Up to now, SOLAS class vessels required to keep a log of messages “in force”, have had to rely on cutting the new warnings out of Section III of the Weekly NMs, pasting them into a book and deleting them as and when they were cancelled. Using the UKHO website, mariners are now able to download an instant print-out of all “in force” notices (currently going back to 2007 for NAVAREA I).
Mr Beale is careful to point out that the availability of Navigational Warnings on the UKHO website does not relieve Ships’ Masters and Captains of the requirement to receive Navigational Warnings via IMO/IHO-approved GMDSS broadcast systems SafetyNET and NAVTEX, but, he says, “it does provide significant benefits for mariners in allowing them to instantly download all messages in force, including those which are no longer being transmitted. It also enables shore-based companies who do not have an EGC SafetyNET or NAVTEX receiver, to keep track of events and incidents to enhance passage planning.“
The new service has been widely praised across the maritime industry. The SAR Communications Manager at MRCC Falmouth described the new service as an “absolute plus” for mariners in the digital age.
Administrations and authorities responsible for requesting Navigational Warnings are also now able to monitor what is being transmitted, enabling a more timely notification of when a message subject is no longer applicable and should be cancelled.
As the responsible authority of the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency for the transmission of NAVTEX messages prepared by the Radio Navigation Warnings section at the UKHO, MRCC Falmouth has also found the new web page to be a very valuable asset to enable them to re-check and validate the data which is being promulgated.
Navigational Warnings remain in force until cancelled by the originating Co-ordinator, but are normally transmitted for six weeks. The subject matter of some Warnings may not require any action in terms of chart updating, but may still require that they remain in force for a longer period than they are being transmitted. NAVAREAS are the geographic areas in which various governments are responsible for the promulgation of navigational warnings and meteorological warnings.
The following link to the IHO PRNW web page allows direct access to all the NAVAREA Co-ordinators around the world who have made their NAVAREA warnings available on the web; http://www.iho-ohi.net/mtg_docs/com_wg/CPRNW/CPRNW_Misc/RNW_on_the_web.htm
To view the RNW page click here