Visual Aids to Navigation: Dispelling Aid Availability Myths
Abstract
Aid availability for visual aids to the U.S. navigation system is calculated monthly by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Transportation Systems Management Directorate's Visual Aids to Navigation Division. These calculations can be presented by criticality category and broken down into various responsibility and servicing levels, including district, sector, servicing unit, waterway, and individual aid to navigation. Frequent updates and convenient data presentation lead many waterway managers to assume that aid availability provides a comprehensive assessment of the health and effectiveness of aids to navigation (ATON) in their waterways as well as the efficiency of their ATON service delivery units. This mistaken assumption has perpetuated the following aid availability myths: (1) Aid availability is proportional to recurring ATON funding levels, (2) Aid availability provides an accurate assessment of an ATON service delivery unit's efficiency, (3) Unscheduled maintenance of ATON service delivery platforms (cutters and boats) or emergency diversion to other mission areas directly impacts aid availability, and (4) Aid availability is primarily impacted by ATON component reliability. This article discusses each of these myths.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA552650
Entities
People
- Robert Trainor