United States Power Squadrons Nautical Program Standard Operating Procedures (Revised 12/18/2018)

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1 United States Power Squadrons Nautical Program Standard Operating Procedures (Revised 12/18/2018) This document describes the nautical cooperative charting programs. Included with each program description is a discussion on the program s purpose and its reporting frequency. Suggested preparations and materials for conducting the program are presented so you will be well prepared for the survey. The requirements for conducting a survey are described in detail. After the survey is completed you will want to complete the appropriate form and worksheets that make submitting a report a rewarding experience. All reports that show an error to a chart shall be submitted to the controlling agency. Problems with Aids to Navigation should be reported to the Coast Guard. All reports should be submitted to the Cooperative Charting Committee using the submittal form on the Cooperative Charting website. The data for the report is to be provided on the appropriate form which will be uploaded along with any pictures, chartlets or other associated documents. A member of the Cooperative Charting Committee will review the submitted reports and assign the appropriate number of credits if approved. If errors are found or the information is incomplete the submitter will be advised via of what actions are needed to gain acceptance. The Cooperative charting year will be from 01 January to 31 December and reports will have to be submitted within 30 days of the observation, except for reports done near the end of the year. To be counted in the current year reports will need to be submitted no later than 15 January of the following year. The programs and the total credits for each report are described in below: Reports to USACE Discrepancy Report/Nautical Item 50 ATON Reports to USCG, USACE or other waterway management ATON Discrepancy per ATON 25 ATON Verification per ATON 25 See page 9 for description of ATON Inspection reports credits to be awarded Reports to USCG Bridge Light Discrepancy/Bridge 50 Bridge Light Verification/Bridge 50 The credits awarded will be tracked by the Committee and used to recognize individuals, squadrons and districts as follows: 1

2 Individual Honor Roll Requirement Squadron Honor Roll Requirement District Honor Roll Requirement Calculated annually Calculated annually Calculated annually #1 Individual Based on percentage of honor roll requirement #1 Squadron Based on percentage of honor roll requirement #1 District Based on percentage of honor roll requirement Adopt-A-Chart Adopted charts are no longer supported by NOS, however, we are maintaining these to give squadrons the preference of performing cooperative charting activities in the areas they have adopted. This should be respected by all squadrons and they should plan their activities in areas not adopted by others or at least request their agreement for such activities to occur. The adopted charts will be listed on the USPS Cooperative Charting web site. The list that is currently posted is the best record we have at the time of this publication. In order to keep your adopted chart you only need to submit a nautical report in the area of your adopted chart by 31 December. If you believe you have an adopted chart that is not listed or would like to adopt one, please submit a request to the Cooperative Charting Chair detailing the chart or specific area of the chart. Discrepancy Report/Nautical Item (USACE) Introduction Discrepancy Reports of nautical items involves comparing the differences between the latest nautical chart and what you see that actually exists. Each discrepancy is to be described and its exact geographic location determined. Most recreational boaters use either paper or electronic charts prepared by the NOS. Generally, these charts cover coastal waters of the United States, and the Great Lakes, including harbors and rivers. Squadrons will be allowed to report on items only once per year if the Item is not on an Adopted Chart. When reporting nautical discrepancies be sure that you have the most current chart. Should you find a discrepancy between what you see and what is charted, complete a nautical discrepancy report. Should you find any discrepancies covering USACE waterways and lakes, complete the same form as you would for an NOS chart. A segment of a chart showing the area surveyed, called a chartlet, shall be attached as supporting documentation to your report. 2

3 Some Recommended Materials Latest edition of the largest scale charts for the area you will be working. Global Positioning System receiver, WAAS enabled GPS or DGPS. Digital camera for taking pictures that are easily included as report attachments. Pencil and paper or a small tape recorder. A pair of binoculars. Copies of nautical chart survey worksheet. Downloaded page(s) of latest edition of US Coast Pilot for the area being surveyed. All NOAA charts are available as free downloads, updated weekly, at This will make sure you have the latest LNM s included. Save the downloaded zip file in a convenient named and easily accessible folder. Unzip this file in the folder and open the new folder with the unzipped files. Open the following BSB_ROOT folder and after that, the folder with your chart number. Here you will find one *.BSB and one or several *.KAP files and the USER AGREEMENT. The number of.kap files depends on the chart type downloaded. Those files cannot be opened as such; you need to install them in a program such as OpenCPN, Rose Point Coastal Explorer, THE CAPN, OFFSHORE NAVIGATOR, etc. to translate the files into useable charts. See a typical unzipped chart folder below. To export the raw.bsb and.kap files into the charting program, follow the Manual or Help instructions of the respective program Preparations Preparation should start with a thorough study of the chart for the area you have chosen to investigate. Use the largest scale chart available. The chart scale must be 1:40,000 or larger (e.g., 1:20,000) unless none is available. Look for typographical errors, errors in spelling of names, places, etc., which should be reported as corrections. 3

4 Update your chart with the latest information from the USCG Light List and Light List corrections for the area you ll be surveying. The website is Once there, select the Coast Guard District in which you are interested. An Adobe Acrobat copy of the Light List will be displayed. Note: By downloading and installing the latest raster charts from NOAA into your charting program, it will have the latest Notices to Mariners (NTM) shown in an orange circle. When working on a USACE Chart you should become familiar with the landmarks and other features shown on the chart in that area, including (but not limited to): Anchorages Bridge and cable clearances Boat launch ramps Cables (submerged or overhead) Channels and routes Dams Depths Dikes and levees Distinctive stacks, towers, spires, tanks, etc. Dolphins Ferries and other types of marine traffic Geographic names, features, and landmarks (All geographic names must go through US Geological Survey GNIS database) Groins, jetties, weirs, and breakwaters Marine construction Newly constructed high buildings especially close to the water Navigation Range Lines Obstructions, snags, new wrecks, and other hazards to navigation Piers and docks as well as pilings form old piers and docks Pipelines (submerged or overhead) Radio, microwave, and cell phone towers Rocks Ruins Shoals Tides, currents and water levels Weather and ice conditions Procedure If you are unfamiliar with the survey area, gather whatever local knowledge you can before actually cruising the area. This can be done by talking with local boaters, fishermen, marina operators, harbor police, harbor masters, etc. Tell them what you are planning to do. Ask for their assistance in identifying major problems in your area of your interest. As you cruise or go by car, verify that all details of nautical significance are accurately represented on your chart. Check heights and widths, etc. Report any discrepancies you may find with corresponding geographic locations, etc. One series of items is of particular interest to NOAA chart makers, namely those items listed as "PA" (Position Approximate), "PD" (Position Doubtful), or other non-specific representations. 4

5 The following illustrates submerged piling as PA and a wreck showing above the water as PA). It is particularly important to check these locations to determine if the notation is still accurately represented on the chart. If the item is no longer present, a report to this effect is extremely valuable. Explain in detail how you determined that a PD or PA is no longer present. Another abbreviation you may see on a chart is the letters, ED, which stands for Existence Doubtful. Two examples of PA on a chart. Another valuable service to NOAA is to confirm new features as they are published in LNM. Sometimes wrecks and obstructions are salvaged after publication in LNM and after the charting information has gone to press; often these items remain on the charts for many years. In such cases, be sure to state how position was determined and what area was searched in determining its location or absence, as the case may be. You will need some type of support data to confirm a removal issue. Photographs, newspaper articles, salvage company reports, or engineer reports are some examples of legally valid support. Of these, salvage company reports are the most important. Also state how much time you spent, what search pattern was used, what the search boundaries were, and what technique(s) you used to investigate the site. If using GPS, WAAS enabled GPS or DGPS, select the Performance Measure Type of your GPS on your Observation page. This type of item requires pre-planning, much time in the vicinity of the reported site and some thoughtfulness in executing and documenting the search. However, it is a very valuable type of item for investigation. In this regard, it is also valuable to check all new references in LNM as they are published. Look for and record any differences between what you are able to observe and what is on the chart. Take digital pictures for added documentation to be included as attachments to your report. Plot each discrepancy you have observed on your digital chart copy. Mark in red or other contrasting color. Index each item for reference to your write-up. Draw a leader line from each 5

6 plotted item, bringing it from the item to an uncluttered area on the page. Avoid crossing leader lines because of confusion that may result. At each leader line, place the index number you have assigned to that item for reference to your report. This can be done digital prior to scanning your chart for upload, but the.jpg charts downloaded on your computer can be circled and annotated in free graphics programs such as Paint.NET at or Microsoft Paint. Prepare a description of each change or new item you observed, including its position. This information should be recorded in the comments section of the report. Include the item index numbers corresponding to those you have assigned on the chart. Obtain and include, as part of your report, any available documentation on the changes, such as newspaper articles, public notices, photographs, etc. Report serious discrepancies to USCG by appropriate means depending on the nature of the problem. 1. Critical. Report immediately by VHF radio or other means where failure to report could result in loss of life and/or property. 2. Urgent. Report by phone after returning to shore where failure to report may result in no danger of loss of life or property, but could contribute to a stranding, grounding or collision. 3. Routine. Report by phone or where failure to report could result in a very slight chance of grounding or stranding, but corrective maintenance is needed. Submitting the Nautical Discrepancy Report Note: We are not currently reporting discrepancies to NOAA, however, we are accepting reports to USACE. The Nautical Reporting Form can be found on the Nautical Program web page. Note the form allows for reporting up to five discrepancies on the same report. Each discrepancy on the report will earn 50 credits to be divided among the participants. If more than five discrepancies are found then a second report should be created to report the additional items. The report will be reviewed by the District Chair and then the Area Representative. Discrepancy Report/Nautical Item - USACE Nautical Discrepancies on USACE Waterways can be reported much the same as they are for NOS. You will need a program that can display the USACE charts and be familiar with updating them. The NOS form can be utilized for reporting discrepancies, however, the person submitting the report will need to establish an account on the USACE web site as shown below. After submitting the report to USACE a copy should be submitted with your report on the Cooperative Charting website. Note the form allows for reporting up to five discrepancies on the same report. Each discrepancy on the report will earn 50 credits to be divided among the participants. Once an account has been established you will be able to access the reporting system and create a new report for the submission. The New Report screen is as follows and you can follow the on screen directions. 6

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8 Aids to Navigation and USCG Light Lists. The Aids to Navigation (ATONS) and USCG Light List are new reporting programs since the publication of the 2007 Cooperative Charting Manual. These two on-the-water programs go handin-hand with each other. The purpose of these programs is to compare what you see on the water with what appears in print (on the chart and in the Light List book.) According to the glossary in the US Light List an Aid to Navigation is defined as Any device external to a vessel or aircraft specifically intended to assist navigators in determining their position or safe course, or to warn them of dangers or obstructions to navigation. Using the standard for North and South American, red ATONs (even numbers) are on your right when returning FROM the sea and green ATONs (odd numbers) are on your left. (Red Right Returning) Red daymarks should be triangles and green daymarks should be squares. See Figure 3-17 for ATON and Light List Inspection. Aids To Navigat i on and Light List Inspection The USCG Light List is a publication in seven volumes which gives information on lighted navigation aids, unlighted buoys, radio beacons, and radio direction finder calibration stations, day beacons, RACONs and LORAN stations. See the USCG website for the volume that applies to your boating area. Information on each light includes its name and location, geographic coordinates, light characteristics, height, range of light, type of structure on which it is mounted, and remarks. Each volume contains aids to navigation in geographic order from north to south along the Atlantic coast, from east to west along the Gulf coast and from south to north along the Pacific coast. It lists seacoast aides first, followed by entrance and harbor aides listed from seaward. Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) aids are listed last in geographic order in the direction from New Jersey to Florida to the border of Texas and Mexico. The listings are preceded by an introduction and glossary that is well worth the reading even by seasoned boaters. 8

9 ATON Verification/Discrepancy//Inspection Reports Squadrons will be allowed to report on ATON s that are not on an adopted chart once each year. In order to provide verification reports more frequently of Aids to Navigation charts your squadron will need to adopt a chart or portion of a chart for which they will be expected to inspect the Aids to Navigation at least once per year and preferably twice per year. ATON s should not be reported on more than once every 3 months. Having an adopted chart will prevent multiple squadrons from reporting on the same ATONS. A request to adopt a chart should be made to the Cooperative Charting Chair. Report Requirements ATON Discrepancy Attach the following to the JotForm report. o Must notify the USCG and attach their response. o Photograph of each ATON o Enter the Light List number, Light List Volume and ATONs Name in appropriate JotForm fields ATON Verification Attach the following to the JotForm report. o Photograph of each ATON o Enter the Light List number, Light List Volume and ATONs Name in appropriate JotForm fields ATON Inspection Attach one of the following to the JotForm report. o Excel file that contains the following information of the ATONs Inspected. Chart Number ATON number o Copy of Light List page(s) with the inspected ATONs highlighted Inspection reports are designed to allow multiple ANTONs to be reported on without providing a photo/light List Number/Light List Volume and Name of each ANTON. Follow the requirements noted above. In addition a chartlet showing the location of the ATON s can be included with the report in order clarify the items being reported. One report should be submitted per day per boat for the primary and up to 5 additional observers. You will receive 25 credits for the first 10 ATONS inspected and an additional 5 credits each for each 20 inspected after the first 10, regardless of the condition. An additional 1 thru 20 will count as 20. For example: 26 ATON s surveyed. The first 10 earns 25 credits, the next 16 earns 5 credits for total of 30 credits regardless of condition. The credits earned will be divided between the observers as detailed in the JotForm submission. Some Recommended Materials o Latest edition of the largest scale charts for the area you will be working. These may now be downloaded free of charge from o WAAS enabled GPS or DGPS. o Digital camera for taking pictures that are easily included as report attachments. o Pencil and paper or a small tape recorder. o A pair of binoculars. 9

10 o A watch or stopwatch is a useful tool for timing the period of an aid s light. Any good wristwatch also satisfies this operational need. o Update your chart with the latest information from the USCG Light List and Light List corrections for the area you ll be surveying. The website is Once there, select the Coast Guard District in which you are interested. An Adobe Acrobat copy of the Light List will be displayed. Note: By downloading and installing the latest raster charts from NOAA into your charting program, it will have the latest Notices to Mariners (NTM) shown in an orange circle. Procedure Confirm the following conditions about each Aid that you check. Report any inconsistency to the Coast Guard as an ATON discrepancy. Report serious discrepancies to USCG by appropriate means depending on the nature of the problem. 1. Critical. Report immediately by VHF radio or other means where failure to report could result in loss of life and/or property. 2. Urgent. Report by phone after returning to shore where failure to report may result in no danger of loss of life or property, but could contribute to a stranding, grounding or collision. 3. Routine. Report by phone or where failure to report could result in a very slight chance of grounding or stranding, but corrective maintenance is needed. These can also be reported by utilizing the Coast Guards discrepancy reporting system on their web site: Check your on-scene observation of the aid against the aid s characteristics in the Light List. From the aid s name in the Light List, you should be able to discern the aid type, the aid color, the aid s number or letters, the latitude and longitude, deployment schedule, whether it is a Federal or Private aid, electronic equipment, sounding devices, fog signals, signal characteristics, light, light color, light characteristics, RACON, light height, etc. Compare your on-scene observation of the aid against the charted symbols and chart abbreviations on the NOAA or USACE chart. Verify that the charted symbol color and the light characteristic abbreviations are correct. Confirm that the charted symbols and abbreviations match those listed for the aid in the Light List. Report any erroneous charted abbreviations, symbol, and color discrepancies to NOAA as chart discrepancies. Use Chart No. 1 as a reference guide. For all lateral aids, verify that your observation of the aid s characteristics shape, color, light, and numbering or lettering comply with the IALA Aid to Navigation System standards for the region you are operating in. Check the location (LAT/LONG Fix) of the aid. 10

11 Caveat on reporting Federal Aids as off station Whenever a Federal Aid is reported to be off station, the Coast Guard unit or ANT may have to dispatch a unit to verify the aid s position and, if necessary, reset it. Be sure of your estimates and calculations before you submit an off-station report. Include the calculation details (as described in the guidelines below) with your report so that the Coast Guard unit or entity can make a proper assessment of your report. Also indicate the type of GPS used to determine the fix, the name and model number of the GPS, and the method used to prove the accuracy of your GPS set at the time that the fix was taken, either the EPE or HDOP. Your accuracy and professionalism will increase your credibility in the eyes of the Coast Guard. Never report minor location (Lat/Long) errors. When an aid is found to be a considerable distance off station, always check the Local Notice to Mariners or the on-line NOAA charts for any recent changes to the aids assigned position before making a formal report. Most aids now show an assigned position (LAT/LONG) in the Light List. Extract the LAT/LONG for the aid from a nautical chart and compare it to the observed location. An Aid to Navigation should be at least 150 feet from its designated location before considering it might be off station. Take the depth alongside the aid while in the navigation channel. Scan the Aid for discrepancies. Any discrepancies should be reported to the Coast Guard as stated previously. Double check your recorded observations for completeness and accuracy before you leave the scene. It is best to prepare your discrepancy report while still on-scene at the aid. This practice helps avoid missing required data and saves time by not having to return to the scene in order to collect the missing data. Bridge Verification/Discrepancy Reports In order to provide verification reports on Bridges your squadron will need to adopt a chart or portion of a chart for which they will be expected to inspect any applicable bridges at least once per year and preferably twice per year and no more than once every 3 months. Having an adopted chart will prevent multiple squadrons from reporting on the same bridges. A request to adopt a chart should be made to the Cooperative Charting Chair. USPS Form 7055 will be used to report each Bridge inspected. These forms are available on the Cooperative Charting web page (and also here). Completed forms should be submitted with your report on the Cooperative Charting website. Each reported will earn 50 Credits. Report Requirements Bridge Discrepancy Attach the following to the JotForm report. o Must notify the USCG and attach their response. ( o Photograph(s) of the Bridge o Form 7055 o Enter the Light List number, Light List Volume and Bridge Name in appropriate JotForm fields if the bridge is listed in the Light List. 11

12 Bridge Verification Attach of the following to the JotForm report. o Photograph of the Bridge o Form 7055 o Enter the Light List number, Light List Volume and Bridge Name in appropriate JotForm fields if the bridge is listed in the Light List. Some Recommended Materials o Latest edition of the largest scale charts for the area you will be working. These may now be downloaded free of charge from o WAAS enabled GPS or DGPS. o Digital camera for taking pictures that are easily included as report attachments. o Pencil and paper or a small tape recorder. o Copies of Form o A pair of binoculars. o A VHF radio to verify communications with a bridge tender for bridges that are so equipped. Procedure Compare the bridge lighting to the lighting arrangements in the following document from the Coast Guards Bridge Administration Program and report any discrepancies on Form Report serious discrepancies to USCG by appropriate means depending on the nature of the problem. 1. Critical. Report immediately by VHF radio or other means where failure to report could result in loss of life and/or property. 2. Urgent. Report by phone after returning to shore where failure to report may result in no danger of loss of life or property, but could contribute to a stranding, grounding or collision. 4. Routine. Report by phone or where failure to report could result in a very slight chance of grounding or stranding, but corrective maintenance is needed. These can also be reported by utilizing the Coast Guards discrepancy reporting system on their web site: 12

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21 Check the Clearance gauges for damage and readability. 21

22 Check any regulatory signs for readability and damage. Check for any bridge signaling devices or communication signs. Contact the bridge operator via radio to verify quality of signal. Check fender system for damage, deterioration or other problems. Check for obstructions into the navigable channel. Any discrepancies in the above items should be recorded on Form 7055 and reported to the Coast Guard. Double check your recorded observations for completeness and accuracy before you leave the scene. It is best to prepare your discrepancy report while still on-scene at the aid. This practice helps avoid missing required data and saves time by not having to return to the scene in order to collect the missing data. Digital pictures of any discrepancies should be included as supporting documents to the report. 22