Ambrus JANKÓ: FAST (or) TIDAL WATER BUOY
The
problem:
The incoming tide flows from
the sea into the rivers and causes the navigation buoys to lean with the
current towards the land. The ebbing tide is faster and makes the buoys lean
towards the sea. Some of the light of the buoy is lost in the water and some
shines up to the sky, the helmsman of the ship can only see the signal when he
is beside it, which is not any use for him. In certain cases even an
experienced local pilot may land the ship on the mud. Complaints have been
received by the shipping authority about this for more than a hundred years.
The
idea for a solution:
The buoy must stand upright
all the time irrespective of the depth of the water or the speed of the flow.
The solution
Where the water
presses the buoy body, a “Bow wave” forms; that lifts that side of the buoy up
and causes it to ride on the back of the wave. The bottom of the buoy must be shaped so, that the side where the water leaves the buoy
is lifted by the flowing water. The mooring chain must be hung a little forward
of the centre of buoyancy to allow the buoy to turn with the tide; the
unbalance of this must be trimmed out at the time of installation by the
ballast used inside the buoy’s hull.
The superstructure or “daymark” should follow the International Association of
Lighthouse Authorities’ agreed
standards and the fixtures to suit the
port authorities working practices.
Present
status
The Fast water buoy is used by Trinity House, the Canadian Coast Guard(East Coast)
The
design with the associated services is commercially available from
JANKÓ and ASSOCIATES telephone: +44 (0)1634022552
42 Love Lane e.mail:ambrusjanko@tiscali.co.uk
Rochester, ME1 1JD
United Kingdom