Report Marine Emergencies Report marine emergencies to the nearest Coast Guard Sector office. Sector Columbia River / Portland Phone: (833) 769-8724 Sector Puget Sound / Seattle Phone: (833) 449-0369
AIS (Automatic Identification System) ATON U.S. regulations 33 CFR §66.01-5 authorize the use of AIS as an ATON. The U.S. Coast Guard is now accepting AIS ATON applications. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will grant licensing to an AIS ATON station with prior Coast Guard approval. Information can be found in the Coast Guard Special Notice . AIS is approved for shore-based or mobile stations reporting location and status of a PATON. AIS PATON normally reports message 21 every three minutes or less. These stations may also broadcast Application Specific Messages: message 6/8 . Federal AIS ATON and the messages they broadcast are listed in the U.S. Coast Guard Light List . For approval to establish an AIS PATON in Oregon, Washington, Idaho or Montana, submit a USCG eATON Addendum (CG-2554A) and a PATON Application (CG-2554) to the PATON Manager at the Northwest District office.
Private Aids to Navigation (PATON) The Northwest Coast Guard District is responsible for permitting all Private Aids to Navigation located in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. PATON includes lighted structures and daybeacons, lighted and unlighted buoys, RACONs and fog signals, which are installed and maintained by anyone other than the Coast Guard. There are more than 1,000 privately operated and maintained aids to navigation in the Northwest District. Owners include marinas, yacht clubs, municipal and state governments, construction and dredging companies, research and non-profit organizations, industrial facilities and individuals. To establish private aids on federally regulated navigable waters, a Coast Guard permit or a Coast Guard letter of no objection is required. To obtain an application (CG-2554), contact the PATON Manager. Non-commercial mooring buoys normally do not require a Coast Guard permit if they do not adversely affect navigation and display standard markings. Many swim buoys, no-wake buoys, and racecourse buoys may only require a Coast Guard letter of no objection. Before installing buoys, owners should contact the Army Corps of Engineers and the applicable state authority to determine additional local or state requirements.
Permit Support & Federal Regulations The Northwest District PATON Manager assists applicants in processing paperwork and interpreting Federal regulations governing private aids to navigation. The Manager provides copies of previously issued permits (which are legal documents), standard marking illustrations and lists of commercial ATON manufacturers. Owners are responsible for proper operation and maintenance of their private aids. When discrepancy reports are issued by the Coast Guard, owners must act immediately to correct them. Mariners must report discrepant private aids to the nearest Coast Guard unit. Broadcast Notice to Mariners remain in effect until corrected or published in the Local Notice to Mariners.
Informational Documents PATON Handout Aids to Navigation Booklet 33 CFR Part 62 33 CFR Part 66 CG-2554 Application PATON Guide Mooring Buoy Guide Government Agency Guide Fillable Questionnaire
PATON Assignment Lists All Assignments District Assignments CGC ELM Assignments Sector Columbia River Sector Puget Sound
LED Lighting Regulatory Change LED lighting equipment has been approved for PATON use since March 8, 2004. Contact the PATON Manager before purchasing lighting equipment. For full details, see: Federal Register Notice .
PATON Verification Forms PATON Forms 600 Series PATON Forms 700 Series PATON Forms 8000 Series PATON Forms 9000 Series PATON Forms 10000 Series PATON Forms 11000 Series PATON Forms 12000 Series PATON Forms 13000 Series PATON Forms 14000 Series PATON Forms 15000 Series PATON Forms 16000 Series PATON Forms 17000 Series PATON Forms 18000 Series PATON Forms 19000 Series PATON Verification List
PATON Contact Information Commander (dpw) Coast Guard District Northwest 915 2nd Avenue, Room 3510 Seattle, WA 98174-1067 Attn: PATON Manager D13-SMB-D13-PATON@uscg.mil
Report Marine Aids Discrepancies Report discrepancies with marine aids to navigation to the nearest Coast Guard Sector office: Portland: (833) 769-8724 Seattle: (206) 217-6002