The Ma-lo-ha Development, a venture of Vernon and Francis Wilson, have purchased and donated 2 of the “Jim Buoy” lights to be installed by the Chamber. These are the blinking red and green lights used for better direction of boat traffic at the river. The lights run for about 1.5 yrs on a single battery, at which time the battery can be replaced. They are becoming more affordable now, priced at $150US rather than the $700US back when Tom had donated one, which sadly lasted about 20 days before being stolen. Tom Vidrine will figure out a way to secure the lights against theft before placing them out in the harbor. The Chamber would gladly accept further donations for more of these lights to increase the safety in the waters around the Caye.

I hope they are better than the boat hazards( considered navigational lights) they put up from south to the north-most lights are broken and now there are very dangerous pvc pipes sticking just out or just below the water line which are not good for boats

One would think that the chamber would pick up the garbage they left in the sea...dozens of broken or leaning over plastic pvc pipes. every leaning pipe means someone hit one in a boat and hopefully noone got hurt. Of course the boat gets scarred...

experiment gone wrong...but with good intentions

navigational lights an experiment gone wrong?????obviuosly not written by experienced waterman, navigational lights are important aids to mariners everywhere. Everyone knows that. These colisions are the fault of the idiots driving their boats blind and stupid not the navigational lights. Imagine if they were made of steal like they are everywhere else in the world. I say good work chamber of comerce. Putting in navigational aids is EXACTLY the type of progress we need on the island.

90% of the pvc pipes didnt have lights...and they were put right in the traffic lane where all the boats run up and down the coast AT NIGHT

professorw -you obviously do not know what you are talking about-the chamber has introduced at a guess 30 water hazards and you applaud them-brilliant

I applaud the intentions of the Chamber but certainly not the practice. I'd like to know how so many have come to be broken - were they simply not strong enough for the purpose or have they been maltreated in some way?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The Chamber financially supported the efforts of the Tour Guide Association to put up the buoys in front of town. These markers were supposed to be the inside limit of boat traffic lane(which means a no-wake zone) to protect foolish tourists (and local children) that are swimming around the docks from reckless boat captains.

Unfortuantely the desgin chosen and built by the Tour Guide Association was flawed. PVC filled with concrete, rebar, and set in a tire filled with concrete. These became a boater's nightmare, especially after boats broke off the tops and the remaining structure was just under water level.

The Chamber has strongly stressed to the Tour Guide Association to remove these immediately.

Down the coast some hollow PVC pipes were just hammered into the shallow area (roughly 200 feet from the shore line. All pipes were wrapped with high grade reflective tape. This was also supposed to be the inside limit of the boat lane, and identify a no-wake zone once entered.

Other buoys along the coast (where it was too deep to set) were PVC filled with styrofoam, and anchored with rope to a flat concrete base laying on the bottom of the sea.

Neither of these markers are capable of damage to a boat, especially if they slow down like they are supposed to.

Many of the buoy lights we have put out were stolen within days, and they are too expensive to replace.

We are happy to take suggestions of alternatives that make sense from anyone that has a better idea (excluding Pedro1, who doesn't know a navigational aid from a suppository).

I think the problem is the lighting (or lack thereof); the high-grade reflective tape can only be seen when you come from the shore at night, where there is light, but not from any other angle, which causes daily collisions (at night of course).

Some of these pipes are bent over and now rest under an angle, with the end just on or under the water surface, and even though they are not filled with concrete, they will probably pierce a polyester boat hull, providing the boat comes from the right direction.

The 2 or 3 markers put at Buena Vista point were in the middle of the lane used by boat traffic. I think they're gone now, due to the many collisions, although I haven't looked under the water surface.

It's difficult to suggest an alternative, because as you already said, lights will be stolen in no time, as will the safer, but more expensive floating buoys. On the other hand there is no need for as much markers as were placed. It goes without saying that no buoys are better than some of the hazards, that are there now... ask any boat captain that uses that route at night.