Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative Proposal - Opportunity for Input

Scott White  /  April 14, 2025

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 subscription apps affordably accessible to virtually all waterway users.

Interested mariners are strongly encouraged to comment on this in writing, either personally or through their organization. All comments will be carefully considered and are requested prior to 13 June 2025 to complete the process. To most effectively consider your feedback and improve the data collection, when responding to this proposal, please include size and type of your vessel, recreational or commercial, how you use the signal to navigate, and distance at which you start looking for and utilizing it. Please do not call the Coast Guard via telephone or other means with these public comments.  In order to properly address them, only written responses to this proposal will be accepted. Refer to Project No. 01-25-015. E-mailed comments can be sent to: D01-SMB-DPWPublicComments@uscg.mil. 

ATON that are currently being considered for modification/disestablishment can be viewed via the USCG NAVCEN MSI portal through utilization of the “Proposed Notice of Change” layer within the MSI portal (see below):
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/msi

Example Narrative upon selection of ATON- “DISTRICT: 1 TITLE: Sector Boston, Submerged Land Act (SLA) / ATON / Proposed Notice of Change SUB CATEGORY: Proposed Notice of Change WATERWAY NAME: Sector Boston, Submerged Land Act (SLA) DESCRIPTION: ATON / Proposed Notice of Change From: 2025-04-03 To: 2026-10-03 Location: 42.57069° N / 70.66392° W Aid Name: Eastern Point Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 LLNR: 340 Action: DISCONTINUE The Coast Guard First District Commander seeks public input on AtoN changes Proposed. 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 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 subscription apps affordably accessible to virtually all waterway users. The Proposed buoy constellation changes are intended to: Support the navigational needs of the 21st century prudent mariner, vice mid-20th century (pre-GPS, AIS, e-charts, mobile device apps, improved radar, etc.), Deliver effective, economical service—manage vessel transit risk to acceptable levels at acceptable cost, Best maintain the most critical risk reducing buoys for the long-term, and Provide resilience against AtoN discrepancies, GNSS disruptions / ECS failures. Interested mariners are strongly encouraged to comment on this in writing, either personally or through their organization. All comments will be carefully considered and are requested prior to 13 June 2025 to complete the process. To most effectively consider your feedback and improve the data collection, when responding to this proposal, please include size and type of vessel, recreational or commercial, and distance from aid that you start looking for it, and if and how you use the signal. Please do not call the Coast Guard via telephone or other means, only written responses to this proposal will be accepted. Refer to Project No. 01-25-015. E-mail can be sent to: D01-SMB-DPWPublicComments@uscg.mil DECIMAL LONGITUDE: -70.66 DECIMAL LATITUDE: 42.57 AID NAME: Eastern Point Lighted Whistle Buoy 2 AID TYPE: FD PRIMARY LIGHT LIST NUMBER: 340 COLOR: R DESCRIPTION TYPE: LB”