A Local Notice to Mariners is an authoritative instruction issued by a designated official, typically the
harbormaster.
United States
In the United States, notices are issued by each
U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
District to disseminate important information affecting navigational safety within that District. This Notice reports changes and deficiencies in aids to navigation maintained by the Coast Guard. Other marine information such as new
charts
A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tab ...
, channel depths, naval operations, and regattas is included. Since temporary information of short duration is not included in the weekly
Notice to Mariners
A notice to mariners (NTM or NOTMAR,) advises mariners of important matters affecting navigational safety, including new hydrographic information, changes in channels and aids to navigation, and other important data.
Over 60 countries which pr ...
, the ''Local Notice to Mariners'' may be the only source of such information. Small craft using the
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following t ...
and small harbors not normally used by oceangoing vessels need it to keep charts and publications up-to-date.
Since correcting information for U.S. charts in the ''Notice to Mariners'' is obtained from the Coast Guard Local Notices, it is normal to expect a lag of 1 or 2 weeks for the ''Notice to Mariners'' to publish a correction from this source.
The ''Local Notice to Mariners'' may be obtained free of charge by contacting the appropriate Coast Guard District Commander. Vessels operating in ports and waterways in several districts must obtain the ''Local Notice to Mariners'' from each district.
Sources
The text of the US material originated from section 422 of The
American Practical Navigator
''The American Practical Navigator'' (colloquially often referred to as ''Bowditch''), originally written by Nathaniel Bowditch, is an encyclopedia of navigation. It serves as a valuable handbook on oceanography and meteorology, and contains usef ...
, a document produced by the government of the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
.
Examples
LNTMs are, by definition, concerned with local issues. Each issuing authority has its own series of LNTMs – there is no international standard numbering or indexing scheme. Individual LNTMs may concern short or long term situations. A
Portsmouth mariners are instructed by LNTM 28/07 to ''keep clear of warship berths''. A
Holyhead LNTM 5/2008 concerns ''Bunkering or transferring oil in port''. A
Chichester No 16 of 2008 ''Sea defence works at Hayling Island'' gives timely information about dredging operations.
See also
*
American Practical Navigator
''The American Practical Navigator'' (colloquially often referred to as ''Bowditch''), originally written by Nathaniel Bowditch, is an encyclopedia of navigation. It serves as a valuable handbook on oceanography and meteorology, and contains usef ...
*
Buoy
*
Coast Pilots
''United States Coast Pilot'' is a ten-volume American navigation publication distributed yearly by the Office of Coast Survey, a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service. The purpose of the publication ...
*
Light List
A list of lights is a publication describing lighthouses and other aids to maritime navigation. Most such lists are published by national hydrographic offices. Some nations, including the United Kingdom and the United States, publish lists that ...
*
List of Lights
A list of lights is a publication describing lighthouses and other aids to maritime navigation. Most such lists are published by national hydrographic offices. Some nations, including the United Kingdom and the United States, publish lists th ...
*
Notice to Mariners
A notice to mariners (NTM or NOTMAR,) advises mariners of important matters affecting navigational safety, including new hydrographic information, changes in channels and aids to navigation, and other important data.
Over 60 countries which pr ...
*
Sailing Directions
External links
Chapter 4: Nautical Publications- from the online edition of
Nathaniel Bowditch
Nathaniel Bowditch (March 26, 1773 – March 16, 1838) was an early American mathematician remembered for his work on ocean navigation. He is often credited as the founder of modern maritime navigation; his book '' The New American Practical Navi ...
's ''American Practical Navigator''
Local Notices to Mariners online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Local Notice To Mariners
Navigation
Hydrography
Sailing books