Oyster Bags Mooring System

West Bay Summer 2006

We have attached three figures to show how the oyster bag mooring system works -- and why it can pose potential hazards to boaters and swimmers.

The first figure, below, shows the basic components of the system: the bags themselves, the floats, the anchor chain and the helical anchor, as installed in West Bay during the summer of 2006.

In several instances, shown in photos on other pages on this site, the helical anchor has protruded well above the water, posing a potential hazard to anyone who encounters them.

The second figure shown a permitted array of oyster bags:

The last figure shows the existing permitted system (on the sea bottom) at the top of the figure, followed by a typical floating bag system as installed in West Bay during the summer of 2006.