This web site and the information it contains is provided as a public service by the U.S. Coast Guard. This system is monitored to ensure proper operation, to verify the functioning of applicable security features, and for other like purposes. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring. Unauthorized attempts to modify any information stored on this system, to defeat or circumvent security features, or to utilize this system for other than its intended purposes are prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution.

The U.S. Coast Guard make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this web site and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this web site. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from computer virus, is given with respect to the contents of this web site or its hyperlinks to other Internet resources. Reference in this web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Information presented on this web site is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. However, all information submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard via this site shall be deemed and remain the property of the U.S. Coast Guard, except those submissions made under separate legal contract. The U.S. Coast Guard shall be free to use, for any purpose, any ideas, concepts, or techniques contained in information provided to the U.S. Coast Guard through this site.

We collect no personal information about you when you visit our website unless you choose to provide this information to us. However, we collect and store certain information automatically. Here is how we handle information about your visit to our website.

What We Collect and Store Automatically

If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the website, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store only the following information about your visit:

• The Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university's domain) and IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our website;
• The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
• The date and time you access our site;
• The pages you visit; and
• If you linked to our website from another website, the address of that website.

If You Send Us E-mail

You may choose to provide us with personal information, as in e-mail with a comment or question. We use the information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request. Sometimes we forward your e-mail to other government employees who may be better able to help you. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, we do not share our e-mail with any other outside organizations.

Links to Other Sites

Our website has links to other federal agencies. In a few cases we link to private organizations. When you link to another site, you are no longer on our site and are subject to the privacy policy of the new site.

Information presented on this web site is considered public information and may be distributed, copied or linked to from non-Coast Guard web sites. However, the contents of this web site may not be used for commercial purposes or to imply endorsement by the U.S. Coast Guard of products or services. For further information contact the Public Affairs Staff.

Logos and graphics (excepting the seal) may be used on non-Coast Guard web sites as graphic buttons that link back to the official Coast Guard web site. Coast Guard logos and graphics may not be used to create a non-official web site that gives the appearance and general look and feel of the official web site.
 

Links from U.S. Coast Guard web sites to non-Coast Guard web sites

Links from official Coast Guard web sites to external web sites are decided on an individual case basis by the Coast Guard office having responsibility for the web site making the link. Decisions to link to external sites are made after assessing relevance to the office mission and maintenance factors. Links to external sites may not be used to endorse a particular non-Governmental product or service or provide preferential treatment.