southeastern United States or the Western Caribbean. Please give us a call if you find yourself in need of our services."
