Has It Worked?
Largely, yes – but you need to pay attention. As one skipper found out this past Saturday while following his GPS instead of what he should have been seeing, he drove his 38’ SeaRay onto the shoal in the old channel, aiming for a buoy that existed only in his GPS. BTW, the USCG has been reporting these changes in the Local Notice to Mariners for some period of time – so please pay attention. “Real” mariners read it. Google it and sign up. Oh. It’s your favorite price – free.
And let’s not forget that this is Moriches Bay. The incoming tide will bring sand from the east and west “cuts”, north of Moriches Inlet, to the main part of the bay and drop it as the water pressure/speed drops as it leaves those narrow cuts and thus loses the compressive action. Think garden hose with – and without – a nozzle. And the outgoing tide will take some – but not all – of that sand back out. So, whether we get one season or five seasons out of this exercise, only time will tell and God knows…but you need to know where the buoys are – now. The USCG is to be commended for taking the initiative.
Lessons?
Plenty. First, the Law of the Sea still prevails. SeaTow (who put in a tremendous number of hours) and TowBoat-US will likely “hold station”, as they have in the past, by the new channels to warn boaters not to run aground, despite it being in their commercial interest to be towing rather than not towing. Second, keep your head up! Just because the GPS says “go right”, only do so if your eyes confirm what your electronics are telling you. I start with “what do your eyes tell you!” – then cross-check that to the electronics. If they don’t agree, STOP THE BOAT AND FIND OUT WHY! There is no shame in safety first!
PHOTO HERE
The existing federal channel is displayed in green below and the new channel in red