Navigation safety facilities and lighthouse service in the Republic of Croatia

The Croatian partner in the MED OSMoSIS project, the company Plovput d.o.o. Split is 100% owned by the Republic of Croatia. The main activity of Plovput is in accordance with the Law on Plovput (Official Gazette No. 73/97) and Article 50/paragraph 3. of the Maritime Code (N.N. no. 181/04, 76/07, 146/08, 61/11, 56/13 and 26/15) defined as an activity of public interest for the Republic of Croatia (RC) which is implemented as a public authority through the following navigation safety services: arrangement and maintenance of maritime waterways, installation and maintenance of navigation safety facilities in internal sea waters and the territorial sea of the RC, radio service of the coastal radio stations by monitoring the frequencies of danger and safety on the maritime waterways of the Republic of Croatia (VHFDSC CH70 and VHF CH16), for the protection of human life and property at sea, removal of wrecks and sunken things in accordance with the provisions of special maritime regulations.

Plovput is a member of the International Association of Marine aids to navigation and Lighthouses Authorities (IALA - International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouses Authorities).

Organization of work

The headquarters of the Plovput is in Split, and some of the technical services, the Navigation Safety Sector and the Maintenance and Construction Sector are in Split. Plovput organization is divided into 7 navigable areas which, in defined areas of the territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia, perform the tasks of maintaining maritime signaling facilities, associated equipment and devices, and devices that are an integral part of the maritime radio service, as well as the tasks of the lighthouse service at maritime lighthouses and maritime radio services. The vision of the company is to provide the highest level of maritime safety to the satisfaction of the seafarers and shipowners who use the services, and it is incorporated in the Quality Policy of Plovput, according to the ISO 9001:2015 standard.

The mission is expressed in providing the efficient and cost-effective service in construction and maintenance of navigation safety facilities for the welfare and safety of all seafarers in internal sea waters and the territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia.

 Vessels

In its fleet, Plovput has four workshop motor boats, one larger motor boat and seven fast boats. They are used for: construction and installation of new, and modernization and maintenance of theexisting maritime signaling facilities, rehabilitation of concrete blocks, wharves, slipway and auxiliary facilities at maritime lighthouses and other facilities, as well as a regular supply of maritime lighthouses with the equipment and supplies necessary for performing lighthouse service.

 

LIGHTHOUSE BUILDINGS

Lighthouses are the largest and most important maritime signaling facilities that enable safe day and night navigation in a certain sea area. They are built on the most prominent and/or remotest points of our territorial sea. They consist of stone buildings with a noticeable tower. They are mostly equipped with a main and backup light. The range of the main light is up to 30 miles. Some lighthouses are equipped with a radar reflection device (racon) and/or a fog system (fog detector and fog siren). All lighthouses are automated and monitored through a remote monitoring system.

However, due to the importance of lighthouses for the safety of navigation, and the protection of lighthouse buildings from decay, 16 lighthouses are still staffed (1 or 2 lighthouse keepers per shift).

In addition to the maintenance of maritime lighthouses, which are the most demanding navigation safety facilities to maintain, Plovput maintains another 1,212 navigation safety facilities in 2022.

In accordance with the three-year Management Plan, approved by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, the waterway builds and installs navigation safety facilities to indicate navigational hazards. Areas of construction or installation of navigation safety facilities are determined by the process of assessing both the traffic load and the risk to human life and property at sea.

Categorization of navigation safety facilities

Navigation safety facilities are categorized according to their significance for navigation safety.

The first category of navigation safety facilities consists of all navigation safety facilities located in the ports open to public traffic, especially of (international) economic importance for the Republic of Croatia and of county importance. It also includes special purpose ports of importance for the Republic of Croatia and approaches to these ports, including navigation channels, straits, rivers navigable from the sea side and passes approaching the ports, and facilities on primary navigable areas and waterways. The availability of 1st category navigation safety facilities is at least 99.8%, and the deadline for their activation is 24 hours from the moment of malfunction awareness, depending on the weather conditions at sea.

The second category of navigation safety facilities consists of all navigation safety facilities located in ports open to public traffic of local significance, and special purpose ports of county significance, as well as in the approaches to these ports, including navigation channels, straits, and passageways approaching these ports, and on secondary navigable areas and waterways.

Availability of 2nd category navigation safety facilities is at least 99%, and the deadline for activation is 48 hours from the moment of learning about the malfunction, depending on the weather conditions at sea.

The third category of navigation safety facilities consists of all navigation safety facilities that represent a necessary supplement to navigation safety facilities of the first and second categories of importance, as well as navigation safety facilities in areas beyond the reach of 1st and 2nd category navigation safety facilities, and on tertiary navigable areas and waterways. The availability of 3rd category navigation safety facilities is at least 97%, and the deadline for activation is 96 hours from the moment of malfunction awareness, depending on the weather conditions at sea.

Availability of navigation safety facilities

The availability of the navigation safety facility is the accuracy of the navigation safety facility during the observed period, considering the total observed period and the malfunction period. The availability of the navigation safety facility is calculated according to the formula:

For visual objects of maritime signaling, the malfunction period is the failure or termination of the maritime signaling light during the night. Plovput manages the Register of Navigation Safety Facilities as a public ledger in the electronic form.

The register of navigation safety facilities can be found at the link https://rosp.plovput.hr

The register of navigation safety facilities contains basic attribute data, navigational data and administrative data on each navigation safety facility in internal sea waters, territorial sea and economic zone of the Republic of Croatia. The basic data of the Registry are:

• -          Name of the object
• -          Position (WGS 849)
• -          Unique facility number and international facility number
• -          Characteristics of light (color, period, range)
• -          Focus height of the light above the sea
• -          Construction height
• -          Category
• -          Object status

Through the Register of maritime signaling facilities WEB application, it is possible to report malfunctions of the navigation safety facility. The application is submitted via form in electronic format.