U.S. Coast Guard Northeast (formerly District 1) this spring sought public comments on its proposed plan to “modernize” the existing aids to navigation (ATON) program. In doing so, the Coast Guard intends to initially remove 350 navaids from New York to Maine. This represents about 6% of the federally maintained navaids in that district. This busy Northeast region will apparently be the Coast Guard’s first test ground for a range of technological additions to physical aids to navigation.
Many traditionalists in the maritime industry are in a state of high anxiety because of this announcement. There are still mariners who rely heavily on physical navaids to navigate in poor weather and rough seas. These individuals have most likely learned to navigate without the benefit of electronics and are resistant to casting off the old tried-and-true methods. They recognize the pitfalls of relying too heavily on electronics and are suspicious of looming cyberattacks and computer crashes.
Some younger mariners will be comfortable with electronic navigation solutions. They don’t know a world in which GPS and AIS do not exist. These individuals are very confident operating in an electronic environment and most likely will embrace virtual navaids. Some mariners straddle both generations and have comfort levels with physical navaids as well as electronic ones.
Finally, there is the Coast Guard, which faces the rising costs of building, maintaining, and crewing buoy tenders. They are additionally challenged by the never-ending tasks of placing, replacing, and repairing navaids. In doing so, the Coast Guard must also balance the needs of all mariners and constantly changing waterways.
Anyone concerned about maintaining maritime safety must be involved in this conversation. Change is inevitable, but it must be reasonable and measured. My recommendation, after many years as a licensed mariner, is to go slow and identify navigation areas to target first to iron out any bugs before broadening the program to other zones. We may find that some areas of the country are more conducive to modernization than others.
