Tharon's whistling buoy

The whistling buoy that adorns the Etoile roundabout ... a recognizable monument you can spot in Tharon-Plage !

Imagine the crew of a boat sailing through thick fog, early in the morning, visibility almost nil and only a sound signal could alert the boat's captain to danger!
This green beacon, located in the commune of Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, is evidence of a warning system that has all but disappeared nowadays.

Marine buoys are floating devices used to guide boats on the water and provide them with essential navigational information.

This type of buoy, generally used to mark the entrance to a shoal or channel, emitted a whistling sound due to wave action ....and by what means exactly?

The buoy consists of a float with a vertical tube running through it and sunk into the water. Inside the tube, above the waterline, a diaphragm perforated with valves allowed air to enter the tube and end up in a whistle.
Depending on the movement of the waves, as they rose and fell, pressure was exerted inside and the air compressed by the internal column of water in the tube was expelled through the top.
As the air was expelled, it activated a whistle. The characteristic sound produced by the vibration of the whistle's membrane is diffused... hence its name, the whistling buoy!

The whistle produced by a whistle buoy was used as a navigational aid in fog or mist. In France, only one example of this type of buoy is still in use, as the whistle has been removed from these beacons, which no longer produce an audible signal. Other, more sophisticated types of beacon have replaced them as technology has evolved.

Did you know?