To keep US waterways open and safe, the US Coast Guard encourages shippers, whether professional mariners or recreational boaters, to self-report hazards to navigation, such as discrepant buoys and beacons, or debris, when sailing in inland waterways.
The Navigation Center would like to remind all waterway users of several options to report waterway hazards:
- Call your local Coast Guard command center via VHF radio
- Call the Navigation Center at (703) 313-5900
- Use the ‘Aids to Navigation Discrepancy Report’ found on the Navigation Center’s website: The Center will use this information to disseminate navigation safety notices and updates to individuals upon request and to receive reports of aid to navigation outages, issues or discrepancies.
- Use the Coast Guard boating safety app: Launched in 2015, the Boating Safety Mobile app was designed to help increase safety and awareness within the maritime community.
The app was not designed to replace a marine VHF radio, which the Coast Guard strongly recommends all mariners have aboard their vessels.
One of the interactive features of the boating safety app is the ability to easily report hazards. 176 hazard reports were generated in 2017 and over 70 reports have been generated so far in 2018. Once a report is filed, it is sent to the Navigation Center, which in turn works with the local Coast Guard units in the affected area.
There is old dock debris in the St Johns River apx 100 yards northeast of red buoy 22. It seems to be holding on the bottom but still has part sticking out of the water.
It is apx 100’ feet from shore.