WHO WE ARE Your A to Z of Trinity House Introduction from the Deputy Master

urs is a diverse organisation, from where we deliver our front-end and anyone—whether at service? Did you also know that we Osea or on shore—could have a duty to mark and sometimes be forgiven for not knowing the remove wrecks that are a hazard to breadth and depth of Trinity House’s shipping? activities. You quite possibly already knew that So in tried and true fashion we’ve many Trinity House have Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding come up with a bite-size guide to an LED light source no bigger than shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and Trinity House in the form of an A your thumbnail, but you may not be welfare to the seafaring community with a statutory duty to Z: 26 things you may or may not so familiar with our work to develop as a General Authority to deliver a reliable, know about us, our work and the robust Positioning, Navigation and efficient and cost-effective aids to navigation service for service and support we provide to Timing systems to complement the the benefit and safety of all mariners the mariner. vulnerable GPS system. Perhaps you knew that we operate Here we are in the second decade of over 60 lighthouses in , the 21st century, with an astonishing , the and breadth of responsibilities and depth , but did you know we of experience, hard won and skilfully also provide almshouses for aged built up over centuries. We’re more mariners and their dependants? cost-effective, reliable and efficient Perhaps you’ve been to our Tower than ever, and still looking for ways Hill headquarters, but did you know to improve and demonstrate value to that we also have operational bases our partners in maritime UK. at , and St. Just

Captain Ian McNaught Deputy Master of Trinity House

© Trinity House, 2019 Almshouses Buoys

Trinity House’s oldest Almshouse estates at Buoys are a very important part duty is to provide support and Mile End were of Trinity House’s mix of aids to for aged mariners in need. built centuries ago with navigation. donations from generous supporters; today, the 18 Their various colours, shapes and sizes almshouses at in Kent are part of a visual language understood accommodate mariners and by mariners around the world, telling their dependants. them about marine hazards to avoid and safe channels for travelling. trinityhouse.co.uk/almshouses trinityhouse.co.uk/buoys We sponsor 30 new Merchant Navy Cadets every year, training many on our own ships

Charity Dover Strait

Trinity House is a charity Sometimes this means The Dover Strait is the An incident in the strait—the set up to improve the providing lighthouses and busiest shipping lane in narrowest part of the English state of navigation in our other aids to navigation, and the world, keeping Trinity Channel—could be a major sometimes it could mean hazard to the many ships that waters and to provide educating cadets or helping House very busy and on carry 95% of our everyday support and training for other maritime charities. alert at all times. goods. mariners. trinityhouse.co.uk/charity trinityhouse.co.uk/dover-strait The Master of Trinity House is HRH The Princess Royal, who replaced her father HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 2011

E-navigation Fraternity

Trinity House works with other lighthouse The Fraternity is made As defined by its , authorities and maritime agencies to help up of 31 elected Elder Trinity House is governed research and develop elements of the Brethren and around 400 by the Master, Wardens and Assistants, with support from International Maritime Organization’s Younger Brethren. a fraternity of men and women concept of e-navigation—such as position bringing with them expertise fixing and vessel routing—which will from all walks of the maritime enhance the safety of shipping as modern world. shipping evolves. trinityhouse.co.uk/fraternity trinityhouse.co.uk/e-navigation Helicopters

Trinity House began using helicopters in 1969 to transport people and supplies to and from offshore lighthouses. Global Navigation Systems such as GPS and The fast and safe transfer GNSS GLONASS transmit signals was a great step forward and Satellite Systems (GNSS) meant that lighthouse keepers is a collective description from satellites which enable maritime, aviation were no longer trapped by of all satellite systems or land-based users to bad weather with dwindling which provide world- determine their position to supplies of food and fuel. wide coverage of position within a few metres. and accurate timing. trinityhouse.co.uk/gnss 95% of all UK imports and exports are moved by sea! Every person in this country will touch, use and eat goods that have been brought to the UK by ship

International shipping Journeys by sea

Seafarers from all over As shipping lanes around Trinity House works The sea has always been the world depend upon our island nation grow around the clock to unpredictable and dangerous; Trinity House aids to increasingly crowded and our ensure that mariners are as a charity dedicated to the demand for consumer goods safety of the mariner Trinity navigation for their safe rises, ships and seafarers safe, well-trained and House not only provides aids passage through our depend upon Trinity House’s supported. to navigation to mark hazards waters and into our ports reliable aids to navigation, but as a charity also seeks to and harbours. a vital part of the maritime ensure that British commercial infrastructure. shipping is crewed by well- trained men and women. trinityhouse.co.uk/ international-shipping trinityhouse.co.uk/journeys-by- sea King Henry VIII Lighthouses

Trinity House has been serving the mariner since 1514. On 20 May 1514 Henry VIII incorporated Trinity House owns Trinity House built its first Trinity House as the Master Wardens lighthouse at in and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or and maintains over 65 lighthouses in England, 1609; ever since, Trinity House Brotherhood of the most glorious and lighthouses have become undivided Trinity and of St. Clement in the Wales, the Channel world-renowned for their Parish of Deptford Strond in the County of Islands and Gibraltar. innovative design, high calibre Kent. engineering and perennial reliability. trinityhouse.co.uk/king-henry-viii trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses We provide over 600 aids to navigation along the coast of England, Wales, the Channels Islands and Gibraltar; these include lighthouses, buoys, , beacons and DGPS

Monitoring Navigation

Trinity House’s aids to The Planning Centre works Our aids to navigation Our lighthouses, buoys, navigation are monitored with many other key maritime help mariners navigate lightvessels, beacons and 24 hours a day from safety organisations to keep their way safely around electronic aids to navigation apprised of the ever-changing systems assist all mariners at the Planning Centre in situations in our waters, some of the UK’s busiest all times and in all conditions. Harwich, Essex. prepared to act quickly should waters including the an incident arise. Dover Strait—the world’s trinityhouse.co.uk/navigation busiest shipping lane. trinityhouse.co.uk/monitoring Optics Pilotage

Many Trinity House It is the optic—a carefully Trinity House provides Ensuring the continuance lighthouses have a light arranged framework of expert navigators for of one of our oldest duties, source no bigger than a prisms—that collects the light ships sailing in Northern Trinity House became a and projects a focused beam licensing authority for deep thumbnail. for up to 25 miles towards European waters. sea pilotage, along with the horizon. Rotating the its namesakes in Hull and optic gives the lighthouse its Newcastle. distinctive ‘flash’ character! trinityhouse.co.uk/pilotage trinityhouse.co.uk/optics Trinity House works with other lighthouse authorities and maritime agencies to research and develop new aids to navigation technology

Queen Research & development

Trinity House’s connection with Research and Its core business is the lighthouses dates back to Queen Development is a central research and development Elizabeth’s I Seamarks Act of 1566. resource for the three of physical and radio marine aids to navigation and support Elizabeth gave the corporation the powers to set General Lighthouse systems to support the GLAs’ up “So many beacons, marks and signs for the sea… Authorities. mission to provide aids to whereby the dangers may be avoided and escaped navigation for the benefit and and ships the better come into their ports without safety of all mariners. peril”. trinityhouse.co.uk/research-and- trinityhouse.co.uk/queen-elizabeth development Solar power Trinity House,

Since 1796 Trinity House has been based at its central London headquarters at , alongside the .

As part of our commitment Rebuilt after the to using renewable energy Second World War, its to power the majority of our beautifully-appointed rooms have hosted offshore aids to navigation, royalty, mariners, all lighted buoys and almost prime ministers, 30 lighthouses are now scientists and visitors solar-powered. from all over the world and houses many fine We are also looking for ways to paintings, models and use wind and wave energy and treasures. hybrid systems to help protect the environment. trinityhouse.co.uk/ trinity-house-london trinityhouse.co.uk/solar-power User pays Vessels

Trinity House carries out Our work as a General Trinity House has a fleet All carry out the important its duties at no expense Lighthouse Authority is of three purpose-built work of maintaining and to the taxpaying public. financed from paid vessels: THV Galatea, supplying our offshore aids to into the General Lighthouse navigation, routinely steaming Fund by commercial vessels THV Patricia and THV skillfully into sea areas that calling at ports in the British Alert. all other ships are warned to Isles, based on the tonnage of steer clear of. the vessel. trinityhouse.co.uk/vessels trinityhouse.co.uk/user-pays Wreck marking X marks the spot

Trinity House has a duty Lightweight blue and yellow Trinity House works hard Tides, channels and hazards— to mark and sometimes Emergency Wreck Buoys to ensure that our aids whether natural or man- remove wrecks that are a exhibiting a blue and yellow to navigation (as well as made—are all factored in by flash are placed temporarily Master Mariners with many hazard to shipping. around a new wreck until the 11,000 local marks we years of experience. permanent black and yellow inspect annually) are all ‘cardinal’ buoys can be placed. of the best service to the trinityhouse.co.uk/x-marks-the- mariner. spot trinityhouse.co.uk/wreck- marking Younger Zero emissions? Brethren Although we cannot claim zero emissions because of the nature of our work around the coast, Trinity House is committed to preserving the beautiful coastal environment in which we work.

Trinity House has a To minimise our fraternity of almost 400 carbon footprint we Younger Brethren drawn plan our operations efficiently and use from various sectors in the solar power on maritime community. many of our aids to They contribute to the unique navigation. authority of Trinity House in the maritime sector, giving valuable trinityhouse.co.uk/zero- assistance and advice on the emissions Corporation’s maritime and charitable activities. Since 1991 Trinity House has reduced

its CO2 output for the operation of its trinityhouse.co.uk/younger-brethren aids to navigation by 94%, saving 1,863 tonnes per annum For more information about our work as the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar and the UK’s largest endowed maritime charity please visit trinityhouse.co.uk For the benefit and safety of all mariners

Trinity House Tower Hill, London EC3N 4DH +44 (0) 20 7481 6900 [email protected] trinityhouse.co.uk