04 - 2010
AIS - Use of AIS as an Aid to Navigation
01 March 2010
The General Lighthouse Authorities[1] (GLA) have commenced roll out of AIS AtoN at selected fixed and floating stations on the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. AIS AtoN are Aids to Navigation under the Merchant Shipping Acts and as such Statutory Sanction for their provision is required from the General Lighthouse Authority for the area in which they are established. Application forms are available on www.cil.ie.
It is considered appropriate at this time to offer some guidance to mariners on the purpose of AIS AtoN and what they may expect to see on some of the available displays. This will include information relating to the AtoN and in some cases additional information relating to the Meteorological and Hydrological (Met / Hydro) conditions in the area.
It is important to bear in mind that the information available to mariners will be dependent on their display system and not all transmitted information may be displayed.
DISPLAYS & SYMBOLOGY
The IMO mandatory carriage requirement for Class A[2] AIS
display is the Minimum Keyboard Display (MKD) which displays the
data in alphanumeric form. The information available to mariners
will be dependent on their display system and not all
transmitted information may be displayed. Mariners are
encouraged to install systems that provide AIS overlay on ECDIS and
Radar.
It is important to bear in mind that not all vessels are equipped with AIS. Of those vessels that are AIS equipped the displays available can range from no display on some Class B[2] units, through the mandatory Class A MKD, to full ECDIS and Radar overlay. In the absence of ECDIS or Radar overlay users will not be able to fully utilise AIS AtoN functionality. There is also a variance on information that will be displayed by different manufacturers on ECDIS or Radar equipment.
The symbology that may be displayed on nautical charts, display systems and MKD is summarised below.
Nautical Charts
On nautical charts AIS AtoN are indicated by a magenta circle surrounding the existing AtoN symbol and an adjacent legend stating AIS. The font will be straight for fixed AtoN and italic for floating AtoN.
Display Systems
Where AIS is provided as an overlay on ECDIS, Radar or other display systems, AIS AtoN are indicated by a Diamond shape with crossed lines at the reported position of the AtoN. Where the AtoN is on station the diamond will be Blue and where the AtoN Off Station flag has been activated the diamond will be Red. In the case of a Virtual AIS[3] AtoN there will be a V below the crossed lines.
Minimum Keyboard Display
The mandatory Minimum Keyboard Display (MKD) is only required to display data in alphanumeric form. Some MKD are units supplemented by a small graphical display. Exact presentation will vary but the layout opposite would be typical of MKD displays.
MESSAGE TYPES
AIS stations provided by the GLA will transmit Message 21 and may
also transmit Messages 8, 12 & 14.
Message 21 - Aids to Navigation report. This message will provide details of the Name, MMSI, Type and Position of the AtoN. In addition there will be an indication if the AtoN is off station, and of the status of the light, Racon or other equipment.
Message 8 - Binary Broadcast Message. This message will be used to transmit the internationally agreed Met / Hydro message. Depending on the station, the message may contain details of Wind Speed & Direction, Wave Height, Direction & Period, Tidal Height, and Visibility.
Messages 12 & 14 - Addressed & Broadcast Safety Related Messages. These messages will be used to supplement Message 8 for Met / Hydro messaging by providing a texting service and to provide additional information on the status of AtoNs in an area.
FEEDBACK
Mariners are requested to contact the General Lighthouse
Authorities regarding their experience of AIS and in particular the
extent to which AIS AtoN data is available to them.
Notes
¹ The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA) consist of
Trinity House (England & Wales), Northern Lighthouse Board
(Scotland) and the Commissioners of Irish Lights (Ireland).
² Class A AIS units are those meeting the mandatory SOLAS carriage
requirements (SOLAS Chapter V, Rule 19) for vessels over 300GRT.
Class B AIS units are for use on craft that are not covered by the
mandatory carriage requirements.
³ Virtual AIS AtoN are used to mark new dangers / wrecks or in
circumstances where a physical AtoN cannot be established. The AtoN
does not physically exist and therefore will only be visible on
display systems.
By Order, S. G. R. Ruttle, Chief Executive.
Mariners are invited to contact the Marine Department, Commissioners of Irish Lights to comment on any aspect of the Aids to Navigation Service or on hazards to navigation around the coast of Ireland.