Gulf of Mexico – Uncharted Hazards after Katrina

by Veto F. Roley, Mississippi Press on 13 Oct 2006 While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency in charge of maintaining shipping charts along the United States coast, is currently surveying the Gulf floor to map debris and water depth, NOAA officials urge boaters to be careful and slow down as they enjoy boating along the Coast.

Tim Osborn, NOAA navigation manager for the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Region, said the problem for area boaters was more than Katrina damage. He said that many NOAA's depth charts relied on data that was decades old. The Bay of Biloxi, for instance, was last surveyed in the mid-1800s.

And, it isn't just what is above the water that causes problems. Underwater debris, such as house roofs, piers, pipes and sunken vessels, can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damages to a boat's hull and propulsion system.

'There is a lot of debris in the water,' said Osborn. And, a small piece of debris, such as a pipe sticking up from the Gulf floor 'like a spear' can sink a boat, he said.

'Small hazards in the right location can severely damage a boat,' Osborn said. 'Hazards are not necessarily related to size.'

Thomas Chance, president of C&C Technologies, the company carrying out the NOAA survey in the Gulf, said a number of vessels have been damaged or sunk by things the pilot 'didn't see or were not sticking out.'

Another survey company had one of its boats sunk while doing debris survey work, said Chance. The sonar used in the survey work looks toward the side and not to the front. As a result, the ship hit some underwater debris and went down.

Osborn said the Coast Guard recently called NOAA to do surveying around where an oil tanker heading to New Orleans was punctured. He said the oil tanker ran over the remains of an oil platform that was near the shipping channel.

Chance also said he recently witnessed a small boat speed past his survey vessel only to lurch to a stop when it grounded on an uncharted sand bar in the Gulf. 'They were running along and they just stopped,' he said.

'(From the boat) the sea level all looks the same on the left and the right,' said Chance. 'You never know when you will run into some garbage underneath the water.'

Most boating accidents are caused from three mistakes, said Osborn. First, he said, boaters go out without adequate charts and do not know where they are. Secondly, he said, boaters often do not know what is in the water underneath them. And, thirdly, boaters are not aware of weather conditions and other variables at sea.

'This is an area that was heavily damaged by the hurricane,' said Osborn, who said even boaters who knew the area needed to careful and cautious in their boating. Even in open water, where the depth below the boat is 50 feet or more, Osborn said boaters need to be careful and watch for floating debris, wooden pieces of houses or piers that have surfaced, old tires, or other floating objects.

'The faster you go, the more vigilant you need to be for debris,' he said.

Reporter Veto F. Roley can be reached at vroley@themississippipress or (228) 934-1416.

Rob Kothe

Managing Editor

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