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Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route  February 2005 

Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route  February 2005 . LCDR Brian Hofferber. The BRAIR: Location. Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route. Houston Ship Channel. Texas City Channel. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The BRAIR: A Closer Look. Bolivar Roads

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Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route  February 2005 

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  1. Bolivar RoadsAlternate Inbound RouteFebruary 2005 LCDR Brian Hofferber

  2. The BRAIR: Location Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route Houston Ship Channel Texas City Channel Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

  3. The BRAIR: A Closer Look Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 1 nautical mile Houston Ship Channel Shoal Area

  4. The BRAIR: A Closer Look Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 1,700 feet Houston Ship Channel Shoal Area

  5. The BRAIR: A Closer Look Main Channel 530 feet wide Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route Barge Lanes 235 feet wide Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 730 feet Houston Ship Channel Shoal Area

  6. The BRAIR: A Closer Look Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Houston Ship Channel One-Way Traffic Shoal Area

  7. The BRAIR: Purpose Eliminate the difficult 105° turn for westbound tows turning north into the Houston Ship Channel from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway south of the shoal area. Bolivar Roads Alternate Inbound Route Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Houston Ship Channel Shoal Area

  8. 28 4 N 2 3 20 S The BRAIR: Current Marking

  9. The BRAIR: Current Problems • Not being utilized by many tow pilots • June 2002 – April 2003: 6 towboats involved in recorded groundings and allisions south of the shoal • Late Summer 2004: Near-miss between an outbound deep draft vessel and a tow vessel turning northbound into the Houston Ship Channel from south of the shoal area

  10. The BRAIR: Current Problems • Buoys are difficult to see: • ~ 2.5 ft to 3.5 ft wide • ~ 3.5 ft above the water • Difficult to pick out amongst the other aids • Not lit for nighttime use • Frequently off station or missing: • Dragged off by tows (difficult to see?) • Relatively light moorings

  11. The BRAIR: Solution Goals Provide the best signals possible (with available funds): • Maximize size, visibility, and radar return • Establish fixed structures where possible • Light every aid for nighttime utilization

  12. S 20 20 The BRAIR: Aid Comparison Current Buoys New Buoys ~ 16 ft ~ 5.5 ft ~ 3.5 ft Waterline New Structures Near-Scale Models

  13. 28 4 N 2 3 20 S The BRAIR: Proposed Marking

  14. 28 4 N 2 20 3 S The BRAIR: Proposed Marking Q R

  15. 28 4 N 2 20 3 S The BRAIR: Proposed Marking Q R Fl (2+1) R 6s

  16. 28 4 2 N 20 3 S The BRAIR: Proposed Marking Fl R 2.5s Q R Fl (2+1) R 6s

  17. 28 4 2 N 20 3 S The BRAIR: Proposed Marking Fl R 2.5s Q R Fl G 6s Fl (2+1) R 6s

  18. 28 2 4 N 20 3 S The BRAIR: Proposed Marking Fl R 4s Fl R 2.5s Q R Fl G 6s Fl (2+1) R 6s

  19. 28 N 2 4 20 3 S The BRAIR: Proposed Marking Fl R 2.5s Fl R 4s Fl R 2.5s Q R Fl (2+1) R 6s Fl G 6s Fl (2+1) R 6s

  20. The BRAIR: Additional Details Lateral lights will be less intense than those along the Houston Ship Channel to help prevent confusion

  21. The BRAIR: Additional Details But wait! There’s more…

  22. 28 N 4 2 20 3 S The BRAIR: Leading Light Fl R 2.5s Fl R 4s Fl R 2.5s Iso W 2s Q R Fl (2+1) R 6s Fl G 6s 300° T Fl (2+1) R 6s

  23. The BRAIR: Leading Light • Condensing panel focuses light from 60° arc into a 3° pencil beam • Pencil beam is over 10 times brighter than the normal light without the condensing panel • On axis: 10 NM range • Off axis to 30° either side: 5 NM range • All around: 6 NM range • Comparison: • Other BRAIR aids: 3 NM range • Houston Ship Channel aids: 4-5 NM range

  24. End of Presentation

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