East Coast Alerts
By Mel Neale
January 25, 2007

Italicized text indicates our comment. Plain text is copied from the Notices to Mariners or other sources given.

What’s the Future for LORAN? USCG Seeks Comments:
The following excerpt from the Federal Register concerning the future of the LORAN-C system beyond fiscal year 2007 was included as an enclosure to USCG 5 th District LNMs 03 and 04. Note the choices: Future investment decisions might include: Decommissioning the LORAN–C system, maintaining the LORAN–C system as currently configured, or developing a fully deployed Enhanced LORAN (eLORAN) system. Your comments can help determine the future of LORAN-C:

796 and 797: Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 4 / Monday, January 8, 2007 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION [USCG–2006–24685]

Long Range Aids to Navigation(LORAN) Program; Office of Navigation and Spectrum Management

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS, Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for public comments.

SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security is considering the need to continue to operate or invest in the North American LORAN–C Radionavigation System beyond fiscal year 2007. Future investment decisions might include: Decommissioning the LORAN–C system, maintaining the LORAN–C system as currently configured, or developing a fully deployed Enhanced LORAN (eLORAN) system.Contributing factors to these decisions are (1) whether the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other available back-up systems are adequate for the public’s navigation and timing needs, thus making the LORAN–C system redundant, and (2) whether the eLORAN investments made to date provide enhancements that now merit consideration as a complementary capability to GPS, and not merely as a GPS back-up. The Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security seek public input on the various decisions currently under consideration. For more information on LORAN, you may visit http://www.navcen.uscg.gov.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before February 7, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket number USCG–2006–24685 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one of the following methods: (1) Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov. (2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590–0001. (3) Fax: 202–493–2251. (4) Delivery: Room PL–401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202–366–9329.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, call Mr. Greg Wheeler, Department of Transportation, Office of Navigation and Spectrum Policy, 202–366–4894, e-mail Greg.Wheeler@dot.gov or LT Michael Herring, Project Officer, Office of Navigation Systems, Coast Guard, telephone 202–372–1561, e-mail Michael.L.Herring@uscg.mil . If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202–493–0402. You may obtain a copy of this notice by calling the U.S. Coast Guard Infoline at 1–800–368–5647 or read it on the Internet on the Coast Guard Navigation Center Web site at http://www.navcen.uscg.govor at http://dms.dot.gov .

Background and Purpose
The North American LORAN–C system is a low frequency hyperbolic radionavigation system. It is approved for use in the U.S. Coastal Confluence Zone (CCZ) and as a supplemental air navigation aid. More information about LORAN–C is available at: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/loran/default.htm. While the current LORAN–C system is based on technology developed in the 1960’s, a portion of the stations have been updated to allow for an enhanced signal (Enhanced LORAN) once the entire system is upgraded. More information about Enhanced LORAN (eLORAN) is available at: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/loran/9th-pulsemodulation-ldc.html . Although eLORAN would improve both the accuracy and reliability of LORAN transmissions, and provide a precise timing service, further capital investment would be required before such a system would be fully operational. The Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security are evaluating: (1) Decommissioning the LORAN system, (2) maintaining the system as currently configured, and (3) whether further investment in modernizing and improving LORAN is in the public interest.

Next Steps for this Project
At this time, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security seek public input on the various decisions currently under consideration, namely (1) the extent to which the current LORAN–C in its current form is used for positioning, navigation and timing, and (2) the extent to which eLORAN would be applied to these same practices as either a complementary service or as a backup to GPS. After considering all comments, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security will inform the public of the agreed course of action with respect to future investment in LORAN.

Dated: December 22, 2006.

Robert Zitz, Deputy Under Secretary for Preparedness, Department of Homeland Security.

Jeffrey N. Shane, Under Secretary for Policy, Department of Transportation.

[FR Doc. E6–22421 Filed 1–5–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–15–P

See http://www.boatus.com/news/releases/2007/january/loran.asp also.

No More Morse Code Requirement for Ham License:
The FCC has dropped its requirement for Morse Code for all levels of ham (amateur radio) licenses. Many cruisers on boats around the world use ham radio for communications with other hams, emergencies, weather nets, email and weather product downloads. There is still testing required for license, but no longer the Morse Code requirement. See http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-269012A1.pdf and http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/07/20/100/?nc=1.

Narragansett Bay, East Passage, LED (Reduced Nominal Range) Changes:
From the USCG First District LNM 03: The Coast Guard will be making the following changes to this waterway on or about 25 Jan 2007:

Change the range of the following aids from a nominal range of 4 NM to 3 NM using a Light Emitting Diode (LED) lantern;

East Passage Lighted Gong Buoy 9 (LNR 17805)
East Passage Lighted Bell Buoy 11 (LNR 17810)
East Passage Lighted Bell Buoy 12 (LNR 17855)
East Passage Lighted Bell Buoy 14 (LNR 17940)
East Passage Lighted Buoy 17 (LNR 17965)
East Passage Lighted Buoy WR21 (LNR 18084)
East Passage Lighted Bell Buoy 24 (LNR 18095)
East Passage Lighted Buoy 25 (LNR 18100)
East Passage Lighted Bell Buoy 26 (LNR 18105)

More LEDs (Reduced Nominal Range) in New York Harbor:
From USCG 1 st District LNM 03: The Coast Guard is considering making the following changes in this waterway:

Change Ambrose Ch Ent LGB 1 (LLNR 34800) nominal range from 5 nm to 4 nm using Light Emitting Diode (LED) lantern

Change Ambrose Ch LB 3 (LLNR 34815) nominal range from 5 nm to 4 nm using LED lantern

Change Ambrose Ch LB 7 (LLNR 34840) nominal range from 5 nm to 3 nm using LED lantern

Interested Mariners are strongly encouraged to comment on this proposal in writing, either personally or through their organization. All comments will be carefully considered and are requested prior to 31 December 2007 to facilitate the process. Refer to Docket No. 01-06-039. In addition to the address listed on the front cover, e-mail can be sent to Peter.J.Boardman@uscg.mil and faxes to 617-223-8073.

Dredging in the Point Judith Harbor of Refuge:
USCG 1 st District LNM 03 states that dredging will be done in the Harbor of Refuge and Pt Judith Pond from 15 December 2006 - 15 March 2007. The hours of operation will be 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. On scene will be a barge, 2 dump scows and 2 tug boats.

New Jersey ICW Bridge Closure:
5 th District LNM 04 states that mariners are advised that the Brielle Railroad Bridge, at ICW mile 0.9, across Manasquan River in Brielle, New Jersey will be closed-to-navigation from 6 a.m. on Monday, March 5, 2007 until and including 6 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6, 2007. The drawbridge will be closed to vessels to perform gear shaft replacement. To avoid delays, mariners should adjust their schedule accordingly.

San Sebastian River ( St. Augustine Area) Shoaling, Off the ICW at Mile 780:
7th USCG LNM 04 reports that shoaling and silting has been reported on the western side of the channel at a 90 degree bend in the channel, causing constricting of the channel and posing a hazard to vessels transiting, passing in the channel, or moored at existing docks on the eastern side of the channel. All mariners are urged to transit this area with extreme caution.

NOTE: this River, which is navigable up to King Street in St. Augustine, has four bends which could be classified as 90 degree bends, and the LNM does not give any clue as to which bend is shoaling. The current is very swift in this river, and docks are close to the channel, especially at the second bend where the docks of St. Augustine Marine and Oasis Boatyard are located. Use extreme caution here.

More Testing of Unmanned Semi-submersible off Florida Coast:
Tests are currently being conducted of this vessel in this area, and further tests will be completed around the end of April, according to USCG 7 th District LNM 03:

Lockheed Martin will commence offshore testing of an unmanned, remotely piloted, semi-submersible vehicle 1 to 10 miles offshore from Jupiter Inlet to Boynton Beach Inlet on or about February 1, 2007 with completion date on or about April 30, 2007. The Lockheed Martins RHIB vessel and Sea Tow Palm Beach will support the semi-submersible and will be in constant radio contact with the operations crew and equipped with a remote kill switch.

All vessels will be monitoring VHF Channels 13 and 71. All mariners are urged to stay clear of the support vessels while transiting the area. For further information please contact Mr. Donny Jones at (561) 494-2245.

We’ve seen the semi-submersible in action, along with the Sea Tow chase boat, and it could be pretty scary if you’re not aware of the circumstances.

Southern Boulevard Bridge, Mile 1024.7, Schedule Change:
This is the final rule. It changes the schedule from opening on the hour and half hour to opening on the quarter and three quarter hour:

The Coast Guard is changing the operating regulation governing the operation of the Southern Boulevard (SR 700/80) Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 1024.7, Palm Beach Florida. The rule will require the drawbridge to open twice an hour. The schedule is based on requests from vessel operators along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The schedule will require the bridge to open on the quarter and three quarter hour and would meet the reasonable needs of navigation while not impacting vehicular traffic.

This rule is effective on February 5, 2007.

St. Lucie Inlet, FL Finally Getting Dredged:
Hazardous shoaling in this inlet has been reported for a long time. Dredging has finally begun according to the USCG 7 th District LNM 04: Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company has commenced dredging operations in the St Lucie Inlet, St Lucie, Florida. The dredge ALASKA, a booster pumping station, one (1) anchored barge, tugs, derrick barge and floating pipelines will be in and around the Inlet during this project. Mariners are urged to transit at slowest safe speed to minimize wake and proceed with caution after passing arrangements have been made. Be aware of floating and submerged pipeline in the area. The dredge ALASKA can be contacted on VHF Channels 13 and 16. All equipment will be lighted and marked in accordance with Coast Guard Regulations. This operation will continue on a twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven days (7) per week basis until completion on or about March 31, 2007. For further information please contact GLDD field office at (630) 248- 4078.

Other Florida Dredging Projects:
The USCG 7 th District LNM 04 reports the following projects underway in Florida waters:

Mayport, St. Johns River: U.S. Naval Station Mayport will be placing a work boat in a four point mooring over the Naval Station Degaussing Range at various times based upon periods of slack water while divers conduct underwater repairs. The mooring legs will not interfere with the main channel of the St John River, but will restrict passage of Naval Ships in the Naval Station Mayport Approach Channel. Local traffic to and from the Mayport Basin will be halted during those times when work is in progress. Four mooring balls will remain in position clear of the St Johns Bar Cut Channel and will be marked with Quick Flashing White Lights (QW). The work boat will display anchor ball day shapes and dive flags for daytime operations, appropriate obstruction lights during darkness, and will monitor VHF Channels 12 and 13 while on station. Upon completion of daily work mooring legs will be recovered, and the work boat will return to port, clearing the Naval Station Mayport Approach Channel. This operation is ongoing and will be completed on or about April 30, 2007.

Palm Beach: B and B Dredging Company will commence a maintenance dredging project within Palm Beach Harbor, Palm Beach, Florida, on or about February 3, 2007. A temporary mooring platform will be placed outside of the Lake Worth Inlet Entrance Channel on or about January 24, 2007 to facilitate the discharge of sand onto Palm Beach. The self propelled hopper dredge ATCHAFALAYA will monitor VHF Channels 13 and 16. This project will be completed on or about April 30, 2007. Please call with any questions or concerns to Mr. Timothy Ekren at (757) 435-9612 or e-mail at tpekren@bbdredging.com.

Lummus Island, Miami: Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC has begun maintenance dredging in the Lummus Island Turning Basin and Fishermans Channel in the Port of Miami. This is the final stage of cleanup work with the clamshell dredge GL-51, dump scow GL-33 and tug Comet. The tug Comet with dredge GL-51 will be transiting from the dredge area to the offshore ODMDS disposal site. This operation will continue on a twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven days (7) per week basis until completion on or about January 27, 2007. For further information please contact Mr. Matt Ferrell at (630) 248- 4078.

This information is not to be used for navigation. Consult the latest charts and Local Notices to Mariners and use prudent seamanship. Conditions may change. Any person or entity that uses this information in any way, as a condition of that use, agrees to waive and does waive and also hold authors harmless from any and all claims which may arise from or be related to that use.

Copyright 2004-2008 Tom Neale