SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – The Coast Guard plans to install Mariner Radio Activated Sound Signal (MRASS) devices at 17 lighthouses across Maine.
On Friday, 9:30 a.m., media representatives are invited to discuss the project with the Coast Guard and observe the MRASS device in operation at Sector Northern New England (Note: Address, base access, and RSVP information can be found at the end of this News Release. For news outlets outside of the Portland area, an additional availability and demonstration can be arranged upon request the following week in Southwest Harbor, Maine).
The change is part of a larger Coast Guard initiative involving fog signals at lighthouses across northern New England and the rest of the United States. The purpose of this modernization initiative is to replace the less reliable and less efficient VM-100 fog detectors with a Coast Guard-designed, radio-controlled system.
The MRASS device will allow mariners to activate the installed sound signal, on demand, by keying a standard VHF-FM radio five times consecutively on VHF channel 83A. The sound signal will then sound for up to 60 minutes following each activation
"The MRASS devices will replace aging fog detectors that are prone to failure, expensive to maintain, and require specialized training to preserve", said Captain Michael Baroody, Commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. "We believe giving the mariner more control is an effective way to enhance the coastal aids-to-navigation system."
The lighthouses scheduled to receive the MRASS devices are:
• Browns Head Light: Vinalhaven, ME
• Burnt Island Light: Boothbay Harbor, ME
• Cape Elizabeth Light: Cape Elizabeth, ME
• Dog Island Light: Eastport, ME
• Egg Rock Light: Egg Rock, Frenchman’s Bay, ME
• Fort Point Light: Fort Point, Penobscot River, ME
• Goat Island Light: Cape Porpoise, ME
• Goose Rocks Light: North Haven, ME
• Heron Neck Light: Green’s Island, Vinalhaven, ME
• Marshall Point Light: St. George, ME
• Owls Head Light: Owls Head, ME
• Portland Head Light: Cape Elizabeth, ME
• Sequin Light: Sequin Island, ME
• Spring Point Ledge Light: South Portland, ME
• Two Bush Island Light: Spruce Head, Penobscot Bay, ME
• West Quoddy Head Light: Eastport, ME
• Whitehead Light: Whitehead Island, Penobscot Bay, ME
Eight sound signals have been installed on lighthouses in Maine and New Hampshire since October 2009. Once each conversion is completed, the Coast Guard will contact local stakeholders directly, issue a Safety Marine Information Broadcast, announce the change in the Local Notice to Mariners, and initiate permanent changes to nautical charts and the Coast Guard Light List.
More information via the MRASS Information Sheet is available HERE
Mariners with questions, comments, or concerns about the proposed sound signal activation changes are encouraged to contact Lt. David Bourbeau, Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, Waterways Management Division Chief, at NNEwaterways@uscg.mil or (207) 347-5015.
Editors/Media Note: Coast Guard Sector Northern New England is located at 259 High Street, South Portland. A driver’s license and vehicle registration are required for base access. Media requesting to attend the media availability are requested to RSVP by 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 12th by phone 207-347-5015 or e-mail David.T.Bourbeau@uscg.mil.