Moonraker free drifting oceanographic buoys are designed for long life in rough seas to suit the specialist requirements of oceanographers, environmental scientists, hydrographers and the like. Since their arrival on the market, they have been instrumental in many areas of research from the charting of ocean currents to the tracking of lobster spat in fishery investigations and surveying coastal regions.

Onboard electronics packaging provides data collection, transmission and position finding via the ARGOS satellite system with sea surface temperature, battery status indicator and drogue loss indicator as standard. The sea temperature sensor has a range of -5 to +45 degrees C with 0.15 degree accuracy and 0.05 degree resolution.

On deployment of the buoy, the electronics package is simply activated by the removal of a magnet. A small tester is available to check operation. Battery life is normally 6 months with the option of 12 or 24 months. It is not unusual for batteries to last well beyond their anticipated life span.

The hull is designed to withstand prolonged immersion in sea water. It is constructed from marine grade aluminium with zinc block cathodic protection and finished with a baked on expoxy based coating to provide protection from the marine environment and ultra violet radiation. This coating is also resistant to chemical attack and abrasion.

PVC sheathed galvanised wire rope for drogue attachment is bonded to the hull with a hard inner and a soft outer polyeurethane for maximum reliability. The first few metres of the wire rope is further sheathed in steel reinforced armour as a guard against shark bite. Drogue loss sensing is achieved without moving parts or springs. Buoyancy and drag design can be varied to suit requirements, with the addition of a welded aluminium conical collar around the upper section of the hull combined with a permanently attached subsurface float. A holey sock drogue is available as an option.

The standard units feature quick assembly\disassembly of the counterweight and superstructure from the main hull section. The main hull can be supplied with separate watertight equipment and battery compartments. The floatation section of the hull is normally filled with a closed cell foam to assist floatation should the unit suffer damage causing water ingress. IP rated connectors are available for the interfacing of external electrical\ electronic equipment including sub-surface sensors.

The superstructure supports the navigation lighting and is also designed to support an antenna, radar reflector and extra solar panels for an onboard power supply. The hull shape is such that it provides a stable platform for the antenna and solar panels with minimal acoustic noise when moved by wind or wave action.

The mooring system provides for easy deployment and recovery with the first section of mooring line designed to resist shark attack. In addition, the buoy hull has a rubber buffer around its perimeter and is supplied with a floating recovery line. Lifting lugs to 1000 kg are fitted to the hull which allows a single point lift.

• Various hull sizes to suit different payloads
• May be painted to most colours required (standard colour is yellow)
• Radar reflectors, IALA Compliance Top marks and antenna (s) may be fitted
• A battery compartment venting system is available
• Buoyancy compartment of hull filled with closed cell foam
• Watertight equipment compartment with sealed electrical connection to battery compartment
• Solar powered navigation light may be optionally fitted with adjustable flash sequence for different survey requirements
• Approximate overall weight of the standard buoy with superstructure and without counterweight attached is 68kg
• The system is designed for:
  deployment and recovery up to Sea State 2 operation up to Sea State 4 survivability up to Sea State 6
• Certification of Testing of lifting points and mooring tackle is available
• Operational and maintenance documentation is provided
• Packing crate is designed for re-use.

Marine Marker Buoy
Type BMN1

Buoy construction is lightweight yet extremely hardy, being fully marinised. The hull shape provides a stable platform for navigation aids such as top marks, flags and lights. Inbuilt buoy ballast is supplied to suit the top mark or light at time of order.

Twin solar panels are used to ensure continued operation during extended periods of low sunlight or when only one panel faces the sun. These have an expected life of 9-11 years. To maximise battery life, navigation lights may be operated using an on/off photo cell during daylight hours.

Buoys are available in a number of high visibility colours with a variety of top marks with custom designed mooring systems for easy deployment and recovery available as an option.