BY Gordon P Kelly III and editor
The Poolbeg Yacht club sent us the following story, how a buoy which made a journey from North Carolina to the other side of the Atlantic is now a snug at their yacht house.
The object in question was originally about 5 meter tall and weighed 4 and a half tons.
In 2015 this buoy was reported missing by the US Coast Guard. It had broken its mooring near the navigation channel that Brings vessels in safely passed the Frying Pan Slough. It floated out to Sea and got picked up by the Gulf Stream.
It took 9 months, but it eventually ended up on a beach at Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork Ireland. Here it was recovered by the Commissioner of Irish Lights, which is the state body responsible for the Maintenance of all navigation marks and lighthouses around Ireland’s coast.
Obviously this buoy posed a danger to navigation. So the buoy was loaded onto a cargo vessel and made its way by steam now for their headquarters in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin.
Geordie and Penny Kelly with the buoy still green and in full size
There it was the Green number 1 Port lateral channel marker was kept until earlier this year.
Now it has found a new home at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club in Ringsend Dublin. It will serve as a piece of public art and a centre piece for the club’s new Boat Yard Terrace. This in itself was put together by volunteers of the club during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
The colour green however was switched to red because the marking system used in our waters is called ILAB System A where Port marks are painted red like Poolbeg Lighthouse is Additionally the club cut it down to a more manageable size, cut a doorway in it so it could be used as a snug and painted it red to match the correct navigation colour here.
Brian Murphy from The Irish Lights checking out his gift to PYBC
Roger Smith the club’s Hon. Secretary who owns a civil and mechanical Engineering firm in Dublin called CME Industrial Ltd. Took it upon himself to Transport, erect and modify the buoy so it would stand on it own. James Daly the club’s Commodore for 2020 unveiled it at the club’s socially distant sailing Regatta the over the August bank holiday weekend.
The club is very proud of the new addition and it adds of course to the maritime nature of the waterside campus on the South Bank of Ringsend near Pigeon House Rd.
Over 900 members from three 3 clubs, Stella Marris Rowing Club, PYBC and The Ringsend Registered Fisherman and Local Boat Owners Association share its campus.
The clubs welcome anyone to come down and take a look and explore the River’s maritime activities. All are open for membership and look forward to sharing their beautiful location with all Dubliners from Raytown and beyond.
