Lee Luft News

To recreational boaters, Aids to Navigation (ATON) are the familiar red and green buoys (and day markers) that line our inland waterways. What they might not be aware of is that buoys have been around since the days of the Roman and Egyptian empires. In the decades following the creation of our country, buoys in every shape and color began appearing in our waterways. It wasn’t until 1850 that Congress harmonized their deployment, thereby encouraging the familiar “Red, Right, Returning” mantra.

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) will hold its 2009 NMEA Convention & Expo Sept. 30 - Oct .2, 2009, at the Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers, Fla. “The NMEA Convention & Expo is very valuable for everyone involved in the industry, but it is really organized to serve NMEA dealers and their personnel,” said David Hayden, NMEA’s President and Executive Director. “This year’s Convention has never been more important, as we need to work together to address the current economic challenge to our industry,” he said. Featured speakers this year include Joe Hersey, Administrative Program Manager for the U.S. Coast Guard who will talk about the VHF band, and Lee Luft of the U.S.