Among the many primary causes which lead to a shipping casualty, those of wrecking, stranding or coming into contact with fixed coastal structures depend (although not exclusively and only under specific conditions of visibility) upon the efficiency of the lighthouse and navigating lights network of a national coastline. The analysis of the shipping casualties involving Greek ships in the Greek seas revealed that, despite the recent introduction of sophisticated navigating aids for the prevention of stranding and contact, the share of the corresponding casualties remains unchanged. It appears that for coastal shipping operations, and in particular for port approaches, the traditional light navigating aids are and will always provide an irreplaceable safety service for navigators. This is mainly attributed to their technological simplicity which offers a high level of signal reliability and friendliness for the navigator.

In the May 1997 issue of the Journal, a paper on this subject was presented by Captain Turner on behalf of the General Lighthouse Authorities. I read the paper with interest, and in general concur with their assessment of the situation. However, I think that the situation regarding visual Aids to Navigation (AtoN) needs further consideration.