Published:
August 7th, 2008
Oh buoy! It's the end of an era for Burnham-On-Sea landmark
These
were the scenes on Burnham-On-Sea beach on Thursday (August 7th)
when a huge buoy that has been in place for many years in the
waters off the town was 'retired'.
'Number
two buoy' has been a familiar sight (pictured right) for boat
owners at the northern end of Stert Island, warning them of the
dangers that lurk under the water.
But
the huge 3.5 tonne metal structure, pictured here, has been formally
'retired' and on Thursday was taken away and replaced by a new
high-tech buoy instead.
"I
suppose it was the end of the era," Dave Saunders told Burnham-On-Sea.com,
who runs a Burnham-based charter boat service and was tasked by
Bridgwater Bay's Harbour Master with removing the buoy.
"It
has been in place for a long time and was a familiar sight on
the skyline looking out to sea," he said.
The
operation to move the huge buoy onshore began late on Wednesday.
Mr Saunders, on his boat Kelly's Hero, cut it free from its anchor
at 5.45am on Thursday at low water. It was then towed to Burnham
beach and lifted by a cherry picker onto a truck to be taken away.
Burnham-On-Sea.com
reported earlier this year
how a number of changes have been made to buoys in and around
Bridgwater Bay, with several new ones being introduced and others
being removed.
Harbour
Master Chris Spencer told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "We're modernising
the buoys and markers all along the estuary and number two buoy
has been removed to be replaced by a new one."
A
similar buoy called 'number one buoy' was removed earlier
in the year when it was washed up on Burnham beach during
winter storms.
Once
on the beach, the huge 3.5 tonne buoy was attached to metal chains
and lifted onto a trailer to be towed away
The
rusty base of the structure was home to several colourful anenome
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'Number
two buoy' has been a familiar sight (pictured right) for boat
owners at the northern end of Stert Island, warning them of the
dangers that lurk under the water.
The
operation to move the huge buoy onshore began late on Wednesday.
Mr Saunders, on his boat Kelly's Hero, cut it free from its anchor
at 5.45am on Thursday at low water. It was then towed to Burnham
beach and lifted by a cherry picker onto a truck to be taken away.
