Larger buoy to warn inlet boaters

At last night’s St. Augustine City Commission meeting, Historic City News listened as the city’s General Services Director, Jim Piggott, made assurances to commissioners that a larger buoy is in place and inlet dredging is planned.

Unfortunately, it will be too late for the $1 million sport fishing boat that ran aground and sank last week; its skipper claiming he failed to notice a smaller buoy.

“The Coast Guard commander traveled to St Augustine the day after the grounding to assess the situation,” Piggott said. “He and his crew came down the next day – last Saturday – to install the new temporary marker.”

Piggott added that a specially designed vessel for moving larger buoys is currently in maintenance, but on its return to service in late June, “we are their first priority to move the larger buoys and remark the channel.”

Silting in of the inlet was recognized earlier this year, and plans were made to speed up the regular 5-year dredging process. Meanwhile, a smaller temporary buoy was set to keep boaters away from shallower waters.

Plans are to move sand from the inlet to renourish St. Augustine Beach.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News contributed photograph by FIND Commissioner Carl Blow