Tag: safe navigation

The Japan P&I Club informs about the recent navigation warnings of China Waters issued by MSA China.

There were about 780 accidents over the 10 years through 2014 in which vessels accidentally collided with and damaged maritime navigation signs in seas off Japan, with 70 percent of them found to be “hit-and-run” cases, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

Across the nation, more than 48,000 Coast Guard aids to navigation, commonly known as ATON, mark every navigable waterway, identifying navigational hazards and ensuring mariner safety. But what happens when navigational aids are knocked off course by a natural disaster like a hurricane or flood? This recently happened during flooding on the Mississippi River. In mid-December, a tow vessel William Strait sank in 20 feet of water on the lower Mississippi River following a collision with the tow vessel Margaret Ann.

The Coast Guard issued Marine Safety Alert 01-16 to warn mariners of the potential detrimental impact to navigation caused by GPS interference or jamming and the importance of understanding how vessel or facility equipment could be impacted by the loss of a GPS signal.

The London P&I Club informs that its Correspondent in Ukraine, Dias Marine Consulting, reports that the ice season has begun in the Azov Sea area and advises that when a vessel is planning to call at a Ukrainian port it will be “necessary to liaise with the agent and clarify more precise information about the weather conditions on the date of ETA”.

AMSA has issued a Marine Notice to outline management framework for UKCM in Torres Strait and to summarise the various responsibilities for UKCM.

UK MCA has issued Marine Guidance Note to introduce the new Hovercraft Code which has been developed for Light and Small hovercraft operating in the United Kingdom or United Kingdom Waters (both at sea and on inland waterways).

MONALISA 2.0 project has issued a newsletter which includes updates of the project’s final conference, focusing on newsworthy results but also looking at what is next – developments in the already started STM Validation Project, and how work with safer ships will continue.

What recreational boaters should ensure when buying navigation lights for their vessels The U.S. Coast Guard has issued Marine Safety Alert to warn about the sale and availability of unapproved recreational and commercial vessel navigation lights.Purchasers of such recreational and commercial vesselnavigation lighting should be aware that replacement lighting may be improper for its application due to the failure by manufacturers to meet technical certification requirements. Furthermore, technical advances in marine lighting, such as the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), rope lighting, underwater lighting, and other various types of decorative lighting, may violate navigation light provisions of the Nautical Rules of the Road.The requirements for all navigation lights aboard vessels are prescribed in Rules 20, 21, 22 and Annex I of the Rules of the Road, which is the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (72 COLREGS) or the Inland Navigation Rules (33 CFR Subchapter E).Specifications for lights vary depending upon the type of vessel but regardless of the light source (i.e., incandescent filament or LED):Recreational vessel and uninspected commercial vessel navigation lights must meet American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) standard A-16, in accordance with specifications within 33 CFR 183.810 and 46 CFR 25.10-3, ...

The Japan P&I Club provides information on recent navigation warnings of China Waters issued by MSA China.