Tag: safe navigation

When Perseverance sailed through the Bering Strait this morning it marked the end of NSR ever When the oil-tanker "Perseverance" sailed through the Bering Strait this morning it marked the end of the longest Northern Sea Route season ever.Sailing season along the entire Arctic coast of Siberia became one month longer than the 2010 season. Shipping companies take advantage of the shrinking ice cap as global warming speeds up.The Belgium owned "Perseverance" opened the sailing season when it left Murmansk on June 29th and sailed the Northern Sea Route (NSR) towards China. The tanker also became the vessel to end this year's season, when it today sailed into the Pacific Ocean loaded with 60.000 tons of stable gas condensate for Russia's private oil company NOVATEK, reports OilCapital.ru.The tanker was escorted by a nuclear powered icebreaker from Murmansk. Eight times more oilDuring the five months sailing season this year, nine large tankers with a total of 600.000 tons of gas condensate from NOVATEK have sailed the Northern Sea Route. That is more than eight times more oil than during the 2010 season.In addition, several other tankers have sailed the route, includingvessels from Sovkomflot and Murmansk Shipping Company. In August, the first ...

NAUTIS Full Mission Bridge Simulator VSTEP is proud to announce that its NAUTIS Full Mission Bridge Simulator has received the Class A certification from Det Norske Veritas AS (DNV). The NAUTIS simulators are now qualified to operate as fully-certified maritime training simulators with any maritime training school worldwide. With the certification, VSTEP joins a handful of simulator manufactures worldwide that hold the highest level of DNV certification.After a thorough certification process and last week's onsite audit by DNV's Head of Simulator Certification Capt. Aksel David Nordholm and his team, a full DNV statement of compliance to the STCW requirements was issued for the NAUTIS Bridge Operation Simulator, with class notation for Integrated Simulator Systems, Tug and High Speed Craft.NAUTIS is a new generation of affordable advanced maritime training solutions for the military and civilian maritime industry. The NAUTIS range of advanced maritime training simulators offers an affordable and effective alternative for training maritime officers and crews. With a full range of simulators, from desktop trainer to full mission bridge simulator, NAUTIS has a cost-effective training solution fulfilling the training requirements of nautical colleges, naval academies, maritime training centres and individual ship owners.Following the certification audit DNV's Capt. Nordholm remarked: "VSTEP's ...

rRquirements for testing the correct data exchange MSC 88 adopted amendments to SOLAS regulation V/18 regarding the annual testing of the automatic identification system (AIS) in 2010. As a result, a new regulation (SOLAS V/18.9) was introduced by MSC 308 (88) and adopted on 3 December 2010.SOLAS Chapter V regulation 18.9 "The automatic identification system (AIS) shall be subjected to an annual test. The test shall be conducted by an approved surveyor or an approved testing or servicing facility. The test shall verify the correct programming of the ship static information, correct data exchange with connected sensors as well as verifying the radio performance by radio frequency measurement and on-air test using, e.g., a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). A copy of the test report shall be retained on board the ship."The date on which the annual testing of AIS enters into force is 1 July 2012, and the tests may be carried out in connection with the ship's annual safety radio (CRC) or safety equipment (CEC) survey.Approval of AIS service suppliers The new regulation implies special requirements for surveyors since testing the correct data exchange with connected sensors and on-air radio tests requires both special AIS test equipment and specific ...

Vessel management, navigation and safety applications Globecomm Systems of the USA says that Global Seatrade, a unit of the Hartman Marine Group, has awarded it a contract for unified maritime communications.Services will be provided by Mach6, a unit of Globecomm Maritime, using its global se@FLEX VSAT platform, which provides automatic roaming between Ku-band satellite beams on a global basis at a flat rate.Global Seatrade provides transport for cargo, such as offshore wind turbines, that require specialised handling onboard the company's heavy-lift vessels. Growing demand for its services led Global Seatrade to seek a unified communications platform to provide reliable broadband connectivity for its fleet.The package includes prioritisation of mission-critical traffic, ensuring that vessel management, navigation and safety applications get priority over crew welfare communications. VOIP is available over broadband, which provides voice calls at significantly lower costs.Se@FLEX is claimed to offer global coverage, seamless service and full transparency of costs and service levels. Se@FLEX is a VSAT-based service, with a Committed Information Rate (CIR) guarantee. Automatic switching technology maintains the VSAT link as vessels move between satellite beams. The same technology detects loss of VSAT availability and auto-switches service to L-band backup on demand.Source: The Motorship

Enhancing night navigation capability at Port Qasim Global marine terminal operator DP World announced that its facility at Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT), Pakistan's gateway to the world, has expanded its capability to allow it to handle today's modern, large vessels around the clock.New buoys, beacons and lights in the approach channels and turning basins to DP World Karachi's twin terminals at QICT enhances night navigation capability for vessels of up to 295 metres overall length (LOA), 33-metre beam and a draft of 12 metres, providing container vessels calling at QICT with safe and reliable navigation 24 hours a day.Anil Singh, SVP & MD, DP World, Subcontinent said:"Enhancing night navigation capability at Port Qasim is a welcome development for DP World's customers at our QICT gateway facility. Port Qasim plays an important role in connecting Pakistan's vast hinterland to its international sea routes. Making it accessible 24 hours a day contributes directly to the local community and Pakistan's economy in general. We congratulate the management of DP World Karachi for successfully working together on this achievement."Changez Niazi, Chief Executive Officer DP World Karachi, said: "We thank the Port Qasim Authority for its support for facilitating night navigation for 295m vessels ...

Mitsui OSK Line to install Bridge Navigational Watch and Alarm systems on board UK company Martek Marine says that Mitsui OSK Line has made a firm commitment to install Martek BNWAS (bridge navigational watch and alarm systems) on board its ships ahead of regulatory requirements.During drydocking of 17 MOL vessels so far this year, Martek Navgard BNWAS equipment was installed. Martek quoted MOL as saying it was likely that all of its existing vessels would be fitted with BNWAS before the end of 2011.Under the terms of the revised SOLAS regulations new passenger vessels and cargo ships greater than 150gt have had to implement BNWAS since July 2011. However, existing passenger ships and cargo vessels greater than 3,000gt can wait until July 2012 before BNWAS becomes mandatory, while existing cargo ships of between 500gt and 3,000gt can wait until July 2013, and those between 150 and 500gt until July 2014.Alan Stewart, MOL Tankship Management (Europe) deputy general manager explained that the carrier had already witnessed an increasing frequency of comments by SIRE inspectors regarding whether or not a BNWAS was fitted. He said that MOL had decided on a course of "being proactive and not waiting until the last minute, ...

Electronic Chart Display and Information System - ECDIS Electronic Navigation chart is a modern tool that can definitely save ships from possible sea accidents. Like cars and other land vehicles with GPS, marines should also have something that will guide them in the ocean. The Electronic Chart Display and Information System or ECDIS is a type of modern map for ships.ECDIS integrates radar and GPS, and uses the Automatic Identification System (AIS) which is used to broadcast their position to other ships by using radio signals, and displays an electronic map in real time with accurate readings of the weather and the local water depth.UN International Maritime Organization released a mandate to use ECDIS in 2012. International ships will be required to use electronic navigation charts to prevent accidents and unexpected incidents that may ruin the underwater world. There is no exact date released yet, but definitely, it will be implemented soon.Numerous sea accidents have ruined pristine marine lives. The most recent is the MV Rena Oil Spill killing thousands of sea birds and fishes. Coral reefs and other habitats of smaller fishes were also destroyed. The smell of the oil on the beach can also affect the health of ...

Minimum requirements The Estonian Maritime Administration has issued Guidelines for ROs when recommending an exemption for a BNWAS installed prior to 1st of July 2011 requirement which are not in full compliance with the MSC.128(75) when the following minimum requirements are fulfilled:1. The BNWAS operational modes can be selected between Manual ON (in operational constantly) and Manual OFF (does not operate under any circumstances);2. The selection of the operational modes is protected by a key switch or password;3. Once operational the system remains dormant for a period between 3 and 12 min;4. At the end of this dormant period a visual indication is initiated on the bridge;5. If not reset, the system sounds additionally a first stage audible alarm on the bridge 15s after the visual indication is initiated;6. If not reset, the system sounds additionally a second stage remote audible alarm in the back-up officer and/or Master's location 15s after the first stage;7. If not reset the system sounds additionally a third stage remote audible alarm at the locations of further crew members min. 90s and max. 180s after the second stage;8. The audible alarm for the third stage is easily identifiable by its sound and indicates urgency. Moreover ...

IMO Cooperative Mechanism in Malacca Malaysia meeting to boost protection in the area BIMCO is participating at the IMO Cooperative Mechanism in Malacca Malaysia during a week of meetings aimed at improving the safety of navigation and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.The first of the three meetings was the 4th Cooperation Forum opened by the Director General of Malaysia's Marine Department Y.BHG Dato' Captain Ahmad Othman on 10 October 2011. Captain Othman pointed out that the Cooperation Forum has successfully provided "meaningful opportunities for all interested parties to share their interests towards ensuring the Straits remain safe and open for international navigation."Picture above: BIMCO's Mr. Aron Frank Sørensen, Chief Marine Technical OfficerIn his welcoming address, Malaysia's Minister of Transport, YB Dato' Sri Kong Cho Ha emphasized the importance of Article 43 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the very basis for which the Cooperative Mechanism was established. "It is vital that all stakeholders embrace the meaning and intent of Article 43 to ensure the sustainability of the straits of Malacca and Singapore", said the Minister, adding that the enhanced collaborative efforts between the littoral States, the User States and the ...

Panama Maritime Authority issues Merchant Marine Circular MMC-29 The Panama Maritime Authority issues Merchant Marine Circular MMC-29 regarding Bridge Navigation Watch Alarm System.The purpose of this Merchant Marine Circular is to inform all users that the Solas Chapter V Regulation 19, as amended by Resolution MSC. 282(86), has introduced carriage requirements for BNWAS for the following ships:.1 cargo ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irrespective of size constructed on or after 1 July 2011;.2 passenger ships irrespective of size constructed before 1 July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1 July 2012;.3 cargo ships of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before 1 July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1 July 2012;.4 cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 3,000 gross tonnage constructed before 1 July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1 July 2013; and.5 cargo ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 500 gross tonnage constructed before 1 July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1 July 2014.For more information, click here.Source: Panama Maritime Authority