Coast Guard District 13, Special Notice To Mariners

The Special Notice To Mariners is an annual safety publication for all Mariners, published as a 116 page PDF document by the Coast Guard District 13.  D-13 has included information from many sources in one handy place.

The Special Notice to Mariners in intended to help all Mariners in the Pacific Northwest and has information useful to all Mariners from recreational boaters to Professional Mariners.  This collects in one place, important contact information (Radio Frequencies, phone numbers, email and web sites) for the Coast Guard, proper procedures to follow if you have an on-board emergency,

There is a section on Search and Rescue, what to do if you are the object of a SAR or need to declare a May Day (you can contact the Coast Guard even if you don’t have a May Day situation, but are having difficulties of some sort).  Procedures to follow for towing, Helicopter Rescue, abandon ship procedures and other emergency situations.

There is a section on First Aid.

Coastal Bars are covered including any special regulations for each Bar.  A chartlet for each bar is included along with local knowledge on how not to get in trouble.  This is especially valuable for those transiting a bar for the first time.  For an example of the bar information, see the page for Depoe Bay.

The Communications section lists the Coast Guard stations and their broadcast schedules(VHF & SSB), NOAA weather stations and frequencies are also listed.

The Boating Safety section is a 21 page quick Boating Safety Course review.

Other sections include Aids to Navigation, Vessel Traffic Service, Maritime Homeland Security, Law Enforcement (when you may legally be boarded by the Coast Guard and what to expect during a boarding), Cautionary Situations (Survey Vessels, Coast Guard Buoy Tenders, Naval Vessels and other situations where extra caution is needed).

Since this is a PDF document you can print only those sections that you need for your boating needs.  If you never visit the coast, the 22 page section on bars can be left out.

Download the 2014 Special Notice to Mariners (7 meg PDF download).  The Special Notice to Mariners is updated every spring.

Visit District 13 LNM Home Page (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana).  The Special Notice to Mariners is at the top under “Special Notices.”  The Special Notice to Mariners is updated every spring.

U.S. COAST GUARD NAVIGATION CENTER, Home page for the Navigation Center.

Home page for Local Notices to Mariners, links to the Local Notice to Mariners for each U.S. Coast Guard District.

District 13 covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

Thanks for your interest in and support of Boating Safety.

– C / M –