Hi All,

In October of last year I was approached and asked whether I could make a set of navigation buoys that could be used for training purposes in the RYA Day-skipper training to take place during January. I had seen a set in card on the Marcle models site, so replied in the affirmative.

Whilst looking to see what else I could find on the www I came across a free download drawing of a “Tsunami Buoy”, and a Chinese free download of a “New Wreck Buoy”, both having been added to the official list of recognised sea/ocean buoys.

I ordered the card kit from Christopher at Marcle and began construction of some 56 small delicate buoys, several are duplicated, which lead to a set of buoys at most 50mm tall. These could readily be used direct onto charts to show in three dimension and colour the actual buoy indicated on the chart.

I also made the Tsunami Buoy, a surprise for the trainer, and then decided that having this as a template I could make the cardinal buoys at this size about 180mm, and include the light characteristics too. The cardinals ended up being a very useful training item, the light sequences being supplied by my crude drum microswitch system, giving the correct rate of flashes, could be attached to any of the four, and the top marks were also interchangeable. The students had to know their colours and attach correct top mark and flash sequence.

All these buoys are in card, so I got to thinking could I transfer the template to plasticard without too much hassle. The problem I envisaged was the curvature at the buoy base. I made the first from white card and simply held the ends together with clamps and glued a card piece across the join. It was obvious there was strain, but I got all the pieces eventually to marry up and glued together.

It was here I had an eureka moment (see eureka thread). Plasticard can be pre-curved exactly as paper card. The next buoy, in black card (because that's what I have in 0.5mm) went together so simply I reckoned I could make 10 bases in an afternoon. But apart from my original requester who would want them?

I'm now creating a full set for him in plastic, weighted so that they can float and with rings attached so they could be anchored. To complete them I'm rapidly teaching myself some electronics, to enable them to have the correct flashing light sequences. I've the light flasher unit from Action, thanks Dave, and can see how that was put together. It will be used on at least one buoy. For others I'm into 555 timers, even 556's due to the complication of short and long flashes in a standard time period. Great fun. Hopefully I'll bring them all along to Warwick later in the year.

Meanwhile, if you know how to make a bulb/LED flash two short (1s on 1s off) followed by one long flash (2s on) then off for the next 9s, then repeat the sequence would you be kind enough to let me know?

And then there's the S cardinal flash sequence – but I'll get there.

Kimosubby

No problem, I've kept all the lines up to date!

I'll follow up on these when I get the lights working. Who knows, maybe some clubs would want authentic looking scale buoys for steering etc. I thought about using some for one-off prizes during this years competitions. Our first is a blind steering, so the "New Wreck" buoy might come in handy (a lovely yellow and pale blue vertical striped buoy with occulating flash of yellow – blue)

Kimosubby

Edited By Kimosubby Shipyards on 17/03/2013 13:40:58

Hello Neil,

Yes there does seem a lot, but there are three main different versions, harbours and estuarine waters, inshore waters and then off-shore. The ones I'm doing are the bigger ones. In total there are currently 11 recognised buoys.

4 cardinal buoys, N, S, E, and W; lateral buoys port and starboard and preferred channel buoys again port and starboard; a safe water mark; a special mark and finally the newest, a new wreck mark.

Each has its own colour coding, day mark shape and night time flashing light sequence (which can actually be a choice of up to three types). Then to make all the more interesting, the lateral marks in Western waters are the opposite to those in American and Pacific waters, yet the same colours! Boats keep their lights the same, red on port, green on starboard, but the direction of navigation is reversed. In Western waters entering harbour, keep red to red, red buoys are kept to port. In USA waters you keep red to red leaving port!

Kimosubby

Kimosubby.

Hi Paul,

no they've been taken away from there, but I think some might have been put in the fishyard area by the House of Manannan, I'l look see.

As you'll know, there's always a few wrecked boys along Peel harbourside!

Kim.

Paul,

that wouldn't be Mr temple now? ex MGP/TT rider? The Douglas and the Clarendon were demolished two weeks back too, and Capt Bligh used to own the Douglas back when.

We're expecting a very mixed bag this week, all from the NE, snow, rain, frost etc. They are forecasting a bit of snow on the Cumbrian hills too, just when I'm travelling over Thursday boat to Heysham for a quick trip to Stow, Glous.

Kim

Hi Bob,

the cardinal buoys with top marks are 7 inches tall, in this set. For any that are to be used afloat I am increasing the lower bouy depth by another 1-2 inches to permit more ballast for less "bobbling about" and kore room for battery and small circuit board.

Using those small 12 and 6V batteries which are about 1/2AA size.

Kim