SUBCHAPTER C—AIDS TO NAVIGATION CROSS REFERENCE: Corps of Engineers, De- aids to navigation operated by the partment of the Army, see Chapter II of this other armed services, and private aids title. to navigation operated by other per- sons. PART 60 [RESERVED] (b)(1) This part describes the general characteristics of the U.S. Aids to PART 62—UNITED STATES AIDS TO Navigation System, and the details, NAVIGATION SYSTEM policies and procedures employed by the Coast Guard in establishing, main- Subpart A—General taining, operating, changing or dis- Sec. continuing Federal aids to navigation. 62.1 Purpose. Regulations concerning the marking of 62.3 Definition of terms. wrecks, structures, and other obstruc- 62.5 Marking of marine parades and regat- tions are found in 33 CFR part 64. Regu- tas. lations concerning private aids are found in 33 CFR part 66. Regulations Subpart B—The U.S. Aids to Navigation concerning the marking of artificial is- System lands and structures which are erected 62.21 General. on or over the seabed and subsoil of the 62.23 Beacons and buoys. Outer Continental Shelf of the United 62.25 Lateral marks. States or its possessions are found in 33 62.27 Safe water marks. 62.29 Isolated danger marks. CFR part 67. Regulations concerning 62.31 Special marks. the marking of bridges are found in 33 62.32 Inland waters obstruction mark. CFR part 118. Regulations concerning 62.33 Information and regulatory marks. aids to navigation at deepwater ports 62.35 Mooring buoys. are found in subchapter NN of this 62.37 Lighthouses. chapter. 62.41 Ranges. 62.43 Numbers and letters. (2) The regulations found in 33 CFR 62.45 Light characteristics. subpart 66.10 expire on December 31, 62.47 Sound signals. 2003, at which time the provisions of 62.49 Intracoastal Waterway identification. this part will apply. 62.51 Western Rivers Marking System. (c) The Coast Guard maintains sys- 62.53 Racons. 62.54 Ownership identification. tems of marine aids to navigation con- sisting of visual, audible, and elec- Subpart C [Reserved] tronic signals which are designed to as- sist the prudent mariner in the process Subpart D—Public Participation in the Aids of navigation. The aids to navigation to Navigation System system is not intended to identify 62.63 Recommendations. every shoal or obstruction to naviga- 62.65 Procedure for reporting defects and tion which exists in the navigable wa- discrepancies. ters of the United States, but rather AUTHORITY: 14 U.S.C. 85; 33 U.S.C. 1222, 1233; provides for reasonable marking of ma- 43 U.S.C. 1333; Department of Homeland Se- rine features as resources permit. The curity Delegation No. 0170. primary objective of the aids to navi- SOURCE: CGD 86–031, 52 FR 42640, Nov. 6, gation system is to mark navigable 1987, unless otherwise noted. channels and waterways, obstructions adjacent to these waterways, and ob- Subpart A—General structions in areas of general naviga- tion which may not be anticipated. § 62.1 Purpose. Other waters, even if navigable, are (a) The Coast Guard administers the generally not marked. U.S. Aids to Navigation System. The [CGD 86–031, 52 FR 42640, Nov. 6, 1987, as system consists of Federal aids to navi- amended by CGD 88–018, 54 FR 48608, Nov. 24, gation operated by the Coast Guard, 1989; CGD 97–018, 63 FR 33573, June 19, 1998] 136 VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:56 Sep 12, 2012 Jkt 226132 PO 00000 Frm 00146 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Q:\33\33V1.TXT ofr150 PsN: PC150 Coast Guard, DHS § 62.21 § 62.3 Definition of terms. Subpart B—The U.S. Aids to Certain terms as used in this sub- Navigation System chapter are defined as follows: (a) Aid to Navigation. The term aid to § 62.21 General. navigation means any device external (a) The navigable waters of the to a vessel or aircraft intended to as- United States and non-navigable State sist a navigator to determine position waters after December 31, 2003, are or safe course, or to warn of dangers or marked to assist navigation using the obstructions to navigation. U.S. Aids to Navigation System, a sys- (b) Commerce. The term commerce, in tem consistent with the International addition to general, national and inter- Association of Lighthouse Authorities national trade and commerce of the (IALA) Maritime Buoyage System. The United States, includes trade and trav- IALA Maritime Buoyage System is fol- el by seasonal passenger craft (marine lowed by most of the world’s maritime and air), yachts, houseboats, fishing nations and will improve maritime boats, motor boats, and other craft, safety by encouraging conformity in whether or not operated for hire or buoyage systems worldwide. IALA profit. buoyage is divided into two regions (c) Commandant. The term Com- made up of Region A and Region B. All mandant means the Commandant of navigable waters of the United States the Coast Guard. follow IALA Region B, except U.S. pos- (d) District Commander. The term Dis- sessions west of the International Date trict Commander means the com- Line and south of 10 degrees north lati- mander of a Coast Guard District. tude, which follow IALA Region A. Coast Guard Districts are listed in Part Lateral aids to navigation in Region A 3 of this chapter. vary from those described throughout (e) Corps of Engineers. The term Corps this Subpart. Non-lateral aids to navi- of Engineers means the Corps of Engi- gation are the same as those used in neers, Department of the Army. Region B. See § 62.25. Appropriate nau- tical charts and publications should be (f) Person. The term person imparts consulted to determine whether the both singular or plural, as the case de- Region A or Region B marking schemes mands, and includes any Federal Agen- are in effect for a given area. cy, State, Territory, possession, or public subdivision thereof, the District (b) The U.S. Aids to Navigation Sys- of Columbia, and any corporation, com- tem is designed for use with nautical pany, association, club, or other in- charts. Nautical charts portray the strumentality. physical features of the marine envi- ronment, including soundings and (g) Navigable waters of the United other submarine features, landmarks, States. The term navigable waters of and other aids necessary for the proper the United States is defined in § 2.36(a) navigation of a vessel. This crucial in- of this chapter. formation cannot be obtained from [CGD 86–031, 52 FR 42640, Nov. 6, 1987, as other sources, even ones such as topo- amended by USCG–2001–9044, 68 FR 42601, graphic maps, aeronautical charts, or July 18, 2003] atlases. The exact meaning of an aid to navigation may not be clear to the § 62.5 Marking of marine parades and mariner unless the appropriate chart is regattas. consulted, as the chart illustrates the (a) The Coast Guard may establish relationship of the individual aid to aids to navigation to mark marine pa- navigation to channel limits, obstruc- rades and regattas which are regulated tions, hazards to navigation, and to the by the Coast Guard for the purpose of total aids to navigation system. protecting life and property, or to as- (c) The navigator should maintain sist in the observance and enforcement and consult suitable publications and of special regulations. For marine pa- instruments for navigation depending rade and regatta regulations, see Part on the vessel’s requirements. This ship- 100 of this chapter. board equipment is separate from the (b) [Reserved] aids to navigation system, but is often 137 VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:56 Sep 12, 2012 Jkt 226132 PO 00000 Frm 00147 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Q:\33\33V1.TXT ofr150 PsN: PC150 § 62.21 33 CFR Ch. I (7–1–12 Edition) essential to its use. The following pub- Local Notice to Mariners with more lications are available from the U.S. timely information. Mariners should Government to assist the navigator: monitor VHF-FM channel 16 to locate (1) The Light List, published by the Coast Guard Marine Information Coast Guard and available through the Broadcasts. Government Printing Office or author- (d) The U.S. Aids to Navigation Sys- ized sales agents, lists federal and pri- tem is primarily a lateral system vate aids to navigation. It includes all which employs a simple arrangement major Federal aids to navigation and of colors, shapes, numbers, and light those private aids to navigation, which characteristics to mark the limits of have been deemed to be important to navigable routes. This lateral system is general navigation, and includes a supplemented by nonlateral aids to physical description of these aids and navigation where appropriate. their locations. (e) Generally, lateral aids to naviga- (2) The United States Coast Pilot, tion indicate on which side of a vessel published by the National Ocean Serv- an aid to navigation should be passed ice and available through that agency when the vessel is proceeding in the or authorized nautical chart sales Conventional Direction of Buoyage. agents, supplements the information Normally, the Conventional Direction shown on nautical charts. Subjects of Buoyage is the direction in which a such as local navigation regulations, vessel enters navigable channels from channel and anchorage peculiarities, seaward and proceeds towards the head dangers, climatalogical data, routes, of navigation. In the absence of a route and port facilities are covered. leading from seaward, the Conven- (3) Local Notices to Mariners are tional Direction of Buoyage generally published by local Coast Guard District follows a clockwise direction around Commanders. Persons may be placed land masses. For example, proceeding on the mailing list to receive local No- southerly along the Atlantic Coast, tices by contacting the Aids to Naviga- from Florida to Texas along the Gulf tion and Waterway Management Coast, and northerly along the Pacific Branch of the appropriate Coast Guard Coast are considered as proceeding in District.