Wide Bay Bar and Virtual Nav aids

Wide Bay Bar and Virtual Nav aids © Boating Industry Association

BIA would like to commend Maritime Safety Queensland, the Qld Recreational Boating Council, and Bill Corten in particular, for efforts to improve navigation aids at the Wide Bay Bar, SE Qld. This includes the application of 'virtual nav aids' which are shown via a vessel's AIS system.

The latest hydrographic survey of the Wide Bay Bar has been completed, and the latest depths are shown in the above chart dated 13 May 2024. The depths shown on the chart are from an on-water survey undertaken by Maritime Safety Qld. Mariners should be cognisant that the depths and positions of sandbars are continually changing. Therefore, the depths on the chartlet may have changed and no longer be as shown.

Following the survey, the Virtual Navaids on Wide Bay Bar continue to provide guidance on the best water over the bar. The Virtual Navigation Aids have been repositioned following the survey and Mariners should replace the positions of the buoys, if entered manually on non-AIS equipped systems. Mariners should not rely on the Virtual Navaids as their only means of navigation when crossing the bar.

The map above provides the positions of the Virtual Navaids that will be displayed on a vessel's AIS system. The Virtual Navaids are a representation of the IALA maritime Buoyage System A and represent Safe Water and port and starboard lateral navigation beacons. They are to be passed on the port or starboard side of the vessel depending on the beacon. They are not waypoints or reference points that are steered towards and passed over.