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Summer 2015 Proceedings
www.uscg.mil/proceedings
these standards. When new systems are deployed, there will
undoubtedly be availability standards set for these as well.
Outreach and Training
Further, the Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
neers have hosted listening sessions around the country
with stakeholders, including the recreational boating com-
munity. Useful as these sessions have been, there is a con-
tinuing need for outreach.
If eATONs are to be deployed widely, professional mari-
ners and recreational boaters will need to be trained in
their interpretation and use. It is also important to get the
program's timing right. A measured deployment schedule
permits more time to develop relevant experience in testing
and operating these systems.
"Our goal is to continue to support waterway
users by making available accurate and timely
information, and improving its reliability, while
providing appropriate redundancy across our
navigation safety systems for the broad range
of recreational and commercial users."
—U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joseph Servidio
The Way Forward
It is useful to think about the way forward in e-Navigation
as a voyage. We know where we are at present (taking depar-
ture), but need to fgure out the appropriate route, timing,
and the ultimate destination (mix of visual and electronic
aids). Simply put, how do we get from here to there, and how
much time should we allow for the trip?
Some of us may have nostalgia for RDF, Loran-A, Decca,
Transit, Inertial Navigation Systems, or Omega,
7
but very
few of us would be willing to swap our GPS receivers for
any of these. There may be some shoals to avoid in charting
the right course, but there is clearly a prize at the end of the
voyage.
About the author:
L. Daniel Maxim, Ph.D., is a public member of the National Boating Safety
Advisory Council. He is also an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary, having held such positions as the assistant national commodore
of recreational boating. He is president of Everest Consulting Associates, a
frm that does research in environmental, health, and safety issues and is the
author of more than 200 articles and books on various subjects, including
the Coast Guard's Loran-C Handbook and NOAA's Chart User's Manual.
Endnotes:
1.
Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) is a decision support tool that
provides real-time oceanographic data (e.g., tides, currents, and winds) and other
navigation products to promote safe and effcient navigation within U.S. waters.
2.
See www.portvision.com/news---events/press-releases---news/bid/346365/AIS-
as-a-Virtual-Aid-to-Navigation-ATON.
3.
Available at www.uscgboating.org/statistics/survey.aspx.
4.
See www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/AIS_Comparison_By_Class.pdf.
5.
U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffc Safety Administra-
tion (2013). Traffc Safety Facts, Distracted Driving, 2011, Washington, D.C.
Olson, R.L., Hanowski, R. J., Hickman, J. S., and Bocanegra, J., (2009). Driver distrac-
tion in commercial vehicle operations. U. S. Department of Transportation, Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
National Transportation Safety Board (2013). Crash Following Loss of Engine Power
Due to Fuel Exhaustion Air Methods Corporation Eurocopter AS350 B2, N352LN Near
Mosby, Missouri August 26, 2011. Accident Report NTSB/AAR-13/02, Washington,
D.C.
National Transportation Safety Board (2010). Collision of Metrolink Train 111 with
Union Pacifc Train LOF65-12, Chatsworth, California, Sept. 12, 2008. Accident Report
NTSB/RAR-10/01, Washington, D.C.
National Transportation Safety Board (2011). Collision of Tugboat/Barge Caribbean
Sea/The Resource with Amphibious Passenger Vehicle DUKW 34, Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
vania, July 7, 2010. Accident Report NTSB/MAR-11/02, Washington, D.C.
6.
See www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/U.S.+DOT+Releases+Guide
lines+to+Minimize+In-Vehicle+Distractions.
7.
Groves, P. D., (2008). Principles of GNSS, Inertial, and Multi-sensor Integrated
Navigation Systems On-Line Appendix C, Historical Navigation Systems.
Virtual buoys may present challenges to many recreational boaters, espe-
cially on craft without sophisticated electronic navigational equipment. U.S.
Coast Guard photo.