DISCUSSION

A Coast Guard toll-free hotline is now available to provide both commercial and recreational mariners with the latest, up-to-date information on local waterways, port closures, and restrictions. The Coast Guard Maritime Safety Line (800-682-1796) has information from more than 30 Coast Guard Captains of the Port (COTP) from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Maritime Safety Line is broken into five regions:
Northeast Region Eastern: New York, Rhode Island, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Mid-Atlantic/Southeast Region: Eastern and southern Florida, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and eastern Pennsylvania.

Gulf Region: Northwest Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas.

Great Lakes Region: Western New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Mid-West Rivers Region: Missouri, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee.