Any ideas what this might be?

[BillKny]

The fascination internet sailors have with "containers" has always baffled me. I have sailed an awful lot of miles, and been along the coast all my life. NEVER have I see a container in the water, or washed up on the beach.

Now there are a lot of things out there, and some of them are scary. And they don't have to be all that big.

Here is something I encountered about 400 miles off the coast of South Carolina, way out past the Gulf Stream. Flat calm day on a delivery, so we were motoring. This was lost in the sun glare, and the first I saw it was about 20 feet of the port beam. Kind of scary. There was about 50 feet of large chain hanging below. WOuld have really sucked to have run over it with the prop running!

On the bright side, we did have a ball catching fish from around it. Jacks and mahi near the surface, and wahoo 50 to 100 feet down.



But any ideas what it might be?

[Jim Cate]

I reckon that it is a fine example of an inflatable mooring block...

If you look closely, there is likely a boat hanging off the end of that chain!

Jim

[BillKny]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I reckon that it is a fine example of an inflatable mooring block...

If you look closely, there is likely a boat hanging off the end of that chain!

Jim

Jim,

As good a guess as any I have come up with. I have never seen such a beast actually used as a mooring. It’s about 6 feet across, and doesn’t seem a terribly good design as a mooring, but not everybody agrees with me about good design, so there is that!

[psk125]

Looks like it might be a bale of cocaine that "fell off the boat" while being transshipped. Maybe that was why it attracted so many fish.

[StuM]

Possisble a FAD - Fish Aggregating Device. If not intended for one, it certainly seems to be working as one

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_aggregating_device



Actually a dFAD (drifting FAD ) as opposed to an anchored FAD. The smaller white round thing would be a locator beacon.


Added: pictures of similar FADs here:
https://www.gainesville.com/news/202...rsquos-beaches

[DougR]

Fish farming pen float...?

[Calif.Ted]

I think Stu might be on to something, looks like the kelp paddies we fish for tuna and Mahi Mahi.

[BugzyCan]

It is a target for Space Command to practice shooting their lasers at from outer space.

[BillKny]

Originally Posted by StuM

Possisble a FAD - Fish Aggregating Device. If not intended for one, it certainly seems to be working as one

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_aggregating_device



Actually a dFAD (drifting FAD ) as opposed to an anchored FAD. The smaller white round thing would be a locator beacon.


Added: pictures of similar FADs here:
https://www.gainesville.com/news/202...rsquos-beaches

StuM,

You win the prize! Looking at those photos, we have a perfect match to a few of them. Certainly was functioning as a FAD (not a term new to us) when it crossed our bow, but we were not at all sure it had started life as one!

[Uncle Bob]

I like the suggestion of a discreet offshore delivery myself.

[JPA Cate]

Clearly it's an FAD. The OP even told us that! Perhaps it escaped from somewhere closer to land, and brought its population with it????

Ann

[StuM]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Clearly it's an FAD

I take it from the "an" that you pronounce it as "eff ay dee", not "fad" ?


The latter is the common usage around these parts The drifting ones (dFAD) are called "de-fads"

[Paul Kelly]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

I like the suggestion of a discreet offshore delivery myself.

I'm sure it must have an Amazon logo on it somewhere. Can anyone spot it?

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by BillKny

Jim,

As good a guess as any I have come up with. I have never seen such a beast actually used as a mooring. It’s about 6 feet across, and doesn’t seem a terribly good design as a mooring, but not everybody agrees with me about good design, so there is that!

We spent a night on a mooring in Gatun Lake in the Canal. The floating bit was almost big enough for a cozy square dance. No problem having four people standing on it at one time.

[tstano]

Solar cover for a hot tub, is that the chlorinator beside it.