That means a qualified observer from Flotilla 96 eyeballed every marker to make sure it is “watching” correctly, not missing its dayboard, not leaning more than 15 degrees, not washed ashore or suffering any other problems that might render it unreliable.
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| Bobbi snapped this photo while on a training mission aboard the Coast Guard's "keeper" class buoy tender Maria Bray in Mayport FL in February 2007 |
For certified Aids to Navigation verifiers like Bobbi, the US Coast Guard’s Light List is the Bible. There you will find every charted aid to navigation with its location and description. The ones in our area are the basis for a spreadsheet Bobbi developed to record just when each marker was checked and who reported it. The responsible verifier fills out a Form 7054 Aid to Navigation report and sends it to Station Fort Myers Beach and to the Aids to Navigation team in St. Petersburg. Filing a 7030 Mission Activity form insures that the verifier will get credit for the mission. But since paperwork often goes astray, Bobbi also keeps her own records.
Our Aids to Navigation team reported 30 discrepancies this year, cases where the designated markers didn’t meet the standards required for safe navigation. Most of the local navigation markers are owned by the county. When discrepancies are noted, the Coast Guard notifies the county and lists the offending marker in the weekly Notice to Mariners. Our team also checks and verifies repairs.
The scramble to check out navigation markers begins in January each year with the aim of getting to all of them before hurricane season. Flotilla 96 met that goal this year with the help of coxswains who made Aids to Navigation verification a regular part of their safety patrols. As hurricane season draws near, coxswains often patrol the areas where markers have not yet been verified.
In addition to Bobbi, the Flotilla’s certified Aids to Navigation verifiers who made 2011 a successful season included: Bernard Appelman, Neil Arnal, Heinz Janke, Mel Milstein, Bob Morrison, Dave Shuster, Grant Skaggs, George Stancil and Larry Urbanek.
The Navigation Systems website is at: http://www.cgaux7.org/index7.htm?page=ns . Or contact Roberta Skaggs at bg96skaggs@embarqmail.com.
