RedactedNarrative: Single occupant pontoon vessel was returning to Manatee Pocket from the Intracostal Waterway heading SW when it collided with channel marker #5. This caused damage to the front port pontoon. The vessel was able to return to the dock at SandSprit Park and brought the channel marker which had broken off under the waterline. There were no injuries to the operator. 
  
  Operator stated that he was returning to the boat ramp at Sandsprit park after fishing near the mouth of the St. Lucie Inlet. He was the operator of the vessel and the only occupant onboard. It was approximately 6:00PM and it was starting to get dark. He was heading SW and looking at his navigational chart and then looking up to find channel markers so that he stayed in the channel. 
  
  He then stated that the marker he hit (Channel marker #5) had no visual markings or number board on the side he was looking at. He saw the channel marker when he was approximately 25 feet away, put the boat in neutral but could not avoid striking the marker. He stated he was uninjured, so he then tied up the pole which had broken off under the waterline and towed it to the boat ramp so that it wasn’t a navigational hazard.
  