We first saw it reported on the Occoquan River Maritime Association’s Facebook page, that the green channel marker “9” on the Occoquan River was missing. This marker is located right outside the no-wake zone, and if you’ve ever been there you know this marker is rather important because it marks a turn in the channel towards the south. If you miss that turn, you could have a very bad day.
Where did the marker go? Mounted on a thick pole, Its not exactly inconspicuous…
Well, the mystery has been solved! Captain Spike of Pirati Yacht Tours reports that the marker is indeed still there, but just below the surface of the water, angled upriver, and can only been seen at low tide. It looks like something went right over the top of it! This means that if you aren’t careful, you could run right over the top of that marker and rip your boat’s hull up pretty good, so don’t do that!
The USCG has been notified and they have put up a temporary marker for now, but you might not want to get too close to it! Thanks to ORMA and Captain Spike for the good info and pics!
