XN000022-1977-07-03 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 1977

LOCAL MARINE OFFICER DESIGNS UNS INKABLE' BUOY

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A MARINE OFFICER WORKING IN THE HARBOUR MOORINGS UNIT OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HAS COME UP WITH A NOVEL IDEA OF MAKING LIGHT BUOYS MORE BUOYANT AND EASILY REPAIRABLE IN CASE OF DAMAGE.

FIVE SUCH LIGHT BUOYS, BUILT LOCALLY ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS AT A COST OF $200,000 EACH, WERE COMMISSIONED EARLIER LAST MONTH.

THEY WERE USED TO MARK THE TRAFFIC SEPARATION LANES IN TATHONG CHANNEL AND EAST LAMMA CHANNEL TO BETTER REGULATE SHIPPING IN THE SEAWARD APPROACHES TO THE HARBOUR.

WITH A DIAMETER OF 10 FEET AND AT A HEIGHT OF 36 FEET, THESE BUOYS ARE THE LARGEST EVER USED IN HONG KONG AND ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST USED BY PORT AUTHORITIES ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD.

MR. TIM FRAWLEY, THE DESIGNER OF THE 'UNS INKABLE' BUOY,

HAD CARRIED OUT NUMEROUS EXPERIMENTS BEFORE COMING UP WITH THE IDEA.

+THE CRUCIAL POINT IS TO FILL THE BUOY WITH FOAM RUBBER BLOCKS INSTEAD OF INJECTING IT WITH LIQUEFIED FOAM RUBBER TO FORM A SINGLE BLOCK, HE EXPLAINED,

+THE ADVANTAGE OF USING SEPARATE SMALL BLOCKS IS THAT WHEN THE BUOY IS DAMAGED BY COLLISION WITH AN OCEAN GOING VESSEL, THE BLOCKS CAN STILL KEEP THE BUOY BALANCED AND AFLOAT. MAINTENANCE STAFF ONLY HAVE TO REMOVE THE BLOCKS IN THE DAMAGED PART TO CARRY OUT REPAIRS.

+ON THE OTHER HAND A CONVENTIONAL BUOY WHEN DAMAGED WOULD REQUIRE THE WHOLE SINGLE BLOCK OF SOLIDIFIED FOAM RUBBER TO BE EXTRACTED AND REPLACED, MR. FRAWLEY SAID.

THE CAPACITY OF THE NEW BUOYS IS SO LARGE THAT IT TAKES TWO LORRY-LOADS OF FOAM RUBBER TO COMPLETELY FILL UP ONE OF THEM.

+OUR METHOD IS MOST ECONOMICAL AND MANPOWER-SAVING. THIS CONCEPT OF FILLING UP BUOYS MOST POSSIBLY HAS NOT BEEN INTRODUCED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD+, HE POINTED OUT.

IN AN ATTEMPT TO FURTHER PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF WATER LEAKING INTO THE BUOYS THROUGH A MANHOLE FOR USE BY MAINTENANCE STAFF, THE BUOYS HAVE ANOTHER UNIQUE DESIGN WHICH INCORPORATES A DOUBLÉ MANHOLE THAT IS COMPLETELY WATER-TIGHT WHEN CLOSED.

TO MINIMISE DAMAGE IN THE EVENT OF COLLISION WITH VESSELS, EACH BUOY IS BESIDES FITTED WITH WOODEN FENDERS. THERE ARE ALSO GUARD RAILS ON THE WORKING PLATFORM TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS TO STAFF CARRYING OUT MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR WORK.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE LIGHT BUOYS AS MUCH AFLOAT AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SALVAGE THEM SHOULD THEY SINK IN THE OPEN SEA, MR. FRAWLEY CONTINUED, BUT WHEN THEY WERE PLACED IN POSITION BOTH MARINE DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WERE INVOLVED IN ENSURING THEIR POSITIONS WERE KNOWN TO AN ACCURACY OF LESS THAN A FOOT.

/MANY