boating skills and seamanship 1 copyright 2007 - coast guard auxiliary association, inc. your...

1 Copyright 2007 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.

Boating Skills And Seamanship

Your “Highway” SignsChapter

5



Lesson Objectives

• Aids to Navigation (ATONS)

• Cautions around ATONS

• Meaning of chart symbols

• Electronic ATONS

• Reference materials – changes in ATONS



ATONS

• How are ATONS essential for boaters?



ATONS

• Help determine a safe course

• Help determine where you are

• Help navigate to reach destination

• Give information

• Are shown on chart



ATONS

• Short range (Examples?)

• Long range (Examples?)



ATONS

• Short range • Buoys• Daymarks/daybeacons• Lighthouses

• Long range • GPS• Loran - C• Radar



ATONS

• What other landmarks are helpful to boaters?



ATONS

• Anything visible from the water• Towers• Monuments• Bridges• Distinctive land formations

• Appear on chart



ATONS

• ATONS are protected by law

• Do not:• Alter• Destroy• Move• Tie up to• Climb on• Obscure others view



Buoyage System

• How are ATONS grouped into systems?

• Location

• Maintenance



Buoyage System

• There are four Buoyage Systems in US• US ATON System• Intracoastal Waterway System• Western Rivers System• Uniform State Waterway Marking System merged

into USATON System in 2003• Merge = adopted same aton patterns



US ATON

• Principal system of the U. S.• All Navigable waterways (empty to sea)

except Western Rivers, & waterways crossing state boundaries

• One of two international standards. Used throughout N & S America, Caribbean, Japan, Korea, & Philippines.

• Remainder of world uses other standard (colors reversed)

• Maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard



U.S. ATON System

• What are the six types of ATONS?



U.S. ATON System

• Lateral Marks including Preferred Channel Marks

• Safe Water Marks

• Isolated Danger Marks

• Range Marks

• Regulatory Marks

• Special Purpose Marks



Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)

• New Jersey to the Florida Keys along the Gulf of Mexico to Brownsville, TX• Lateral marks are small reflective yellow squares

and triangles• Non-lateral marks, e.g. safe water and range

marks, have reflective yellow band.



Western Rivers

• The Mississippi River and it’s tributaries• Need to study if you plan to boat it.

• Left descending bank; right descending bank• Downbound has right of way

• Maintained by the U. S. Coast Guard



Uniform State Waterway Marking System

• Merged with US ATON system by end of 2003. Maintained by individual states



Uniform State Waterway Marking System

• Cautions• “Merge” is to replace the ATONS which looked

similar to US ATONs, but had different meanings.• US ATON system added information marks, and

a few others, needed by the states• No affirmative confirmation that process was

completed.• Need to have good understanding of your

location



Waterway Marks/Buoys /Beacons

• Come in various sizes and shapes• Daymark – signboard only• Daybeacon – signboard & piling or dolphin• Buoy floats, has watch circle

• May or may not have lights

• Mark channels, dangers, obstructions

• Provide regulatory information



Waterway Marks/Buoys/Beacons

• Characteristics

Reprinted with permission fromThe Weekend Navigator by Bob Sweet



Waterway Daymarks

• Daymarks



Waterway Daymarks

• Characteristics:• Triangles – red and even numbered• Squares – green and odd numbered• Octagons – color varies, may be lettered• Diamonds - color varies, may be lettered• Rectangles – color varies, may be lettered



Waterway Marks/Day Beacons

• Daymark on a pile or

Dolphin = daybeacon

R “2”



Waterway Marks/Buoys



Waterway Marks/Buoys

• Floating ATONS

• Various shapes, sizes, & functions

• Maybe lighted• Shines from dusk to dawn

• May have sound signals



Waterway Marks Buoys/Cautions

• Watch circle

• Position Approximate

• Light and acoustics may fail

• Off station



Waterway Marks/Diamond shaped

• Diamond shaped day marks



Waterway Marks/Diamond shaped

• US ATON System• No lateral significance• Marks where you are on a chart

• In Western Rivers System• Diamond shaped Crossing daymark indicates

where channel changes to other bank• Crossing daymark has green and white

diamonds



Waterway Marks/Regulatory

• Regulatory/Informational Markers• Description and purpose

• Signs• Buoys



Waterway Marks/Regulatory

• Provides regulatory information• Slow, No Wake, 5 mph etc.

• Provides hazard information• Rock, shoals, etc

• Marks restrictive areas• No boats allowed

• Provides basic information• For First Aid, Manatee area, etc.



Waterway Marks/Light Structures

• Light structures• Define• Minor lights



Waterway Marks/Light Structures

• Same function as lighted buoys

• Vary greatly in size and shape

• Chart symbols• Magenta colored exclamation marks with black

dots to mark the location

• Chart description• Fl G 4s “5”



Waterway Marks/Special purpose

• Special purpose• Describe



Waterway Marks/Special purpose

• Yellow – any shape

• Black letters

• If lighted Amber (yellow) light

• Marks• Fishing nets• Anchorage areas• Intakes• Military Exercise areas



Waterway Marks/Lateral marks

• Green or Red daymarks or buoys

• Characteristics• Mark sides of channel• Distinctive color and numbering• Usually placed in pairs• Always begins with 1, 2, etc. each new

waterway



Waterway Marks/Lateral marks

• Color/Numbers on Lateral Markers• Red marks have even numbers, nun shape• Green marks have odd numbers, can shape• If both a number and letter, then mark was

placed after the original marks were placed

• Red Right Returning• Always keep the Red marks on the right side of

your vessel when returning from sea.



Waterway MarksLateral Marks

• Red, Right, Returning• Return from sea• Clockwise around U.S.• Numbers



Waterway Marks/Lateral marks – Buoys

8

7



Waterway Marks/Lateral marks - Daybeacons



Waterway Marks/Lateralmark - Preferred Channel

• Preferred Channel Mark

• Treat based on top color band



Waterway MarksPreferred Channel

• Found at junctions

• Shows preferred channel

• Sometimes marks wrecks or obstructions• do not go between mark and shore

• If lighted the color of the light will match the top color

• Set flashing pattern (2 + 1)



Waterway Marks/Safe Water Marks

• Safe Water ATONS• Characteristics



Waterway Marks/Safe Water Marks

• Red and White striped• Spherical buoys• Floating structures with red ball on top• Octagonal daymark

• If lighted it will have a white light

• May be lettered

• Flashing pattern always Morse Code A• 1 short flash followed by 1 long flash



Waterway Marks/Ranges

• Ranges



Waterway Marks/Ranges

• Pair of ATONS forming line of position

• Front mark lower, rear mark higher

• Directs you to center of channel

• At night lights can be used the same as the marks

• To correct course, steer toward the lower mark or light



Waterway Marks/ICW

• ICW• Yellow triangles

mark starboard• Yellow squares

mark port• Dual purpose



Waterway Marks/ICW

• Dual Purpose Marks• Used to mark U.S. ATON and ICW• Sometimes yellow triangle on square

lateral mark and yellow square on triangle lateral mark

• If following ICW, use yellow marks• If following original waterway, follow

(red or green) lateral marks



ICW Dual Purpose Mark

• ICW port side mark

• US ATON starboard mark



Waterway Marks/ICW



Light Characteristics

• Patterns

• FIXED Light - On continuously from sun down to sun up

• OCCULTING Light - On more than off • FLASHING Light - Off more than on

• Flashes less than 50/minute• QUICK Light - flashes between 50 - 80 times per

minute• ISOPHASE - equal light and dark periods



Sound Signals

• Most lighthouses, major lights and some minor lights have:• Fog horns• Gongs• Whistles• Bells

• Warns mariners of danger

• Mark can be identified by sound



Chart Symbols

• Helps identify specific ATONS• Color represents color of mark or buoy• Italics indicates buoy or floating mark• Identifies flashing pattern• Magenta exclamation mark indicates a

lighted mark. Black dot is location of mark• Magenta is used because it is visible

under red lights (for night vision)



Chart Symbols

• CAN - Green Diamond with small watch circle

• NUN - Red Diamond with small watch circle

• Watch circle overprinted with magenta when lighted

• Italics used for buoys and other floating structures



Chart Symbols

• Green Daymark - Green Square

• Red Daymark - Red Triangle• Roman type letters used for

fixed marks• Chart will provide flashing

pattern e.g. R “2”FI R 6s



Light Structures/ Light Houses



Light Structures/ Light Houses

• Short range ATON• Marks prominent headlands, harbor

entrances, isolated dangers• Height and intensity of light is

determined by need• Chart describes flashing pattern,

height of structure and visibility• FL W 6s 12ft 3m



Lights on Bridges

• Fixed

• Draw



Lights on Bridges

• Bridges marked on charts “Fixed” or “Draw”• Lights on bridges are not part of buoyage

system• Drawbridges

• RED Lights - Bridge is closed• GREEN Lights - Bridge is open

• Green lights mark navigable channel for fixed bridge - Red lights mark sides of channel

• Preferred channel marked with White lights



Electronic ATONS

• Characteristics• Loran - C• GPS• Radar

• Reminder: don’t rely on a single navigation system.



Electronic ATONS/ Loran - C

• Land based AM radio navigation system• Largely American system• Static• Signal deflected by land mass & weather

• Translators now convert TD (time differential) to Longitude and Latitude

• About 100 foot accuracy• System upgraded in 2005 • Backup for GPS since not subject to same

reception restrictions



Electronic ATONS/ GPS

• Satellites provide nearly accurate world wide positioning

• Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)• Uses waypoints to navigate. YOU must

ensure course is safe.• Chart plotter useful; must update charts• Consider overlay RADAR on single

monitor



Electronic ATONS/RADAR

• Only real time electronic check for navigation hazards

• 2 systems: ship’s head up or north up

• May automatically ID collision course

• Electronic marks to track targets

• If you have RADAR you must use it. You will want the practice too.



Navigation Publications and websites

• Local Notice to Mariners• http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/lnm/d11/default.htm

• Chart No. 1• http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/chartno1.htm

• Light List• http://navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/lnm/d11/default.htm

• Coast Pilot• http://nautical charts/noaa.gov/nsd/coastpilot.htm

boating skills and seamanship 1 copyright 2007 - coast guard auxiliary association, inc. your...

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