Navigation Safety
The Maritime Authority of the Velocity Interoperability Network is responsible for the safety of navigation in the waters of the Velocity Interoperability Network. It makes the Navigation Safety Regulations, keeps the lights, buoys and marks that guide vessels through those waters, issues Notices to Mariners when conditions change, and investigates incidents reported to it.
The waters of the Network comprise Southbank Harbour, the Northgate Channel, Westbrook Roads, the Eastfield Approaches and Meridian Sound. The Authority's harbour office at Southbank keeps a listening watch on the harbour working channel during its hours of watch, which are published in the weekly edition of Notices to Mariners.
Regulations in force from Monday 7 September 2026
The Navigation Safety Regulations 2026. The Regulations are summarised below. The summary is provided for guidance; in any dispute the text of the Regulations as made by the Authority prevails, and a copy may be requested by email.
- Regulation 1: Application
- The Regulations apply to every vessel, of whatever size and whether or not registered, while it is in the waters of the Network. The waters of the Network comprise Southbank Harbour, the Northgate Channel, Westbrook Roads, the Eastfield Approaches and Meridian Sound, as marked on the Authority's charts.
- Regulation 2: Lookout and safe speed
- Every vessel shall keep a proper lookout by sight and hearing at all times and shall proceed at a speed at which it can be stopped within a distance appropriate to the visibility, the traffic and the state of the sea. The limits in Regulation 3 are maxima and do not relieve a master of this duty.
- Regulation 3: Speed limits
- No vessel shall exceed six knots through the water within Southbank Harbour, eight knots within the Northgate Channel, or eight knots within 300 metres of any landing, quay, moored vessel or bathing area elsewhere in the waters of the Network. Vessels of the Authority engaged in emergency duties are exempt.
- Regulation 4: Conduct in the Northgate Channel
- Vessels of twenty-four metres or more in length shall report to the Authority before entering the Northgate Channel and shall proceed in the direction set by the traffic scheme in force. Vessels under twenty-four metres shall keep to the starboard side of the channel and shall not impede a vessel that can navigate only within the channel.
- Regulation 5: Lights and shapes
- Between sunset and sunrise, and in restricted visibility, every vessel under way shall show the navigation lights prescribed for its length and type, and every vessel at anchor shall show an anchor light. Vessels engaged in fishing, towing or work restricting their ability to manoeuvre shall show the corresponding day shapes.
- Regulation 6: Anchoring and mooring
- No vessel shall anchor in the Northgate Channel, in the fairway of Southbank Harbour or within 200 metres of a submarine cable or pipeline marked on the Authority's charts, except in an emergency. Vessels in Westbrook Roads shall anchor within the limits marked by the anchorage buoys and shall not moor to any aid to navigation.
- Regulation 7: Reporting of incidents
- The master or owner of a vessel involved in a collision, grounding, fire, flooding, loss of a person overboard or any incident causing injury or damage to a vessel, an aid to navigation or harbour works shall report it to the Authority within twenty-four hours, in writing, giving the time, place, vessels involved and circumstances.
- Regulation 8: Carriage of safety equipment
- Every vessel shall carry a lifejacket for each person on board, a means of raising the alarm, a means of bailing or pumping and, where fitted with an engine, a fire extinguisher. Vessels in classes B to F of the Vessel Register shall carry the additional equipment prescribed for their class and confirmed at survey.
- Regulation 9: Radio watch
- Every vessel of twelve metres or more in length fitted with a marine radio shall keep a listening watch on the harbour working channel while under way in the waters of the Network, and shall answer a call from the Authority's harbour office.
- Regulation 10: Offences and penalties
- A person who contravenes these Regulations commits an offence. The Authority may issue a fixed penalty of 50 credits for a contravention of Regulation 3, 5 or 8 and of 100 credits for a contravention of Regulation 4, 6 or 7, or may refer the matter to the courts of the Network, where a fine of up to 5,000 credits and the suspension of a vessel's registration may be imposed.
Speed limits and traffic rules by area. The table below brings together the limits and rules that apply in each area of the Network's waters, including those introduced by the Notices to Mariners in force on 6 September 2026.
| Area | Speed limit | Traffic rule | Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southbank Harbour | 6 knots | Fairway kept clear; berthing as directed by the harbour office | Vessels of 24 metres and over, before entering the harbour |
| Northgate Channel | 8 knots | One-way scheme for vessels of 24 metres and over (Notice 2 of 2026); smaller vessels keep to starboard | Vessels of 24 metres and over, at Northgate Head |
| Westbrook Roads | 8 knots within 300 metres of a moored vessel | Anchor only within the anchorage limit buoys | Vessels intending to anchor for more than 24 hours |
| Eastfield Approaches | 8 knots within 300 metres of the landing | Pass Eastfield Shoal to the north; cardinal marks in place | None |
| Meridian Sound | No limit; safe speed applies | Keep 1,000 metres clear of survey operations (Notice 5 of 2026) | None |
Reporting an incident. Reports under Regulation 7 are made by writing to contact@maritime.gov.vin within twenty-four hours. The report should give the date and time, the position, the names and registration numbers of the vessels involved, the names of the masters, the weather and visibility, and a short account of what happened. The Authority acknowledges every report and may ask the master to attend an interview at the harbour office. Reports are used to improve the safety of the Network's waters and are not published in a form that identifies individuals.
Enforcement. The Authority's harbour staff and its three patrol launches enforce the Regulations. Fixed penalties are issued in writing and are payable within twenty-eight days; a person who disputes a penalty may ask, within the same period, for the matter to be referred to the courts of the Network instead.
For the vessels the Regulations apply to and their obligations at survey, see Vessel Registration and Surveys and Inspections; for answers to common questions, see the frequently asked questions. Enquiries about the Regulations may be sent to contact@maritime.gov.vin.