News and Notices

Digital Certificate of Number

A certificate of number (CON) is required to be carried on board a state registered boat much like a registration for a motor vehicle.  A CON is required to be on board vessels to which they are issued and must be available for inspection. In 2022, Congress passed legislation allowing the CON to be in digital form in addition to being hard copy. This final rule aligns our regulations with the amended statute.

Federal Register :: Digital Certificate of Number for State Numbered Vessels

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.

2023 Cyber Trends and Insights in the Marine Environment Report

U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command (CGCYBER) announces the release of the second annual Cyber Trends and Insights in the Marine Environment (CTIME) report. The U.S. Coast Guard has a strong tradition of collaborating with owners and operators in the Marine Environment (ME) to provide relevant information about best practices to secure critical systems. 

Four Key Takeaways from the report: 

1. Many of the same findings/recommendations discussed in the CTIME 2021 and 2022 reports were observed again in 2023. 
2. Emerging technologies create new attack paths into the ME. 
3. Ransomware attacks and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) continue to target the ME.
4. Timely information sharing is the most effective way to increase defenses against adversaries.  

Detailed summaries and mitigation measures can be found in the report. These measures support a variety of operational areas and technologies. The full report contains insights into: cybersecurity incidents; common findings and mitigation measures; CPT missions; emerging technologies; and threat actor profiles. The full report can be found here.

National Maritime Security Advisory Committee Public Meeting

The National Maritime Security Advisory Committee will conduct a virtual meeting to discuss a new Committee task to review and prioritize public comments on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Cybersecurity in the Marine Transportation System. The virtual meeting will be open to the public. The Committee will meet virtually on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). To join the virtual meeting or to request special accommodations, contact Mr. Ryan Owens, Alternate Designated Federal Officer of the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee, telephone 202-302-6565 or via email at ryan.f.owens@uscg.mil. 

Federal Register link: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-07097

National Boating Safety Advisory Committee Meeting

The National Boating Safety Advisory Committee (NBSAC) will conduct meetings over three days in Austin, Texas, to discuss matters relating to national boating safety.  The meetings will be open to the public and will include in-person and virtual attendance options. The NBSAC will meet on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT). You may access the full article here.

New Merchant Mariner Credential

The U.S. Coast Guard announced a new merchant mariner credential (MMC) set to launch on March 1, 2024. This milestone marks the first comprehensive revision of the mariner credential in nearly a decade and is strategically designed to enhance both quality of service and security within the Marine Transportation System (MTS). U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Information Bulletin (MSIB) 01-24, New Merchant Mariner Credential Passport Booklet Replacement, has been posted on the DCO’s MSIB Site and announced at the National Maritime Center (CG-NMC) Home Page (uscg.mil). Please visit these resources for more information on the credential.

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.

Click on this link.

U.S. Space Force Roadmap

The U.S. Space Force has released a roadmap of the GPS enterprise running through the end of FY-28.