U.S. Coast Guard Proposes Changes to Aids to Navigation in the Northeast
Press Release | May 2, 2025
BOSTON – The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking public input on proposed aids to navigation (AtoN) changes in the northeast, April 30, 2025.
The Coast Guard is proposing to discontinue some buoys as one of several efforts to advance a modern approach to physical aids to navigation. The current buoy constellation predates global navigation satellite systems, electronic navigation charts and electronic charting systems (ECS), which are widely used by today’s mariners.
This long term effort is designed to determine the most sustainable navigational risk reduction tools to support and complement mariners, ECS and smartphone navigation apps that are more widely available and affordable. Regardless of technological advances, a robust physical aid to navigation network will always complement electronic systems.
The proposed buoy changes are intended to:
– Support the navigational needs of the 21st century
– Deliver efficient and economical service to manage vessel transit at an acceptable level of risk
– Better maintain the most critical risk reducing buoys
– Reduce the risk of aids to navigation discrepancies and electronic system failures for those aids most critical to safe navigation
“The proposal aims to support waterway safety by ensuring the right short-range aids work well with modern navigation technology. Public comment about specific buoy use is essential. A sustainable buoy system ensures safety and efficiency, even during disruptions or technology failures, keeping commerce flowing smoothly. In the First Coast Guard District, the 350 buoys proposed for discontinuation represent about 6% of the 5,640 federally-maintained aids to navigation,” said Matthew Stuck, the First Coast Guard District’s chief of waterways management.
“We’re actively adjusting short-range aids to work better and more sustainably given today’s navigation tools and methods,” said Stuck. “As part of this effort, the First Coast Guard District has assessed AtoN system modernization options over the last two years. Identifying buoys with the highest navigational significance and those providing less navigational value established the baseline to engage the public for feedback on this proposal.”
The Coast Guard is strongly requesting mariners to give feedback before June 13, 2025. When providing feedback, include the size and type of your vessel, how you use the buoys to navigate and the distance at which you start looking for and using it. Responses are only accepted by email at [email protected].
The proposed buoy constellation summary can be found at www.bit.ly/D1Buoy.
Let’s worry about coast guard rescuing injured personnel aboard said vessels and getting to them in a speedy manor. When I went overboard 126 feet deep back on October 25, 2010 I was several miles off shore in between 2 coast guard bases. One being Southwest Harbor, ME the other in Jonesport, ME. I was 7 miles from Jonesport and by the time it was all said and done and made it back aboard the vessel, my boss at the time had to operate his boat to the max almost blowing the engine to get me to shore to meet up with the ambulance before I died as I was vomiting saltwater and blood the whole ride in and even once in the ambulance 30 minutes to the nearest hospital I was still vomiting and almost lost my life along the way until they put me in another ambulance with higher up medics. I eventually made it to the ICU in the hospital and they injected morphine. I was there an hour. When my parents was told the coast guard had just reached the coordinates of where the emergency had occurred. That was a 3hr response time!!!! I just recently lost a good friend in Gloucester Massachusetts from Maine, the response time was very horrible for that emergency as well!