Posted on: Thursday, March 6, 2003

Weather Buoy One needs more repairs, technicians say

Advertiser Staff

Buoy One, the weather buoy that warns Hawai'i of incoming northwest ocean swells, will remain out of service for another three weeks after technicians found unexpected damage to its aluminum frame.

The buoy, officially known as the National Data Buoy Center's Buoy 51001, is expected to be re-anchored during the week of March 24, 190 miles northwest of Kaua'i, where the ocean is two miles deep.

The 19-foot, boat-shaped buoy broke free of its mooring Jan. 10. It drifted to a reef off Nihoa Island, where it snagged for a short time before drifting eastward. It was recovered Feb. 4 by the Coast Guard Cutter Kukui and was brought to the Coast Guard base at Sand Island for repair.

Meanwhile, a similar buoy 200 miles south of the Islands, Buoy 51003, has not sent data for about a month. A Coast Guard ship is expected to visit that buoy this week to determine whether it can be repaired on site or needs to be brought to port for service.

Weather service officials said they expect to be able to predict storm swells from the northwest and south using other techniques, but will miss the "ground truthing" that the buoys provide. The data buoys are able to measure wave height and intervals, as well as wind speed, water and air temperature, and other data.