Buoy Battles Powerboat, Shatters Hull
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.24.16
If you don’t watch where you’re going, no matter if you’re driving a car, truck or boat, a crash can be inevitable. To make matters worse, running into things can be quite painful, not just to you but ultimately to your wallet should a pesky issue like paying for damages arises.
A recent example of why it is important to pay attention to your course and move about at a safe speed is damage to the #3 buoy at the New London Harbor Channel entrance in the Thames River. This particular buoy was minding its own business when a 38-foot powerboat came along and collided with it, leaving a nasty dent in the buoy itself, shattering the vessel’s fiberglass hull, and dislodging the port outdrive. Thankfully, the operator was able to beach the boat and the recovery was completed by Sea Tow Eastern Connecticut.
Luckily the persons involved lived to tell the tale, but Official Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound has taken a moment to remind us via their Facebook page about safe speed. Basically you need use a reasonable rate of speed based on visibility, traffic density, navigational hazards, weather conditions, and the like. In closing, they add some advice from Grandpa Henry that sums up all of their bullet points in one neat little sentence: “Never go faster than you want to hit something!”
Grandpa Henry is a wise man.
