News and Notices

Notice: Changes to the USCG Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists

The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center announces upcoming changes to the Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and the Light List, as part of our efforts to modernize and improve the accessibility, accuracy, and overall user experience for mariners and other stakeholders.
What Is Changing?
1. Transition From Paper Charts: In January 2025, NOAA will discontinue the production of all paper charts. In alignment with this change, the Coast Guard will transition from using NOAA Paper Chart Numbers and Editions/Dates for disseminating Marine Safety Information (MSI) to using Official Waterway Names.
2. How You Will Access LNMs and Light Lists: The LNM and Light List data will now be available in a geospatial format, which will allow you to visualize information interactively on a map/chart. You can use your mouse wheel or the +/- buttons in the upper left portion of the screen to zoom in or out and navigate to your desired area on the map/chart. Once the area is displayed, you can generate a PDF of the LNM or Light List for that specific area, which you can then save and/or print. Alternatively, you can use a fillable form on our website to select your waterway by name from the Light List and generate the LNM or Light List.
3. LNM and Light List Data Refresh Rate: LNM data will be refreshed every fifteen minutes. Light List data will be refreshed every 24 hours. This will give you a much more up-to-date operating picture, designed to enhance your efficiency and improve safety in your area of transit or planned routes.
4. Elimination of Weekly Files: Weekly LNMs, Weekly Light List Correction Files, Daily Discrepancy Files, and the Summary of Light List Changes will no longer be published to focus on providing the most up-to-date and accessible format. In the near future, we will also publish an Application Programming Interface (API) for interested parties to access the data externally.

Why Are These Changes Being Made?
The modernization of MSI delivery is designed to improve the U.S. Coast Guard’s aid-to navigation data management and dissemination capabilities. By providing frequent updates, geospatial visualization, and digital access, we hope to achieve our goals of:
• Enhancing Maritime Safety: By delivering the most current and precise information, mariners can make better-informed decisions, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring safer navigation.
• Improving Accessibility: The shift to geospatial visualization makes it easier for all users, from commercial mariners to recreational boaters, to stay informed.
• Increasing Efficiency: The integration of LNM and Light List data into a geospatial format to simplify the gathering of safety information and facilitate easy route planning.

When Will These Changes Take Effect? The transition to the modernized LNM and Light List platform (the Navigation Center website) will be completed by Monday, September 30th.

How to Access the New Features? Starting October 21st, 2024, you will be able to access the updated Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light List through the NAVCEN website, with a User Guide available to assist you. While legacy versions of these products will no longer be produced or posted after October 31st, previously available versions will remain accessible for download indefinitely. Additionally, users can now generate updated LNMs in real time, with data refreshed every 15 minutes.
For any questions or assistance, please visit our Contact Us page, select 'LNMs or Light Lists' from the Subject dropdown, and submit your inquiry.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to enhance the safety and efficiency of maritime navigation.

U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (www.navcen.uscg.gov)

National Boating Safety Advisory Committee Meeting

The National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (NBSAC) will conduct a virtual open meeting to discuss matters relating to national boating safety.  The virtual meeting will be open to the public. The Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, from noon until 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).  This virtual meeting may adjourn early if the Committee has completed its business. Read the details here.

Coast Guard urges preparedness for remainder of 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

MIAMI — The Coast Guard reminds mariners and residents of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to remain vigilant and prepared for the remainder of the 2024 hurricane season.  

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, with the peak occurring between mid-August and late October.  

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an updated forecast on Aug. 8 that predicted a 90% chance for an above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.  

“The hurricane season got off to an early and violent start with Hurricane Beryl, the earliest category-5 Atlantic hurricane on record,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “NOAA’s update to the hurricane seasonal outlook is an important reminder that the peak of hurricane season is right around the corner, when historically the most significant impacts from hurricanes and tropical storms tend to occur.”  

It is essential for mariners and the public to take proper measures before a storm arrives. Ensure you have the proper safety equipment, have a hurricane mooring plan or a safe place to store your trailered boat, and monitor the weather and VHF-FM channel 16 prior to a voyage and while out on the water.  Read the article here.

U.S. Coast Guard announces Juneau homeporting for future icebreaker

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Coast Guard announced Wednesday it will homeport a commercially procured icebreaker in Juneau.

The Coast Guard is acquiring the Aiviq, a U.S. registered ship originally built to serve as an Arctic oil-exploration support vessel, which has an icebreaking capability sufficient to serve as a Coast Guard medium polar icebreaker, following modification.

“The United States is an Arctic nation, and the Coast Guard is vital to providing presence in our sovereign waters and the polar regions,” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, Coast Guard vice commandant. “As we continue to build the Polar Security Cutters, acquiring a commercially available polar icebreaker will enable the Coast Guard to increase our national presence in the Arctic, and homeporting this cutter in Alaska demonstrates the Service’s steadfast commitment to the region.”

The Coast Guard was appropriated $125 million in fiscal year 2024 to purchase a commercially available icebreaker. Currently, the Aiviq is the only U.S. built commercial vessel meeting necessary icebreaking standards. The Service anticipates the vessel will reach initial operational capability in two years. 

The Coast Guard has been the sole provider of America’s polar icebreaking capability since 1965 and is seeking to increase its icebreaking fleet with new Polar Security Cutters. The Coast Guard currently operates two polar icebreakers, the Coast Guard Cutter Healy, a medium polar icebreaker, and the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the only U.S. heavy polar icebreaker.

2023 Flag State Control Domestic Annual Report

The Coast Guard’s Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance is pleased to announce the publication of the 2023 Flag State Control Domestic Annual Report. This report highlights U.S. domestic fleet inspection, deficiency, and marine casualty statistics and serves as a powerful tool that highlights trends, identifies key performance indicators, and draws attention to findings over the past calendar year.

The report presents information reflecting the U.S. Flag fleet including: barges, cargo vessels, passenger vessels, vessels operating on the Outer Continental Shelf, research and school ships, fishing vessels, and towing vessels. You can find the report here.

Coast Guard changes name of Coast Guard Sector Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard changed the name of Coast Guard Sector Anchorage to Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and U. S. Arctic, effective Apr. 19, 2024. Contact information and operations remain the same. While Sector Western Alaska and U. S. Arctic is physically located on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the name was updated to reflect the unit’s geographic area of operations. “Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic personnel carry out Coast Guard statutory missions throughout the state, to include the Aleutian Islands, the North Slope, the Interior, and to our borders with Russia and Canada,” said Capt. Christopher Culpepper, commander of Sector Western Alaska and U. S. Arctic. “By updating the name, the Coast Guard clarifies that the unit serves a broader public beyond the Anchorage bowl and the change better aligns with the Captain of the Port zone as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations.”  Sector Western Alaska and U. S. Arctic watchstanders are available 24 hours each day at (907) 428-4100 and VHF Channel 16. For media inquiries, contact uscgalaska@uscg.mil. 

Coast Guard releases preliminary 2023 recreational boating statistics

The U.S. Coast Guard released preliminary statistics on calendar year 2023 recreational boating incidents, revealing that there were 564 boating fatalities reported nationwide in 2023, a 11.3 percent decrease from the 636 deaths in 2022. From 2022 to 2023, the total number of incidents decreased 4.9 percent (4,040 to 3,844), and the number of non-fatal injured victims decreased 4.3 percent (2,222 to 2,126).  Alcohol continued to be the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in 2023, accounting for 79 deaths, or 17 percent of total fatalities.  Read the full report here.

GPS Block IIF Satellite Antenna Patterns

The Space Systems Center (SSC) of U.S. Space Force has released the Boeing Global Positioning System (GPS) Block II Follow-on (IIF) satellite antenna patterns for world-wide public use. The culmination of a multi-year, interagency effort, the NAVCEN's website is now complete with antenna patterns for all GPS satellites. You may view the antenna patterns on the GPS Technical References page here under GPS-IIF Satellites: Antenna Patterns for L1, L2 and L5.

Reducing Vessel Strikes of Atlantic Right Whales

Click on the hyperlinks to view the 2005 and 2007 PARS Reports for Reducing Vessel Strikes of Atlantic Right Whales.

Visit the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center Facebook page.

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