RedactedNarrative: On 4/24/15, at approximately 1:00am, operator was operating a 38 foot catamaran in town creek, beaufort, nc.  Operator was navigating in the channel and heading southeasterly at approximately 2/5 knots towards a nearby anchorage when the bow of the vessel collided with two cement pilings.  These pilings had been placed by construction crews for the new gallants channel bridge which is currently being constructed.  Operator states the pilings were not lit or marked so as to be visible to vessels traveling during the night.  Operator was using a spotlight in addition to an electronic navigational chart to navigate the channel and i confirmed there were no reflective materials on the pilings which would have been visible to his spotlight.  These cement pilings were placed inside the channel as marked by the navigational aids and constituted a hazard to navigation.
  
  After colliding with the pilings, operator inspected the damage, backed off the pilings and proceeded to anchorage. Damage to his vessel included a large puncture to the forward hull bulkhead above the waterline and a broken metal crossbeam at the bow.  Operator contacted the uscg and an alert to mariners was issued.
  
  This collision was caused by unlit fixed objects which were not readily apparent to boaters during the night being placed inside the marked channel.
   