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.
A little after BIMCO published the new guidelines to improve cyber security, secureworld provides further insight on how ships can be hacked. Namely, modern ships are floating computer networks and have more and more systems that can be compromised. The most characteristic example are cruise ships. On these ships Wi-Fi works most of the time, increasing the risk of cyber attacks.
BIMCO informed that a sub-committee under the IMO has forwarded three documents for adoption in June. This development made one step closer to the adoption of a standardised system for electronic navigation. This year’s Navigation, Communication, Search and Rescue sub-committee (NCSR 6) took place from 15-25 January in London.
Although modern satellite systems have reached a landmark for maritime navigation and navigators vastly rely on ECDIS data, safe navigation requires also from mariners to take into consideration the accuracy and reliability of the source hydrographic data, Capt. Yves Vandenborn, Director of Loss Prevention at Standard P&I Club, highlighted.
NYK Shipmanagement, an NYK Group company, created the ‘iPlus ECDIS’. This is a digital guidance for the operation of ECDIS. The program aims to assist operators use better the ECDIS over a shorter time by providing guidance regarding 66 ECDIS operations. The platform’s structure is based on the ECDIS checklist provided by the Nautical Institute.
