Riveted Bell Buoy

This old-style bell buoy, missing its original bell, is eight feet wide and thirteen feet tall and weighs approximately 5,000 pounds. Donated by the U.S. Coast Guard and transported on the cutter "Sundew" in August 1983, it was positioned with heavy equipment. It is similar to the more modern green buoy about 300 yards offshore from the Maritime Museum. A buoy and attached bell warn of dangerous conditions; the green buoy offshore marks a reef running parallel to the peninsula that vessels need to avoid. In foggy conditions, the bell can be heard alerting vessels to danger. On Lake Superior, buoys are removed each fall and reinstalled each spring by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Eagle Harbor, Michigan · United States