As the demands for safety increase, so does the demand for temporary marker buoys.

In many cases these temporary buoys mark critical or expensive infrastructure or a dangerous obstacle in a navigation channel. Contractors and those responsible for temporary markings usually will look for the lowest possible cost solution, which in many cases sacrifices performance and reliability. Many of these low-cost solutions do not meet IALA or national authority requirements, as well as they have:

• Insufficient visible area and focal plane
• Poor stability or lack of reserve buoyancy
• Cheap components and poor design lead to low reliability

With the aim of addressing this issue, Almarin has developed a new buoy, the B1250A, the most compact navaid in its Balizamar range. It is a navigation buoy that maintains Almarin’s philosophy of using a single piece huss with a central load bearing structure in galvanized steel, common in the Balizamar ranger. For the first time in the Balizamar range, the day mark is also rotomolded and there are two versions, conical and cylindrical, eliminating the need for a topmark.

The goal is to offer a robust and quality piece of equipment with generous buoyancy of 700 liters at a competitive price. In Portugal, the Port Authority of Aveiro has acquired 30 units for the definitive marking of some of its navigation channels which have been successfully deployed by Almarin’s local partner Lindley.