Locations of Towers & Structures?

[KaptainKen]

Can anyone tell me the GPS coordinates of the un-manned towers and structures off the Southern East-coast of the U.S.?

I know there is one about 15 feet high with a very weak yellow light near St. Augustine, Florida and some near Georgetown, South Carolina but I don't have an exact position for any of them.

I'd like to enter their exact position in my log so I can make a point of avoiding them.

Thanks!

[Vasco]

I would not rely on second hand information for anything as important as this. Get an updated chart or look through the notices to mariners.

[Randy]

True, and then assume the chart won't agree exactly with your GPS. So I'd keep a close watch if you think they within 5 miles, don't you think?

[David M]

Agreed, your most current information is keeping an updated chart by using Notice to Mariners for those updates. The Coast Pilot would also be of help.

[svHyLyte]

See 2006 Light Lists - USCG Navigation Center and http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/Ligh...ns/default.htm Refer to "Structure".

[KaptainKen]

Thanks Vasco;

Do you have an answer or not? The notice to mariners, as you may be aware, only lists changes from the previous notice. Since these "structures", as the Coast Guard quaintly calls them, were installed at least 4 years ago "looking up" would require reading at least 48 notices.

I was hoping someone with first hand knowledge would reply.

Best Regards,
KaptainKen

[Vasco]

I would not rely on second hand information for anything as important as this. Get an updated chart or look through the notices to mariners.

[David M]

Originally Posted by KaptainKen

Thanks Vasco;

Do you have an answer or not? The notice to mariners, as you may be aware, only lists changes from the previous notice. Since these "structures", as the Coast Guard quaintly calls them, were installed at least 4 years ago "looking up" would require reading at least 48 notices.

I was hoping someone with first hand knowledge would reply.

Best Regards,
KaptainKen

Check the Coast Pilot. That is one of the purposes of the Coast Pilot, to provide the type of information that you are looking for. You can download it as a PDF file.

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/cpdownload.htm

[KaptainKen]

svHyLyte & David M:

Thanks for the links. I read very carefully but could find no mention of any "tower, structure or platform" in any of the publications.

I know it is (or was) there. I saw it. It was on the rhumb line between St. Augustine and Cape Fear, North Carolina about 50 miles offshore. I should have, but did not, note it's position. I even saw a helicopter cruise by it, probably checking it's light.

Any help? Any local knowledge?

[svHyLyte]

I suspect you are referring to one of the Spar Bouy's used for monitoring weather conditions at sea as there are several along the course you describe such as NDBC 41008 at about 31.402N 80.871W. (See National Data Buoy Center). These are listed in the Coast Pilots referred to by David and are likely on the most recent large scale charts as well. Oil Towers and NUI's are not listed in LNM's but are listed in the Coast Pilots. As they are usually fixed structures, they will appear on one's charts the only question being whether their lights are functional. I have seen many and only in a few cases were the light's on (abandoned) structures not working.

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte

[KaptainKen]

s/v HyLyte;

Thanks for the link. It appears that Station SPAG1 31.375N 80.567W (Tower) and Station SKMG1 31.534N 80.236W (Tower) would both fit the circumstances. At least the bases are similar to what I saw.

The last time we were passing through was right after a couple of hurricanes had also passed. Possibly the upper part of the superstructure had been swept away.

I'll be sure to log the locations in order to avoid them.

[svHyLyte]

For the sake of the exercise I have checked both our large scale paper charts for the area (circa 2006 w/ corrections) and our electronic navigation system (Garmin Blue Charts) and both indicate the presence of weather data bouys at the listed locations together with their light characteristics.

s/v HyLyte

[KaptainKen]

Once again, Thanks!

Just for the exercise ... here's a link to the the SPAG1 tower at 31.375 N 80.567 W (31°22'30" N 80°34'1" W) complete with a photo.

NDBC - Station SPAG1

Your resources may call it a buoy but it looks like a tower to me. The base (four legs with X-cross supporting framework) was what I saw in 2007. No superstructure at that time. Coulda' been wrecked in a hurricane.

In any case, we'll be sure to give all of them a couple miles berth this trip north.

Best Regards,
Ken