a boater complained to Marine and Ports and The Royal Gazette .

Tough questions were asked of the people who maintain the Island's channel markers following reports that two markers had not been repaired in a year.

Marine and Ports Director Ron Ross said yesterday the two markers -- one on the starboard side of the entrance leading into Wreck Hill Bay and a starboard marker immediately prior to the port turn, from the East, into Mangrove Bay -- would be temporarily replaced.

Mr. Ross promised he would look into the problem last week after The Royal Gazette learned a boater had sent two faxes last year and another last week asking for the markers to be checked.

The boater, who asked to not be named, said he had written to Marine and Ports after the channel markers went missing early in 1999 and he threatened to go to the Water Safety Council.

Yesterday Mr. Ross said: "The issue had not been forgotten. We rely on marine contractors to drive new stakes for the markers.

"Basically, for the last year, the contractors have been working flat out.

They have been too busy working in the last year,'' he added. "In the interim, next Tuesday, we will put some marker buoys down.'' Last week Mr. Ross admitted he believed the Buoys and Channels Department at Ireland Island had received the faxes from the boater but was at a loss as to why the markers had not been repaired.

"Generally, we do well in maintaining the markers,'' he said. "I don't know what happened here. I haven't spoken to them yet, but we do fix them.'' When asked if the boater's complaint was a sign of a systematic problem, Mr.

Ross said: "No, it's not a problem. We have a small but reliable staff.

"They are responsible for 200 navigational aids which include channel markers and the much larger channel buoys,'' he continued. "That number also includes two lighthouses and four offshore beacons. We're not going to dodge it, but this appears to have slipped through.'' Channel markers are posts driven into the reef bed with several feet above the normal high tide.

They have direction markers pointing out the safest way to navigate inshore waters.

According to the boater, the Wreck Hill Bay marker is reportedly lying on its side underwater, leaving a "tricky'' entrance into the bay as boaters "hold'' or keep to the starboard side when navigating the currents.

There is no sign, above or below water, of the Mangrove Bay marker.

Despite the complaint about the two markers, the boater has applauded the work of Marine and Ports.

He wrote: "The boating public do not in my opinion appreciate fully the work that goes into your operation as part of the overall water safety programme.''