1871-1900 Yaquina Head Lighthouse Letter books

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Pages That Mention Point Hudson

Coast Guard District narrative histories 1945

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the patrol boats for more appropriate duties. The buoy was a first class tall type nun, painted white and lettered "A".

The first four obstruction buoys to be established in the District were placed at the Entrance to Port Townsend, Washington, to mark the Navy Submarine net a year before the war. Shortly afterwards, the Navy also established a magnetic survey range at Port Townsend and requested the Coast Guard to provide and plant four ice spar buoys there; funds for the transaction were provided by the Navy. This particular type of buoy, the ice spar, was selected because of its availability in the District, its length and its ability to remain vertical during any stage of the tide. These buoys were authorized by Headquarters but were never installed here as the magnetic survey range was moved to Point Jefferson and they were placed on station in that area shortly after the outbreak of the war. All these buoys had a buoyancy chamber at the low water flotation mark to keep them upright in deep water and they were moored with a chain pendant. This type also marked the range positions with the least swinging radius as the water was too deep for a fixed structure. Additional flotation chambers were provided for the lighted buoys to keep the buoy floating perpendicularly. The fog signal, however, was necessarily installed on a fixed structure.

Two Port Townsend Obstruction Lights ("A" and "D") were established in 1941, together with two unlighted Obstruction Buoys ("B" and "C"). Headquarters, in August of that year, approved the installation of Marrowstone Obstruction Light 1 and Point Hudson Dolphin Obstruction Light 2 at the entrance of Port Townsend Bay in Washington. Two other lights were authorized by Headquarters but were not installed as the need for them had decreased. In addition to these special aids to navigation, the Port Townsend area provided an obstruction lighted bell buoy, obstruction light and a lighted bell buoy. The Point Jefferson Degaussing Range included lighted spar buoys (12 were originally established but 2 were discontinued) a mooring buoy, placed on station there for small guard vessels.

These special RADAR calibration buoys were war measures and, though activities in this field were continued after the war, they were gradually reduced. The Degaussing Range, however, continued in operation at full strength, the Navy having informed the District Coast Guard Officer that the range would be necessary for at least a year after cessation of hostilities. These special aids, then, remained to the Coast Guard to service and maintain; one more activity added to its peace time function.

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