Manufacture and Delivery of Steel Foam Filled River Buoys

This requirement is for the manufacture and delivery of steel foamfilled river buoys for United States Coast Guard (USCG) Waterway Operations Product Line (WOPL) used by Aids to Navigation (ATON) units across the United States. Title 14 of the United States Code authorizes the USCG to maintain ATON buoys to guide mariners in the navigable waters of the United States. The type of buoy that is specifically used in the rivers of the Midwest is known as a "river buoy." River buoys are continually lost or destroyed on station through collisions with passing vessels, extreme weather conditions, or simply through wear and tear in the harsh marine environment. These buoys must therefore be replaced in large numbers. On average, about three-quarters of all river buoys deployed on station are replaced annually. There is a need to establish a contract for the manufacture and delivery of river buoys to meet the USCG's operational requirements for these aids.