OMMANDER Maureen
Johnson, Prevention Department Head at U.S Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, is emphatic about the crucial role played by the USCG Auxiliary in verifying private aids to navigation (PATONs) in D1SR as a whole and SECLIS in particular. With the Coast Guard’s limited resources, many missions, and facilities that often can’t safely reach PATON locations, Auxiliary augmentation is essential.
As the name implies, PATONs are aids placed and maintained by private owners including marinas, yacht clubs, aquaculture companies, and town and state governments. The aids include buoys, daybeacons, and ranges that mark channels, dangers, and regulatory areas including “No Wake” zones. PATONs usually are found in smaller channels and more shallow water than the federal aids to navigation maintained by the Coast Guard, but they are no less important to the safety of our waterways. A serious accident could result if PATONs are not adequately maintained or are not in the proper location.
At the Change of Command for ANT Long Island Sound, June 20, 2019.
L-R BMCS Mark Williams, outgoing Officer in Charge ANTLIS; Christine Howe, SO-NS Division 24; David Marriott, ADSO-NS SECLIS-N; BMCS Joshua Reeve, inoming Officer in Charge ANTLIS.
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