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

2. Lesson Objectives Aids to Navigation (ATONS) Cautions in using ATONS
Meaning of chart symbols
Availability of electronic ATONS
Reference materials – changes in ATONS
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

3. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

4. ATONS Short range Aids: (Examples?) Long Range Aids (Examples?)
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

5. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

6. Buoyage System How are ATONS grouped in this system?
Lateral marks show sides of channels and passages
Cardinal marks show direction of dangers
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

7. U.S. ATON System What are the six types? Lateral marks
Safe Water marks
Isolated Danger marks (Cardinal)
Range marks
Regulatory marks
Special marks
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

8. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

9. Western Rivers
Location: Mississippi River and associated waterways, plus Red River and tributaries
Maintenance: USCG maintains aids, Corps of Engineers maintains waterways
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

10. Uniform State Waterway Marking System
Merged with US ATON system
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

11. Waterway Marks/Buoys Characteristics
Reprinted with permission from
The Weekend Navigator by Bob Sweet
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

12. Waterway Marks / Pillar Buoys
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

13. Waterway Marks / Spherical Buoy
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

14. Waterway Marks/Nun & Can Buoy
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

15. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

16. Waterway Marks/Day Beacons
Daymarks or day beacons
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

17. Waterway Marks Triangular Daymark Square Daymark
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

18. Waterway Marks Diamond shaped day marks
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

19. Waterway Marks Light structures Major lights Minor lights
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

20. Waterway Marks Informational and Regulatory Marks Describe
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

21. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

22. How Waterways are Marked
“RED RIGHT RETURNING”
Keep red marks to starboard when returning from sea
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

23. Waterway Marks Red, Right, Returning Return from sea
Clockwise around U.S.
Numbers:
Evens to starboard
Odds to port
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

24. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

25. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

26. Waterway Marks Regulatory Markers Signs Buoys and
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

27. Waterway Marks Safe Water Aids Characteristics and symbols
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

28. Waterway Marks Preferred Channel mark or bifurcation buoy
Shows the deepest of two channels
Shape and color indicate use
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

29. Waterway Marks Range Two ATONs in line Rear higher than front
Lined up with channel
May be lighted
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

30. Waterway Marks ICW Yellow triangles on “red” marks
Yellow squares on “green” marks
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

31. Light Characteristics
Patterns
Note that the Isophase graphic is wrong. Dark and light periods should be equal.
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

32. Light Characteristics
Preferred channel lights
Red or green, depending on color of aid
Light characteristic is composite group occulting
“Oc (2+1)” on chart
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

33. Chart Symbols Fixed structure lights Symbols for buoys
Symbols for day marks
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

34. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

35. 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
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

36. Electronic ATONS Characteristics Loran C is dead
Loran C lines on charts should be ignored
GPS—another class!
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt

37. Navigation Publications
Local Notice to Mariners
Published by US Coast Guard via
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.
SSSpptChpt07Highwaysigns ppt