Buoy Tender

A vessel that places, lifts, services, and repositions aids to navigation, principally floating buoys and their sinkers and chain. It carries a foredeck working area, a hydraulic crane or A-frame rated for the buoy and concrete sinker, a buoy deck, and often a hull strengthened for light icebreaking. The US Coast Guard operates the 225-foot Juniper-class (WLB) seagoing tenders and 175-foot Keeper-class (WLM) coastal tenders for this work. Marking of wrecks and fairways by such authorities is required under the SOLAS regime and IALA recommendations on buoyage.