Coordinate Buoy - Boston

Product Details

These whole solid buoys may be hung from a hook or stood on a table or shelf, indoors or outdoors. They are 12 inches tall by four inches in diameter. They say "Boston Massachusetts" and show the longitude and latitude coordinates of Boston.

Buoy History

Although buoys have long been used by lobster fisherman in lobster fishing areas along the entire East Coast, the wooden buoys used by Maine coast lobstermen have a unique and storied past. The buoys of yesteryear were simple pieces of wood, usually cedar, but anything would do. Northern Maine cedar was primarily used because of its durability in the salt water and the fact that it was easy to obtain. As time passed, fishermen became more fanciful and began to shape their buoys to torpedo into the tide. These pieces of wood were most often carved and shaped to the whims of the individual lobsterman. Names and initials were later carved into the buoys when some started to look alike. Today, wooden lobster buoys are used sparingly due to the damage they cause to boat props and the use of modern materials, such as plastic. The wooden buoy is truly a rarity, but they are still carved by Mainely Buoys using an old jig built back in 1920. Just as in days gone by, our buoys are hand-painted.

My Buoy is Cracked

Most of our solid wooden buoys have checked or cracked. We assure you that this is not a problem, and the checking does not get any worse with the passing of time. The checking results from the drying process of wood and occurs as the heartwood (center of the tree) expands and contracts as the tree dries after it is cut and debarked. These buoys are made from the tree length round Northern White Cedar. The buoys are just slightly small than the diameter of the tree from which it was cut. Because they are made from the round tree stock, each piece contains the heartwood. Once the heartwood has completely dried and the checking process stops, no further cracking occurs. Each piece of buoy wood is left with at least one unique check as a result of this process.

Made in Maine

Our buoys are handcrafted by Maine crafts people using time honored tools and techniques. Each is created using locally-sourced, sustainably-harvested natural resources. The buoys are made from Eastern White Cedar, a naturally buoyant and rot-resistant wood that is the traditional choice for these items.