Offshore Buoy 44008 Loose and On the Move-Portugal?

Here we go again. Another of the NOAA/NDBC weather buoys, 44008,  has broken loose from its location SE of Nantucket and is drifting towards Europe. It joins (2) other buoys, both the original 44066/TexasTower 4 and its replacement, each which broke loose 18 months ago and are drifting Eastward as well.Now we have (3) bright yellow buoys working their way towards Europe. The first two are non functional at this time but the 44008 is transmitting its data payload regularly.While not particularly useful where it is currently located about 600 miles from its original mooring, seeing its data is interesting in terms of ocean observations and conditions. It is cool to envision what seas it may be crossing and what ships, fish and other long lost ship debris they may pass.

You can see the small "x" on the left image which indicates the original position of 44008, and the "x" on the right of both images indicating today's, March 22, position. The image on the left is from the Maracoos site and shows the underwater typography and the other image is from Rutgers Cool Room showing the dark band of the Gulf Stream as well as patchy colorful areas of warmer 66 degree water.

Right now is is drifting along the 39th latitude parallel which is the northernmost edge of the Gulf Stream. Not surprising is the fact that both other buoys worked their way along this same edge since the currents are perpetually similar. Under the water where 44008 is now drifting near the line of seamounts that dot the area in the deep off the continental shelf. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_Seamount_chain) ( Bear, Kelvin and Manning mounts).
This area is a major underwater crossroads for the warm waters of the Gulf and the cold waters of the Antarctic which clash here and produce the vibrant south west moving eddies that hold our bait and pelagic game fish we all love to hunt throughout the season.

If the buoys that broke loose back in 2009-10 and the current 44008  continue their general direction, they all would be found eventually along some stretch of beach along Portugal's coast. Would be fascinating, no doubt, to be beach combing one day and find of of these large buoys resting on the sand nearby. Does this find count as salvage? Does finders keepers? We'll have to wait and see what Maritime law comes into play if and when they are found.

But the real downside to this new buoy break-off is the lack of important data that it sends to the National Weather Service and to mariners who ply the offshore waters. These buoys, along with several others that are moored between 20 and 100 miles offshore are the backbone of our weather forecasts and hourly sea conditions reports we find online.

The National Data Buoy Center is responsible for the servicing of these buoys. According to the NDBC maintenance schedule this buoy is intended to be recovered from its drift. But if past experience is any indication, a newly build one will be deployed sometime within a year from now. You may follow the current schedule here http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ops.shtml .

In the meanwhile, if any of you intend to visit Europe by oceanliner this year or plan to be in the Azores or Portugal, keep an eye out and let me know if you are the first to sight one of these important buoys.