Tag: GPS

Maritime Safety Victoria has partnered with AMSA to urge boaters and paddlers to carry a distress beacon. Carrying a means of calling for help when out on the water is standard for most boaters and many paddlers, however many believe that a mobile phone and/or hand-held radio are enough. One of the greatest risks to boaters and paddlers is unexpectedly entering the water, and then not being able to get back onto their vessel or call for help.

SpaceX will launch three satellites that will scan the world for radio signals of dark ships. The satellites belong to a startup called HawkEye 360 and aim to help monitor global activity in the oceans using geospatial information.

In its Monthly Safety Scenario for November, the Swedish P&I club analyzes a case of a ship grounding due to insufficient checking of the passage plan. When creating the passage plan, it is suggested that the plan is double checked by another officer to ensure all waypoints have been selected.

U.S. Maritime Advisory 2018-014 informs of a continued GPS interference by vessels and aircraft operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea It is causing the alternation of GPS signals and affects the navigation and communication of vessels. GPS interference is causing the loss or the alternation of GPS signals affecting bridge navigation, GPS-based timing and communications equipment.   

According to the US Maritime Administration, GPS interference has been reported near Jeddah Port, Saudi Arabia, near the position 21-29N, 039-09E on October 15th and 18th, 2018. These incidents have not been confirmed, but according to MARAD, this interference is resulting in either inaccurate positions or no position.

GPS outage has been recently a key area of concern for navigation mostly in Eastern Mediterranean. USCG NAVCEN is now publishing reports of GPS problems on its website. Any notes about problem resolution, if available, will also be listed. The website will be updated as new reports are received and processed.

EU announced that four more Galileo satellites were successfully launched from the European spaceport in French Guiana. Now with a total of 26 satellites, the EU's global satellite navigation system will provide a more precise signal across a range of services.

In the latest issue of Signals newsletter by North P&I Club, John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive, shares his views with respect to GPS, citing common problems that impede safe navigation and best practice for navigational officers to maintain good situational awareness.

NATO has requested ship operators to report any instances of GPS or AIS interference in the Mediterranean. NATO is concerned about cyber security in the area, after detecting several electronic interferences and also possible GPS jamming in recent months, mostly in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The US Navigation Center posted a notice alerting users of the Global Positioning System that there is possibility of a short period with high Horizontal Dilution of Precision (HDOP) / Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP) in certain locations, because of satellite maintenance.