Trinity House have long considered the removal of some buoys, beacons and lighthouses because they are becoming increasingly redundant thanks to GPS. This is bad news for yachtsmen who like to get an eyeball fix to confirm their waypoints.

It might be better news for big ship crews for whom physical nav aids can become navigational hazards. Witness this buoy seen recently in Ostend, Belgium. Ironically it gives silent testimony to the accuracy of the navigator whose ship hit it!