ATON
BM1 BAGLEY
BM1 KANE
(THE MAN)
REFERENCES
ATON POSITIONING MANUAL
ATON ADMIN MANUAL
ATON TECH MANUAL
ATON SEAMANSHIP MANUAL
ATON STRUCTURES MANUAL
SOLAR DESIGN MANUAL
POSITIONING
MANUAL
What is covered?
What is a APR?
Positioning Equipment? Problems?
Positioning terms?
Excursion methods?
What is Covered?
Positioning Instruments and Guidelines
Theory of Positioning
Accuracy Classification for Floating Aids to
Navigation
Positioning Methods for Fixed Aids to
Navigation
Position Check Evaluations
Aid Positioning Record
TERMS
Accuracy Classification (AC)
Aid Positioning Record (APR)
Watch Circle Radius (WCR)
Assigned Positioning (AP)
Horizontal Dilution of Precision (HDOP)
Most Probable Position (MPP)
Aid Positioning Record
Must be done every time a Floating Aid is
visited, or a Fixed Aid is established,
rebuilt, or moved
Must be submitted to district within 10
working days or upon return to port
Original stays at unit in Aid File
Original can be destroyed 3 years after Aid
is disestablished
CO/OINC must review and sign APR
Purpose of CO/OINC signature is to verify:
(a) APR complete.
(b) Aid on station.
(c) Aid adequately marks hazard/channel.
(d) Light List/ATONIS/Chart have been
verified.
APR REMARKS SECTION
Aid On or Off Station when found.
Light List verification.
ATONIS verification.
Chart verification.
Reason for ATON visit.
Departures from normal procedures (if any).
Inclined Angle Corrections (if applicable).
If excursion was used, the method used to
determine excursion must be listed.
Any other information that may be required by
the district office.
Positioning Equipment
DGPS – Primary
NMEA Strings – GGA,GSA,GSR,GST
HDOP-zero bad, no max
Not updating for 3 min bad
GPS - NMEA String – GGA
HDOP-zero bad, more than 20 bad
CO / OINC call if Aid is ON/OFF Station
where there has been an onboard equipment, (hardware)
configuration change, the verification procedure in enclosure (7)
must be performed prior to using the DGPS equipment for
positioning
EXCURSION METHODS
L METHOD
CHAIN LENGTH – WATER DEPTH
3
HYPOTENUSE METHOD
CHAIN LENGTH X 2 – WATER DEPTH X 2
SQUARED
ATON ADMIN
What is covered?
Marking of wrecks and obstructions?
CO/OINC responsibilities?
ATON SERVICING FLOWCHART (SIF)
What is Covered?
Training
Correction of Discrepancies
Duties & Operations of ATON Units
Lighthouses
External Relations
Navigation Info
Non – USCG maintained Aids
Establishment, Review, and Modification of
ATON
Management & Admin of Short Range ATON
Marking of Wrecks and
Obstructions……
Inform owner of responsibility to mark (Federal Law)
Owner pays expense to mark (keep at a min)
Must be reported to District Commander immediately followed by a
Hazard to Navigation Message
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The name, description, and accurate location of the wreck.
The name and address of the owner or his agent.
Depth of water over the wreck.
The action or intent of the owner to mark
the wreck, and when such action will be taken.
The type, description, and location of the marking, if any.
An opinion as to whether or not immediate marking of the
wreck by the Coast Guard is necessary for the protection of
navigation.
Marking of Wrecks and
Obstructions (cont)
CG may or may not mark
Use appropriate marking
If longer than 30 days, must make
permanent
CO/OINC RESPONABILTIES
Contacting owner of wreck or obstruction
Discrepancy Response Factor (DRF)
must sign
ATONIS
Ensure a Federal Aid Information
Document is updated
Ensure Battery Tracking is used from
cradle to grave
SERVICING INTERVAL FLOWCHART
(SIF)
Enclosure (7)
CO/OINC MUST SIGN
Flowcharts for……..
Mooring
Day board
Optic
Battery
ATON TECH MANUAL
What is covered?
Testing requirements?
Abbreviations/Symbols of ATON?
What is covered?
Buoys and Moorings
Buoy Markings
Structures
Day boards
Light Signals
Sound Signals
Power Systems
Monitor and Control Equipment
Testing Requirements?
External Buoy pockets not required to Air Test
Air Test buoy hulls after repair 3 PSI for 10 min,
Air Test internal Battery pockets after opening 12 PSI for 5 min. testing for leaks, clogs in vent,
or cracks
Gas Free Buoys before welding
Test Solar panels, Batteries, and Lanterns in
accordance with this manual
Abbreviations/Symbols
Buoy Sizes
Day boards
Range Boards
Light Characteristics
Buoy Abbreviations
Nuns / Cans
1ST CLASS LARGEST, 6TH CLASS SMALLEST
C – CAN
N – NUN
T – TALL TYPE
S – SPECIAL
R – RADAR REF
F – FAST WATER
P - PLASTIC
A – ALUMINUM
M - MOORING
F – FOAM (2ND POS)
Examples
1N = First class Nun
2CR = Second class Can Radar Ref
6FC = Sixth class Fast Water Can
3NPR = Third class Nun Plastic Radar Ref
BONUS
2 C 31 105 =
Second class Can built in 1931 #105 built
1 NS 72 188 =
First class Nun Special built in 1972 #188 built
4th,5th,6th class nun & cans = no ser#, short life span
Buoys Lighted / Unlighted
ABBREVIATIONS
L – Lighted
B – Bell
G – Gong
W – Whistle
R – Radar Ref
E – Electric Bell
H – Electric Horn
I – Ice
Examples
9x32 LWR= Nine Ft diameter by Thirty Two Ft long,
lighted, whistle, radar ref
7x17 LB= Seven ft diameter by seventeen ft long,
lighted, bell
6x20 LI= Six ft diameter by twenty ft long, lighted, ice
BONUS
6-79-56=
Six ft diameter built in 1979, 56th built
9-33-76=
Nine ft diameter built in 1933, 76th built
DAY BOARD ABBREVATIONS
FIRST LETTER…….
S – SQUARE
T – TRIANGLE
J – PREF CH
M – SAFE WATER
N – NO LATERAL K – RANGE
C – CROSSING
SECOND LETTERS…..
R – RED
G – GREEN
W – WHITE
B – BLACK
DAYBOARDS CONT.
THIRD LETTER (RANGE BOARDS ONLY)
R – RED
W – WHITE
G – GREEN
B – BLACK
ADDITIONAL INFO BY LETTERS AFTER A DASH –
I – INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY
SY – YELLOW SQUARE (DUAL PURPOSE)
TY – YELLOW TRIANGLE (DUAL PURPOSE)
EXAMPLES
6KRW= Six ft wide red range, white stripe
in middle
4JR-SY= Four ft wide preferred CH, red,
yellow square
4SG= Four ft square green
6TR= Six ft triangle green
3MB= Three ft safe water, black
ATON SEAMANSHIP
What is covered?
Platforms/limitations at ANT Teams?
What is covered?
ATON Rigging practices and safety
Tools
Quals for Booms, Winches, Cranes
Ship handling / Boat handling
ICE OPS
Cargo handling/Stability
ATON Inland Rivers, Ashore, Coastal waters
ATON Construction Tenders
Lighthouse Restoration
Platforms ANT Teams
TANB- Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat Not for
offshore, 4ft or less seas, Davit capable of 300lbs,
2,500lbs crew & cargo
55 ANB A&B,C- Different Cranes
A&B,C 5-6 ft seas, Floating ATON 3 ft seas
A-2,000lb
B-3,000lb
C-3,300lb
No max at stern notch, able to back into a buoy, Cargo
4,000lb
49 BUSL- Floating ATON 3 ft seas, 10 knots full load
+cargo, 6 ft seas,
4,500lb Crane
LIGHT LIST
Number of Aid
Name and locations
Position ( LAT & LONG)
Characteristic
Height
Range
Structure
Remarks
Solar Design Manual
What is Covered?
Solar Panels?
Solar Sizing sheet?
What is covered?
Major / Minor Aid equipment
Solar Sizing Tables by Area
Solar Calculation sheets
Power systems
Internal workings of Lights, Signals
Battery Acquisition
Solar Panels
10, 20, 35 watt sizes
Floating Aids mounted on top facing up
Fixed Aids mounted pointing South
Continental USA- 60 deg angle
Hawaii- 30 deg angle
Alaska- 75 deg angle
Solar Sizing
Chapter 8
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Take flasher type and lamp size
Come up with # of Batteries and Solar Panel
size
ATON STRUCTURES
What is covered?
Servicing / Survey requirements?
What is Covered?
Structure Design
Climbing Safety
Inspection
Structure Design
Major ATON Structures- CEUs are tasked
with the design. This design work might be
carried out by CEU staff, or contracted out.
Minor ATON Structures- Normally little
design work required. Structures built by
Coast Guard construction tenders
(WLICs). The engineering design of
specific minor ATON structures, when
required, is a CEU responsibility.
Structures Cont.
Appendix B- Data Sheets
Inspection
Chapter 3 & Appendix A- GUIDELINES
FOR FIELD UNIT MAINTENANCE
INSPECTION
Two levelsScheduled – CEU, all Major ATON, once
every 5 years
Field Unit Maintenance- USCG, done on
every visit
If unable to fix SSMR and CASREP
Climbing Safety
Must train under CEU-sponsored climber
safety training, or a train the trainer
Must have written Certification
Buddy system
Structure 20 ft and higher
150 Ft or less Safety Observer
PPE
Army Core of Engineers
Memo of Agreement with
Wrecks, obstructions, Survey channels