Just about anyone who's ever gone cruising has long ago heard of the USCG's "Local Notice to Mariners." I remember subscribing to the paper version of this once monthly, now weekly, document way back in 1976. Now, the LNTM is available on-line.Those who have taken even a cursory glance at an edition of the LNTM, know this dodument is FILLED with navigational information of all sorts, from a long, long list of light and aids to navigation changes, to notices of recent dredging, to sightings of on-the-water hazards, and so much more. In fact, that's the problem. There's so much material contained in the LNTM, and so much of this info is not really of interest to the cruising community, and so much of what is interesting is couched in confusing governmental verbiage, that few cruisers take full advantage of this remarkable document.
The Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net bunch is ready to change all of that with our announcement of a new, ready to use LNTM service. As part of this fresh capability, we will be providing two services to the cruising community.
First, our long suffering NC-SC-GA-Eastern Florida editor, Captain Larry Dorminy, has been,and will continue to, pour through each and every weekly edition of the two LNTM which affect Southeastern USA waters. Larry will pick and choose those news items which are, in our collective opinion, of paramount interest to the cruising community.
The selected LNTM news items will then be posted on the Cruisers' Net as both commented news articles, AND in special LNTM sections, sorted by coastline. In many cases, we will provide "Chart View" links to the waters affected by the LNTM data, thereby making it a simple matter to get a feel for where the various problems reside.
Let me be clear, this will NOT be a comprehensive relisting of all the data contained 
in the various LNTM. Rather, you should think of this process as "cherry picking" the items about which we think you most need to be informed. Those cruisers who want to see EVERYTHING will want to continue with their on-line LNTM subscriptions.
Secondly, we will sort those LNTM news items we select by coastline. That may, at first glance, not sound like a big deal, but, remember, there are only two editions of the LNTM, which cover ALL coastal waters from North Carolina to the Florida Panhandle. Imagine having to wade through all the South Carolina, Georgia and a portion of Eastern Florida LNTM articles to find, for instance, information pertaining to North Carolina waters. Well, no more. Now, if you only want to take a look at LNTM data concerning Western Florida waters, you can easily do so!
An example is worth another thousand words or so. Please go to our home page at:
http://www.CruisersNet.net
Locate the red, vertically stacked menus on the right side of this (and all other, except Chart View) Cruisers' Net page. Click on "Eastern Florida."
A sub-menu will open. Now, locate the new menu choice, "EF Local Notice to Mariners" which lies between "EF Navigational Alerts" and "St Johns River Local Notice to Mariners." Click on "EF Local Notice to Mariners." A page will now open listing our selection of those LNTM news items which pertain to the waters of Eastern Florida, from Fernandina Beach to Miami.
You can reach LNTM news items for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, the Florida Keys, and Western Florida in exactly the same way, through the red, vertically stacked menus.
We hope you will find our new Local Notice to Mariners Service useful. We welcome 
comments and input from the cruising community concerning this new capability. Please let us hear from you at CruisingWriter@CruisersNet.net
