Thank you to all those that participated in our quarterly Managing Board yesterday!  Great exchange of relevant information and collaboration in support of maritime safety and resilience on our regional coastal waterways.  The next MBHSC Managing Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 25th, 2025.

We are thankful for the Boston Marine Society’s hospitality in hosting this event!

The Coast Guard First District Commander seeks public input on AtoN changes Proposed.  Please see the special notice for the Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative Proposal that has been posted in the Local Notice to Mariners for public comment. Coast Guard is modernizing and rightsizing the buoy constellation, whose designs mostly predate Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC), and Electronic Charting Systems (ECS), for long-term reliability and serviceability. This effort, which includes buoy disestablishments, will result in the most sustainable navigation risk reduction to support and complement modern mariners, today’s much larger ships, ECS system availability and requirements, and powerful smartphone navigation su

The MSC Verona, a 1,200-foot container ship that is 167 feet wide and powered by liquefied natural gas, broke the record with its visit to the Conley Container Terminal, the Massachusetts Port Authority said in a press release Monday.

MBHSC President Capt. Bob Blair and Executive Secretary Scott White recently attended the National Working Waterfront Network Conference in San Diego, CA.  The National Working Waterfront Network’s Conference is the only national event that brings together people from across North America to connect with one another and showcase initiatives that protect and promote working waterfronts. Working waterfronts include waterfront lands, waterfront infrastructure, and waterways that are used for water-dependent activities, such as ports, marinas, small recreational boat harbors, and fishing docks.

Founded through the efforts of United States Coast Guard - Sector Boston, the MBHSC was created to unite stakeholders in a voluntary community committed to sharing expertise and promoting safety on our waterways. Today, the MBHSC continues to thrive under the guidance of a Managing Board, with a team of dedicated volunteer executives working to advance key priorities. For more than 15 years, this collaborative effort has delivered measurable successes, improving maritime safety, and supporting the broader community in addressing emerging challenges.

RADM Wayne Arguin, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, has signed a new Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) to provide guidance to public and private stakeholders participating in local Harbor Safety Committees (HSC) in order to improve and enhance local coordination of Marine Transportation System (MTS) issues.

NVIC 01-25 updates prior USCG guidance (NVIC 01-00, released in April 2000) and is intended to encourage existing HSCs to review their current state and consider

The next MBHSC Member’s-at-Large meeting is scheduled for Thursday January 23rd at the Flynn Cruiseport Boston Black Falcon Terminal from 11 to 1.  Please join us to enhance the safety and resilience of the coastal waterways of Northern and Central Massachusetts.

MBHSC Stakeholders please note the recent USCG NAVEN Announcement:

Dear Users of the Marine Transportation System,

We’re excited to announce the launch of the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center’s new Maritime Safety Information (MSI) Application! This enhanced platform is designed to improve your access to critical navigation safety information, including Local Notices to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists.

Key Features of the New MSI Application:
• Near-Real-Time Updates: Stay informed with the latest changes and updates.
• GIS Display: Visualize navigation information directly on an interactive map.
• Customizable Searches: Narrow your searches to focus on specific waterways or regions of interest.

The application is available now and ready to su

Capt. Thom Evans representing the MBHSC at the 2024 Beverly Harbor Fest.  The 13th annual Harbor Fest is a lively family celebration on the water hosted by Beverly Harbor Management Authority. 

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Boston sponsored  a PAWSA workshop in Boston, MA, on 31 Jan & 01 Feb 2023. Thirty participants represented the range of waterway users, stakeholders, joined together with Federal, State, and local safety authorities to collaboratively assess navigation safety within the harbor waters of Boston and proximate offshore regions to include Salem.

06/20/2024 – Mariners House, Boston, MA: Captain Bob Blair. President of the MBHSC, being recognized by CAPT Kailie Benson, USCG Sector Boston Commander as an “Honorary Member” of the USCG Sector Boston Crew!  - BZ Captain Blair!

Date:  Thursday – June 20, 2024                                  Time:  9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Where:                   Mariners House

   11 North Square
   Boston, MA 02113      https://www.marinershouse.org/

 Virtual Platform: Join Zoom Meeting

                                             https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83816342283?pwd=ZcJbulXTFsxvxaBBiwYkTGLZ5uYJ3f.1

MARINER’S GUIDE full length from Ray Fusco Inc. on Vimeo.

Operation Clear Channel 60 second version from Ray Fusco Inc. on Vimeo.

In a recent maritime incident off the coast of Nahant, the Massachusetts Bay Harbor Safety Committee (MBHSC) issues a crucial navigational alert for all mariners. The incident involves the sinking of a barge, prompting authorities to advise against travel in the North and South Boston Main Channels. This blog post aims to provide detailed information on the incident and stress the importance of adhering to safety directives to ensure the well-being of all waterway users.

Incident Overview: On [date], a barge encountered unforeseen challenges off the coast of Nahant, leading to its sinking. The MBHSC, in collaboration with the United States Coast Guard, has swiftly responded to the incident, establishing safety measures and issuing navigational alerts to minimize