Texting While Boating: A Dangerous Distraction

“Each year hundreds of lives are lost, thousands of people are injured, and millions of dollars of property damage occur because of preventable recreational boating accidents on U.S. waterways.”

That statement from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division probably doesn’t surprise you.

According to the USCG’s 2016 Recreational Boating Statistics report, alcohol is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. No surprise there, either. Most everyone is aware of the life-threatening risks posed by drinking and driving—whether on the road or on the water.

But did you know that a big portion of preventable boating accidents stems from distracted driving? In addition to alcohol use, the USCG report lists “operator inattention” as one of the top contributing factors in boating accidents.

Piloting a boat requires a lot of multi-tasking as it is. Add to that distractions like wind, glare and fatigue—and you can see how easy it can be to get preoccupied. And then there’s cell phone use, which throws in a whole new level of distraction for boaters.

Most people understand the dangers of texting while driving a car. Indeed, a growing number of states have strict laws against it. The USCG is also aware of the risks—and since 2015, it has prohibited the use of cell phones by its vessel operators.

Unfortunately, too many recreational boaters don’t consider the dangers of texting while boating. Texting (along with tweeting and/or taking photos and posting to social media sites like Instagram and Facebook) while boating creates exactly the type of operator inattention that leads to accidents.

Consider this statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission:

Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

That’s frightening! Think about how much can happen in 5 seconds on the waterways—where boats can approach from any direction and at varying speeds. Texting while boating is an accident waiting to happen. When waterways are crowded, the risks are even higher.

The Fourth of July is a big holiday for boaters. If you’re planning to hit the waterways, put down your cell phone, be safe…and have fun!

Icebergs in Popular Shipping Pipeline Are Threatening Navigational Safety

Off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada’s “Iceberg Alley” is one of the world’s most popular shipping lanes. Currently, a record number of icebergs has moved in (along with loosened sea ice) and is threatening navigational safety.

The situation right now is extreme, due in part to two extraordinary weather systems in late March. To give you an idea of just how extreme, here are a few stats from April of this year:

• There were about 660 icebergs in the area; the average number for the same time of year is about 212. More than triple the average!
• The Canadian Coast Guard was called in 85 times to break ships from the ice.
• Within the span of one week, the number of icebergs in the shipping lanes grew sharply—from 37 to 455.

Note that those statistics are from April—and peak season for the icebergs is May and June.

Thankfully, the International Ice Patrol is on the scene. The Patrol, which consists of an international coalition of 17 nations, formed in 1913 in response to the Titanic disaster. And it’s been warning ships of iceberg danger since.

Gabrielle McGrath is the U.S. Coast Guard commander leading the international effort, which is focused on identifying and tracking the biggest, most dangerous icebergs. In a recent interview with ABC News, she said, “In the last 104 years any vessel heeding our warnings has stayed safe from the danger of iceberg collision.”

According to Aslak Ross, head of marine standards for Maersk Line, the safety hazards posed by icebergs are not to be taken lightly. “We operate big ships, and our safety is a priority—and hence, we really try to avoid the areas of icebergs,” he said. “It is definitely something that needs to be considered in safe navigation.”

What’s Wrong With the National Charting Plan – Part 2

WHY WE NEED PAPER CHARTS

By: Bob Sweet, former USPS National Education Officer

In Part 1 of this blog, I outlined my main concerns with the Office of Coast Survey’s draft National Charting Plan. Namely, that it seems to support a trend toward the elimination of paper charts.

I’m going to run through four key reasons why paper charts are critical—especially for recreational boaters.

• Reason #1: Let’s face it, electronics can and do malfunction. Most recreational boaters have a single thread system, based on a single GPS receiver and probably just one screen. A failure without paper charts would render this boater blind.

• Reason #2: Chartplotters offer a limited window into the boaters’ area of operation. If the boater zooms in to see where the boat is located, he or she cannot see where the boat is going. If the boater zooms out to see where the boat is going, he or she cannot see any detail around the boat. The answer to this problem is to use a paper chart alongside the chartplotter. The paper chart will provide a larger view and sufficient detail. What’s more, the larger coverage of the printed chart is much better and safer for planning a voyage. Planning is more difficult on a chartplotter because it requires scrolling and zooming on an electronic chart.

• Reason #3: Printed charts offer a great deal more information. This information is useful in planning and checking position while underway. Recreational boaters rely far more on visual cues on land because they usually operate away from shipping lanes. Most chartplotters used by recreational boaters do use vector charts, which offer simpler presentation, faster redraws, and scalable text. What they do not offer is refinement of features offered on paper/raster charts.

• Reason #4: The trend toward just small-scale planning charts (large area) being produced is wrong. To the recreational boater, the local large-scale chart is his or her planning chart; it is their area of operation. Most recreational boaters do not go on extended voyages.

If for any reason, the National Ocean Service (NOS) stops creating the paper/raster chart images, these charts will disappear. That’s because the liability risk for a non-government enterprise is just too great to undertake chart generation. Commercial chart providers (those who currently print NOS charts, or modified presentations in chart books or re-sized chart sections), who rely on faithful reproduction of data provided by NOS to produce their products, would not be able to provide the products recreational boaters need.

You can download a copy of the Draft NOS National Charting Plan at: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/docs/NationalChartingPlan.pdf

What’s Wrong with the National Charting Plan – Part 1

A TROUBLING TREND

By: Bob Sweet, former USPS National Education Officer

As you may know, the NOAA Office of Coast Survey is currently accepting public comment on its draft National Charting Plan.

According to NOAA, the purpose of the draft plan is “to solicit feedback from nautical chart users regarding proposed changes to NOAA’s paper and electronic chart products.”

I’m glad NOAA is reaching out for feedback. Here’s a brief overview of mine:

The National Charting Plan’s vision for the future sees “the end of raster navigation charts” and “the sunset of paper charts.”

That’s a wrong-headed view.

Yes, electronic charting has its value—especially in its ability to be easily updated. But for recreational boaters in particular, paper charts are critical.

Electronic charting favors commercial vessels

There’s no doubt the era of electronic charting is upon us. Problem is, electronic navigation charts (ENCs) favor commercial shipping over recreational boating. ENCs offer critical navigation information but leave out a lot of the detail and features found on paper charts.

The U.S. participates in treaties that lead to the mandatory use of ENC systems by commercial vessels on international voyages (see footnote). That means these commercial vessels no longer need to carry paper charts.

For international navigators, paper charts may not be critical, because their task is setting course in the open ocean most of the time. As the vessel approaches port, there are few approaches, and these are clearly delineated on the ENCs. Often, the vessel is brought into port by a “pilot” who specializes in local waters. ENCs work great for this task and that’s the rationale behind the international standards. They also eliminate the risk of failure of the electronic system by requiring redundant systems.

For recreational boaters, though, this trend toward diminishing the availability of the more detailed paper charts (and even their electronic equivalents called raster navigation charts) should be a serious concern.

Most recreational boaters use some sort of electronic navigation based on GPS. And many have chartplotters, which display the boat’s position directly on an electronic version of a chart.

But prudent recreational boaters always carry paper charts as well.

The problem with ENCs is that they emphasize commercial shipping areas, while offering a less detailed presentation, particularly of land features. Unfortunately, it is precisely those areas of potential elimination—that is, charts of larger scale (more detail)—that mean the most to recreational boaters.

In short, recreational boaters need charts that their commercial and international counterparts do not.

As NOAA accepts public feedback and modifies the National Charting Plan, I hope it will give equal priority to the millions of recreational boats and boaters—as opposed to its current emphasis on satisfying just the thousands of commercial vessels.

Complying with international treaties is important. And supporting safety at sea is critical. But emphasizing this small segment of the user community is not the right answer for the vast population of boaters.

Your thoughts matter!

• Download a copy of the Draft NOS National Charting Plan at: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/docs/NationalChartingPlan.pdf
• To offer your comments, visit http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/idrs/discrepancy.aspx. The comment period ends on 1 June 2017.

In Part 2 of this blog, I’ll outline four key reasons why we still need paper charts. Stay tuned!

Footnote: By international treaty, the U.S. participates in the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which applies to international voyages. In 2012, IMO (International Maritime Organization) adopted regulations leading to mandatory use of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). By July 2018, all international vessels over 10,000 gross tons will be required to implement ECDIS.

New Lightning Tracking Satellite Brings Security to Boaters

GOES-16 and GOES-13 Earth Photo Comparison from January 15, 2017. [photo obtained from GOES-16 website]

If you keep up with advancements in weather technology, you may have heard news from NOAA about the first lightning mapper, the GOES-16 satellite.

This satellite is equipped with new technology that can help track and predict big storms. How does it work? Not to get too technical, but the satellite is in “geostationary orbit,” meaning it will follow the western hemisphere as the Earth rotates for the next five years. Staying in the same location allows it to view more detailed changes in the atmosphere, leading to accurate weather tracking. The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) explains, “The mapper continually looks for lightning flashes in the Western Hemisphere, so forecasters know when a storm is forming, intensifying and becoming more dangerous. Rapid increases of lightning are a signal that a storm is strengthening quickly and could produce severe weather.”

Not only can GOES-16 see lightning and track its movement, it can also track in-cloud lightning. In-cloud lightning, where the electricity stays inside of one cloud, often lights up the sky with a flash but generally no sound. These flashes “often occur five to 10 minutes or more before potentially deadly cloud-to-ground strikes. This means more precious time for forecasters to alert those involved in outdoor activities of the developing threat,” the NESDIS website says.

Currently, tracking weather over the ocean is difficult due to the short range of land-based weather trackers, and satellites often have a hard time capturing detail. With the launching of the GOES-16, storms can be monitored and tracked so mariners can hit deep seas with a sense of security. Receiving fair warning to get out of dangerous zones and understanding when you are and aren’t threatened is imperative for safe boating.

GOES-16 launched in November of 2016 and will be in preliminary and testing stages for six to 12 months. GOES-16 is has not been declared operational yet, but has ten years of space time planned. Learn more about the GOES-16 on its website.

NOAA Invites Public Comment on the National Charting Plan

In February, the NOAA Office of Coast Survey released a draft of “The National Charting Plan: A Strategy to Transform Nautical Charting.”

NOAA is currently seeking public comment on the draft.

Through midnight on June 1, 2017, all nautical chart users—from professional mariners and recreational boaters to data providers and navigational equipment manufacturers—are invited to review the plan and provide feedback.

Here’s what you need to know:

The National Charting Plan lays out a strategy to make improvements to NOAA’s entire suite of nautical chart products—with the goal of providing customers with products that are more useful, up-to-date, and safer to navigate with.

According to NOAA, the plan includes services and products that will be changed or discontinued, and the introduction of completely new products and services optimized for modern technology and techniques.

It’s worth noting that the plan is a comprehensive strategy to improve all charts—and does not cover maintenance of individual charts.

In soliciting user feedback on the plan, NOAA states that while some changes have already begun (like improving the portrayal of wrecks on electronic navigational charts), other changes (like the possible conversion of charted depths from feet and fathoms to meters) are being evaluated.

Want to give your input about the changes discussed in the plan? See the Federal Register Notice to download the plan and to get directions on how to submit your comments.

Just remember, the deadline is midnight June 1, 2017!

Heavy Icebreakers: An Asset to Scientific Research

For the past 40 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has resupplied the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo and Amundsen-Scott South Pole stations in Antarctica for Operation Deep Freeze. As you might imagine, getting to the edge of the earth is not a simple task. The Coast Guard deploys over 140 crew members to navigate frigid waters and safely supply the two stations using a heavy icebreaker. The ship navigates through 70 miles of ice, ranging in thickness from one to 10 feet, just to reach the McMurdo station. On Feb. 13th, as the icebreaking crew reached where few humans have been, senior Coast Guard leaders gathered in Washington D.C. to talk about the need for more U.S. icebreakers.

The Committee on Polar Icebreaker Cost Assessment was briefed by Coast Guard Vice Commandant Adm. Charles Michel, who shared how access to polar regions is important for our nation’s security and sovereign interests. Yet the Polar Star is currently the only operational icebreaker.

According to the Coast Guard’s blog, “…the Admiral spoke of the need for modern, capable icebreakers as a national security imperative. To that end, the Admiral shared key findings from a 2010 study that identified the need for three heavy and three medium icebreakers to provide sufficient capability to support U.S. national interests in the polar regions.”

Admiral Michel urged, “To be clear, our current fleet does not meet this need. We currently cannot guarantee year-round, assured access. If Polar Star were to suffer a casualty, we have zero self rescue capability.”

Directed by Congress, this committee formed to create a report that can be used for future operation and acquisition processes for one or more heavy icebreakers. This was the first meeting, but they plan to publish their findings in July 2017. Once the findings are published, an educated decision can be made on the next steps to continue providing safe access to Antarctica.