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UPDATE: South Cardinal Buoy @ Beef Island Bluff 'back on station'

The South Cardinal Buoy located at The Beef Island Bluff in Sir Francis Drake Channel is back on station following repairs. Image: Virgin Islands Shipping & Maritime Authority
A Cardinal Marker Buoy. The Virgin Islands Shipping & Maritime Authority is alerting mariners that the South Cardinal Buoy located at The Beef Island Bluff in Sir Francis Drake Channel is not on station. Photo: marinebuoy.com
A Cardinal Marker Buoy. The Virgin Islands Shipping & Maritime Authority is alerting mariners that the South Cardinal Buoy located at The Beef Island Bluff in Sir Francis Drake Channel is not on station. Photo: marinebuoy.com
The Virgin Islands Shipping & Maritime Authority said an update would be provided when the navigational aid is placed back in its position. Photo: Facebook
The Virgin Islands Shipping & Maritime Authority said an update would be provided when the navigational aid is placed back in its position. Photo: Facebook
BEEF ISLAND, VI- The South Cardinal Buoy located at The Beef Island Bluff in Sir Francis Drake Channel is back on station following repairs.

This is according to the Director of Shipping, Mr John M. Samuel, in a notice to mariners today, July 30, 2024.

“The Notice to Mariners No. 3 of 2024 issued on Sunday, July 28th 2024 is now cancelled. The marker has been repaired and returned to its charted location,” Mr Samuel said.

The notice was issued in accordance with section 163 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2001.

See previous article published July 28, 2024.

Mariners alerted to removal of Cardinal buoy @ Beef Island Bluff

The Virgin Islands Shipping & Maritime Authority is alerting mariners that the South Cardinal Buoy located at The Beef Island Bluff in Sir Francis Drake Channel is not on station.

The Beef Island Bluff South Cardinal Buoy VQ6 + LFl (Lat:18° 25.539’N Long: 064° 31.322’W) has suffered severe damage to its base pontoon, the Authority stated today, July 28, 2024.

It said the marker had been removed from its location for immediate repairs.

“Mariners transiting Sir Francis Drake Channel, passing south of The Beef Island Bluff, are required to maintain safe distance keeping well clear south of The Bluff; must maintain a sharp lookout, exercising extreme caution in the vicinity of the Bluff, particularly during periods of restricted visibility, and at nighttime,” the Virgin Islands Shipping & Maritime Authority stated.

The Authority further said an update would be provided when the navigational aid is placed back in its position.

15 Responses to “UPDATE: South Cardinal Buoy @ Beef Island Bluff 'back on station'”

  • Negligence (28/07/2024, 14:38) Like (16) Dislike (1) Reply
    THOSE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD OF BEEN CHECKED REGULARLY WITH A SPARE TO PUT IN PLACE WHENEVER THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH ONE AND IT HAS TO BE REPAIRED , THAT IS SIMPLE COMMON SENSE , THE SEA WATER IS VERY CORROSIVE
  • please (28/07/2024, 16:44) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    Put a temporary lighted buoy in this location while the cardinal buoy is ashore for repairs.
    • WISE (30/07/2024, 12:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      @please i was thinking the same thing and especially this festive season there needs to ba a marker. Lets hope they get it fixed by today. I think they would be wise enough to do something temporarily in the event its talking longer
  • John (28/07/2024, 20:41) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    Are they even capable of fixing them or it's a Jerry rig type of thing?
  • Captain (29/07/2024, 09:19) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    From time I see they put that type buoy there I done say that wouldn’t last need to do a better decision making ,while am on this topic why isn’t the government put more than one marker between the airport an comanoe island so much boats already run aground an destroy by that reef time for the government to protect people investment
    • John (29/07/2024, 18:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      That was all my idea I actually overpaid for it as well, there is a next company that make navigation aids and when I reach out to them for pricing it was a lot lower than ordering from Germany but is tax payers money
  • BuzzBvi (29/07/2024, 09:26) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
    Penn's new committee will have that replaced in a couple of years, after a consultant gets paid, a friend gets a new company set up to handle the contract, another friend gets the contract to order a replacement, barges are purchased to ship the replacement, another contract issued after the cardboard one ordered found to be useless but the money already paid, more barges needed as the first ones were too big and can only now be used to move dirt for the new airport land fill project. New contract issued for another friend with no experience, who sets up another company, that orders another one, from a friend that just started a marine refurbishment and spares company that gets supplies from a surplus company in China getting rid of failed equipment, that a feind used for road repair equipment and did very well out of it. The company that was responsible for maintaining the last one will also have their maintenance contract renewed and paid in advance, and so all the important work will be done, the money will be in the right hands and mariners will be told to be more careful so nothing is wasted on getting a replacement operational.
    • insider (29/07/2024, 18:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      You know something buzz!! You ain't see the 2 red ones that across from bobs gas station them there months our staff don't know one thing what them doing lol in here is pure jokes the deputy can't make decisions, we have a set a man on a boat an none is real boat man none can't fix light
  • @Buzzbvi (29/07/2024, 13:16) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hilarious! But you’re not far from the truth.????
    Just hope they don’t sit on this and we don’t end up losing lives from boaters not having the lights for guidance.
  • sense (29/07/2024, 18:43) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Give Port Authority back this responsibility Derek Barzey and team were the best in this and they were all well trained.
  • You said it (30/07/2024, 14:25) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    @sense you hit the nail on the head. Well experienced and still well able to execute. For sure they will fix it by all means get it going.
  • Skipper (30/07/2024, 17:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I feel safer at sea at night in that busy area of the channel now. Thank you
  • jack (30/07/2024, 17:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Good news
  • BuzzBvi (30/07/2024, 19:13) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    And congratulations are due!! Well done. Roads next, then, incinerator, Prospect Reef, Greenhouses, Internet, Sewerage, Old Peoples home on Spooners, West End Port, Register of Interests, emplouyees in important posts like at the DPP, Buses to go with the bus stops. If we can only move the Festival and Fairs and all the infrastructure under the Shipping Registry place will be fixed up in no time.


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