Virtual Aids To Navigation

Virtual Reality? Exploring virtual aids to navigation. Virtual aids to navigation can be used in situations where it is not practical to use physical aids to navigation, or where information is needed faster than a buoy can be placed. The information they give should be treated in the same way. Deidre Lane MNI, Navigation Services, Commissioners of Irish Lights explains

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A virtual aid to navigation can be described as digital information, broadcast from an Automatic Identification System (AIS) station, to place an aid to navigation that does not physically exist in the water. Virtual aids to navigation are visible on the AIS Minimum Keyboard and Display (MKD), or as a symbol on ;appropriate display systems.

Virtual aids to navigation inform navigators about dangers to navigation and safe waterways, as well as areas where extra caution is needed, or which must be avoided. Information from virtual aids to navigation should be considered in the same way as information from physical aids to navigation.& Virtual aids to navigation can be used in the following situations:

• To immediately mark a wreck or new danger
• In areas where it is impossible to place a physical aid to navigation
• Where buoys are seasonally lifted due to ice
• When a physical buoy is off-station, e.g. due to a natural disaster
• Where a physical aid to navigation could conflict with other navigational requirements, and a virtual one meets the needs of the target group Virtual aids to navigation are not intended to replace physical buoys or beacons. However, they may be permanently deployed, following risk assessment, for example to mark a hazard that cannot be marked using a physical equivalent. They are transmitted using AIS, and are prone to the same  weaknesses. Navigators and relevant shore-based personnel should be introduced to AIS aids to navigation as an extension of their training on the IALA Maritime Buoyage System. 

Aids to navigation transmitted using AIS are implemented in the following ways:

•  Real AIS &#; the AIS unit is physically fitted on the aid to navigation
•  Synthetic AIS &#; this transmits the position of a physical aid to navigation, but the signal originates from a transmitter located elsewhere. Used where it is impossible to retain an AIS unit on a buoy or beacon due to local environmental conditions (in the rare event that the physical buoy may have shifted or be off-station, a navigator may notice a discrepancy in the locations)
•  Virtual AIS &#; in this case, there is no physical aid to navigation at all. The transmitter is located elsewhere i.e. for marking a new danger 

Virtual advantages and disadvantages

Using virtual aids to navigation brings several advantages, chief of which are greater clarity of information and immediate positive identification. They offer improvements in first response time to wrecks and other new dangers, as well as a greater range (VHF) on Radar overlay than physical aid to navigation targets, thus giving an earlier warning of danger.

Virtual aids to navigation are not prone to the weather and will always display on MKD or Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)/ Radar overlay. They can be detected around bends and behind islands and offer a more accurate positioning.

However, they are also subject to disadvantages, mainly the fact that not all vessels are fitted with AIS. AIS is dependent on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) , and unusual atmospheric conditions could have an effect on range.
Virtual aids to navigation systems can be vulnerable to intentional and unintentional interference or inaccuracies. For example, if a vessel&#;s AIS unit is malfunctioning or incorrectly installed, the mariner may not be aware of the position of a virtual aid to navigation, or may receive incorrect data.

In addition, users will not be able to fully utilise AIS aid to navigation functionality if there is no ECDIS or Radar overlay. Care must be taken where AIS is overlaid on Radar or ECDIS, as some manufacturers have chosen only to overlay ship messages.

Case Study: virtual buoys in the English Channel
On 15 January , the MV Ice Prince foundered 26 miles off Portland Bill at the entrance to the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) off Les Casquets, after losing more than 2,000 tonnes of its timber cargo. Although the wreck lay on the United Kingdom side of the median line, the area was within the French Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) coverage area of Joborg traffic.

On 17 January, ILV Granuaile commenced guard vessel duties 0.6 nautical miles north east of the wreck. The following precautions were put in place for mariners to indicate the wreck&#;s position:

• Navigational warnings stating the wreck&#;s position broadcast by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and French Coastguard
•  -metre exclusion zone
• ILV Granuaile transmitting RACON morse code &#;D&#;
•  South west bound traffic, on making their two nautical mile report, notified verbally of the position of the wreck by Joborg traffic

On 18 January, four virtual buoys were deployed: two east cardinals, one south cardinal and one isolated danger mark. The virtual buoys marked the wreck using the French Coastguard&#;s AIS base station network.

In this case, there were many accent and language barrier issues; some vessels still headed straight for the exclusion zone even after stating to Joborg traffic that they were aware of the position of the wreck.

The virtual buoys were useful because they:

• Gave early warning of the position of the wreck
•  Helped alleviate language barriers providing clear information in the form of text on the MKD and overlay on ECDIS/ Radar where available
•  Were easily deployed and easily removed when the wreck was no longer  considered a danger to navigation

conditions could have an effect on range. Virtual aids to navigation systems can be vulnerable to intentional and unintentional interference or inaccuracies. For example, if a vessel&#;s AIS unit is malfunctioning or incorrectly installed, the mariner may not be aware of the position of a virtual aid to navigation, or may receive incorrect data.

In addition, users will not be able to fully utilise AIS aid to navigation functionality if there is no ECDIS or Radar overlay. Care must be taken where AIS is overlaid on Radar or ECDIS, as some manufacturers have chosen only to overlay ship messages.

Case Study: virtual buoys in the English Channel

On 15 January , the MV Ice Prince foundered 26 miles off Portland Bill at the entrance to the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) off Les Casquets, after losing more than 2,000 tonnes of its timber cargo. Although the wreck lay on the United Kingdom side of the median line, the area was within the French Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) coverage area of Joborg traffic.

On 17 January, ILV Granuaile commenced guard vessel duties 0.6 nautical miles north east of the wreck. The following precautions were put in place for mariners to indicate the wreck&#;s position:

• Navigational warnings stating the wreck&#;s position broadcast by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and French Coastguard
• -metre exclusion zone
• ILV Granuaile transmitting RACON morse code &#;D&#;
• South west bound traffic, on making their two nautical mile report, notified verbally of the position of the wreck by Joborg traffic

On 18 January, four virtual buoys were deployed: two east cardinals, one south cardinal and one isolated danger mark. The virtual buoys marked the wreck using the French Coastguard&#;s AIS base station network.

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In this case, there were many accent and language barrier issues; some vessels still headed straight for the exclusion zone even after stating to Joborg traffic that they were aware of the position of the wreck.

The virtual buoys were useful because they:

• Gave early warning of the position of the wreck
• Helped alleviate language barriers providing clear information in the form of text on the MKD and overlay on ECDIS/ Radar where available
• Were easily deployed and easily removed when the wreck was no longer considered a danger to navigation

Becoming a boat owner should lead to fun and exciting adventures on water. The key to keeping those adventures safe is not just being registered, insured, and well stocked with supplies; it is also learning all you can about boat safety and following the motto &#; Know Before You Go.

The U.S. Coast Guard has a plethora of information available; which covers everything a boater needs to know and have on board to ensure everyone who is on board has a safe and satisfying outing. There are boating safety courses which cover many topics to prepare the operator for almost anything. The topic of NAVIGATION is one worth taking extra time to learn as much as possible, as this knowledge will be a lifelong asset.

When learning about navigating a boat, it is imperative to understand what lies ahead - literally &#; as it is the navigational tools one has on board that will help make sure there are no surprises beneath the water&#;s surface which may not visible to the naked eye; and to avoid any unwelcomed surprises above the surface such as markers, buoys, other boats, and more.

According to the USCG it is vital to carry paper nautical charts and maps on board. Charts show what the waterway looks like from the air &#; buoys, beacons, bridges, landmarks and from below - how deep the water is, land formations, along with other important information. The maps show the land along the waterways. When plotting a course, it is the nautical charts that should be utilized.

The USCG still believes that every boater should have the paper charts and maps; the tried and true versions that have been helping sailors find their way around the world. Gadgets can malfunction, as long as boat owners make sure they have updated charts and maps on board they should be able to stay on course. Charts and maps are easily obtainable online.

Modern technology is an ever growing part of the boating world. There are gadgets available that have also become an essential part of any vessels navigational tools such as the marine GPS. A regular automobile GPS will work, but the model made for boats offers the bells and whistles that boaters use, such as:

• The ability to know the depth of the water
• Predicting tides
• Ability to give warnings of obstacles in the path of the vessel
• Not only the &#;You are Here&#; feature but will remember the courses you take and will show you the way next time with the navigate to track feature
• Fish finder options
• Compass and charts stored within the gadget that aids when plotting a navigational course
• Accurate speed, distance/time to way point and course made good readouts, as well as a digital compass
• Able to see the course being taken in case visibility is impaired due to nightfall, fog or bad weather
• Man Overboard feature that with just a touch of a button the operator can mark the position of the victim who is in the water
• Depending on the price, there are those models that can receive photographs and radar in real-time of an impending storm many miles away

While checking out the GPS available to boaters, it may be a good idea to also investigate a two-way radio communication system, as this is also important to the navigational success of an outing. There are many times a cell may not have service out on the water and in an emergency, communication with help is not something one would likely be willing to give up.

Whether boating during the day or at night, the &#;Rules of the Road&#; is the set of rules a boat operator is expected to know as determined by water authorities; and if for some reason one finds the USCG pulling up alongside or preparing to board their vessel, a question they may be prepared to answer is if they have their copy on board. Luckily copies are available online and can be printed at home.

Learning the "Rules of the Road" means learning to be courteous while on the water, be willing to give way to other vessels and following directions. To be sure, you will not be the only thing on or in the water. There are buoys, markers, and other boaters. Collisions are the number one type of accident on the water. These rules are there to aid in the steering and controlling of a boat so as to avoid accidents with other boats or other objects.

The basic rules are as follows:

1. Know the "Rules of the Road" &#; except where speed is restricted maintain a safe speed depending on weather, visibility, how many other boats are in the area, how your boat handles; always have a lookout - a person to keep watch from every direction; and always do your best to avoid a collision &#; know which vessel is the &#;give way&#; and which is the &#;stand on&#; and know what actions to take for which. Remember, if you see the red light on a vessel, you are on the "give way" vessel and are expected to take action while the "stand on" vessel will remain on course. If you see a green and red light, you are seeing an oncoming boat and you should prepare to pass on the port side. One short blast on your horn will alert them you are passing and their one short blast returned, acknowledges the actions.

2. Know the Markers &#; buoys float on top of the water, some have lights and some do not. Beacons are permanently attached to the bottom of the body of water. Beacons with lights are referred to as &#;lights&#; if no light they are called &#;daybeacon.&#; Both are used to provide navigational information depending on the shape, color, light, and if it has a signal or not.

3. Lateral and Non-Lateral Aids - used for channels and lets boaters know what route is to be followed. Non-Lateral Aids are the warning, regulatory and informational signs for on-the-water. These are the street signs for water and should be learned just as when a driver learns the signs to drive on the street.

4. Boating at Night &#; even waters well-traveled can look unfamiliar at night. It can be difficult to distinguish shore lights from lights on other boats since visual depth perception is less. All vessels are required to have their navigational lights on from sundown to sunup and when visibility is hampered. All operators must make sure their navigational lights are in good working order and are positioned correctly on the vessel as according to federal regulations. Slow down, quiet down so to hear other vessels if need be, and know what the combinations of lights mean to you, the operator of the boat.

5. Variation to the Aids to Navigation Rules &#; depends on what waterway you are on. There is &#;Western Rivers Marking Systems,&#; and &#;The Intracoastal Waterways.&#; Do some homework to find out more information on these variations.

6. Special Situations &#; such as bridges, draw bridges, controlled access areas, locks, low-head dams.

7. Always Wear Your Life Jacket &#; the number one cause of on-the-water fatalities is drowning and the only hope to prevent a drowning is by wearing a life jacket.

It is the responsibility of the operator to know the navigational &#;Rules of the Road,&#; and in turn know and have the navigational aids on board to ensure the safety of all passengers and of those boats in the area.

The USCG has made it as easily accessible as possible for boaters to know these rules, and learn the aids with all the information that is made available. The operator can keep his family, friends, and property safe and the boat insurance company happy by following these guidelines.

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