Disputed Beacon Blinks On Bay

RIGA, LATVIA — At dusk on Monday, mariners tracing the familiar shipping route past Kolkasrags observed the return of a luminous beacon at 57°41'N, 22°35'E, where the old point marker was decommissioned last October. Although the device now emits a distinct pattern of three short tones followed by one long tone every hour, no responsible agency has come forward to register its oversight.

"We routinely monitor buoyed aids along this line," stated Lācis Jēkabsons, route examiner for the Harbour Materials Inspection Bureau. "Our log shows nothing assigned to that coordinate, yet maintenance staff continue making entries as if scheduled. Supplies requisitions reference an unlisted Form 17-C," he added.

Crews aboard the coastal lighter Stella Pērle, inbound from Ventspils carrying timber for Sarkandaugava Sawmill, reported marking the unfamiliar signal at 18:12 local time. Captain Ilze Ziediņa described the sound as "steadying, if a bit out of place. Crew insist they recall the routine instructions, but my orders never mention it."

Despite inquiries, the Department of Navigation denied jurisdiction, while a spokesperson for the Lighthouse Authority stated: "We have not authorized any installations in the area this year. Standby maintenance is not in our mandate for unregistered markers."

Local chart suppliers such as BaltSea Instruments (Vecrīga, Lielā iela 24) expressed confusion over the matter. "We’ve not distributed updated sheets covering such a beacon," said Kārlis Osis, depot manager, "Though customers have new receipts referencing it by name."

Fishing vessels berthed off Andrejosta Pier noted the audible pattern on Sunday evening, with several skippers agreeing the sequence was unfamiliar but now regarded as routine. A daily report filed by the port’s night foreman listed the device under 'standard procedures' for patrol, without explicit directive.

Observers on the 18:28 Sarkandaugava electric tram noted an increased number of bureau staff heading towards the southern pier. Public timetables, however, list no scheduled inspections for the week.

During Tuesday’s shift change at the Harbour Materials Inspection Bureau (Room 5A), night officer Māris Verhovskis signed out the shore lantern keys, per usual, yet included the unlisted beacon in his log without notation. "Everyone says it’s always been this way, though it was absent last spring," he said.

Some mariners expressed quiet gratitude for the renewed signal at the outer edge of the shoals. "Every night I expect to hear those tones now," said Anete Freiberga, trawler deckhand. "The sea seems less empty for it."

Inspection crews scheduled for Thursday will convene at Gaisa Street Depot prior to the morning tram, with additional forms requisitioned for the Kolkasrags district. No formal agency claim has yet been advanced.

The matter will be reviewed at Friday’s municipal safety meeting. Notices will be posted at the Harbour Bureau and published in the next supplement.