By: Marine Patrol Sergeant Bobby Randazzo

Miami-Dade County, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Resources, D.E.R.M., and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, F.F.W.C.C., has instituted a mooring buoy program for South Florida. The mooring buoys will be placed in and around the counties natural and artificial reefs to be used by recreational boaters from just north of the Biscayne National Park to the Dade/Broward line. Here in the Sunny Isles Beach area, I pleased to announce, they have placed seven buoys off our coast, five on the first coral reef and two on the second one.

Our natural reefs are a very delicate and fragile part of our underwater community. The coral reefs are beautiful to look at and attack thousands of different species of marine life making them the perfect spot for snorkeling and diving. Recreational vessels make their way to these locations, drop an anchor and then dive or fish along the reefs. The natural wave action pulls on the vessel and its anchor and causes severe damage to the reefs. In a year’s time, thousands and thousands of vessels would have anchored at the same reefs over and over again. With the new mooring program, no anchors are needed. Vessels will have the ability to tie off to the mooring buoy without having to anchor. Here is how it works. Divers from the Department of Environmental Resources find good secure anchoring in the reef, where the least amount of damage could occur, and place an anchor. A heavy line is tied to the anchor and the other end of the line is tied to the bottom of the mooring buoy. Attached to the top of the mooring buoy is another length of line, approximately 10 feet long, with a large eye loop in both ends. This length of line is floating on top of the water.

Boaters should approach the mooring buoys at idle speed, head-on against the wind or current, watching for swimmers, divers and snorkelers. The mooring buoy pick-up line should be pointing towards you. Never tie   your vessel directly to the pick-up line. That puts too much stress on the buoy anchor system. The best method is to cleat off one end of a line to your bow with a bowline. Use a boat hook to lift up the mooring buoy pick-up line, and run the other end of your free line through the mooring buoy tag line and back to your bow cleat and secure with another bowline. The amount of scope from your vessel to the mooring buoy can be adjusted to allow for conditions of the seas. Rough conditions would require longer lengths of scope and calm conditions would require less. Never secure the mooring buoy or mooring buoy line directly to your vessel amidships or astern, as this could cause your vessel to be overcome by the prevailing wave conditions causing it to take on water and capsize.

The seven mooring buoys in and around the City of Sunny Isles Beach are located about a mile or mile and a half off shore from the south end of the city to the north end of the city. Problems with the buoys can be reported to the mooring buoy program manager at 305-372-6884 or at reefs@miamidade.gov. For additional information about the mooring program, sites and pictures please visit their website at www.miamidade.gov/derm/buoy.asp.