1. Boating Skills & Seamanship
Lesson 7
Inland Boating
Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc

2. Lesson Objectives Nature and Navigation of Inland Waters
Aids To Navigation (ATON)
River Characteristics
Waterway Maintenance
Hazards & Challenges
Locks & Locking Through
Using River Charts

3. Types of Inland Waters Navigable Waterways Non-Navigable Waterways
“Roads” providing transportation between 2 or more states or into the sea such as -
Navigable rivers
Great Lakes
Intracoastal Waterway
Non-Navigable Waterways
Lakes and other waters entirely within one state

4. Inland Navigation Rules
In Force on Navigable Waterways
Federal equipment requirements apply
Followed on All Waterways
Collision avoidance
Lookouts
Lighting
Meeting, crossing & overtaking

5. Inland ATONs US Aids to Navigation System – Two Regional Variations
Western Rivers
Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)
Covered in Chapter 5
Uniform State Waterways Marking System (USWMS) Now Merged Into USATON System

6. Western Rivers ATONS River Bank Names Looking Downstream
Right bank or right descending bank
Green passing (square) & crossing (diamond) daymarks
Left bank or left descending bank
Red passing (triangle) & crossing (diamond) daymarks

7. Western Rivers ATONS Passing Daymarks Look like daymarks in Chapter 5
Mark the side of the river the channel is on
You continue past the daymark
Back of the daymark may signal upcoming crossing daymark

8. Western Rivers ATONS Crossing Daymarks Diamond shaped
Green or Red (old colors)
Green & white or red & white checkerboard (new colors)
Signal that channel changes banks
Head for the diamond on the opposite bank

9. Western Rivers ATONS River Buoys Continuously added, removed, or moved
Do not have letters or numbers
Not usually shown on river charts

10. Western Rivers ATONS Mile Markers
Placards on daymarks or other location
Distance to mouth of river in statute miles
Except Ohio River - distance to headwaters
Help locate position on river chart

11. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
The following slides detail changes to the USWMS as it merged with the US ATON system.
Following those slides are ones detailing USWMS pre-merger characteristics of the various aids.
For most boaters these are for historical reference only

12. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Effective July 20, 1998, the US Coast Guard commences a five year phased-in merger of the Uniform State Waterway Marking System with the United States Aids to Navigation System. This merger eliminates distinctions between the two systems and creates safer, less confusing waterways.

13. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Here are the changes that occurred by Dec
USATONS regulatory markers now carry the same orange bands just above the water line and near the top as the USWMS system did.
The USWMS black port side channel markers were replaced with the green markers.
The meaning of a red and white vertically-striped buoy changes in the USWMS from "do not pass between the buoy and the nearest shore" to the USATONS meaning of "safewater all around."

14. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Continued
Obstructions currently marked with the USWMS red and white vertically-striped buoy will be replaced with either a red or green channel marker, if practicable, the USATONS black and red horizontally striped isolated danger marker, or a newly created USATONS black and white vertically-striped marker to indicate not to pass between the marker and the shore.
The USWMS white black-topped markers which mean "pass to north or east of buoy" and the white red-topped markers which mean "pass to south or west of buoy", will be replaced with USATONS red or green channel markers, the isolated danger mark, or the new black and white vertically-striped marker.

15. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Continued
USATONS which made no mention of lights on mooring buoys may now incorporate white lights of various rhythms.
Ownership identification on private or state aids to navigation is permitted so long as it does not change or hinder an understanding of the meaning of the aid to navigation.

16. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Three Types of Markers
Regulatory
ATONS
Mooring buoys

17. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Regulatory Markers - Non-Lateral
White signs or buoys
Signs have orange borders
Buoys have orange band
Four types
Boat exclusion
Danger
Controlled areas
Information or directions

18. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Regulatory Markers
Exclusion Area - Boats Keep Out
Danger
Information
Controlled Area

19. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
ATONs
Buoys
Two types
Lateral markers
Non-lateral markers

20. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Lateral Markers
Show lateral edges of channel
Normally occur in pairs
Solid black or red
(Black is being replaced by green in many areas)
Numbered
May have reflectors or lights
Red right returning

21. Uniform State Waterways Marking System
Non-Lateral Markers - Cardinal System
Mark safe passage areas
Three buoys
White buoy with red stripes
Do not pass between buoy and nearest shore
White buoy with black top
Pass to north or east
White buoy with red top
Pass to south or west

22. USWMS ATONs BLACK & RED Usually in pairs Pass between these buoys
(Note: black being replaced by green)
PASS TO SPECIFIED DIRECTIONS OF THESE
Do not pass between buoy and nearest shore
Pass to South or West
Pass to North or East

23. Non Lateral Marks - Caution
US Aid - Safe-Water Mark
Spherical (ball-like) shape
Indicates navigable water all around
May be passed on either side
DO NOT CONFUSE THESE ATONS
This is a 2 click slide
Make 2nd click AFTER discussing US Aid
EMPHASIZE the SPHERICAL shape
USWMS Cardinal Mark
Do not pass between buoy and closest shore
This is being changed - for now be careful

24. Inland Seamanship Challenges include: Changing water depths
Speed of currents
Flash flooding
Underwater hazards
Effect of high winds
Anchoring
Isolation

25. River Currents Can be quite strong Are concentrated in the channel
Hinder movement upstream
Aid movement downstream
May run in different directions at different depths
Usually flow around outside of bends

26. River Bends Outside Bend Inside Bend
Water is deeper
Current usually flows faster
Inside Bend
Water is shallower & shoaling may occur
Current is slower
Differences can cause eddies & slack water

27. Other River Challenges
Entering a current
Tows and other traffic
Debris & ice
Wing dams, dikes, and other devices
Dredges
Lowhead & High dams

28. Maintaining Inland Waters
Responsibility of U.S. Corps of Engineers
Techniques include
Levees
Revetments
Dikes or wing dams
Dredging

29. Dredging Lights on dredge pipelines Dredge lights and shapes
Do not pass this side
OK to pass this side
Do not pass this side
OK to pass this side
PIPELINE LIGHTS 1. YELLOW
2. FLASHING TIME PER MINUTE
3. 3 METERS HIGH, 10 METERS APART
DREDGE LIGHTS GREEN PASS THIS SIDE
2. 2 RED DO NOT PASS THIS SIDE
DAY SHAPES BLACK BALLS - DO NOT PASS THIS SIDE
2. 2 BLACK DIAMONDS - OK TO PASS
GO FOR THE DIAMONDS
Day Shapes
Lights

30. Lowhead Dams Present on many rivers Most dangerous for boaters
Efficient, self-operating drowning machines
Escape difficult if caught in “boil”
Swim under and downstream
Know where they are and avoid them

31. Lowhead Dams

32. Lowhead Dams
See the boil?

33. Lowhead Dams
Looking Downstream

34. Lowhead Dams
Same spot, a little to the right

35. Lowhead Dams
Same spot, a little to the left

36. (Photo Courtesy CT DEP)
Lowhead Dam
Looking Downstream
(Photo Courtesy CT DEP)

37. Lowhead Dam Unsuspecting kayaker caught Result: Fatal Kayak
(Photo Courtesy CT DEP)

38. Lowhead Dam
Looking Upstream
(Photo Courtesy CT DEP)

39. High Dams Stay Out of Restricted Areas Dam Gates
Marked by signs, buoys and/or flashing lights
Upstream - strong undertows
Downstream - tailrace
Boils & backwash
Dam Gates
Wicket v. Tainter

40. Locks Operation Priorities for Use Commercial Traffic Hazardous Cargo
Communications

41. Lock Operation
1999 PAF&BC

42. Lock Operation

43. Lock Operation
Upstream lock door RISES from floor

44. Lock Operation Downstream doors swing or lift
Watch for air BLAST as it opens

45. Locking Through Do Not Enter Without Appropriate Signal
Green light or prolonged blast
Follow Commands of Lockmaster
No Wake!
Wear PFD
Tie-Up to Appropriate Fitting
Tend Lines Carefully

46. River Charts Sources Characteristics NOAA (some)
U.S. Corp of Engineers (most)
Characteristics
NOAA - essentially the same as coastal charts

47. River Charts Characteristics - Non-NOAA Charts
Many show limited information
Principal geographic features
Channel & sailing line
Fixed ATONs
Mile markers
Navigation lights sometimes shown
Water depths and buoys rarely shown

48. River Charts Study River Charts Beforehand
Symbols may be different than those on coastal charts
North is rarely “up”
Note downstream direction

49. Non NOAA River Chart

50. NOAA River Chart
Portion of NOAA Chart CT River

51. Commercial Traffic Ocean-Going v. River Tows Watch Out For The Tow
Beware: Ocean-going tows can be found on many rivers, especially near the mouth
Watch Out For The Tow
Keep clear
Prop wash
Blind spot
VHF Communication

52. Summary Inland Waters Western River ATON, USWMS Inland Seamanship
River Characteristics
River Maintenance
Low and High Dams
Locks
River Charts
Commercial Traffic
SHOW TAPE MINUTES
“IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED”
RIVER TRIP WITH A TRAGIC ENDING
TRIP PLANNING
WEATHER
FLOAT PLANS
BOAT / PEOPLE STABILITY
EQUIPMENT
PFD’S
BOATERS HYPNOSIS
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL