Aids to Navigation
The Maritime Authority of the Velocity Interoperability Network maintains the lights, buoys, beacons and fixed marks that guide vessels through the waters of the Velocity Interoperability Network. Every aid is entered in the register below, which records its name, type, position, character and range. Changes to the register are announced by Notice to Mariners before they take effect, except where an aid fails without warning.
The aids were transferred to the Authority from member organisations during the transition period and were inspected between 24 August and 4 September 2026. All 67 were in service at establishment. The Eastfield Shoal beacon, which had been extinguished since May 2026, was relit on 4 September with a new character, recorded in Notice 4 of 2026.
- 5
- Lights, including the Meridian Point lighthouse
- 46
- Buoys, of which 36 are lit
- 16
- Beacons and fixed marks
- 67
- Aids to navigation in service at establishment
Lights. The five lights are the principal aids to navigation in the Network's waters. Ranges are nominal ranges in clear visibility.
| Light | Type | Position | Character | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian Point Light | Lighthouse | Meridian Point, western entrance to Meridian Sound | White, flashing once every 10 seconds | 18 nautical miles |
| Northgate Head Light | Light tower | Northgate Head, northern entrance to the Northgate Channel | White, group flashing twice every 15 seconds | 12 nautical miles |
| Westbrook Roads Light | Sector light | Westbrook Quay, overlooking the anchorage | White, red and green sectors, isophase every 4 seconds | 8 nautical miles |
| Southbank Breakwater Light | Breakwater light | Head of the Southbank Harbour breakwater | Red, occulting every 4 seconds | 6 nautical miles |
| Eastfield Shoal Beacon | Lit beacon | Eastfield Shoal, Eastfield Approaches | White, flashing once every 6 seconds | 5 nautical miles |
The Meridian Point Light is the landfall light for vessels approaching the Network from the west and is the only aid staffed by the Authority; a keeper is present during the hours of darkness. The Westbrook Roads Light shows a white sector over the safe approach to the anchorage, a red sector over the Eastfield Shoal and a green sector over the shallows to the south of Westbrook Quay.
Buoys, beacons and marks. Buoyage follows the lateral system in which red port-hand marks are left to port when entering harbour or proceeding from seaward.
| Aids | Type | Position | Number | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northgate Channel port-hand buoys N1 to N11 | Lateral, port hand | Northgate Channel, western side | 11 | Red, flashing every 3 seconds |
| Northgate Channel starboard-hand buoys N2 to N12 | Lateral, starboard hand | Northgate Channel, eastern side | 11 | Green, flashing every 3 seconds |
| Southbank Fairway Buoy | Safe water mark | Seaward end of the Southbank fairway | 1 | White, one long flash every 10 seconds |
| Southbank fairway buoys S1 to S6 | Lateral | Southbank fairway to the harbour entrance | 6 | Red and green, flashing every 2.5 seconds |
| Westbrook anchorage limit buoys W1 to W6 | Special marks | Limits of the Westbrook Roads anchorage | 6 | Yellow, unlit |
| Westbrook cable route marks C1 to C4 | Special marks, temporary | Cable route across Westbrook Roads (Notice 3 of 2026) | 4 | Yellow, unlit |
| Eastfield Shoal cardinal buoys | North and south cardinal | Either side of Eastfield Shoal | 2 | White, very quick flashing |
| Meridian Rocks isolated danger buoys | Isolated danger | Meridian Rocks, central Meridian Sound | 2 | White, group flashing twice every 5 seconds |
| Meridian Sound passage buoys M1 to M3 | Lateral | Passage between Meridian Rocks and Meridian Point | 3 | Red and green, flashing every 4 seconds |
| Southbank quay beacons | Fixed beacons | Quay heads within Southbank Harbour | 3 | Unlit daymarks |
| Northgate Landing beacons | Fixed beacons | Either side of Northgate Landing | 2 | Unlit daymarks |
| Westbrook Quay beacons | Fixed beacons | Westbrook Quay and the shallows to the south | 3 | Unlit daymarks |
| Eastfield Landing leading marks and beacons | Leading marks and fixed beacons | Eastfield Landing | 4 | Leading marks fixed white; beacons unlit |
| Meridian leading marks and landing beacons | Leading marks and fixed beacons | Meridian Point and the Meridian Court moorings | 4 | Leading marks fixed white; beacons unlit |
Reporting a defect. Masters are asked to report any aid that is missing, out of position, extinguished or showing an incorrect character. The steps below apply.
Step 1: Note what you observed
Record the name or number of the aid, the time, the position from which you observed it, and the defect: a light extinguished or showing the wrong character, a buoy missing or out of position, a mark damaged or obscured.
Step 2: Report to the Authority
Write to the Authority at once. A report of a light extinguished or a buoy out of position in the Northgate Channel or the Southbank fairway may also be passed to the harbour office on the harbour working channel during its hours of watch.
Step 3: The Authority acts
The Authority verifies the report, issues an urgent Notice to Mariners where the defect affects safety, and repairs or replaces the aid. Lights in the Northgate Channel and the Southbank fairway are attended within 24 hours; other aids within five days.
Private aids. A member organisation or citizen who wishes to lay a mooring buoy, a racing mark or any other object on the water must apply to the Authority in writing at least fourteen days beforehand. Private aids are entered in a separate list, must be of the colour and form the Authority directs, and must not be capable of being mistaken for an aid in the register above. No fee is charged for a private aid laid for less than thirty days.
Enquiries about the register may be sent to contact@maritime.gov.vin. For the rules of the road in each area, see Navigation Safety; for the aids by type and area, see Statistics.