What is Weekly Notices To Mariners (WNTM) and its Sections?

Weekly Notices to Mariners (NtM) are official publications issued by national maritime authorities (like the UK Hydrographic Office or other global equivalents) to inform mariners of any changes or updates in nautical charts, publications, and navigational information. These notices help ensure safe and efficient navigation.

1. Contents: NtMs cover updates such as new or amended aids to navigation (buoys, lights), newly discovered hazards, changes to traffic separation schemes, and more.
2. Frequency: Issued weekly to ensure mariners have access to the latest critical navigational updates.
3. Formats: Available in printed versions or digital formats, which can be incorporated into Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).
4. Use: Mariners are responsible for using these notices to manually update their paper charts or automatically integrate them into digital systems for safe passage planning.

Weekly Notices to Mariners are part of ADMIRALITY LIST OF NOTICES TO MARINERS and these are Navigationally significant changes to Nautical Charts, Lights, Fog signals, Radio signals and sailing directions which are published in Weekly notice to mariners.

These also contain Reprints of all Radio navigational warnings in force and a summary of charts & publication being published.

1. Contains information, which enables the mariner to keep his charts and books published by the hydrographic department up to date for the latest reports received.
2. They should be retained until the next annual summary to admiralty notices to mariners is received.
3. However weekly editions dating as far back as 18 months may be required and must be kept safely on board.
4. The hydrographer of the navy publishes them.

Weekly Notices To Mariners (WNTM) and its 8 Sections – Explained

Weekly notices to mariners are divided into 8 sections:

1. Section I– Explanatory notes & Index to use of charts & other publications
2. Section II– Admiralty NTM, Corrections to charts
3. Section III– Reprints to radio navigational warnings
4. Section IV– Corrections to ASD
5. Section V– Corrections to ALLFS
6. Section VI– Corrections to ALRS
7. Section VII– Updates to miscellaneous nautical publications
8. Section VIII– Updates to digital publications

SECTION 1: Explanatory Notes, Use Of Charts And Associated Publications.

Asterix alongside these items of correction indicate original information i.e information gathered by the british hydrographer and not by other country’s authorities

SECTION 2: Updates To Standard Navigatinal Charts & Admiralty NTMS,Temporary And Preliminary Notices.

Items tagged ‘PL’ are new editions of charts, suppliers information, chart corrections.
Last correction date is given below the actual correction.

1. Geographical Index.
2. Notice Number / Page / Chart / Folio Number.
3. Chart Number / Notice Number.
4. Blocks And Notes Accompanying Notices In This Section Are Placed Towards The End Of This Sections.

SECTION 3: Reprints Of Radio Navigational Warnings

21 NAV areas to be filed, cancel as per cancellation or enforced list. Hydrolants and Hydropacs to be filed along with nav warnings file itself. They are issued by the united states coast guard:

• HYDROLANTS: Warnings For Pacific And Indian Oceans.
• HYDROPACS: Atlantic And Mediterranean Sea.

Section 4: Ammendments To Sailing Directions

Updates to all sailing directions are given under section 4, those enforced at the end of year are reprinted in The Annual Summary Of Admiralty Notices to mariners part 2 , NP 274 (2)

SECTION 5: Ammendments To Admiralty List Of Lights And Fog Signals.

Updates of all list of lights are given in section 5 and may be published in an earlier editions than the chart updating notices.

• Astersk mark (*)   indicates change in light.
• Astersk mark (*) in all column of light indicates new light

SECTION 6: Ammendments To Admiralty List Of Radio Signals

Updates to all the radio signals are given in section 6 .
Updates should be cut out and pasted into the appropriate volumes.

SECTION 7: Miscellaneous Publication Updates

Miscellaneous Publication Includes:

1. Mariner handbook.
2. Admiralty tide table.
3. Admiralty distance table.
4. Ocean passage for the world.
5. Nautical almanac publication.
6. IALA   maritime buoyage system.
7. Symbols and abbreviations used on  admiralty paper/charts.
8. Admiralty guide to ENC symbol used in ECDIS..
9. How to keep your admiralty products updates.
10. Paper chart maintenance record (NP133A)

SECTION 8 : Admiralty Digital Products And Services.

Information relevant to admiralty digital products and services.

For Official Weekly Notices to Mariners, you can visit UK Admiralty website and download the latest Weekly Notices, link here https://msi-dev.admiralty.co.uk/NoticesToMariners/Weekly