GIS Based Navigational Warnings Portal @BEUC2018

by Olavi Heinlo, Estonian Maritime Administration, EE

Information necessary for safe navigation at sea is scattered between different systems and publications. Most of this information is prepared well in advance and updated once a month. However it is inevitable that conditions and events arise at sea that are not foreseen and unaware to navigator. This is where navigational warnings come along. Navigational warnings are essential part of safe navigation that deliver information about critical changes of navigational conditions and events. Uncharted dangers, floating objects, failures in navigational lights, buoys off position, military exercises, cable works and many other situations are delivered to mariner by navigational warnings.

Traditional means of delivering warnings to navigators are VHF and MF radio warnings and NAVTEX text warnings. But this media has its limitations on delivering information and also is not available to all seafarers.

To meet the needs of modern habits and make navigational warnings available to all audiences we have developed a GIS based solution that provides easy access and additional value to all users. Presentation explains the functionality and the benefits of the GIS based navigational warnings application. Also demonstrated the administration of navigational warnings and interoperability with other databases and services.