June 19, 2014 

This week we'll take a break in our series about life jackets to review the Local Notice to Mariners or LNM. It's an important tool for Captains and we think, important enough to add a special section here in our weekly newsletter. 

The LNM is the primary means for disseminating information concerning aids to navigation, hazards to navigation, and other items of marine information of interest to mariners on the waters of the United States, it's territories, and possessions. These notices are essential to all navigators for the purpose of keeping their charts. Light Lists, Coast Pilots and other nautical publications up-to-date. These notices are published weekly. The LNM's are available on the World Wide Web. Vessels operating in ports and waterways in several districts will need to obtain the LNM's from each district in order to be fully informed.

 

Some examples of the kind of information we've seen recently here in the San Francisco Bay area are about the safety zones that have been established around the Bay Bridge construction. The LNM has also reported:

 

- exclusion zones to protect wildlife

- marine events such as swim events, many with hundreds of swimmers in the water 

- fireworks displays

 

There is also information about buoys and other aids to navigation. Buoys sometimes move, are damaged or destroyed.  They can be relocated by the USCG, or they can be moved by storms or passing ships.  Sometimes the information about the change is permanent and sometimes it is temporary. Since buoys and lights are important for guiding us home, Captains should review the LNM each week for any changes in the area where they operate. Our charts and publications should be corrected and kept up-to-date with this information.

 

Another Frequently asked question from the Navigation Center website: 

How does the Coast Guard develop an LNM?

Each Coast Guard District is responsible for developing and issuing LNMs. LNMs are developed from information received from Coast Guard field units, the general public, the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Merchant Fleet, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), and other sources, concerning the establishment of, changes to, and deficiencies in aids to navigation and any other information pertaining to the safety of the waterways within each Coast Guard District. This information includes: Reports of channel conditions, obstructions, hazards to navigation, dangers, anchorage's, restricted areas, regattas, information on bridges such as proposed construction or modification, the establishment or removal of drill rigs and vessels, and similar items.

 

We are in District 11, a large area and a long document to review. However, after a couple of weeks it's easy to pick up the items that are relevant to our areas of operation. 

 

The Coast Guard and other agencies such as NOAA often ask for information from mariners about things like whale sightings, marine debris tracking and feedback regarding proposed changes. We've always found the Coast Guard to be appreciative of the public's involvement. Don't hesitate to interact Captains!

 

Here's the link to the latest edition:

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm11242014.pdf 

 

Look for the new Local Notice to Mariners link in our next weekly newsletter or subscribe and have it delivered to you by email here:

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=listServerForm 

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