Maritime safety information
MSI is designed to give mariners information relating to:
- navigational safety warnings
- meteorological warnings
- meteorological forecasts relevant to vessels within specified coastal areas
- search and rescue information
- other urgent safety related messages.
Most MSI is temporary, while others may remain relevant for several weeks and superseded by notices to mariners.
In Australia, MSI is provided via long range warnings (NAVAREA X and METAREA X warnings) and coastal warnings (AUSCOAST warnings, sea safety messages, and coastal wind warnings).
AUSCOAST warnings are broadcast to the relevant coastal areas as shown:
Meteorological warning and forecasting services
The Bureau of Meteorology, as METAREA X coordinator, provides the meteorological component of MSI through the Inmarsat SafetyNET system, Iridium SafetyCAST system (on-trial) and HF radiotelephone broadcasts through sites at Wiluna, WA and Charleville, QLD. Information on how to receive meteorological warnings and forecasts are available from the Bureau of Meteorology.
Navigational warning service
AMSA, as the NAVAREA X coordinator, provide the navigational warning component of MSI via the Inmarsat SafetyNET system, Iridium SafetyCAST system (on-trial) and HF radiotelephone broadcasts through sites at Wiluna, WA and Charleville, QLD.
A summary of all NAVAREA X and AUSCOAST warnings currently in force are issued weekly on Thursday at 0000hrs UTC. To obtain the latest navigational warnings issued by AMSA, you can search the maritime safety information (MSI) database.
How to receive navigational warnings
The primary method for promulgation of navigational warnings is via the Inmarsat SafetyNET system supplemented by HF radiotelephone broadcasts.
It is the responsibility of masters to ensure their Enhanced Group Call (EGC) and HF receivers are correctly configured, even while in port (if needed), to receive MSI appropriate to their intended voyage.
HF radiotelephone broadcasts are promulgated on the following schedule and frequencies from sites at Wiluna, WA and Charleville, QLD. It is important to test which frequencies and broadcast site (Charleville, QLD or Wiluna, WA) suit your listening requirements for time of day, month and season.
|
CHARLEVILLE (VIC) VOICE FREQUENCIES (kHz) |
WILUNA (VIC) VOICE FREQUENCIES (kHz) |
|||
|
DAY |
NIGHT |
DAY |
NIGHT |
|
|
4426 |
2201 |
4149 |
2056 |
|
|
8176 |
6507 |
8113 |
6230 |
|
|
12365 |
8176 |
12362 |
8113 |
|
|
16546 |
12365 |
16528 |
12362 |
|
|
Navigation warning area |
UTC |
UTC |
|
NAVAREA X |
19:25 |
07:25 |
|
AUSCOAST A |
20:25 |
06:25^ |
|
AUSCOAST B |
20:25 |
06:25^ |
|
AUSCOAST C |
21:25 |
08:25^ |
|
AUSCOAST D |
21:25 |
08:25^ |
|
AUSCOAST E |
22:25 |
09:25 |
|
AUSCOAST F |
22:25 |
09:25 |
|
AUSCOAST G |
23:25 |
10:25^ |
|
AUSCOAST H |
23:25 |
10:25^ |
^ - Effective 00:00 UTC on Friday, 8 April 2022, Charleville will cease promulgating navigation warnings at 06:25, 08:25 and 10:25 UTC on the frequency 8 176 kHz. Please choose an alternate operating frequency from the table above.
To convert to your local time zone, the following applies:
- AEDT is UTC+11:00
- AEST is UTC+10:00
- ACDT is UTC+10:30
- ACST is UTC+9:30
- AWST is UTC+8:00