SPRING 2005 • PAGE 11
NAUTICAL CHALLENGE
NAVIGATIONAL AIDS By Tom Tursi
download, print and organize information for the Nav
Aids of interest.
To look up the latest Nav Aids information on the internet,
go to the American Sailing Association website at:
http://www.american-sailing.com/ Sailing Resources link,
and from here link to the NGA website at
http://164.214.12.145/index/
and choose NGA On-Line Navigation Publications.
This will bring up NGA Digital Navigation Publications.
Choose the USCG Light List and select the volume
applicable to your area of interest. Then enter the Nav Aid
numbers, if you know them, or choose Minimum Bounding
Rectangle where you can specify the latitudes and
longitudes and choose whether you want all or some aids
within that rectangle. For example, if you enter 38˚58N-
76˚26W and 39˚00N-76˚20W and ask for all aids from Light
List Volume II, you'll get a summary of search results
indicating that five aids, #7840 through 7980, were
located. Click on the search link provided and you'll get the
ASA Certified Sailing Instructor - Tom Tursi
details of these five aids.
E
ven with the highly accurate GPS and electronic Note that Minimum Bounding Rectangle only gives Nav
chart plotters available today, it's essential to Aids for which the Coast Guard lists Lat-Long positions,
periodically confirm your position by actually which is only a small portion of all aids in an area. To
laying your eyes on the buoys marking the entrance to a find the other aids in an area, you need to know their
tricky passage, especially at 2:00 am on a dark and specific aid numbers. You can look up these numbers
stormy night. And when you see a buoy under these either in a printed copy of the Light List, or use the aid
conditions, you'll want to know for certain that it's the numbers from the Minimum Bounding Rectangle
one you think it is. But if the Coast Guard recently procedure described above, and arbitrarily select a range
changed the buoy numbers, and if your charts are six of numbers that includes these numbers. In this case
months old, how will you be certain? you'll get all aids within that range of numbers.
Navigational charts show the locations of the Nav Aids Question: So, you're planning to sail to San Diego Bay and
and some descriptive information, but chart information want to ensure that you know the characteristics of the
may be out of date due to changes to Nav Aids from a entrance range markers. Your chart shows Point Loma at
variety of factors including damage from storms, ice, approximately 32º40'N and 117º15'W. What is the number,
ships and aging as well as channel modifications. location, light color and light flashing sequence for the front
The Coast Guard installs and maintains most of the Nav
light of the entrance range?
Aids used by mariners in US tidal waters and publishes a Tom Tursi is an ASA Certified instructor, owner of the
series of Light List printed volumes giving details of each Maryland School of Sailing and the author of ASA’s NEW
aid; however, they are expensive (about $50 per volume) Coastal Navigation Course, Coastal Navigation & Piloting. For
and become outdated as continuing changes are made to additional information on the Maryland School of Sailing and
the Nav Aids. Today, Internet downloads solve the cost Seamanship/ visit their web site at www.mdschool.com or call
and currency problems, but it takes a significant effort to the school at 410/639-7030.
RR
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