Use of AIS as an aid to navigation

Use of AIS as an aid to navigation

Notices to Mariners

Use of AIS as an aid to navigation

03 - 2014

Issue Date: Wednesday 1 January 2014

Aid:

Area: All

The General Lighthouse Authorities[1] (GLA) are continuing to  provide  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.

It is considered appropriate at this time to repeat some guidance to mariners on the purpose of AIS AtoN and what they may expect to see on some of the available displays.

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

Aton ChartOn 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

Radar AIS 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.
Station AIS

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.

Virtual AtoN

In the case of a Virtual AIS[3] AtoN there will be a V below the crossed lines.

Minimum Keyboard Display

Minimum DisplayThe mandatory Minimum Keyboard Display (MKD) is only required to display data in alphanumeric form. Some MKD units are 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 - Aids to Navigation Report

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.

Other messages providing additional data may occasionally be broadcast. These would normally be binary messages 8/10 or short safety related messages 12/14.

Details of AIS AtoN are set out in Volume 2 of the Admiralty List of Radio Signals

 

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.