XN000022-1980-04-04 — Page 2

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 1980

NEW BUOYAGE SYSTEM TO ENSURE GREATER SAFETY AT SEA

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A NEW BUOYAGE SYSTEM TO ENSURE GREATER SAFETY AT SEA IS BEING INTRODUCED INTO HONG KONG'S WATERS BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.

THE NEW SYSTEM, KNOWN AS +IALA MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEM A+ HAS ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED BY MARITIME AUTHORITIES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARINE DEPARTMENT SAID: THE MERIT OF THE NEW SYSTEM OVER THE CONVENTIONAL ONE IS THAT IT WILL MAKE THE NAVIGATIONAL BUOYS MORE DISCERNIBLE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN WARNING SHIPPING OF NAVIGATIONAL HAZARDS.

UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, TREACHEROUS SPOTS AT SEA SUCH AS A SUBMERGED REEF OR ROCK, SHOAL WATER, OR A SHIPWRECK SITE WILL BE MARKED BY APPROPRIATE TYPES OF BUOYS WITH APPROPRIATE TYPES OF TOPMARKS AT DAY TIME AND WITH THE APPROPRIATE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHTS AT NIGHT.

THE NEW SYSTEM PROVIDES FIVE TYPES OF MARKS WHICH MAY BE USED IN ANY COMBINATION: LATERAL MARKS TO INDICATE THE PORT AND STARBOARD HAND SIDES OF CHANNELS CARDINAL MARKS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMPASS, TO INDICATE THAT NAVIGABLE WATER LIES TO THE NAMED SIDE OF THE MARK- ISOLATED DANGER MARKS ERECTED ON, OR MOORED DIRECTLY ON OR OVER DANGERS OF LIMITED EXTENT SAFE WATER MARKS, SUCH AS MID-CHANNEL BUOYS- AND SPECIAL MARKS, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IS APPARENT FROM REFERENCE TO THE CHART OR OTHER NAUTICAL DOCUMENTS.

+THIS IS AN IMPROVEMENT OVER THE TRADITIONAL BUOYAGE SYSTEM WHICH TENDS TO CAUSE CONFUSION TO MARINERS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID,

THE NEW SYSTEM IS INTERNATIONALLY UNIFORM AND MARINERS WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH IT AND, BY OBSERVING THE SHAPES, COLOURS AND TOPMARKS OF BUOYS, THEY WILL READILY IDENTIFY THOSE WATERS THAT ARE SAFE FOR NAVIGATION THUS ENHANCING GREATER SAFETY AT SEA.

+SINCE APRIL 1 BUOYS FOR THE NEW SYSTEM ARE BEING INTRODUCED AND THE CHANGE-OVER IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY OCTOBER,

TO MAKE KNOWN THE SYSTEM TO MARINERS, THE MARINE DEPARTMENT ISSUED AN EXPLANATORY NOTICE TO THEM IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

+A DETAILED NOTICE WILL BE ISSUED TO REMIND THEM PRIOR TO EACH CHANGE OF BUOY OR GROUP OF BUOYS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT'S NAUTICAL TRAINING SCHOOL ORGANISED A ONE-DAY SEMINAR ON THE NEW SYSTEM IN MID-MARCH FOR MORE THAN 200 STAFF FROM DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

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