Electronic Aids to Navigation Now Operating in San Francisco

The US Coast Guard is looking for feedback on the Electronic Aids to Navigation which have just been activated in San Francisco.

Read this article for background information and let them know what you think by commenting below:

http://gcaptain.com/san-franciscos-navigational-aids-go-digital/

…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.

It’s not going off of last-known position, but rather where the buoy, or marker is actually supposed to be installed.

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 :wink: 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.