Navigating may be a challenging task on a sunny day, but what happens when mariners must guide their boat through the darkest night or the thickest fog? Either way, radar is a must-have tool for safe navigation but a complex task if you don’t know how to use it.
Knowing exactly where we are at each time is a key component of safe navigation and the use of GPS and ECDIS provide this capability nowadays, but the continuing trend to rely solely on this means of navigation rather than to cross-check with other independent and reliable navigation techniques introduces a significant risk, CHIRP notes.
The US Coast Guard issued an alert advising mariners of the dangers when sailing hazardous bars in the Pacific Northwest, mostly during night hours and heavy weather. The USCG has already published regulated navigation areas for specific locations on the Oregon and Washington coasts, while also created guidance for these areas.
In fact, Captain Matt Lynch was interviewed on BBC News talking about Stena Estrid’s maiden voyage during storm Brendan.
Japanese shipping company MOL announced a joint study with three com-patriot partners on collision avoidance algorithms and autonomous collision avoidance. The study, to be named ‘Focus Brain’ is aspiring the development of Artificial Intelligence for autonomous navigation.
USCG Sector Charleston informed of a Russian spy ship operating in an unsafe manner off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. In a bulletin dated 16 December, the USCG revealed reports that the RFN Viktor Leonov (AGI-175) was neither energizing running lights nor responding to hails by commercial vessels.
Vessels navigating in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore are required to comply with the ‘Rules For Vessels Navigating Through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore’ adopted by the IMO MSC 69 in 1998, in accordance with the provision of Resolution A.858(20), the MPA Singapore reminded.
The USCG’s Office of Navigation Systems (CG-NAV), officially announced its approval for a series of Automatic Identification System Private Aids to Navigation (AIS PATON), in order to set restricted navigation zones, near commercial rockets’ launch.
Japanese shipping company K Line announced the introduction of strict alcohol management onboard its ships, as part of its efforts to ensure safe navigation. The system foresees installment of an alcohol detector linked to a smartphone.
In the latest Safety Digest, UK MAIB focuses on the importance of the weather forecasts for the avoidance of relevant accidents; UK MAIB advises that if severe weather is forecast, all options available should be considered and all relevant precautions should be taken to establish the safety of the crew.
