Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Thirteenth District




Press Release Date: June 28, 2005
Contact: Keith Alholm
206-220-7237


RADIO TRANSMITTERS WILL BROADCAST BAR WARNINGS AND RESTRICTIONS TO
LOCAL BOATERS



SEATTLE - The Coast Guard, Oregon State Marine Board, and Washington
State Parks and Recreation Boating Division have entered into a
partnership to purchase and install traveler information radio
transmitters at three key coastal ports to help provide safety
information to local boaters.

Locations selected for the initial test of the system will be Westport,
Wash., Garibaldi, Ore., and Newport, Ore.

Identical to the radio broadcast you hear providing highway safety
information about hazardous roadways and mountain passes, the same
technology is being put into place to provide hazardous bar conditions
and restrictions to boaters who use our coastal waters.

The radios will transmit, on a 24 hour basis, bar conditions,
restrictions to vessel transits, boating safety information, and
fisheries openings, closures and special regulations.

The broadcast area will be within an 8 to 10 mile radius of the
transmitters located at the local Coast Guard station and can bee
accessed by tuning your radio to 1619 AM.

The Equipment is on order and should be installed in July. The sytem
will provide a quick way for boaters to get information on conditions
and make sound decisions on how safe it is to transit the bar.

If initial tests prove that this is a viable means to better
communicate with boaters, then work on installing transmitters at the
remainder of the Oregon and Washington coastal ports will begin.

###

The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service
within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and
security of America.



View this document online
U.S. Coast Guard - 13th District
13th District Public Information Site