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US
Coast Guard Notice to Mariners
US Coast
Guard Navigation Center
NOAA Charts Online
Security Issues
Matagorda
Bay ICW Changes
Island
Moorings Marina Entry Channel
Jetties
at Key Allegro (Rockport)
Parties in Progress at Galveston Bay's
Redfish Island
Although full of information for commercial boatmen and big-ship skippers, there is plenty of important data in the weekly Notice to Mariners for pleasure boaters as well. These publications are tailored to the individual Coast Guard districts. Check out the Eighth District offerings for Gulf Coastal waters at:
Many pleasure boaters are not familiar with the excellent information available on the web directly from the US Coast Guard. Many of the publications which should be carried aboard your boat are available for downloading in PDF format for no cost. Go to
Updated with the latest Notice to Mariners, a complete catalog of NOAA charts is available for on-line viewing. These are great for planning a cruise or day-dreaming on a cold winter afternoon. The charts may also be downloaded in ZIP format. Read all the warnings about their use in navigation. Go to
In response to recent events which began with the tragedies of September 11, 2001, we have undertaken a thorough review of new and enhanced security measures along coastal waterways. The specific way in which those changes may impact the movements or activities of privately-owned fishing boats or yachts will be presented here as they are compiled.
Corpus Christi Harbor - Privately-owned vessels may NOT follow the Corpus Christi Ship Channel upstream of the Harbor Bridge (that's the really big one!). An unfriendly greeting (quite contrary to local custom) will be directed to offenders, followed by boarding and fines up to $250,000.
Based upon a televised report, the sportfisherman Tailwalker from Rockport, Texas breached the Corpus Christi Harbor security zone on August 1, 2002. The vessel was boarded, crew detained and the vessel searched thoroughly before being released with only a warning. Other accidental violators will not likely be so lucky.
Military Vessels, Anywhere - TEMPORARY FINAL RULE, NAVAL PROTECTION ZONES: a Naval Vessel Protection Zone has been established around U.S. Naval vessels, including chartered and leased vessels. A protection zone is a 500 yard regulated area surrounding U.S. Naval vessels. All vessels within 500 yards of a naval vessel shall operate at the minimal speed necessary to maintain a safe course and shall proceed as directed by the official patrol. An official patrol may be a Coast Guard Petty Officer or above, or the Commanding Officer/designee of the naval vessel. In addition, no vessel or person in the water is allowed within 100 yards of a naval vessel, unless authorized by the official patrol. Vessels requesting transit within 100 yards of the naval vessel shall contact the official patrol on VHF -FM Channel 16. The official patrol may authorize passage within 100 yards to allow safe passage in accordance with navigation rules. [Note that violators of the 100 yard zone are subject to being stopped with deadly force-Ed.]
LOWER MISSISSIPPI
RIVER Safety Zone - The COTP New Orleans, under the authority
of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, has established a moving
safety zone on the Lower Mississippi River from the Huey P. Long
Bridge, Mile 106.1 to the Industrial Canal, Mile 92.7. This moving
safety zone will prov ide a 100 foot buffer zone around passenger
cruise ships and all vessels and tows carrying any of the following
cargo: ammonium nitrate (Solid), liquefied natural gas (LNG),
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), chlorine, anhydrous ammonia, ethylamine,
methylamine, vinyl chloride monomer, hydrogen fluoride, or hydrogen
peroxide. Subject downbound vessels entering this safety zone
must notify the Vessel Traffic Center (VTC) at (504) 589-2780
or on VHF-FM Channel 67, 3 hours in advance of their anticipated
arrivalat the Huey P. Long Bridge. Subject upbound vessels entering
this safety zone must notify the VTC at (504) 589-2780 or on
VHF-FM Channel 67, 3 hours in advance of their anticipate arrival
at the Industrial Canal. The VTC will coordinate Coast Guard
vessel escort through the safety zone. Failure to comply with
the safety zone will subject persons to a civil penalty of up
to $27,500.00. Willful violation of this order may be punishable
by a fine of not more than $50,000.00 or imprisonment for not
more than 5 years, or both
LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER Safety Zone - The COTP New Orleans, under
the authority of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, has established
temporary regulations for the safety or security of U.S. Naval
vessels in the navigable waters of the United States. Effective
immediately, naval vessels protection zones are established within
500 yards of any U.S. Naval vessel. This includes any vessel
owned, operated, chartered, or leased by the U.S. Navy or under
the operational control of the U.S. Navy. All vessels within
500 yards of a U.S. Naval vessel shall operate at the minimum
safe speed necessary to maintain a safe course and proceed as
directed by the official patrol. No vessel or person is allowed
within 100 yards of a U.S. Naval vessel, unless authorized by
the official patrol. Vessels requesting to pass within 100 yards
of a U.S. Naval vessel shall contact the official patrol on VHF
-FM Channels 16 or 67. The following areas are designated as
Naval Vessel Protection Zones: Naval Support Activities, Mile
93.0; Violet Dock, Mile 83.5, LDB; Marrero Berth, Mile 99.3,
RDB; Avondale Shipyard, Mile 102.3, RDB.
PORT AND WATERWAY
TOLL-FREE INFORMATION HOT-LINE - A Coast Guard toll-free hotline
is now available to provide both commercial and recreational
mariners with the latest, up-to-date information on local waterways
and ports openings, closures and restrictions. The Coast Guard
Maritime Safety Line, 1-800-682-1796, has information from over
30 Coast Guard Captains of the Port Offices from the Mississippi
River to the Atlantic Ocean. The Safety Line is broken into 5
regions:
1. The Northeast Region, including most of New York, Rhode Island,
Maine and Massachusetts;
2. The Mid-Atlantic/Southeast Region, comprised of eastern and
southern Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia,
Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania;
3. The Gulf Region made up of Northwest Florida, Alabama, Louisiana,
and Texas;
4. The Great Lake Region including western New York, Ohio, Michigan,
Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota;
5. The Mid-West Rivers Region, including Missouri, West Virginia,
Western Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee
Puerto Rico has its own information line, with information on
22 ports, that number is (787) 706-2415.
More to follow...
The former ICW main route immediately east of the Matagorda Ship Channel (MSC), a.k.a. "The Towers", is now unmarked and apparently abandoned by the USCOE. The entire area north of "Bird Island" is extremely shoal and shifty. Avoid it. The most current chart of the area depicts the Aids to Navigation marking the "Alternate" route which runs across the bay north of the main route. The alternate route crosses the MSC mid-way between MSC Markers "24" and "26" and passes just north of the big yellow platform before rejoining the main route at the end of the Port O'Connor jetties. When westbound, depart the main route at marker "31", approximately Mile 460 WHL and follow the markers beginning with "2" (Fl R 4s 17ft 4M).
The entrance channel to Island Moorings Marina in Port Aransas, Texas remains subject to shoaling. Call them for the latest. They may be able to FAX a current chartlet.
After years of effort by a number of individuals and organizations to provide a long-lasting solution to the periodic shoaling of the main entrance channel (also referred to as Leggett Lights) to Key Allegro at Rockport, Texas, a set of steel sheet-piling jetties now guard the entrance channel from Aransas Bay. The location of the jetties follows the relatively (past 3-4 years) new channel direction forming a crook (rather than the old straight-in piling set shown on many charts). At normal tide with little wave action, the new metal paints a very distinctive radar picture. Extreme care should be exercised approaching this entrance in poor visibility without electronic aids since the jetties terminate in about 7-plus feet of water and it is possible to unknowingly get in-shore of the ends...no more short-cuts for shallow-draft boats!
The parties at Redfish have resumed and maybe The Great Redfish Races will follow. Just remember that limestone is harder than most things normally found on Galveston Bay and will do harm to fiberglass. The "reef" is still there at the south end of the island. Be careful, leave plenty of GPS "breadcrumbs" and have fun!
During Fall, 2002, the reconstruction of the once-popular, pleasure boating anchorage and cruising destination on Galveston Bay (Texas) known as Redfish Island was completed Luhr Brothers Construction Company, under the direction of the US Army Corps of Engineers. The island has been restored utilizing fist-sized hunks of limestone, rather than the original oyster shell. The latter building material was not available for the project.