…no transmitters on the floating aids? only going by last known position? 1 step forward, 2 steps back. most ports in europe have the positions of their seabuoys and important marks (floating) transmitted via AIS system, it is nice to have.
There is certainly a place for electronic Aids to Navigation. It appears that the San Francisco iteration is proceeding in the right direction. However, there is a concern that at some point the USCG may decide it wants to drastically reduce the number of physical aids to navigation (and their buoy-tender fleet) by substituting e-ATON for actual buoys.
[QUOTE=LauHalaLana;137813]There is certainly a place for electronic Aids to Navigation. It appears that the San Francisco iteration is proceeding in the right direction. However, there is a concern that at some point the USCG may decide it wants to drastically reduce the number of physical aids to navigation (and their buoy-tender fleet) by substituting e-ATON for actual buoys.[/QUOTE]
Don’t worry… if they do remove and scrap the bouts there is always a chance they will put them back at high $ taxpayer expense That’s how ELORAN is shaping up anyway:
Physical ATON’s have been slowly removed for a while now. I can think of many that are no longer in service. I’m ok with them removing aids that are redundant or not really useful.
There’s a virtual ATON"SB" in Admralty Inlet now marking a turn in the TSS that was previously unmarked. Anyone sailing into Puget Sound with functioning AIS will be seeing it it now. A buoy in that location was never a good idea or practical but I’m happy to see this improvement.