Buoys for various lakes/waters

The State of Maine Division of Purchases is requesting bids on navigation and warning buoys for various lakes and waters, with proposals due November 1, 2007. The procurement is subject to a tie-breaker preference for in-state bidders or vendors offering Maine-manufactured products.

The scope comprises 278 buoys in two sizes: 96 units of 5-inch diameter buoys (76 inches overall height) and 182 units of 9-inch diameter buoys (61 inches overall height). Both types must be ABS construction with 0.100-inch wall thickness, self-righting without tackle, seamless, shatterproof, and completely filled with rigid closed-cell urethane foam per MIL-P-21929 Class I. All buoys require internal concrete ballast and must be unsinkable. Metal hardware must be steel galvanized per ASTM A-153-73. The 5-inch buoys are designated for shallow areas, hazards, channel markers, and milfoil zones and must display 42-inch exposure without tackle and 36-inch exposure with 5-pound tackle; the 9-inch buoys cover rock, shallow areas, hazards, safety zones, swim areas, and channel markers and must provide over 36 inches of exposure with 5-pound tackle. All buoys must be marked with standard inland waterway symbols and carry permanent lower-portion markings reading "PROP. STATE OF MAINE" with manufacture dates stamped. Reflective tape must be integral to the shell, scratch and fade resistant, with color integral to the shell. The 9-inch regulatory buoys have specified net weight of 49 pounds and submerged buoyancy of 84 pounds.

The estimated contract cost is $20,600. Bids must be electronically submitted with separate unit prices for each item. The state reserves the right to award on an individual-item basis or as a group and will increase or decrease quantities by up to 10 percent. Delivery charges must be prepaid and included in the bid price. All bids are tax-exempt and must be delivered ready for use.