Aids to Navigation: Your nautical “ road signs” Chapter 7 Aids to Navigation: Your nautical “ road signs”

Lesson Objectives Aids to Navigation (ATONS) Cautions in using ATONS Meaning of chart symbols Availability of electronic ATONS Reference materials – changes in ATONS SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

ATONS Why are ATONS essential for boaters? Show safe waterways and passages Show dangers to navigation Aids to Navigation System Theory: To steer mariners toward safe waters and away from dangers SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

ATONS Short range Aids: (Examples?) Long Range Aids (Examples?) SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

ATONS What are other landmarks helpful to boaters? Towers, stacks, steeples, points of land, islands, buildings, cupolas, hills, etc. Anything on a chart that can be identified on land can be used to navigate your boat SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Buoyage System How are ATONS grouped in this system? Lateral marks show sides of channels and passages Cardinal marks show direction of dangers SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

U.S. ATON System What are the six types? Lateral marks Safe Water marks Isolated Danger marks (Cardinal) Range marks Regulatory marks Special marks SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) AKA “The Ditch” Runs from Norfolk VA to Miami FL Combination of rivers, canals, sounds, land-cuts, and harbor channels Enables navigation without going “outside” into the Atlantic Ocean SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Western Rivers Location: Mississippi River and associated waterways, plus Red River and tributaries Maintenance: USCG maintains aids, Corps of Engineers maintains waterways SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Uniform State Waterway Marking System Merged with US ATON system SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks/Buoys Characteristics Reprinted with permission from The Weekend Navigator by Bob Sweet SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks / Pillar Buoys SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks / Spherical Buoy SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks/Nun & Can Buoy SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks: Cautions! A floating aid rotates in a “watch circle” Watch for note: “PA” (position approximate) Lights and acoustics may fail Aids may be off station, damaged, missing, sunk, or obscured SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks/Day Beacons Daymarks or day beacons SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Triangular Daymark Square Daymark SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Diamond shaped day marks SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Light structures Major lights Minor lights SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Informational and Regulatory Marks Describe SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Special purpose Yellow, may have yellow/amber light Mark special areas or situations: Military exercise areas Anchorage areas Temporary construction/wreck sites Fish net and water intake areas SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

How Waterways are Marked “RED RIGHT RETURNING” Keep red marks to starboard when returning from sea SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Red, Right, Returning Return from sea Clockwise around U.S. Numbers: Evens to starboard Odds to port SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Lighted marks Red marks have red lights Green marks have green lights Safe water marks have white lights Special marks have yellow lights SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Numbers on Lateral Markers Are sequential, increasing as you enter from sea Red marks have even numbers Green marks have odd numbers Safe water marks may be lettered SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Regulatory Markers Signs Buoys and SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Safe Water Aids Characteristics and symbols SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Preferred Channel mark or bifurcation buoy Shows the deepest of two channels Shape and color indicate use SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks Range Two ATONs in line Rear higher than front Lined up with channel May be lighted SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Waterway Marks ICW Yellow triangles on “red” marks Yellow squares on “green” marks SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Light Characteristics Patterns Note that the Isophase graphic is wrong. Dark and light periods should be equal. SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Light Characteristics Preferred channel lights Red or green, depending on color of aid Light characteristic is composite group occulting “Oc (2+1)” on chart SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Chart Symbols Fixed structure lights Symbols for buoys Symbols for day marks SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Light Structures Lighted aid to navigation fixed to earth Light houses Mark major points of land, pierheads, harbor entrances Permanent structure May have sound signal SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Lights on Bridges Do not conform to buoyage system Drawbridge: red lights indicate a drawbridge is closed, green—open Fixed brdges: red lights indicate sides of channel, white light shows center of draw SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Electronic ATONS Characteristics Loran C is dead Loran C lines on charts should be ignored GPS—another class! SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt

Navigation Publications Local Notice to Mariners Published by US Coast Guard via email Points out local discrepancies, marine events, general marine information for area Chart No. 1 shows all chart symbols Light List—position and characteristics of lighted aids Coast Pilots—Text description of coastlines, harbors, marine facilities, etc. SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns040609.ppt