Missions

Search and Rescue is the core mission of any small boat station, and Station St. Ignace takes seriously its committment to safeguarding the lives and property of the maritime public on the Great Lakes.

To that end, the Station maintains a duty crew ready to respond 24/7 to distressed boaters, medical emergencies in water-only accessable locations, and victims of thin ice during the winter months. Station St. Ignace operates three standard small boats (see our assets section): two 25-foot Response Boats which are able to respond to emergencies at 46 knots, and a 47-foot Motor Life Boat, which is able to handle 30-foot seas and can tow disabled vessels up to 150 displacement tons.

Station St. Ignace also enforces maritime laws and regulations by conducting boardings and safety inspections on recreational and commercial vessels. The Station's 25' RB-S and 47' MLB are also equipped to mount automatic weapons to conduct Ports, Waterways and Coastal Patrol (PWCS) missions. Furthermore, crews also conduct safety and security zone patrols to ensure that no vessels enter areas of potential hazard.

The Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation team in St. Ignace is responsible for 316 major, minor and private aids to navigation including lighthouses, range lights, radar beacons, buoys and day boards which assist mariners through navigable channels and around hazards.

The AtoN crew utilizes the 23' Trailerable Aids to Navagation Boat (TANB), the 25' Response Boat, and in situations where small-boat access is impractical (long ferry time or lack of docking facilities), helicopter crews from Air Station Traverse City lend assistance.

During the winter months, an ice bridge provides the primary means of transportation to Mackinac island, so crew members at Station St. Ignace are trained and equipped to assist any individual in distress on the ice. Crews train in a variety of ice rescue techniques and utilize a wide range of equipment.