Around the second week of June, the Coast Guard plans to change 25 aids to navigation (ATON) near Shackleford Banks and Harkers Island. The intent of the changes is to make the lateral aids more readily comply with the “Red, Right, Returning” direction of travel in an area where there are several converging channels from sea and around various barrier islands.
The waterways affected by the ATON changes are listed below.
Shackleford Slue/ Middle Marshes, the following aid changes will be made:
- Shackleford Slue Light (LLNR 29415) change to Green Squares, Fl G 4s, and rename Shackleford Slue Channel Light 5.
- Middle Marshes Daybeacon 4 (LLNR 29326.1) change to Green Squares and rename Shackleford Slue Channel Daybeacon 7.
- Middle Marshes Daybeacon 3 (LLNR 29326.1) change to Red Triangle dayboards and rename Shackleford Slue Channel Daybeacon 8.
- Middle Marshes Daybeacon 1A (LLNR 29326.01) change to Red Triangle dayboards and rename Shackleford Slue Channel Daybeacon 10.
- Middle Marshes Daybeacon 1 (LLNR 29326) change to Red Triangle dayboards and rename Shackleford Slue Channel Daybeacon 12.
Harkers Island Channel West, the following changes will be made:
- Middle Marshes Junction Light MM (LLNR 34325) change to Black & White Diamonds, Fl W 4s, and rename Harkers Island West Light HW.Harkers Island West Channel Daybeacon 3 (LLNR 34735) change to Red Triangles and rename Harkers Island West Channel Daybeacon 2.
- Harkers Island West Channel Buoy 1A (LLNR 34730.1) change to Red Nun and rename Harkers Island West Channel Buoy 4.
- Harkers Island West Channel Light 1 (LLNR 34730) change to Red Triangles, Fl R 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 6.
Core Sound Channel from Core Sound Light 60 to Core Sound Light 37A will be renamed Harkers Island Straits, with a direction of buoyage returning from Beaufort Inlet. The following changes will be made:
- Core Sound Light 60 (LLNR 34775) change to Green Squares, Fl G 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 1.
- Core Sound Light 58 (LLNR 34745) change to Green Squares, Fl G 2.5s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 3.
- Discontinue Core Sound Buoy 56B (LLNR 34741).
- Core Sound Daybeacon 56A (LLNR 34739) change to Green Squares and rename Harkers Island Straits Daybeacon 5.
- Harkers Island West Channel Light 1 (LLNR 34730) change to Red Triangles, Fl R 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 6.
- Core Sound Light 56 (LLNR 34723) change to Green Squares, Fl G 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 7.
- Core Sound Light 55 (LLNR 34705) change to Red Triangles, Fl R 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 8.
- Core Sound Buoy 51 (LLNR 34700) change to red nun and rename Harkers Island Straits Buoy 10.
- Core Sound Daybeacon 50 (LLNR 34695) change to Green Squares and rename Harkers Island Straits Daybeacon 11.
- Discontinue Core Sound Daybeacon 48 (LLNR 34690).
- Core Sound Daybeacon 47A (LLNR 34681) change to Red Triangles and rename Harkers Island Straits Daybeacon 12.
- Core Sound Light 47 (LLNR 34680) change to Red Triangles, Fl R 4s and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 14.
- Core Sound Light 46 (LLNR 34675) change to Green Squares, Fl G 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 15.
- Core Sound Light 44 (LLNR 34770) change to Green Squares, Fl G 2.5s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 17.
- Core Sound Light 42A (LLNR 34650) change to Green Squares, Fl G 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 19.
- Core Sound Daybeacon 42 (LLNR 34645) change to Green Squares and rename Harkers Island Straits Daybeacon 21.
- Core Sound Light Buoy 41 (LLNR 34640) change to red nun, Fl G 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Lighted Buoy 22.
- Core Sound Light 39 (LLNR 34635) change to Red Triangles, Fl R 4s, and rename Harkers Island Straits Light 24.
- Core Sound Light 37A (LLNR 34650) change to Black & White Diamonds, Fl W 4s, and rename Core Sound South Light SS.
Mariners are strongly encouraged to refer to Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) located available here: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lnmDistrict®ion=5
Mariners should update electronic charts used by chart plotters and smartphone apps regularly.