Deploying the GLOS buoy

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Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) buoy, deployed 5 nautical miles outside Dunkirk, NY on Lake Erie. This slideshow is from 2015 and the first GLOS buoy was retired and replaced in 2021. We still use these methods for deploying the GLOS buoy.

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Step 1 of Deployment: Deploy the anchor. We deploy the anchor with help from a larger boat.

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Attaching the chain to the anchor.

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Our friends at the NYS DEC help us deploy our anchor. Here they are winding the anchor line onto a reel on the back of the R/V Argo.

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Mark Clapsadl pulling the anchor chain off the truck while it's being reeled onto the R/V Argo.

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Mark Clapsadl and Josh Fisher taking the chain and line off the truck.

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Mark, Josh, and the captain of the Argo work together to lower the heavy anchor out of the truck.

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Pulling the last of the chain onto the Argo.

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Pulling the last of the chain onto the Argo.

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Anchor chain and line all coiled up on the Argo.

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Once we arrive on station, we lower the anchor line with the winch.

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A temporary buoy is left to mark the line so we can attach our instrument cables and buoy later.

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Step 2 of Deployment: We trailer the buoy from Buffalo to Dunkirk over land, launch it, and tow it behind the boat out into the lake.

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Mark Clapsadl and Josh Fisher get the buoy ready to launch.

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Mark and Josh launch the buoy.

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Josh standing next to the buoy, which is tied up alongside the R/V John J. Freidhoff.

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The buoy tied up to the R/V John J. Freidhoff with several floats to keep it upright.

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We coil up the cables and temperature sensors for the buoy on the back deck of the boat while we tow the buoy to keep them safe.

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Usually we tow the buoy alongside the boat out into the lake.

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Sometimes we tow it behind the boat like this. We must go very slowly while towing. It takes about two hours to get to our site!

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Once we picked up the anchor line, Mark and Josh tied it to the boat and detached our temporary marker buoy so we could attach the buoy to the anchor.

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Mark connects the anchor line to the buoy cables.

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Kit Hastings and Mark Clapsadl attach the YSI sonde to the buoy cable.

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Mark and Josh put the final touches on the buoy before casting it off.

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Mark displays a roll of electrical tape, a very useful tool for working on boats since it's water resistant.

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Mark Clapsadl casting off the buoy anchor line

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Goodbye, GLOS buoy! See you in the fall!