Wärtsilä revealed its new Navi-Planner voyage planning and optimisation solution during Nor-Shipping 2019. Developed by Transas, a Wärtsilä company, the new Navi-Planner utilizes the connected ECDIS. The new connectivity enables onboard voyage planning to be cut from 5 hours to 30min, and it also aims to provide better navigational safety standard for less experienced seafarers.
During the 2019 SAFETY4SEA London Forum, Capt. Paul Whyte, MBE AFNI, Shipping Technical Director (Navigation Services), London Offshore Consultants talked about the importance of situational awareness in shipping industry referring also worst aviation accidents and lessons that translate to the maritime industry.
As the North P&I Club informs, the UK Admiralty Court has recently rejected a shipowner’s claim for general average. It specifically concluded that the ship was unseaworthy because of an error in the passage plan. North Club noted that this case has showcased how important a proper berth-to-berth passage planning is, saying that it ‘is much more than just putting courses on a chart or ECDIS.’
A year-long research project carried out by the UK and Danish marine investigation authorities has highlighted major concerns over the design and operation of ECDIS and significant shortfalls in the way in which seafarers are training to use the systems.
Japanese shipping company MOL announced its intention to install a navigation system using augmented reality (AR) technology jointly developed by Furuno Electric and MOL Techno-Trade, on 21 MOL-operated very large crude oil carriers (VLCCs).
CHIRP issued its 54th Maritime Feedback, focusing on several reports outlining the anomalies between a vessel’s AIS and ECDIS, and positions obtained from a PPU or by visual/radar position fixing. The incident results to the fact that incorrect AIS offsets at the installation stage can also cause a great deal of confusion and may require a visit from a technician to access the pass code.
Transport Malta’s MSIU issued an investigation report on the collision between the Ro-Ro cargo vessel ‘Neptune Hellas’ and the general cargo vessel ‘Nur’ while underway in the Marmara Sea. The investigation identified issues related to poor lookout, as well as ineffective use of electronic navigation and radar information.
Sea Traffic Management (STM) is able to make just-in-time operations in shipping possible, on a global perspective. This is a key element to achieve IMO’s goals on GHG emissions reduction. In the meantime, STM data send navigational warnings to ECDS making navigation safer.
When sailing in the Gulf of Bothnia, which is full of ice, many additional concerns compared to sailing in a plain liquid sea will occur. The thickness of the ice affects the speed and the fuel consumption of the vessel, while there is always the risk of getting stuck. Sea Traffic Management, through the Winter Navigation Service, aims to give a solution to this problems and help ships navigate safely.
Inmarsat and SRH Marine SAIT signed a contract on February 2019, that formalises arrangements for real-time Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) updating to be accomplished ‘ship-to-shore’ by using an application over FleetBroadband for the first time.
