W W allem Ship Management in Hong Kong has ordered the DNV Navigator soft- ware system for its managed fleet of more than 190 ships. DNV Navigator is a decision sup- port tool used onboard ship to assist the Master in managing port opera- tions. This new contract with Wallem is the largest ever signed for the soft- ware system, and was agreed after the successful completion of a trial programme. Using the application, more than 1,200 port clearance forms are auto- matically filled in with ship data so that required paper work can be pre- pared quickly. It includes a database of informa- tion about all world ports and termi- nals, including publications and data from UKHO, IHS Fairplay and other sources. Arrival and departure proce- dures for all major ports are available, as well as a nautical library providing maritime-specific information. A Master’s Notes functionality is included, which is used for sharing port specific knowledge within the fleet. Information can also be shared with other systems, such as gangway control systems and ECDIS. The contract with Wallem addition- ally includes a Work and Rest Hours module to manage compliance with international legislation on rest hours for seafarers, particularly the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 and the Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. Any violation of regulations will be identified, and user-defined reports can be generated. Crew timesheets can also be creat- ed in MS Excel, and the system allows for company-specific forms to be added and for data to be shared with other company-specific or third party systems. "Wallem is striving continuously to manage their fleet in safer and more cost effective ways," said Captain Deepak Honawar, Wallem’s director of safety and quality. "We were impressed by how quickly DNV responded to our demands and added new elements in the system. We have great expecta- tions for the use of DNV Navigator and believe the product will play a key role in our portfolio of on-board applications." Software growth This new contract with Wallem rep- resents a significant coup for the DNV software team, which celebrat- ed the subscription of the 2,000th ship using its software when it was implemented by the container vessel HS Chopin, owned by Hansa Shipmanagement in Hamburg, dur- ing the fourth quarter of 2011. The company has managed to reach this level in less than 10 years, with DNV Navigator having been introduced in 2002. "Industry feedback indicates that the on board paperwork burden is reduced by as much as 90 per cent," said Odd Arne Haueng, head of DNV Maritime Partner. "This enables ships’ officers to focus on what should be their pri- mary responsibility, that is operating the ship in a sound and safe way both at sea and in port." Wallem commenced roll-out of DNV Navigator across its fleet in March 2012. IN THIS ISSUE A p r i l 2 0 1 2 electronics and navigation software satcoms Acquisition interest in Thrane & Thrane prompts Board review – 4 Iridium launches new Pilot system – 6 Connecting the vessel and office – 10 Leveraging vessel data for efficient ship operation – 14 Silversea Cruises implements onboard trim optimisation technology – 24 Jo tankers installs emissions monitoring system – 25 The future of remote monitoring – 26 Wallem to install DNV Navigator on 190 ships NAVTOR launches Pay-as-you-sail ENC licensing service – 30 Seafarer fatigue study releases data – 33 Wallem Ship Management has agreed a deal that will see the company install a software system from DNV Maritime Partner across its fleet of managed vessels FOCUS ON ECDIS TRAINING Industry recommendations for ECDIS training published- 34 ECDIS training – the past, the present and the future – 36 Captain Deepak Honawar, Wallem’s director of safety and quality, and Kaveh Mansoorian, DNV senior customer service manager, signing the contract in Hong Kong DS (+47) 77 62 19 00 or [email protected]www.dualog.com Cyprus based and German owned Intership Navigation operates close to 80 ships in a global trade. Intership has implemented Dualog Connection Suite to manage and control the data traffic to and from all its ships. e company has more than two years of experience with the new software. “It is easy to install, the crew handles their private crew mail on their own, and our IT department has the complete overview via the web”, says the experienced IT Manager Pawel Bury. And even more important, Pawel adds “Dualog are easy to talk to. ey are small enough to listen, but big enough to be responsive.” “It is easy!” Pawel Bury, IT Manager, Intership Navigation www.reformstudio.no
Transcript
WW allem Ship Managementin Hong Kong has orderedthe DNV Navigator soft-
ware system for its managed fleet ofmore than 190 ships.
DNV Navigator is a decision sup-port tool used onboard ship to assistthe Master in managing port opera-tions. This new contract with Wallemis the largest ever signed for the soft-ware system, and was agreed afterthe successful completion of a trialprogramme.
Using the application, more than1,200 port clearance forms are auto-matically filled in with ship data sothat required paper work can be pre-pared quickly.
It includes a database of informa-tion about all world ports and termi-nals, including publications and datafrom UKHO, IHS Fairplay and othersources. Arrival and departure proce-dures for all major ports are available,as well as a nautical library providingmaritime-specific information.
A Master’s Notes functionality isincluded, which is used for sharingport specific knowledge within thefleet. Information can also be sharedwith other systems, such as gangwaycontrol systems and ECDIS.
The contract with Wallem addition-ally includes a Work and Rest Hoursmodule to manage compliance withinternational legislation on rest hoursfor seafarers, particularly the Maritime
Labour Convention 2006 and theStandard of Training, Certificationand Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
Any violation of regulations willbe identified, and user-definedreports can be generated.
Crew timesheets can also be creat-ed in MS Excel, and the system allowsfor company-specific forms to beadded and for data to be shared withother company-specific or third partysystems.
"Wallem is striving continuouslyto manage their fleet in safer andmore cost effective ways," saidCaptain Deepak Honawar, Wallem’s
director of safety and quality. "We were impressed by how
quickly DNV responded to ourdemands and added new elements inthe system. We have great expecta-tions for the use of DNV Navigatorand believe the product will play akey role in our portfolio of on-boardapplications."
Software growthThis new contract with Wallem rep-resents a significant coup for theDNV software team, which celebrat-ed the subscription of the 2,000thship using its software when it wasimplemented by the container vesselHS Chopin, owned by HansaShipmanagement in Hamburg, dur-ing the fourth quarter of 2011.
The company has managed toreach this level in less than 10 years,with DNV Navigator having beenintroduced in 2002.
"Industry feedback indicates thatthe on board paperwork burden isreduced by as much as 90 per cent,"said Odd Arne Haueng, head of DNVMaritime Partner.
"This enables ships’ officers tofocus on what should be their pri-mary responsibility, that is operatingthe ship in a sound and safe way bothat sea and in port."
Wallem commenced roll-out ofDNV Navigator across its fleet inMarch 2012.
IN THIS ISSUE
April 2012
electronics and navigation
software
satcomsAcquisition interest in Thrane &Thrane prompts Board review – 4
Iridium launches newPilot system – 6
Connecting the vessel and office – 10Leveraging vessel data for efficient ship operation – 14
Jo tankers installsemissions monitoringsystem – 25
The future of remote monitoring – 26
Wallem to install DNV Navigator on 190 ships
NAVTOR launches Pay-as-you-sail ENClicensing service – 30Seafarer fatigue study releases data – 33
Wallem Ship Management has agreed a deal that will see the company install asoftware system from DNV Maritime Partner across its fleet of managed vessels
FOCUS ON ECDIS TRAINING Industry recommendations for ECDIS training published- 34
ECDIS training – the past, thepresent and the future – 36
Captain Deepak Honawar, Wallem’sdirector of safety and quality, and
Kaveh Mansoorian, DNV seniorcustomer service manager, signing
Cyprus based and German owned Intership Navigation operates close to 80 ships in a global trade. Intership has implemented Dualog Connection Suite to manage and control the data traffi c to and from all its ships. Th e company has more than two years of experience with the new software.
“It is easy to install, the crew handles their private crew mail on their own, and our IT department has the complete overview via the web”, says the experienced IT Manager Pawel Bury.
And even more important, Pawel adds “Dualog are easy to talk to. Th ey are small enough to listen, but big enough to be responsive.”
“It is easy!”Pawel Bury, IT Manager, Intership Navigation
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SATCOMS NEWS
Digital Ship April 2012 page 2
Vol 12 No 7
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www.orbit-cs.com
www.milanoteleport.com
ORBIT Communication Systems andMilano Teleport report that they havereceived new orders for their VSAT solu-tion combining ORBIT's OrBand C-bandVSAT system and Milano Teleport's C-Band satellite capacity and value addedservices.
The companies say that the solutionwill be installed on supertankers ownedby an unnamed shipping company basedin Greece.
In mid-2011, ORBIT and Milano
Teleport supplied the tanker companywith a single C-band system for testingpurposes. The new contract is a result ofthe successful conclusion of that trial,which examined the quality of serviceand data transfer rates available with the system.
The shipping company will now equipits entire fleet of tankers with this VSATsolution over the course of 2012 and 2013,to support various broadband applica-tions, including centralised managementand control from company headquarters,VoIP telephony, as well as VPN and inter-net connectivity for the ship's crew.
Telemar reports that it is to launch a newcommunications package called SeaMore,in conjunction with Vizada.
Telemar says that SeaMore will offeraccess to private onboard communicationssimilar to GSM but without roaming costs,as well as incorporating maritime applica-tions and the Vizada XChange communi-cations management platform.
The company says that ship ownersand managers can use the service to provide direct access to a network of busi-ness applications, via a tablet, to captainsand superintendents.
These applications include real-timetracking and maintenance reporting withthe Telemar World Service app, a GPSlocator, weather forecasts, fleet surveil-lance categorised by fleet, ship or users,remote IT control, 'store & share' businesscontent, and other customisable apps.
On the crew side, Telemar claims thatseafarers will be able to use their privatesmartphones and tablets to connect to thesystem and communicate in a way similarto how they use onshore communicationsnetworks, with voice calls, optimised e-mailing, SMS and instant messaging.
Web browsing is also available, withcompression and caching to lower costs.
An onboard electronic library will beincorporated, providing access to freeonboard news and sports content as well as videos, music, e-books or othermedia content.
Shipping companies can set their ownusage policies for the various services,while the seafarers themselves can alsocreate personal cost monitoring alerts.
Telemar says that SeaMore is currentlyin the beta-testing phase and will beinstalled on a select number of ships beforeits full commercial launch by July 2012.
“SeaMore is a potential game-changer inthe maritime industry – mobility combinedwith privacy are becoming a reality for allmaritime end-users,” said Gennaro Faella,Telemar corporate business developmentand operations coordination director.
“Vizada’s enhanced solution develop-ment capabilities benefits from our closeunderstanding of end-users’ needs to roll-out a unique product with high valuein terms of simplicity, convenience andapplications.”
“Owners and managers will exploit thebandwidth to save time and money han-dling operations anywhere and anytime.Masters and seafarers can access theirfavourite newspaper every morning, viewfamily pictures in the privacy of theircabin, and chat with loved ones.”
www.asta.net.au
Applied Satellite Technology Australia(ASTA) reports that it has extended its net-work to include a point of presence (PoP)in Sydney, Australia.
The new PoP will allow the company toprovide direct termination of InmarsatFleetBroadband and VSAT traffic locally,providing the shortest route possible fordata transmission.
It also offers users the ability to con-nect via a ‘local tail’, such as multi-proto-col label switching (MPLS) or virtual pri-vate network (VPN), which allows anend to end private network straight into their premises within the Asia Pacificregion, rather than passing over the pub-lic internet.
This also allows end to end quality ofservice (QoS) to be assigned, and othervalue added services such as firewalling,as required.
ASTA notes that, due to the addition offorce routing, all traffic that originatesfrom Australia must first be routed back toAustralia for legal interception beforebeing sent onwards; the PoP in Sydneyallows the company to achieve dedicatedsecure data transfer in that regard whilstproviding the lowest possible latency forInmarsat traffic.
Telemar and Vizada introduce SeaMore
"With the increasing demand for trueglobal broadband at sea we have investedin a wide range of satellite airtime services,as well as value added services and highlyinnovated remote diagnostic solutions forthe maritime market," commented NicolaMossino, maritime managing director forMilano Teleport.
"Our service is specifically tailored tomeet the requirements of maritime cus-tomers, providing always-on data andvoice communication. With OrBand, oursolution guarantees constant quality ofservice under any weather conditionsacross the globe."
ORBIT's recently launched OrBand canbe shipped as a single, fully assembled andtested unit in a standard 20-foot container,for single-day installation, which the com-pany notes is much quicker than what waspossible with traditional C-band antennas.
"This substantial order is further confir-mation of the quality and innovation thatour revolutionary OrBand solution bringsto the field of maritime broadband com-munications," said Avi Cohen, presidentand CEO of ORBIT.
"We are proud that this premier tankercompany has selected our joint solutionwith Milano Teleport for global maritimebroadband services, following its in-depthvalidation of system performance underdifficult maritime conditions."
"We continue to pursue further commer-cial partnerships, which will help to posi-tion ORBIT as an industry leader and toexpand the scope of our business activities."A Greek tanker company will install OrBand units across its fleet in 2012 and 2013
Tankers to install C-band VSAT from Orbit and Milano
Australian POPfor ASTA
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www.euroconsult-ec.com
Euroconsult says that its latest survey andreports have suggested that the satelliteindustry should see continued growth incommercial markets during the next tenyears, while at the same time stagnatinggrowth for government spending shouldbe expected at least through mid-decade.
According to the company’s 'SatelliteCommunications & Broadcasting MarketsSurvey', the satellite bandwidth used fortraditional FSS services will be worthalmost $15 billion in 2020.
"While we have seen slowing growthrates in leased capacity, FSS operators'revenue growth has continued to outper-form the global economy, and operatingmargins remain high for most operators.
In the near term, the difficult economicenvironment could weigh on the market,"said Pacôme Revillon, CEO atEuroconsult.
"Still, connectivity needs and thegrowth of digital TV in emerging regions,combined with the launch of new genera-tion high throughput satellite systemsshould continue to drive growth. Thevalue of satellite capacity leasing shouldconsequently grow at 7 per cent over thenext ten years."
In the report 'Mobile SatelliteCommunications Markets Survey',Euroconsult forecasts that the MSS marketwill grow at nearly 13 per cent per year onaverage, from 2.4 million terminals inservice in 2010 to 7.8 million by 2020.
Low-data rate machine-to-machine
(M2M) devices will have a significantshare in this subscriber growth, thoughtheir contribution to service revenues willremain limited.
"MSS wholesale revenue is expected togrow roughly 7 per cent per year over thedecade, due to increased demand forbroadband and other MSS services in anumber of vertical markets and emergingregions," said Wei Li, senior consultant atEuroconsult and principal author of thereport.
"Nevertheless, competition from ter-restrial and VSAT networks will remain a major limitation for MSS growth in L-band."
Euroconsult’s 'Satellites to be Built &Launched' report estimates that 1,145satellites will be built for launch from 2011
to 2020, 51 per cent more than the previousdecade. Revenues from the manufactureand launch of these 1,145 satellites will beworth $196 billion worldwide, of which 70per cent can be attributed to governmentdemand.
Euroconsult forecasts 203 commercialcommunications satellites, with a marketvalue of $50 billion, will be launched intothe GEO arc over the next ten years. Someof these satellites were recorded in satellitemanufacturers' order books during a flurryof ordering activity over the past five years.
Commercial satellite services outsidethe geostationary orbit will get a boostover the next decade with a total of 165satellites to be built and launched intomedium and low Earth orbits (MEO and LEO).
Digital Ship April 2012 page 4
Marine electronics company e3 sys-tems has been awarded PlatinumProvider status by MTN SatelliteCommunications (MTN), the high-est award given by MTN to its MaritimeService Providers (MSPs), based on a com-bination of sales revenue and require-ments on training installation and servicepersonnel.
SpeedCast has announced thelaunch of a new DVB-S2 satellite service,based on an iDirect hub, in Perth,Australia. The new service will be aimedat gas exploration customers in particular.
Intellian has appointed Carl Novelloas VP of product management, and also asthe leader of the company's InmarsatGlobal Xpress terminal programme. Mr Novello has worked in VSAT andsatellite communications for over twelveyears, having recently been with HarrisCapRock.
Satellite industry to grow for a decade - report
Acquisition interest in Thrane & ThraneSATCOMS NEWS
www.thrane.com
Thrane & Thrane has reported that it hasreceived an unsolicited approach toacquire the company, which it will nowtake under review.
According to a statement, requiredthrough Thrane’s listing on theCopenhagen stock exchange, the approachcame from "a third party, who hasexpressed a non-binding interest in acquir-ing a majority interest in the company."
The statement notes that the indicationof interest includes a list of certain condi-tions that would need to be met before aformal offer would be made.
Although Thrane notes that it is notcertain that the approach will ultimatelylead to a bid, the Board has unanimously
decided to initiate a "strategic review in order to fulfil its fiduciary duties toserve the best interest of the company andall its stakeholders."
Thrane says it will announce the resultof the strategic review no later than May 14, 2012.
The news caused a ripple in Thrane'sstock price, which reached a high of 445DKK before settling close to 400 DKK atthe time of writing. Thrane shares hadbeen trading in and around the 300 DKKmark the week before the acquisitioninterest announcement was made.
Lars Thrane, founder of the companyand holder of 24 per cent of the shares inThrane & Thrane, has reportedly beenquoted in Danish newspaper Borsen assaying that he will not sell his stake to the
company that has made the approach.In other news, Thrane & Thrane has
also granted accreditation to HorizonGlobex, a wholly-owned subsidiary ofOne Horizon Group, for its Horizon VoIPPBX solution to be used with SAILORFleetBroadband.
The Horizon VoIP PBX allows simulta-neous calling for up to eight analogue tele-phones over the FleetBroadband standarddata link, and offers users the choice ofthree different call settings for cost andquality control.
Horizon says that its VoIP platform,based on the company’s SmartPacket tech-
nology, enables VoIP from only 2 kbps,compared to around 8 kbps from otherVoIP services.
It is compatible with digital telecom-munications standards and is capable ofinterconnecting any phone system over IPon satellite, mobile and fixed networks.
"This is an important endorsementfrom the leading manufacturer of mobilesatellite communications equipment," saidMark White, CEO of One Horizon Group.
"It further validates Horizon’s qualityand reliability, and brings significantincremental benefits to the users ofSAILOR FleetBroadband."
Lars Thrane (right), shown here with his brother Per soon after they founded the company in1981, has said that he will not sell his share to the company that has made the approach
www.sktelecom.com
Korean telecoms provider SK Telecom hasbegun offering mobile phone roamingservices for passenger ships, according toreports in the Korea Herald.
The service is a result of a cooperationarrangement with Wireless MaritimeServices, which is itself a joint venture of US telecoms company AT&T and maritime VSAT communications pro-vider MTN.
The new roaming agreement will cover126 cruise ships operated by 25 compa-nies, according to the report, with the aimof serving the approximately 30,000Korean passengers travelling on cruiseships annually.
The new T Roaming Cruise servicefrom SK Telecom will be available to userswith compatible 3G or 4G handsets, andwill reportedly be charged at a priceapproximately one quarter of the cost of asatellite phone call.
Korean roaming agreement for cruise ships
Horizon’s VoIP service has been approved for use over SAILOR FleetBroadband terminals
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Digital Ship April 2012 page 6
SATCOMS NEWS
www.iridium.com
Iridium Communications has launched itssecond-generation maritime broadbandplatform, Iridium Pilot.
Iridium Pilot will utilise the IridiumOpenPort service, and is offered via asmall, lightweight antenna which the com-pany says has been engineered for opera-tion in the harshest of maritime conditions.
The fixed, electronically-steerable,phased-array antenna offers broadbandconnectivity in addition to three inde-pendent phone lines, all of which worksimultaneously, with data speeds up to134 kbps.
The platform offers a built-in firewallfor traffic management and a bulk config-
www.mitsubishielectric.com
www.comtechefdata.com
Comtech EF Data Corporation reports thatit has completed interoperability testingwith Mitsubishi Electric Corporation’sMVA100 Maritime VSAT stabilised anten-na system and the ROSS Open AntennaManagement (ROAM) protocol.
This technology is used to enable theVSAT system to be used on vessels roam-ing across multiple satellite beams, main-taining connectivity as they move throughdifferent satellite footprints.
Mitsubishi Electric’s MVA100 MaritimeKu-band VSAT antenna system is a 1-metre dish designed for 'earth station on the vessel' applications. It features a3-axis stabilised mount built to ITU-Rrequirements.
The ROAM protocol offers a commonmanagement interface for Comtech EFData’s Roaming Oceanic Satellite Server(ROSS) and third-party Antenna ControlUnits (ACUs) by providing a generic set ofcommands, information, interfaces and
status queries.ROSS is an integrated location server
that works in conjunction with ComtechEF Data’s Vipersat Management System tofacilitate on-the-move satellite communi-cations for oceanic vessels.
ROSS enables remote modems to inter-face with stabilised, auto-tracking anten-nas. Vessel position data, satellite signaland management status are monitored to determine when satellite handoff isnecessary.
Comtech says that, as ROSS can sup-port different types of ACUs, the ROAMprotocol can help to reduce complexity inoperation by providing basic parametersrequired to globally roam across multiplesatellite beams.
"Satellite-based communications on thehigh seas will be greatly enhanced for ourmaritime customers with the combinationof our antenna system and Comtech EFData’s market-leading technologies," com-mented Keizo Miyawaki, general managerfor the IT space solutions division ofMitsubishi Electric.
Thome agrees FleetBroadband deal
Iridium launches Pilot
The new Iridium Pilot antenna will operate using the OpenPort service
www.and-group.net
Singapore-based Thome ShipManagement is to implement Inmarsat'sFleetBroadband system on its ships fol-lowing a deal with AND Group, whichalso includes delivery of AND'sIPSignature2 communications software.
Under the new framework agreement,AND Group becomes the exclusive com-munications provider to Thome forFleetBroadband and will deliver the serv-ice through a combination of pricing pack-ages, including Inmarsat's Very LargeAllowance (VLA) offering.
The terminals will be mostly FB500s,though FB250 units will be provided tosome Thome ships.
“We looked at the range of options forconnecting our fleet and selectedFleetBroadband from Inmarsat and ANDGroup because of its scalability,” saidRyan Dalgado, procurement & supplychain manager for Thome ShipManagement.
“This new deal provides plans forheavy users within our fleet and smallerpackages for less intensive use. It gives us
options for all vessel types, and with alarge and diverse fleet like ours, that levelof flexibility was very attractive.”
“We liked the fact that the experienceand reliability of the FleetBroadband serv-ice was consistently good. The addition ofAND's IPSignature2 service, offering sim-ple and effective cost control tools, made ita powerful proposition.”
The IPSignature2 software being pro-vided is used to manage ship-based e-mail, internet access and other data appli-cations, allowing analysis and control ofthe usage and cost of data movements toand from the vessel.
AND says that this should help toincrease network efficiencies as well ascreating cost savings.
"We are extremely honoured to be select-ed as the exclusive service provider ofInmarsat FleetBroadband services forThome Ship Management," said Mary Baey,CEO of AND IPSignature (Singapore).
"We believe our appointment willallow Thome Ship Management to stream-line their communications and benefitfrom the synergy of Inmarsat and ANDGroup services deployed across the fleet."
Mitsubishi maritime VSAT passes roaming test uration capability to assist in managing
large volumes of units. The antenna will also be offered with
the Iridium Global Service Program, featuring a standard five-year limitedwarranty.
“Importantly, Iridium Pilot will becompatible with Iridium’s next generationsatellite constellation, Iridium NEXT,”noted Joel Thompson, vice president,product management, Iridium.
“Iridium NEXT, scheduled for deploy-ment starting in 2015, is the largest com-mercial space programme underwaytoday. Ship operators installing IridiumPilot can have the confidence that theirequipment will be supported wellbeyond 2020.”
‘This new deal provides plans for heavy users within our fleet and smaller packages forless intensive use’ – Ryan Dalgado, Thome Ship Management
www.redportglobal.com
Global Marine Networks (GMN) hasannounced the availability of multiplevoice channels on Inmarsat FleetBroadbandterminals when used with its RedPort satel-lite VoIP phone service, allowing up toeight simultaneous voice calls.
RedPort VoIP and the multiple voice callcapability work with all FleetBroadband ter-minals, including FB150, FB250 and FB500models, with no modifications needed.
A fully-featured PBX is included with
GMN launches FB multi-voice producteach RedPort VoIP router to carry themultiple satellite VoIP calls.
GMN says that, if combined withInmarsat VLA and SCAP data rates, VoIPcalls can be charged at approximately 50per cent less than Inmarsat's suggestedretail pricing of $0.55/minute.
It also claims that this could allow VoIPusers to get up to 20 minutes of callingtime per 1MB of FleetBroadband data.
Unlimited voice calling betweenRedPort VoIP customers is also available,for a flat monthly fee.
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SATCOMS NEWS
Digital Ship April 2012 page 8
www. thed ig i t a l sh ip .com
Keep your finger on thepulse with our weekly e-mail newsletter and our online network for
maritime IT professionals
www.hx40.hughes.com
Hughes Network Systems has announcedthe planned release of HX System 4.0,which will introduce a range of technolo-gy enhancements to its HX product familyfor mobile satellite networks.
One element of the new release will bethe incorporation of a dual stackIPv6/IPv4 design which will enable thesimultaneous support of both protocols.The company says that this should assistnetwork operators in transitioning to IPv6while continuing to support their installedbase of IPv4 customers and devices.
The company's HX90 SatelliteBroadband Router will also be improvedby the new technology, offering better effi-ciency and lower operational costs onsatellite links through a new optimisedencapsulation scheme on the outroute,and through LDPC coding on the inroute.This is the same coding scheme as used inthe DVB-S2 standard.
The HX ExpertNMS (NetworkManagement System) has been upgradedto provide improved management capa-bilities for VNOs, with monitoring andcontrol functionality to allow wholesalenetwork operators to partition their net-work and provide control to private usersof these partitions.
A range of improved mobility features,including integrated Doppler correction,automatic beam switching and enhancedreturn channel spreading, will also be partof the new release.
“We are excited to bring our widerange of operator, enterprise and militarycustomers the extensive benefits of HXSystem 4.0 for fixed and on-the-movebroadband satellite solutions,” said DaveJupin, vice president, international divi-sion, Hughes.
“Supporting the full range of C-, Ku-,Ka-, and L-band frequencies, as well asWGS frequencies, the HX System 4.0 is theideal choice across all specialty and mobil-ity market sectors.”
Hughes says that HX System 4.0 will beavailable for delivery later in 2012.
Hughes moves to HX 4.0www.pro-nautas.com
PRO NAUTAS B.V. GmbH reports thatis to provide ship-to-shore communica-tions and maintenance systems to heavylift shipping company Hansa Heavy Lift(HHL), under a contract coveringapproximately 21 vessels.
Hansa Heavy Lift is an existing userof PRO NAUTAS’ fleet maintenanceservices, but has now agreed to extendits relationship by tasking PRO NAU-
TAS with implementing IT support net-works for its ships, including installa-tion, commissioning, maintenance andremote IT services.
All vessels will be equipped withSailor 900 VSAT and Sailor 500FleetBroadband from Thrane & Thrane.
PRO NAUTAS says it was the firstcompany to order and install the newlylaunched Sailor 900 VSAT equipmentfrom Thrane & Thrane, doing so inDecember 2011.
Vizada will provide airtime connec-tivity packages for the ships through itsGlobal Maritime Broadband Bundles,integrating Ku-band VSAT, InmarsatFleetBroadband and the VizadaXChange communications managementplatform.
PRO NAUTAS says that the new set-up will provide HHL with a standard-ised IT and communication infrastruc-ture, offering redundant communicationbetween offices and vessels.
PRO NAUTAS to deliver HHL IT infrastructure
Hansa Heavy Lift will install the comms system on approximately 21 vessels
Marlink upgrades VSAT service with iDX 3
www.signalhorn.com
GE-Satcom, also known as Satlynx, hasbeen acquired by communications carrierTrustcomm International, Inc, and has for-mally changed its name to Signalhorn.
The change of ownership took place onFebruary 2, 2012 and includes the entireGE Satcom or Satlynx group of companieslocated in Germany, Switzerland,Luxembourg, and other locations.
TrustComm already offers managedservices for maritime customers through
Skyport Maritime, including wirelessbroadband in ports, 3G and 4G mobilewireless connectivity, as well as maritimeVSAT.
The company says that adjacent to oneof its teleport and technical centres inLeuk, Switzerland, stands a popular navi-gation point called Signalhorn Mountain,which has inspired the new brand name.
“Our customers will benefit from anunparalleled combination of solutions,professional services, and expertise thathighlight our existing and growing
resources,” said Robert Kubbernus, presi-dent and CEO of Signalhorn.
“We are bringing together ourresources to focus on a new future under anew brand. With a unique blend of knowl-edge, innovation, platforms, and infra-structure, we are confident that our net-works remain second-to-none.”
“We look to the future with great opti-mism and continue to be active in devel-oping solutions that meet and exceed ourcustomers’ communication requirementsworldwide.”
GE-Satcom acquired by Trustcomm
www.marlink.com
www.idirect.net
Marlink reports that it has upgraded itsservices by integrating iDirect’s EvolutionX5 Satellite Router and latest operatingsoftware release, iDX 3.0.
The company says that vessels operat-ing with its WaveCall services have allreceived the required onboard equipment,through which it hopes to increase relia-bility and bandwidth efficiency for voice,e-mail, internet and remote businessapplications.
iDirect’s Evolution product line isbased on DVB-S2 with Adaptive Codingand Modulation (ACM), designed to pro-vide better bandwidth efficiency com-pared with legacy systems.
The companies claim that this will helpMarlink to ensure maximum serviceuptime for maritime vessels by automati-cally adjusting signal strength to over-come rain or solar fade outages.
Additionally, iDirect’s built-in GroupQuality of Service features allow Marlinkto control how it allocates and prioritisesshared bandwidth by market segment,customer group, or application type.
"Competition in the maritime VSATmarket has recently grown more intense,making it imperative for Marlink to differ-entiate its services and keep customers sat-isfied," said Tore Morten Olsen, CEO of
Marlink. "Our three pillars of distinction are con-
trol, flexibility and support – iDirect’sEvolution product line is an integral com-ponent to delivering these. By upgradingto Evolution, we have addressed anincreased range of customer applicationrequirements and expanded our customerbase without sacrificing service quality oraffordability."
iDirect’s Evolution product line is based on DVB-S2 with Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM)
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p1-19:p1-14.qxd 09/03/2012 15:25 Page 9
RR emaining competitive in anincreasingly tight market is a diffi-cult feat for shipping companies,
especially in the current economic climate.Modern information technology can helpto achieve this goal, promoting efficiencyin operation as well as improving the wayof life of crews working at sea.
Tanker shipping company ChemikalienSeetransport GmbH is one company thatis leveraging IT solutions to deal withthese mounting issues.
Facing rising bunker prices and theincreasingly problematic shortage of expe-rienced seagoing staff in the tanker indus-try, the company decided that it needed toreconsider its communications solution,with the target of improving its opera-tional efficiency as well as its attractive-ness as an employer.
Chemikalien Seetransport concludedthat a complete modernisation of its ITinfrastructure, and specifically the broad-band connectivity available to its fleet,was required, and the company embarkedon an ambitious journey to try and achievethese essential goals, as Patric Desanti,project manager maintenance systems,Chemikalien Seetransport, explains.
“We needed a solution that wouldserve our company’s day-to-day busi-ness,” says Mr Desanti, “rather than onethat requires us to go into the technicaldetails of the satellite technique.”
“Our main focus with regards to theimplementation of the completely mod-ernised communication solution was tocater for our company's present and futurerequirements.”
Among the key targets of the moderni-sation project was to achieve better com-munication between ship and shore,bringing the vessels closer to the office toallow office staff to have comprehensivecontrol of the vessels' IT systems.
To do this, a broadband connection wasrequired, as well as an IT infrastructureable to support remote control and fastdata transfers. In addition, a broadbandsolution would also provide better IT sup-port options for the crew on board.
Apart from operational concerns,another important goal for the companywas to improve its attractiveness as anemployer. Chemikalien Seetransport iscurrently in the process of expanding itsfleet significantly and qualified seagoingstaff in the tanker industry are increasing-ly difficult to obtain, as Mr Desanti notes.
“We had recognised that our fleet isgoing to expand quite rapidly,” he says.“From the point where we started themodernisation of our communicationsolution until now we have expanded ourfleet of container, bunker and bulk shipstremendously - and there are easily 30 percent more to come.”
“For us the expansion of our fleet hasbrought certain concerns. Able seafarers,
especially officers and captains are rareand we have a large number of new ships,which are in need of well-trained crew. AtChemikalien Seetransport we have experi-enced that providing access to good com-munication is essential in order to attractand retain qualified seagoing staff.”
“A modern communication solution,including broadband connectivity, wouldallow the crew easy access to the outsideworld and better communication withtheir loved ones at home. This will be aleap forward for our company in terms ofcrew retention.”
Problem solvingThe modernisation of its communicationsolution brought with it a series of chal-lenges for Chemikalien Seetransport –some of which the shipping company had anticipated and some that were unexpected.
As Mr Desanti notes, a surprisinglylarge part of the implementation consistedof problem-solving.
In order to upgrade the existing IT net-work and basic communication system ofthe shipping company, a new IT systemwas implemented. According to MrDesanti, this new solution facilitates theuse of virtual machines and remote man-agement from the office, providingimproved control over the vessels and bet-ter communication with the ships.
“The advantage of this new IT struc-ture,” says Mr Desanti “is that our IT sup-port takes over the control of the serverand prevents the crew on the vessel frominstalling any programs.”
“This way we avoid a lot of difficultiesthat arise from poorly installed softwareor imported viruses. All new installationsare done remotely by the ChemikalienSeetransport office.”
In a next step, the internet connectionusing Fleet 77 on board the vessel, whichMr Desanti estimates offered around 13kilobytes of throughput, had to be mod-ernised in order to provide the necessarybroadband connectivity.
To achieve this ChemikalienSeetransport started to roll out aFleetBroadband solution, with implemen-tation of that system having now beencompleted on 30 vessels, with a substan-tial part of the rest of the fleet to follow.
The shipping company had anticipateda number of challenges that were likelyduring the rollout of the FleetBroadbandsolution, though the actual experience dif-fered somewhat.
“To our surprise we noticed that theproblems we had expected prior to therollout did not all occur and that the mosttricky problems encountered were not the problems we had expected,” says Mr Desanti.
First and foremost, ChemikalienSeetransport had expected major prob-
lems with the assembly of the hardware,software and additional components andthe transfer of the equipment onto the ves-sels. These logistical problems, however,did not materialise.
Mr Desanti explains that, instead, themost pressing problem of the installationprocess turned out to be the power supplyfor the different systems.
“Initially,” he says “we had problemsto ensure the power supply for all thesenew systems, which resulted in a seriousof power cuts and failures in the powermanagement system.”
“Since the system is configured not tobe accessible for the crew it was tremen-dously important to solve the power prob-lem. Everything is remote-controlled fromthe office onshore, which means that if the servers on the ship shut down whilstthe vessels are sailing, the technical support team has no means of accessingthe system.”
Chemikalien Seetransport managed tosolve the power problem through theinstallation of a redundant system ofservers on board, which enables thevirtual machines to use different serverswhilst sailing.
However, the shipping company didencounter another power problem, wherefailures in the power management systemwould lead everything to shut down.
A consequence of this was that, afterthe problem was resolved, there were stillissues with restarting all of the software,clients, and ERP and maintenance sys-tems, especially the ones that have an elec-trical generator.
“The problem is that when the servershuts down due to a power cut, the serverrecognises when the power is back on,however it does not reopen the software,”explained Mr Desanti.
“Since everything is controlled remote-ly from the office and the crew cannotmake any changes in the software, we hadto find an automated solution, whichwould allow the server to set up again andgo back to the point where the power cuthappened. This required the system tosave the right software setting.”
“Once we had figured out how to solvethe problem of the electrical supply sys-tem, everything worked fine. It is veryimportant to keep in mind that during the
implementation of a new solution, espe-cially including a new IT system and theFleetBroadband solution, howeverdetailed the plan was you will encounter adifferent set of problems due to the consti-tution of your vessels. In the problemswill, most likely, be some that you had not anticipated.”
Advantages anddisadvantages
Chemikalien Seetransport has now imple-mented the new IT infrastructure androlled out the FleetBroadband solution onmore than half the fleet. The process hasprovided the company with valuableexperience of IT infrastructure implemen-tation, and highlighted some of the advan-tages and disadvantages of pursuing sucha project.
One of the more obvious anticipatedbenefits of the new communication systemis the higher throughput of theFleetBroadband solution.
“Compared to our previous Fleet 77,the throughput of our FleetBroadbandsystem is astonishing,” says Mr Desanti.
In addition to the increase in connec-tion speed, Chemikalien Seetransport hada number of other specific expectations ofits new system, some of which have beenfulfilled, while others have not.
One of the main aims of the new com-munication infrastructure was to betterconnect the vessels with the office onshore and to ensure a high level of com-munication between shore-based andseagoing staff, offering IT support to thecrew onboard through the use of remotemanagement and higher bandwidth.
So have these goals been achieved? “This question is easy to answer,” says
Mr Desanti. “Yes, we have definitelyreached our goal successfully.”
“The communication between our ves-sels and the office staff has muchimproved since the implementation of thenew IT system and the FleetBroadbandsolution, and we are very happy with it.”
Chemikalien Seetransport had antici-pated that the new communication solu-tion would bring about a tremendousadditional workload to the IT staff in theoffice, but this appears to have beenunfounded.
“We thought that because the system isconfigured so that the crew cannot makeany changes we would need additional ITsupport,” recalls Mr Desanti.
“However, this concern has not beenconfirmed. If you take into account thatwe have only two people working in theIT department that are responsible for all the ships it is working surprisinglywell. And we are very happy with the new situation for us. This has been a bigstep forward.”
Although the workload of the IT sup-port team has not noticeably increased, the
SATCOMS
Digital Ship April 2012 page 10
German shipping company, Reederei Chemikalien Seetransport, has completely modernised its communications technology with a new IT infrastructure and a fleet wide roll-out of FleetBroadband.
Patric Desanti, Chemikalien Seetransport, spoke to Digital Ship about the project
Connecting the vessel with the office
Using the new system IT staff on shore canremotely access shipboard computers
p1-19:p1-14.qxd 09/03/2012 15:15 Page 10
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shipping company has nonetheless experi-enced significant changes in the way its ITsupport works.
Prior to the implementation of the newcommunication package, IT support personnel mainly took telephone callsfrom the vessels. Having assessed theproblems of the crew, this support teamwould search for a solution and communi-cate back to the vessel, mostly via e-mailor telephone.
“We would send manuals, instructionsor pages of detailed screenshots,” says MrDesanti. “This was a solution, which costus a lot of megabytes.”
“In addition, the strategy was frustrat-ing for the IT support in the office and notvery helpful for the crew on the vessels,because we were only second-guessingand probing in the dark, and in the end wewere effectively telling them to find thesolution themselves.”
The quality of the support has changednoticeably. Whilst previously crewswould receive a large number of docu-ments via the old satcom system, moreoften than not wondering how to solvetheir problems with them, now there ishardly any documentation sent across the link.
“The mindset of an IT officer on shoreis often very different from that of anelectrician on board who is trying to solvethe problem on the bridge,” explains Mr Desanti.
“Often they would not understandwhat the IT support asked them to do andconsequently feel unsupported. In my
experience, crew used to be quite unhap-py about the type of support provided,especially because of the discrepancybetween what the crew expected of thesupport and what we in the office wereable to provide.”
Following the implementation of thenew IT system this has completelychanged. Problems are no longer solvedby sending lengthy e-mail explanations ormanuals across to the vessel, and insteadthe company now has remote access toevery IT system on board.
“Now, I can log myself in on the vesseland see what the crew are seeing,”explains Mr Desanti. “I am able to giveassistance to the captain, with regards toall types of questions.”
“I can install new software, makeupdates and solve problems. It is mucheasier than before. And the crew really feelthe quality of the support. They areextremely happy, and everything workslike a Swiss watch!”
As an example of the simplified sup-port system now available, Mr Desantidescribes the process for installation ofnew software on the ship.
First, a CD with the software is sent tothe vessel. The crew inserts the CD intothe computer and then the IT supportteam from the Chemikalien Seetransportoffice can log on remotely and do the com-plete set up.
“This way,” says Mr Desanti “the crewcan do what they are hired to do, which issailing the ship.”
As an additional side-effect,
Chemikalien Seetransport has experienceda substantial decrease in IT support travel-ling costs, and has subsequently reducedits expenses by over 70 per cent. Prior tothe implementation of the new IT infra-structure the IT support had to travelaround the world in order to solve problems, or at least organise some exter-nal service – these costs have now disappeared.
The final major target after implement-ing the modernised communication solu-tion was to improve crew retention rates.According to Mr Desanti, ChemikalienSeetransport has successfully achievedthis target.
CostsOf course, while ChemikalienSeetransport has managed to save moneyon IT support expenses, it has also had toabsorb the expenses incurred during theimplementation of the IT infrastructureand FleetBroadband solution.
In addition to the initial one-off instal-lation costs (a technician was sent to everyvessel), monthly communication costshave to be taken into account.
In this regard, the company has notexperienced a noticeable differencebetween the previous Fleet 77 solutionand the new FleetBroadband system.Although the per-megabyte price hasdropped under the new solution, the com-pany is using its communication systemmuch more.
Since data from the automation systemcan be obtained frequently Chemikalien
Seetransport has improved its monitoringof the onboard machinery, but thisrequires a higher volume of data (thevibration analysis of the compressor alonegenerates an 18 MB file per day). Highdata consumption is also necessary inorder to improve the monitoring andmaintenance of the ship IT systems.
“Instead of dropping, our monthlycosts have increased,” says Mr Desanti.“With FleetBroadband you will notachieve big savings for your communica-tion costs; however, this should not be theaim of such an implementation. If you want to reach savings withFleetBroadband, you will not make it. I donot see this as a failure because this wasnot our main goal.”
“The share of communication costs,measured by the total operating costs of avessel, is below 0.5 per cent. During therecession we have daily rates that bringheadaches to our signature people.However, reducing communication costseven by 50 per cent would not have a sig-nificant impact on the overall cost struc-ture.”
“At least, with FleetBroadband we areable to achieve our goals,” adds MrDesanti. “Under the Fleet 77 solution thiswould not have been possible. We found itvery valuable to invest into such a com-munication infrastructure.”
In short, Chemikalien Seetransportregards the investment into the new com-munication system as money well spent.
“For us, the future lies in closer controlof the vessel,” concludes Mr Desanti.
Digital Ship
Digital Ship April 2012 page 13
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CC onstantly increasing bunkerprices, the recent economic down-turn and an increase in the num-
ber of international regulations have mademanagement of fuel oil consumption avital concern for ship operators.
The economic crisis and subsequentslow recovery have added to the strain thatshipping companies are experiencing, andadditional pressure to improve their ener-gy efficiency has been exerted by initiativessuch as the recently adopted Ship EnergyEfficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) andEnergy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI),mandatory from January 2013.
This ship efficiency framework aims tocreate improvements in energy efficiencythrough more efficient engines andpropulsion systems and improved hulldesigns on larger ships, in order to achievereduced fuel oil consumption and result-ing CO2 emissions on a capacity basis.
In this environment, a large number ofdifferent approaches to reduce the fuelused by vessels have been tested andapplied over the last number of years.
Japanese shipping company NYK cur-rently operates around 800 vessels, neces-sarily consuming vast quantities of fueloil, as well as producing emissions, that itis eager to reduce.
In this regard, the company is constant-ly innovating and improving its fleet oper-ation with the aim of optimising safety,economy and protection of the environ-ment. One of its most innovative conceptsis the NYK Super Eco Ship 2030, whichrepresents the Japanese shipping compa-ny's vision of the future.
This concept has been developed inaccordance with NYK’s ambitious goal ofachieving zero emissions by 2050, in coop-eration with the Monohakobi Technology
Institute (MTI), Elomatic (a marine con-sulting company in Finland), and GarroniProgetti (a ship designer in Italy), asHideyuki Ando, project manager, techni-cal strategy group, MTI, MonohakobiTechnology Institute (R & D company ofNYK Line), explains.
“This concept is hoped to lead thedevelopment of shipping operations,including cargo handling and traffic infra-structure,” notes Dr Ando. “Moreover, wehope that NYK Super Eco Ship 2030 willinspire many young people to pursueshipping services or marine technology.”
While the NYK Super Eco Ship 2030 is avision of the future, as part of the project’sdevelopment NYK has already begun theimplementation of a considerable numberof fuel-saving technologies.
As Dr Ando explains, at NYK, similarto many other large companies, a shipinformation management system (SIMS) isemployed. This information managementsystem draws on data collected bothonboard and on shore.
A device on the ship that NYK calls‘FuelNavi’ collects data from a number ofdifferent sources, such as the engine anddata logger in the engine room (containingdata from the main engine, the FO flowmeter and the torque meter) and theVDR/ECDIS (importing data from theGPS, the Doppler log, the anemometerand the gyro compass), as well as themotion sensor on the bridge.
A monitoring system on board the ves-sels then allows the master to view andassess the collected data.
After the information is collected NYKuses the ship’s satellite communicationsystem to transfer the data to its opera-tions centre in Singapore, where it is eval-uated and compared with technical analy-
ses supplied by NYK's research institute. Shore-based staff in the operations cen-
tre use a ‘SIMS viewer’ for hourly trendmonitoring of various indicators, includ-ing speed, M/E RPM, fuel oil consump-tion and other conditions, as well as tocompare planned and actual schedules.
Ultimately, a voyage analysis report iscreated, with a breakdown of the fuel oilconsumption for each voyage. This is sentto the master of the vessel and the opera-tor in order to provide feedback.
The onboard data is also sent to weath-er routing service providers to help toimprove their services.
Developing energyefficient operations
NYK’s expressed target is to have zeroemissions by 2050, and one importantstepping stone on the way to achievingthis goal is optimal operational manage-ment, through a process which NYK callsits ‘PDCA cycle for improvement’.
PDCA stands for ‘Plan, Do, Check andAct’, or take corrective action. This scheme,which is currently being implemented onthe company's container vessels, representsa comprehensive and all-encompassingview of ship operational efficiency.
“The PDCA cycle is one of our visionsin order to fully optimise our fleet opera-tion,” explains Dr Ando.
“We are still in the progress stage, andthis method belongs to the most advancedexamples of container fleet operationapplied at NYK today. Additionally, oncethe numerous remaining issues for bulk-ers, tankers, car carriers and other shiptypes are solved, we are hoping to expandthe PDCA cycle to all our vessels.”
NYK has found that effective commu-nication between ship and shore andunimpeded information flows betweenall stakeholders are essential in order toimprove operational efficiency effective-ly. As such, satellite communicationsplay a key role in the implementation ofthese systems.
As Dr Ando explains, the informationand communication systems need to func-tion in tandem in order to encourage stake-holders to participate in energy efficientoperation, suggesting that offering incen-tives to stakeholders may be a useful step.
“Even financial incentives might be inorder,” he says. “For example if a fuel oilreduction is achieved through an extreme-ly high effort or brought forward througha very good idea, this stakeholder shouldbe rewarded.”
However, he also admits that this iseasier said than done.
Firstly, every stakeholder needs to fullyunderstand the target and to be aware ofhow a change in schedule can affect thefuel oil consumption. Additionally, anextensive information sharing process isrequired in order for all decisions to bebased on accurate information.
As such, an important prerequisitebefore any information sharing system canbe established is a fully capable satellitebroadband connection.
“In order to improve the system, weneed maritime broadband, such asFleetBroadband or VSAT,” says Dr Ando.
“This is especially important in viewof the necessary real-time informationsharing. In order to optimise our vesselswith regards to energy efficiency, largedata transfers and full-time connectivityare essential.”
Weather routingNYK started its research and developmentof energy efficiency measures with thetrial of an on-board weather routing sys-tem in 2005-2006.
“Before the modern weather routingwas developed, the traditional weatherservices could do no more than help toavoid severe weather,” says Dr Ando.
“Nowadays, weather routing providers,such as WNI (Weather News Inc) or AWT(Applied Weather Technology), are moving forward to minimise the fuel oilconsumption and to provide optimalweather routing.”
“There is a huge demand from opera-tors for optimum weather routing, whichwe, at NYK, regard to contain the best bal-ance of safety, schedule keeping, economyand environment.”
Although, NYK considers the use ofweather routing to be highly effective, theshipping company has also found that theproviders need to cooperate with shippingcompanies to optimise their services withregard to fuel oil consumption.
These service providers require com-prehensive information, includingdetailed ship performance models to cal-culate the best route for each weather andvessel type. In addition, the calculationsshould take into account the individualvessel’s RPM, speed and fuel oil consump-tion, as well as ship motion and perform-ance in severe weather.
This information, which is used to calcu-late the ideal speed for any condition (draftor weather), as well as to gauge the effect ofaging on hulls and propellers, needs to beobtained from the vessel operators.
“This kind of technical understandingis absolutely essential in order to give
Following an extensive programme of research and investment, Japanese company NYK Line is in the process of implementing a range of technologies that will use data transferred directly from its vessels by satellite
to improve operational efficiency. Hideyuki Ando, Monohakobi Technology Institute (R & D company for NYK Line) spoke to Digital Ship about NYK’s vision for the future
Leveraging vessel data for efficient ship operation
NYK Line’s vessels are implementing a range of new technologiesto drive efficiency in operations
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correct and comprehensive advice,”explains Dr Ando.
“Even with the highly sophisticatedmodels that are needed in order to pro-duce optimum weather routing, the shipperformance model and the weather fore-cast are subject to errors, which is whyample feedback from the vessels is alwaysneeded.”
“The live measured wind and shipmotion data are valuable feedback forweather routing providers. The actualwind speeds can be compared to the fore-casted wind speed, and the ship motiondata (maximum roll angle in one hour) canbe matched against the forecasted waveheight. This way forecast systems can be refined.”
In order to remedy this information gapand to further optimise its vessel opera-tion, NYK has developed a system thatcombines weather routing and perform-ance monitoring.
The shipping company first uses aweather routing model to devise a theoret-ical voyage plan, which includes course,speed, RPM, fuel oil consumption andweather data, as well as information fromthe ship performance model.
Detailed performance monitoring isthen applied to provide comprehensivefeedback on the actual voyage data,including the actual speed, RPM and fueloil consumption, as well as live actualweather data.
NYK sends the analyses from the ves-sels to weather service providers, who usethis data in order to improve the accuracyof their forecast. Dr Ando notes that forthis system to be effective the companyrequires broadband on the vessels.
“Real-time feedback,” says Dr Ando,“is essential in order for the weather rout-ing service provider to verify whether hisassumptions are correct or not. This way,corrective action can be taken quickly.”
“We hope that through the participa-tion of a large number of vessels, the accu-racy of the weather forecasts can beimproved significantly. This takes time,but in the long run the collection of weath-er and current data through the shippingindustry and the sharing of this data willbe to the benefit of all stakeholders.”
Performance and fuelmonitoring
Probably the most important aspect ofenergy efficient fleet operation is thereduction of fuel oil consumption.
One of NYK's key measures to achievethis is performance monitoring, collectinga variety of information from the vesselsand assessing this data in order to monitorthe fuel oil consumption and to takeappropriate action to effectively reduce it.
NYK has realised how important it is tomake both its seagoing and onshore staffaware of the importance of energy effi-ciency and fuel oil consumption topics if itis to create a process of continuous fleetoptimisation.
“Again,” says Dr Ando “the informa-tion flow is key. Information technology isan indispensable prerequisite to collect,aggregate and share the correct and neces-sary information at the right time.”
To facilitate this, NYK developed aperformance monitoring device foronboard use, which was designed to pro-
vide crew with real-time information ontheir vessel's fuel oil consumption. Thisdevice, the previously mentionedFuelNavi, has been supplied to the entirecontainer fleet and collects a number ofkey operational indicators.
FuelNavi consists of a data collectionbox that is installed on the vessel andinterfaced with on-board equipment, suchas engine data logger, GPS, anemometer,flow meter, thermometers for fuel oil andseawater, the rudder autopilot or the gyrocompass.
Through the use of a PLC(Programmable Logic Controller) industri-al computer, significantly more robust thana commercial PC, NYK says it has achieveda high level of reliability with the solution.
“These PLC,” explains Dr Ando “areoften used for the automatic control ofmission-critical plants. They work 365days 24/7 without maintenance.”
Further advantages of the PLC technolo-gy, according to Dr Ando, include compar-atively low implementation costs as well asthe option and flexibility to customise.
In addition to the PLC a monitoringdevice is installed on the bridge. ThisFuelNavi display allows the captain tomonitor the real-time fuel oil consump-tion, which can be displayed in severalformats, such as ton/day, ton/mileUSD/day, USD/mile, the CO2 emissionper day or per mile, as well as showingadditional performance indices, such asOG speed.
The device also contains a trip meterfunction for on-board performance trials,which allows for energy efficiency comparisons.
“The FuelNavi monitor resembles theidea of the fuel meter in the car,” explainsDr Ando. “The idea was to urge the masterto drive efficiently by showing him the real-time fuel oil consumption of this vessel.”
“Normally, real-time fuel oil consump-tion of ships is not shown to the captain ondeck or the officers that operate the ves-sels. However, these are the peopleresponsible for deciding on the vessel'sengine RPM (speed) and course, and theyshould be more conscious about fuel oilconsumption.”
However, despite its impressive tech-nological capabilities, after having testedthe solution for some time NYK found thathaving the FuelNavi monitor on board didnot noticeably improve the fleet's per-formance.
“It turned out that, although some cap-tains do indeed use the FuelNavi, showingthe real-time fuel oil consumption doesnot entice our captains to adjust their deci-
sions accordingly. The effect of theFuelNavi on our performance monitoringaim, which was to achieve the reduction offuel oil consumption, was hardly notice-able,” says Dr Ando.
Shore systemsAfter the unsatisfactory trial of theonboard performance monitoring system,NYK decided to convert the FuelNavisolution into an on-shore monitoring sys-tem. This led to the creation of the compa-ny’s ship information management sys-tem (SIMS).
SIMS combines the critical performancedata collected through the FuelNavi datacollection box on board the vessels withadditional navigational data, with thisdata then shared between ship and shorevia a broadband connection.
Today, NYK uses a combination ofmanually and automatically collected datafor performance monitoring. Auto loggingdata, which is collected hourly and auto-matically transferred to shore via e-mail, iscomplemented by a daily electronic log-
book entry, containing port depar-ture/arrival information and other navi-gational data, which cannot be collectedautomatically.
The shore monitoring software dis-plays information on all vessels, includingtheir route, whether they are under way orin port, and the departure and arrival des-tination. The software also offers colour-coded information quickly highlightingimportant aspects of operation, such assafety, scheduling and bunker costs.
Green, yellow and red lights indicatethe status of the vessel. If a red light is dis-played, staff onshore will know that cor-rective action needs to be taken. Thisallows the shore operation to manage thefleet and to initiate immediate reschedul-ing or changes in routes.
The effectiveness of the process is a func-tion of how often NYK can transmit dataacross its satellite link, Dr Ando explains.
“The quality of the corrective actiontaken,” he says, “depends on the intervalsin which the data is monitored.”
Traditionally, vessels usually reportedthe manually collected data once-a-day,for example in the noon-day report.
NYK has experimented with differentintervals and found that the more oftendata is collected, the more accurate theresulting information. This analysis wasperformed through a testing programmeconducted by NYK using various differentintervals on a VLCC vessel, over a periodof three days.
The comparison between the tradition-
al, once-a-day data collection process andthe envisioned FuelNavi approach, whichcollects data every hour, has providedNYK with interesting results.
In the traditional scenario, the resultsfor the OG speed and the log speed (overground speed equals speed over groundmeasured by GPS, whereas log speeddefines speed through water measured bydoppler log or electromagnetic log) arevery similar. Consequently, a graphwould show the vessel is sailing at opti-mum speed most of the time.
However, if an automatic data collec-tion and reporting system is used theresult looks quite different, with sampledata taken every second, and detailedreports on the vessel performance andweather conditions created every hour.
With this greater depth of informationit becomes apparent that the vessel doesnot sail at a constant speed at all butspeeds up and slows down, for exampledue to wind resistance or the effect of thecurrent.
“Hourly reported data gives us muchmore detailed information on the vesselperformance and helps with the analysisand decisions for corrective actions,” notesDr Ando.
“In general, the on-shore performancemonitoring and fleet management optionis very well received by the liner operationand we see the benefits of the FuelNavisystem confirmed.”
“In a next step we have combined theSIMS with weather routing services. Thisway we not only review the past voyagebut preview the coming voyage, which isa better approach to support optimumship operation. Now, the data interfacebetween our SIMS and the weather rout-ing service are in good working order.”
Data analyticsOf course, collecting information andmonitoring the fleet performance are onlyuseful measures if the resulting data issubsequently analysed and correctiveaction is indeed taken by the ship. NYKnotes that it is only through careful assess-ment of where improvement is possiblethat its vision of highly optimised vesseloperation and fuel oil efficiency can berealised.
“Shipping companies use a variety ofmonitoring strategies and systems,” saysDr Ando.
“These provide a large amount of datawhich, if not processed further, is often juststored somewhere in the company. Thisdoes not help. In order to carry out the idealimprovement cycle (PDCA - plan, due,check, act) it is essential for us at NYK to beable to pinpoint where corrective actionmight most efficiently be taken.”
At NYK, technical staff on shore con-duct a wide variety of analyses on the totalfuel oil consumption data provided by theship information management system andthe FuelNavi solution.
Amongst the key aims of these analysesis understanding the different causes offuel oil consumption, assessing vessel per-formance in different conditions, and estab-lishing the ideal vessel speed for a varietyof situations. The results are then subse-quently shared with NYK's captains, oper-ators, and ship management companies.
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quently used at NYK, the different causesof fuel oil consumption on a vessel are dis-played on a bar chart. The biggest, fixedpart of fuel oil consumption is for basicship performance (each ship is comparedto model-based performance, which spec-ifies the total fuel oil consumption underideal conditions).
This base amount is added to by includ-ing various additional factors, some ofwhich can be influenced and are thereforeimportant to know.
For example, fuel oil consumption issubject to the trim and draft of the vessel,while some of the fuel consumption mightbe due to the use of the generator. Theweather conditions can also have a signifi-cant effect on the fuel oil consumption,especially through wind (bad weathereffect) and moving against a strong current.
In addition, the vessel might have todeviate from the planned route, for exam-ple, in order to avoid bad weather, and haveto travel a longer distance. This also adds tothe total amount of fuel oil consumed.
Lastly, the fuel oil consumption is influ-enced by the maintenance condition of theengine, propeller and hull.
So, drawing on all of these variables, inany particular set of circumstances there isan optimum speed for each vessel withregards to fuel oil consumption. If thisspeed is exceeded the amount of fuel oilused will be accordingly higher, so usingall of the data available to calculate thisfigure as accurately as possible can make abig difference to operations.
“In my experience,” says Dr Ando, “thefactor that causes the highest excess of fueloil consumption is the increase in speed.”
NYK uses a particular analysis methodto gauge the fuel consumption of the specific vessel under different weatherconditions.
This speed/fuel oil consumption curveof a specific vessel identifies a baseline forthat vessel model, indicating the fuel oilconsumption under ideal conditions. Inaddition, there are curves gauging con-sumption under calm conditions (Beaufortless than 2), average conditions and badconditions.
The vessel performance is measuredover a period of 240 hours and this data isfed into a grid.
As an example, in one analysis a certainvessel, provided it is sailing at a plannedspeed of 21.5 knots, is predicted to con-sume 117 MT/day under ideal conditions(calm weather). The analysis further pro-vides the information that the vessel islikely to consume 129 MT/day, with anadded 12 MT fuel oil consumption, due toa predicted weather deviation.
Another NYK chart displays the actualfuel oil consumption of a certain voyage,broken down and allocated to differentcauses, such as distance, weather andspeed, with the average fuel oil consump-tion for this vessel type and voyage.
On the basis of this analysis, NYK aimsto assess if any increase in fuel oil con-sumption could be affected by the actionsof the vessel's captain, the operator or the agent.
“The amount of additional fuel oil con-sumption due to bad weather is some-thing that we can hardly influence,” saysDr Ando.
“Having said that, there are other fac-tors, such as speed, that might be withinthe responsibility of humans. We use theseanalyses to determine corrective actionsand the responsible addressees.”
“If, for example, an increase in fuel oilconsumption is down to a delay in depar-ture we discuss with the agent whether itis possible for the vessel to depart earlier.Based on this detailed analysis and break-down we can discuss with each stakehold-er the possible room for improvement andthe corresponding corrective actions.”
A post-voyage analysis, taking intoaccount several factors, such as M/E RPM,speed (log, SOG), constant M/E load,M/E load, optimum M/E load and a slipweather index, assesses what would havebeen the ideal speed of the vessel for eachsituation.
The diagram shows deviations (higherfuel oil consumption) with regard to badweather or drifting and subsequent reduc-tions in speed. The post voyage analysisidentifies how much improvement to thelevel of fuel oil consumption is possible.
“The voyage from Oakland (near SanFrancisco) to Tokyo, for example, takesabout 10 days,” explains Dr Ando.
“Each vertical line in our diagramshows the noon position. This diagram isbasically checking the speed allocation. Ifvessels use unnecessarily fast speed ordrift before arrival, those non-energy effi-cient operations can be easily checked.”
“At the same time, if the vessel encoun-ters bad weather, it can be also easilychecked by using slip. Slip is a number cal-culated by using engine RPM, log speedand propeller pitch, and it corresponds tothe severity of weather.”
To improve the safety of cargo, NYK isexamining various methods to comparethe estimated ship motion with the actualmovements of the vessel.
Before long voyages, or if a vessel voy-age plan/schedule needs to be reviewed, aship motion simulation is carried outwhich takes into account the type of ves-
sel, the ship hull form, ship speed andwaves (height, direction, length), as wellas cargo securing parameters and shipstructural safety.
This analysis tries to gauge how theship will behave in the expected weathersituation. Later on, this data is verifiedagainst the actual ship motion and acceler-ation data.
“Though it is still very much in a trialphase, we are planning to share these sim-ulation tools with the captain on board,the operator and the weather routing serv-ice provider in the future,” notes Dr Ando.
Performance monitoringroadmap
NYK is aiming for the ambitious goal ofzero emissions in 2050, and this journeywill incorporate a series of milestoneswhich have been highlighted by the com-pany in a detailed roadmap for perform-ance monitoring, including past achieve-ments and future key goals.
“The roadmap shows how we haveapproached performance monitoring untilnow and what our vision is for the future,”says Dr Ando.
While a number of measures outlinedin the roadmap have already been accom-plished, such as the on-board weatherrouting trial (in 2005/2006), the electroniclogbook SPAS (from 2006 onwards) andthe development of the fuel oil consump-tion monitor FuelNavi (in 2007/2008),other measures are in the planning stageor in on-going development.
The next step towards optimum opera-tions is real time monitoring, which neces-sitates the fleet-wide introduction of abroadband solution.
Currently, FleetBroadband and VSATis used only on some vessels, and a sub-stantial number of ships still use anInmarsat Fleet solution. NYK is thereforeplanning to roll out a broadband connec-tion on its entire fleet in the near future.
Another reason for the implementationof a broadband solution is the fact thatweather routing service providers aredeveloping the next generation of fore-casts, which cover up to 15 days and offerhigh resolution displays of the currents.
“The high-resolution displays of cur-rent are very valuable for our vessels,”says Dr Ando.
“However, in order to use this data,high bandwidth is needed to transfer thedata from shore to the vessel. In order toimprove the vessel performance, actuallive data needs to be reported back andmatched with voyage simulation datafrom shore and vessel.”
NYK also believes it is essential to have
good communication between the masteron the vessel and the designated routemanager onshore, and is currently assess-ing the potential introduction of a newposition of route manager, which wouldbe assigned to captains and chief engi-neers on shore.
The idea behind this role is that the cap-tain on the vessel would be able to sharelive voyage data in real-time with theroute manager, who could use their ownexperience and expertise to discuss theoptimal route and speed.
The exchange of live data should con-tain the actual sea state, actual wind andship motion and other factors influencingthe fuel oil consumption like weatherrisks, operational requirements, berthwindows and requirements from the nextvoyage schedule.
This way, the vessel's schedule can becontinuously assessed, revised and agreedbetween ship and shore, and the optimumfuel oil consumption level reached.
“This is a new challenge for us and inorder to excel we need broadband, and theNYK liner operation has started an IBISproject to evaluate all such possibilities,”says Dr Ando.
“The different possible solutions willcertainly take some time to be evaluated,but we are sure there will be reductions offuel oil consumption through real-timeinformation sharing. In addition, webelieve that the information platforms willbe utilised as SEEMP platforms.”
NYK is also planning to expand its util-isation of ship performance monitoringdata in order to improve its fuel-efficientship design (with regard to new wave sen-sors, accurate wave and wind measure-ment, accurate torque and thrust measure-ment, accurate log speed management,accurate fuel oil consumption manage-ment and ship performance modelling), aswell as to evaluate fuel saving coatings.
“We could have already successfullyimplemented such a new way of vesselperformance evaluation,” explains DrAndo, “however, we realised that thereare several necessary developments in thesensor technology.”
In addition, NYK is assessing theoption to automatically process the col-lected data on board and to calibrate theship performance model through theimplementation of a system identificationtechnology.
“This is part of our vision of a smartship,” says Dr Ando.
“At NYK, we believe that informationsharing among all related parties and coop-eration are key for energy efficiency. Inaddition, the integration of weather routingand performance monitoring is a base sys-tem for energy efficient fleet management.”
“Automatic data collection onboardprovides high quality and large data sam-ple for making data analytics and highlevel integration of weather routing, per-formance monitoring, real-time broad-band network and organisations are ourcurrent and next challenges.”
SATCOMS
Digital Ship April 2012 page 18
This article will be the first in a seriesof articles in upcoming issues ofDigital Ship covering different aspectsof IT and communications develop-ment at �YK Line
The FuelNavi system collects information from around the vessel, and uses it to display updated fuel consumption levels
DS
p1-19:p1-14.qxd 09/03/2012 15:16 Page 18
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www.videotel.com
Videotel Marine International haslaunched a new training programme, ShipCall – Visiting a Ship in Port, designed toprovide training to reduce the risksinvolved in ship calls.
Ship Call demonstrates graphicallyhow visitors to ships can avoid the risksinvolved with any visit to a ship in port.Divided into three sections, the first showshow to prepare for the trip and the secondlooks at the risks involved in boarding the vessel.
If boarding by launch, this wouldinclude monitoring the weather condi-tions, inspecting the launch for any haz-ards and checking the sea conditionsbefore attempting to board.
The final part addresses visitor safetywhile actually on board, ensuring that keysafety procedures are adhered to and allappropriate safety equipment is used.
Videotel says that, as it addresses arange of maritime safety regulations, theprogramme is particularly useful for thosejoining a ship for the first time.
The training programme is available asa VHS/DVD with supporting booklet, and
via an interactive CD-ROM."Seafarers are highly trained, but in the
past even they have come to serious harmboarding vessels," says Nigel Cleave, CEOof Videotel.
"The situation is even more hazardousfor visitors to ships who often lack train-ing and experience. Individuals areexpected to board vessels both day andnight - often under time pressure - and inall types of weather. Tackling a gangway;alighting from a launch; using a ladder; allhave their own inherent risks."
In related news, Videotel and US-basedMaritime Training Services (MTS) reportthat they have produced a new trainingprogramme on US Port State Control.
The joint team from the two companiesworked together to produce a programmewhich covers all US Port State Controlprocedures, focusing in particular on theUS Department of Homeland Security’sCustoms and Border Protection (CBP)immigration and agricultural inspections.
In this regard, MTS was given theopportunity to follow CBP officers on a realagricultural inspection and immigrationprocedure, which proved especially valu-able in creating the training programme.
"CBP was a fantastic partner for us inproducing this new programme," saysMatt Gasparich, managing director, MTS.
"They are committed to educating sea-farers about new policies and proceduresand were very open with the way crewscould prepare for the examinations."
The programme covers the US Coast
Guard inspection process, following ateam of inspectors through a typicalboarding with Coast Guard commentaryon the best way to prepare ships andcrews for inspection.
It is available through Videotel’s VODsystem, and for purchase worldwidefrom MTS.
Digital Ship April 2012 page 22
Videotel launches ship visit training programme
The Videotel programme aims to identify potential hazards to ships’ visitors
Five new contracts for ABS-NS
SOFTWARE NEWS
www.abs-ns.com
ABS Nautical Systems reports that it hassigned five new contracts in Europe andthe Middle East for its asset managementsoftware, NS5 Enterprise.
Piraeus-based companies AegeanBunkering Services and Atlantic BulkCarries Management will utilise the NS5Hull Inspection software through the ABSNewbuild programme, which offers freesoftware to ABS-classed vessels built after1 January 2009.
Aegean Bunkering Services will imple-ment the software on 15 vessels whileAtlantic Bulk Carriers Management willinstall it on eight vessels.
ABS-NS says that both companies areusing this software as a way to performinspections more efficiently while reduc-ing costs.
Donnelly Tanker Management, locatedin Cyprus, which manages and operates afleet of tankers, is adding the Hull
Inspection software to six of its vessels,two of which are ABS-classed. This is inaddition to 11 other vessels that arealready utilising the software.
The company has also purchased theVetting module to be implemented at itsonshore office.
Istanbul company Densa DenizcilikSanayi ve Ticaret will install both the HullInspection and Maintenance & Repairmodules on 20 ABS-classed vessels and inits central office.
ABS-NS says that this represents itslargest contract win in Turkey.
Finally, Abu Dhabi Ports Company,formed by the Abu Dhabi government, isto implement the Maintenance & Repairmodule on four of its tugboats, two ofwhich are ABS-classed, as well as onshorein its central office.
Abu Dhabi Ports Company has alsoprocured the Purchasing & Inventorymodule, to initially be installed at itsonshore office.
Moxie Media to provide onlineOSHA maritime training
www.moxietraining.com
Moxie Media reports that it has becomethe first and only authorised provider of online OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) OutreachTraining for the maritime industry by the United States Department of Laborand OSHA.
The New Orleans and Houston basedcompany was chosen after a national com-petition that began in March, 2011.
Moxie will now be permitted to pro-vide online OSHA Outreach training forshore-based maritime operations and theiremployees.
“We are extremely gratified to have ourexpertise in maritime training recognisedby OSHA,” said Martin Glenday, presi-dent of Moxie Media.
“But we also recognise this honour as
an important opportunity to build a state-of-the-art online curriculum that will ben-efit the safety and health of maritimeemployees and employers across thecountry.”
Moxie will offer three 10-hour OSHAOutreach Training courses via the internetto employees working in shipyardemployment positions, marine terminalsand ports, including longshoring andstevedores, beginning later this year.
The OSHA Outreach Training Programteaches workers how to identify, prevent,and eliminate workplace hazards includ-ing the use of personal protective equip-ment and safe operating procedures.
The course also informs workers oftheir rights under OSHA includingemployer responsibilities, the ability to filecomplaints and where to find additionalemployee safety resources.
Star Information Systems (SIS)reports that it is establishing a new base inRio de Janeiro to serve Brazil’s offshoresector. Hans-Kristian Fjaerem will lead theoperation and recruit a local team.
Shipbuilding software developerAVEVA has opened a new office inSeoul, Korea, incorporating a dedicatedproduct training centre. The office willalso host sales, marketing, product sup-port and administration functions forAVEVA customers in Korea. This is inaddition to AVEVA's Marine Technology& Service Centre (MTSC) in Busan.
Hans-Kristian Fjaerem – SIS’ man in Brazil
www.sismarine.comwww.aveva.com
Donnelly Tanker Management is one of the companies to have signed a new deal with ABS-NS
p20-28:p1-14.qxd 09/03/2012 14:04 Page 3
Digital Ship
Digital Ship April 2012 page 23
www.transas.com
Transas has launched a fuel efficiencymonitoring system called Transas Wave, astandalone application used to record andanalyse a ship’s fuel consumption.
Wave connects to the vessel’s naviga-tion sensors, flow meter, engine data andemission sensors to collect informationwhich is then used to optimise the opera-tion of a vessel with help from an onlinedecision support system.
Monitored parameters include speed,trim and planned route, and Transas esti-mates that optimal operation across theseareas could lead to fuel savings of approx-imately 5 per cent.
The company says that integration withECDIS for route optimisation will be avail-able later this year, together with an ECOmodule designed to assist in ensuringcompliance with new MARPOL require-ments for recording and monitoring ofvessel emissions.
“Change to a ‘Green’ mindset is impor-tant,” commented Anders Rydlinger,Transas Marine navigation product devel-opment director.
“At Transas we demonstrate commit-ment to protecting the environment. Wavecontinues this concept and moves Transasto the very forefront of fuel saving tech-nology making sure that our customersstay ahead of the wave.”
www.awtworldwide.com
Applied Weather Technology (AWT) hasannounced the release of GlobalView 2.0,a new version of the company’s fleetmanagement system.
The updated application features portforecasts, tide data, tools for customisa-tion and direct access to bunker pricing,as well as improved safety featuresincluding global ice concentrations and
spot forecasts with the latest weather andwave conditions.
In addition, fleet managers can nowview the voyage tracks of captains using AWT’s BVS onboard system inGlobalView.
According to Erik Hjortland, advisor,ship performance and bunker manage-ment, Odfjell Tankers, the updatedoptions should offer additional value tousers of the system like himself.
“With the addition of port forecasts,spot forecasts and bunker pricing,GlobalView is an even more valuablefleet management platform,” he said.
“Ultimately, it helps us to be more effi-cient in managing our fleet.”
The software now allows fleet man-agers to plan and schedule the best timefor loading/unloading to avoid periodsof precipitation or strong winds, withport forecasts available for more than2,500 locations with hourly updates outthree days, and three and six hourlyupdates out five days.
Real-time bunker pricing is also avail-able for more than 70 locations globally,updated throughout the day. Bargingrates can be included, on a subscriptionbasis, in partnership with LQMPetroleum Services.
An Eco-Speed Calculator is additional-ly included, used to calculate the estimat-ed cost of voyages at different speeds.Users can add their own parameters intothe system and the calculator will show a comparison.
“GlobalView 2.0 makes it easier toplan fuel efficient voyages by offeringaccess to additional data in one place,”said Skip Vaccarello, president and CEOof AWT.
“The system also helps with criticalfunctions like planning arrivals and opti-mal routes.”
GlobalView updated to version 2.0 Transas Wave to save fuel
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SOFTWARE
Digital Ship April 2012 page 24
The Kingdom of Fife is the latest ship to install the maintenance system
www.eniram.fi
Cruise operator Silversea Cruises hasimplemented a real-time dynamic trimoptimisation technology system fromFinnish company Eniram, with the hope ofcutting its fuel costs by around 3 per centon long distance voyages.
The Italian cruise operator, headquar-tered in Monaco, has now deployed thesoftware on two of its long-distance cruiseships, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper,along with onshore systems to ensure con-sistency when crews change on its vessels.
Eniram’s technology continually meas-ures a vessel’s trim during a voyage andinforms the crew of the optimum level,with the aim of maximising fuel efficiencywhile reducing emissions.
“Ships operate with big fixed costs soour aim as an operator is always to max-imise efficiency,” explains ChristianSauleau, executive VP of fleet operationsat Silversea.
“Fuel is one of the biggest costs, andprices have soared over the last 2-3 years
so we are keen to keep associated expen-diture under careful control.”
“Several other operators we know useEniram tools and report that they areworking well. We understand we canexpect to make a 2-3 per cent saving onfuel, which is a conservative estimate.When you’re talking about an annual con-sumption rate of around 70,000 tons, thefigures will soon add up.”
Silversea’s strategy has been to beginwith deployment on the vessels travellingthe longest distances, such as its cruiseliner operating around Australia, forexample.
“The technology offers maximumresults at the highest speeds and for thelongest distances. While we don’t haveferries, we do cover long distances,” saidMr Sauleau.
The company says that it expects toreport results of the deployment within 2-3 months, following analysis of the datacollected.
This will be supported by Eniram’sanalytics and reporting services, also part
of the agreement with Silversea, whichuses the data collected from the vessels forfurther analysis to help the operator iden-tify additional efficiencies.
Commenting on the deployment,Eniram’s CEO, Philip Padfield, said, “Weare delighted to be working with such aprestigious and exclusive cruise operator
as Silversea Cruises, and look forward tohelping the company derive new efficien-cies in fuel consumption and reduce envi-ronmental impact.”
Eniram’s dynamic decision supporttechnology is used by more than 50 cruiseships, with a further 20 currently in theprocess of implementing the technology.
www.marinesoftware.co.uk
UK company Marine Software reports thatit is to supply its Marine PlannedMaintenance software system to BriggsMarine Contractors.
The agreement covers 18 vessels as well as separate shore side maintenanceequipment.
The software was installed at Briggs'Burntisland office in Fife, Scotland, fol-
lowed by an on-site training course con-ducted by Marine Software personnel.
The control and management of mostvessel planned maintenance job cards willbe done centrally by the head office, whereshore side maintenance staff will recordon-going maintenance completions.
The latest vessel to implement the soft-ware is the 61 metre supply vesselKingdom of Fife (GT 1,459), classed withLloyds Register.
The Silver Whisper will implement the trim technology. Photo courtesy Silversea Cruiseswww.spectec.net
SpecTec reports that it has recently signeda contract for the supply of its AMOS soft-ware system to PetroChina TaizhouMarine Company Ltd, in Zhejiangprovince in the People’s Republic ofChina.
The contract is for the supply of AMOSMaintenance and Purchase, as well asdatabase and associated consultancy serv-ices, for five ships.
A further software installation will beperformed in the company's head office.
The requested module is a Windows
application used for the integrated man-agement of maintenance work and costs,stock control and purchasing.
SpecTec says that the product is specif-ically suitable for large companies andorganisations, where maintenance, stockcontrol and requisitioning take place atseveral local installations, and purchasingand transport planning take place at cen-tral headquarters.
PetroChina Taizhou Marine Companyis a fully-owned subsidiary of PetroChinaCompany Limited (PetroChina), thelargest oil and gas producer and distribu-tor in China.
PetroChina Taizhou to implement AMOS
www.mespas.com
French-based ST Management has extend-ed its use of the MESPAS range of mar-itime software.
The initial deal between the companiesfocused on implementation of the mespasR5 system, to support ST Management’sQHSE and ISM related requirements.
This will now be supplemented by theintegration of PMS and Procurement mod-ules.
The combined system will be used inthe management of ST Management’s fleetof 28 vessels specialising in the transportof petroleum and chemical products.
The R5 fleet management software sys-tem is a Cloud Computing service.
ST Management extends deal with MESPAS
www.aveva.com
Shipbuilding software developer AVEVAhas announced that it is to expand use ofits training programs with Brazilian uni-versities, with federal universities inPernambuco and Pará states to implementAVEVA’s engineering and design soft-ware from the AVEVA Plant and AVEVAMarine portfolios within their engineeringcourse curriculum.
AVEVA Marine is a set of integratedapplications created for the engineeringand design of ship and offshore structures,design management, and the generation ofproduction information.
The agreement with Federal Universityof Pernambuco (UFPE) provides AVEVAPDMS (plant) and AVEVA Outfitting(marine) software licenses for use in itsengineering degree programmes.
AVEVA will also provide AVEVAOutfitting software licenses to the FederalUniversity of Pará (UFPA) for use in navalarchitecture, hydrodynamics, naval con-struction and the stability disciplines forits naval engineering degree programmes.
AVEVA will also assist UFPA with thetraining of teachers to undertake the class-es.
"With engineering skill shortages inBrazil specifically and Latin America ingeneral, training new users of our soft-ware is critical to the growth and on-goingsuccess of the plant and marine sectors,"said Santiago Pena, senior vice presidentof AVEVA Latin America.
"In response, we have taken steps toestablish several partnerships with educa-tional institutions across the country tohelp close the gap on the shortage of expe-rienced engineering talent."
AVEVA software for Brazilian universities
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Digital Ship
Digital Ship April 2012 page 25
www.jowatechnology.se
Norwegian ship owner Jo Tankers hasinstalled the JOWA Technology DieselSwitch DS MKII to manage its changeover and blend fuel requirements, to meetsulphur emissions levels in CARB andSECA areas.
The software employed by the DSMKII, developed by JOWA Technology,controls a specially designed blend fuelvalve that provides a controlled change-over from HFO to MDO/MGO and viceversa, as well as a safe blend fuel opera-tion whenever required.
The system can be used for both mainengines and auxiliary engines, and is type-approved by Germanischer Lloyd.
After initial on-board testing was suc-cessful, Jo Tankers has decided to installthe DS MKII on nine more vessels, as wellas adding the technology to its new build-
ing projects in Korea.“We are very pleased with the easy and
quick retrofit installation of the systeminto the existing fuel systems on board,”said Andrew Hills, fleet manager at Jo Tankers.
“We now know that we meet the strictsulphur levels requested in the SECAareas and in other environmentally controlled areas. They can be reached bothby using the diesel switch DS MKII for acomplete change-over or for running onblend fuel.”
“We appreciate the software featureincluding the history log for change-overand/or blend fuel procedures performed.This saves us time and money, but it isalso advantageous for the environment.To protect the environment as much aspossible is very important, both for us as aresponsible shipping company, as well asfor our customers.”
www.amarcon.com
Software company Amarcon reports thatit has recently received orders fromShanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co.,Ltd. (ZPMC), Mammoet and RWE Innogyfor its hydrodynamic analysis application,OCTOPUS-Office.
OCTOPUS-Office 6 is a hydrodynamicanalysis program for the calculation ofseakeeping characteristics of ships, with orwithout forward speed.
Using 2D or 3D ship hydrodynamics,the software calculates voyage dependentresponse statistics, both in the long termand short term. Voyages can also bedefined based on the correspondingexpected responses that will occur duringthe actual voyage.
The company says that it plans toupdate the application later this year byadding a DP Forecast functionality,already in use with its OCTOPUS-Onboard system, to OCTOPUS-Office.
Hydrodynamic analysis software orders
Jo Tankers’ use of the technology is set to expand, following completion of a trial
Jo Tankers installs emissions management system
Stability system developed by Mitsubishi
The OCTOPUS program calculates seakeeping characteristics of ships
www.mhi.co.jp
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI)reports that it has developed a system toenhance the damage stability of ships,enabling reduction in capsizing risk.
The company says it has alreadyreceived an order for a vessel fromNippon Shipping Co. Ltd, a group compa-ny of Nippon Express Co. Ltd, that will beequipped with the new technology.
The 170-meter-long RO/RO ship onorder is capable of travelling at a speed of 23 knots, carrying about 170 trailerchassis and 100 passenger cars. The shipconsumes approximately 10 per cent less
fuel than existing RO/RO ships in thesame class.
It will be built at MHI's ShimonosekiShipyard & Machinery Works inShimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.Delivery is slated for March 2013.
MHI developed the system in responseto changes in regulations on ship stabilityduring navigation in January 2009, basedon revisions to the InternationalConvention for the Safety of Life at Sea(SOLAS Convention).
The company says that it is aiming toattract orders for high-end ships to beequipped with the new system.
It is targeting installation of its righting
moment recovery system on new ships towhich the aforementioned regulationsapply: namely, RO/RO ships, pure carand truck carriers (PCTC) and ferries.
If the ship's hull is damaged duringnavigation, the new system enablesprompt conveyance of any flooded seawa-ter into void spaces in the ship's bottom,thereby reducing capsizing risk throughenhancement of righting momentum bylowering the ship's centre of gravity.
Further to this initiative, effective fromthe beginning of 2012 MHI reports that it has established a new EngineeringBusiness Department within itsShipbuilding & Ocean Development
business headquarters.Two other technologies the company
sees as particularly promising are theMitsubishi Air Lubrication System(MALS), and another proprietary technol-ogy for vessels equipped with a ballastwater treatment system.
The MALS is an innovation thatreduces frictional resistance between avessel's hull and seawater using air bub-bles produced at the vessel bottom, there-by enabling significant energy savings anda reduction in CO2 emissions.
The ballast water technology aims toassist companies in complying with theBallast Water Management Convention,an international agreement requiringinstallation of a system to purify ballastwater prior to its discharge from the ship.
www.futureship.net
FutureShip, a GL company, reports that itis to work with Iceland-based Marorka tointegrate the two companies' product port-folios in the field of fuel efficiency, energymanagement and related consulting.
The announcement was made on theoccasion of FutureShip’s opening of anoffice in Singapore.
“Energy efficiency gains ever-moreimportance in the maritime industry,” saidKhorshed Alam, vice president FutureShipSouth Asia/Oceania.
“This cooperation will give us the oppor-tunity to even better serve the need to moni-tor ship performance, raise energy efficiencyawareness onboard and onshore, and enableshipowners to seamlessly manage theenergy performance of their entire fleets.”
FutureShip’s ECO-Assistant is one ofthe products related to the agreement, astand-alone software application used tomanage the optimum trim angle for a spe-cific ship when provided with its opera-tional parameters.
This system has already been purchasedfor approximately 200 ships, and the com-pany says that it regularly achieves effi-ciency improvements of up to 5 per cent.
Alongside this system, FutureShip willnow offer selected Marorka hardware andsoftware products like the ShipPerformance Monitoring System used tocalculate fuel efficiency based on fuel con-sumption, GPS and log speed, propellerpower and main engine RPM.
This application displays performancevalues and trends on a touch panel com-puter, which collects measurement data,creates real time performance analyses, andrecords historical performance data thatcan also be sent to shore for further analy-sis with Marorka Online.
For performance monitoring, theMarorka Maren Operating Platform (OP3)will be offered. This product can be con-nected to relevant onboard systems fordata collection from propulsion, naviga-tion, machinery and cargo systems, as wellas weather and oceanic forecasts.
Modular expansions based on and con-nected to Marorka Maren OP3, such aspropulsion performance optimisation, sim-ulation of voyage schedules and costs,monitoring of power and steam productionefficiency, are also available.
Additionally, an automated interface toFutureShip’s ECO-Assistant can now beordered.
Futureship and Marorka to collaborate
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Digital Ship April 2012 page 26
SOFTWARE
The future of remote monitoringUnique opportunities and challenges exist in the field of remote engine monitoring in the marine industry.
If the technology continues to evolve in an integrated manner it could create significant benefits for shipping companies, writes P. Jaime Tetrault, Caterpillar Marine Power Systems
GGlobal mariners are familiar withnew industry trends. They’ve seenmany new technologies come and
go over the past centuries. The age of saileventually grew into the age of steam pow-ered paddle-wheelers with sails.
These hybrid vessels quickly removedthe sails and trusted in the paddles andboilers for propulsion. Shortly thereafter,propeller technology took over, providingsafety from the dangers of the exposedside paddles.
As seamen increasingly began to valuesafety at sea, improvements in controlroom technology became the standard.Eventually technology allowedunmanned engine rooms with a highdegree of operational data logging.
The next obvious step was to attempt tomonitor the engine data from shore, thusthe beginning of the remote monitoringindustry trend we are seeing today.
And why not? Isn’t remote monitoringalready a standard in land based powerand even the offshore wind industrytoday? Unfortunately, the marine industryisn’t so simple.
In the modern marine operating envi-ronment today, shipping companies stillmaintain traditional engine room theorieson how to manage installed assets. Skilledon-board engineers who monitor vesseloperating conditions from an engine controlroom or from the bridge are still the norm.
However, remote monitoring technolo-gy is advancing at such a pace that assetsuppliers have capabilities to advise theengine room staff on the condition, deteri-oration, and eventual failure of most typesof equipment.
Naval Architects will shortly need tounderstand how to design and install thistechnology during the new-build periodto optimise the benefits to the owners.
Owners need to begin to understandthis new technology in order to build theadvantages into their operating proce-dures and financial models.
This paper explains the evolution ofremote monitoring technology, somedesign requirements, and the advantagesto the owners and shipping companies.
Technological assistanceThere are limitations in the amount of datathat a human can process in a single second.
For example, a human eye has the capa-bility to process one frame per millisec-ond. While this enables us to understandvessel operational data live, when wecombine multiple datasets, this limitationis significant.
Have you noticed how it is near impos-sible to catch a fly? The primary reason isthat a fly can process 20 frames per mil-lisecond and our world appears to movein slow motion to a fly as compared tohow we see it.
Imagine if we could process 20 timesthe data from an operating vessel at atime. How would we use this data andwhat would we do with the informationthe data delivers?
Data is only one element of remotemonitoring. Advancing the technology tothe next paradigm requires the ability toconvert the data into information, theinformation into recommendations, andthe recommendations into action.
This requires a subset of definitionsthat are critical to understanding the evo-lution of remote monitoring.
We consider remote monitoring as theability to monitor and read operationalparameters from a remote location.Condition-based monitoring builds on remote monitoring by utilising theoperational parameters to define runningconditions.
A vast step forward is the ability to con-vert this conditional data being fed into acentralised location into useful advancedwarnings, extended maintenance recom-mendations, and, ultimately, a loweredcost of operation.
Today we struggle in this area for avariety of reasons, many of which includethe limitations of a single source providerto have the capabilities of monitoring vastamounts of data and making any level ofuseful recommendation.
For this reason, we define AdvancedCondition Monitoring as the ability tointegrate algorithmic capabilities into thedatastream to identify critical parameterswith high velocity.
Considering the number of monitoredassets aboard a merchant vessel today,numerous advancements will need to bemade for such a solution to be offered tothe marine industry by a single supplier.
To begin to understand the complexi-ties of Advanced Condition Monitoring(‘ACM’), it is important to understand thetechnology value chain involved with
each monitoring solution.As suppliers evolve in the ability to pro-
vide open architecture for asset monitor-ing, an element of the future challengesbecomes more transparent: How can a sin-gle supplier monitor all this data and pro-vide value, integrate solutions into the ves-sel management system, and ultimatelypartner with the operator in sharing risk?
This is the ultimate value-add offeringin remote monitoring and the future foroperators who desire to partner with solu-tion providers with the intent to loweroperating costs.
Arguably, ACM is the solution to thischallenge. The first providers to combine atechnology derived from algorithmicprocesses with a commercially viable solu-tion using remote capabilities with local-ized support will represent the future.
The future of remote monitoring is notlimited to the monitoring element alone.The value chain of solutions will evolvefor the ‘do it myself (DIM)’ customer to anoperating environment of ‘do it for me(DIFM)’ ship owners.
The methodology to achieve this mile-stone is a combination of technical, com-mercial and legal solutions.
Selling solutions moves the suppliers intoa proactive mode, partnering with the oper-ators and predictably anticipating opera-tional challenges and preventing them.
It includes extending maintenanceintervals, optimising vessel performanceand fuel consumption, reducing manpow-er requirements, and eventually and pos-sibly even changing the owner environ-ment into remote and non-remoteengaged operators.
Don’t misinterpret this prediction;there will always be the need for a livingoperator on the bridge of the ship to antic-ipate risks and make corrections.
However, in the future remote monitor-ing world, the remote operators will havethe advantage of significantly reduced
costs and thus can be much more compet-itive eventually capturing a leading mar-ket share.
If we examine the technologies in placetoday, it becomes clear that the ability tocombine the operational assets onboard aship into a single remote monitored data-stream, and make actionable decisionsfrom the data is very limited.
The leading marine remote monitoringsolution providers today focus on four key areas: � viewing � reporting � trending � data-logging If we examine some parallel industries (forexample, mining), we begin to see theusage of this data for value messaging,supply chain management and fuel con-sumption optimisation.
This capability is creeping into themarine industry, albeit very slowly, asmarine vessels are significantly more com-plex than a mining machine.
In addition to the inherent complexityassociated with marine vessels, asset sup-pliers in the marine industry are not whol-ly comfortable opening up their opera-tional architecture to third party monitor-ing solutions.
The risk of safety, warranty validity,and eventually proprietary knowledgeunknowingly entering the open market isunacceptable and represents a significantobstacle that will need to be addressedprior to industry acceptance.
Despite the common usage of J1938 /39 communication architecture, we are farfrom connecting all assets to a single databus on board a vessel.
It is critical that the vessels beingdesigned today anticipate this challengeand strive to bring all operating assetsonto a common bus for eventual commu-nication capability.
So are we limited in reaching this ACMgoal? How do we enable the next evolu-tion in remote monitoring to take place?As with all future predictions, we need toexamine the progress one step at a time.
1: Predictive ComponentMaintenance (PCM)
This sounds much more rudimentary thanit actually is today. There are numerousconflicting elements of this step that preventit from becoming normalised, including: � The lack of willingness by asset suppli-
ers to share the early indicators for fail-ure. Most suppliers in the industry provide and promote their own oper-ating and maintenance schedules. Few define a pre-failure predictive protocol for operating machinery.
� Most suppliers profit on the parts busi-ness and in theory, while outside war-ranty, a failure of a component is prof-
Technologies Monitoring Solutions
Connect
Control
Operate
Automate
Integrate
� Connectingw/Products
- Location- Fuel- Hours- Health
� ControllingSystems/Products
- Power- Load- Trending- Alarms
� OperatingSystems/Products
- Efiiciency- Safety- Regulatory
� AutomatingSystems/Products
- Speed- Accuracy- Safety- Basic Risk
� IntegratingSystems/Products
- Full vesselintegration
- Fleet Mgt.processes
Monitor
Advise
Support
Manage
Partner
� Interpret� Recommend
� Analysis & Action� On-Ship Support
� Predicted� Planned� Eq/Fleet Management
� Vessel Management� Shared Risk
� Connected� Remote Monitoring
Basic AdvancedCa
pabi
lity S
ets
Monitoring can take a variety of forms, from basic connectionsup to highly integrated systems
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Digital Ship April 2012 page 28
SOFTWARE
itable revenue. This challenge must be overcome, and we must challenge asset suppliers to become more willing to share this data and to integrate this data into a series of remote monitored asset solutions.
Many operating assets are not installedwith an electronic monitoring capability,preventing the ability to link to a commoncommunication bus. Architects have theability to incorporate this expectationtoday for most equipment, providingoptions to the owner to allow them theability to prepare for a vessel retrofit oncethe technology advances.
2: Commercialisation ofPCM solution
There must be a resounding business casefor a single supplier to invest in the tech-nology and knowledge from various sup-pliers to build a common remote monitor-ing platform that will meet all the needs ofthe vessel owner at an affordable price.
Each operator balances on a fine line ofrisk and reward. No doubt, the reductionof a single off-charter day for a vessel gen-erates significant savings, however, atwhat return on investment?
Today we have solutions that are tar-geted to individual assets (exampleengines, load management systems,bridge equipment); however, no singlesupplier has effectively brought all theseassets into a single data system.
The naval architects today should antici-pate the increasing need to build into thevessel design electronic solutions that willcost effectively allow third parties to accessthe data-bus and export data from multiplesources at rapid rates at near zero cost.
No supplier will likely be able to affordto retrofit an entire vessel in the commer-cial proposal to a ship operator; therefore,the ships being designed today are animportant link in enabling this technologysolution for the future.
3: Implementation of ACMAdvanced Condition Monitoring technol-ogy can interpret millions of datapointsper second for all monitored assets, trans-late the data into useful information, andallow a limited number of Fleet Managersto immediately make a recommendationor take action.
This milestone requires asset suppliers tobe more open with their operating systems,and to allow third parties access to criticaloperational risk experience databases.
This is likely only to be accomplishedwith pressure from the supplier of theleading cost assets on-board a vessel,either the power management supplier orthe engine supplier.
Architects need to partner with thesesuppliers to select sub-systems that onlyutilise electronic data communicationsolutions. The suppliers need to partner toprovide the algorithmic solutions that willenable a rapid conversion of data into use-ful information for the Fleet Managers.
This single issue is representative of amulti-faceted challenge that is yet to beovercome.
This solution would combine the informa-tion output of the ACM system, with aseries of remote personnel who can evalu-
ate solutions both on and off site and makecritical operational decisions.
We can never fully remove the humanvalue of diagnosing a product health situ-ation. Additionally, we need to under-stand the operating profile of the vessel.
For example, we should never be in aposition to shut down a critical system toprotect the asset at the risk of runningaground or hitting a fixed bridge structure.
A vessel health management systemwill likely be replicated from existingland-based solutions that are in placetoday, and is a realistic step once the ACMtechnology evolves.
5: Continuousimprovement
A continuous improvement process isneeded to constantly evaluate lessonslearned and remove risk from the clientsolution.
The marine industry will continue toevolve, as will the on-board technology.Each new technology presents new risks.
Consider alone the challenges present-ed by IMO III, and the impacted emis-sions reduction equipment. How will avessel health management system balancethe need to move cargo with the environ-mental regulations and operational needs
of the ship? Who is empowered to make those rules
as related to remote monitoring and whatis the impact of a wrong decision?
We need a strong governing body to setlimits on vessel health management andthe tools utilised to provide value to theshipping company in the future.
The future of remote monitoring is fullVessel Health Management withAdvanced Condition Monitoring.
These potential solutions are constantlybeing challenged due to improved andevolving marine technology and opera-tional regulations.
We are only at the cusp of this journey inthe technology evolution today, with vari-ous suppliers introducing new andimproved solutions every year. Each has itsown value, and each has its own limitations.
When a single supplier is able to com-bine all managed assets into a single data-stream, evaluate the data from multiplevessels at once at very high speeds usingACM, combining a localised solution in acommercially viable vessel health man-agement tool, we will have achieved thevision of this paper.
That future of remote monitoring is nottoday, but it is realistically achievable bythe year 2020.
About the authorP. Jaime Tetrault is product support director at Caterpillar Marine Power Systems, cur-rently acting as the director for global after sales activities, including parts and service forCaterpillar Marine Power Systems, based in Hamburg, Germany.
Mr Tetrault is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy in MarineEngineering, holds a Master's Degree in Business from Indiana Wesleyan University, andis a USCG licensed engineer in steam, diesel and turbines.
DS
www.witherbyseamanship.com
Witherby Publishing Group andShipping Guides Ltd have reached anagreement to produce an eBook ofShipping Guides’ ten volume publicationGuide to Tanker Ports (GTTP).
The new product will be available forpurchase either as a module within theWitherby ‘Seamanship Library’ or as astandalone eBook. Purchasers of thestandalone system will be provided withan eBook reader that is capable of down-loading other books in the same format,as required.
GTTP is a tanker port reference manu-al that includes port information fortanker masters and owners/operators.The eBook version will be updated eitherby download from the internet or byDVD-ROM, with the first year’s updat-ing service included in the initial pur-chase cost.
The eBook of GTTP will include allinformation available to existing users,such as pre-arrival information, portplans, maximum size of vessel, berthdetails, mooring diagrams, cargo facilities,health, safety and security, communica-tions, shore facilities, regulations and localinformation, but will also allow users toadd simple annotations.
Shipping Guides says it choseWitherby Seamanship as its partner inthis move toward digitization as it wouldallow users to access GTTP in the sameformat already used for other industrystandards in eBook format, such as TheInternational Safety Guide for OilTankers and Terminals (ISGOTT) andLiquefied Gas Handling Principles onShips and in Terminals, as well as SOLASand MARPOL.
The Seamanship Library has a coremodule of 10 IMO titles that apply to allships to which additional modules,including GTTP, may be added.
The Library is recognised by the UKMaritime and Coastguard Agency(MCA) as being an electronic equivalentfor the onboard carriage of IMO instru-ments such as the SOLAS, MARPOL,LL, COLREG and STCW Conventionsand UK Regulations when these publi-cations are required to be carried onboard by the ship’s Safety ManagementSystem.
Both the Seamanship Library includingGTTP, and GTTP as a standalone version,will be available through the ChartCo andThomas Gunn Voyager navigational datamanagement systems.
GTTP will be available as an eBookfrom 30th March 2012.
Seamanship Library to incorporateGuide to Tanker Ports
www.autoship.com
Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) hasannounced that the Hong Kong MarineDepartment (HKMD) has added the latestAutohydro 6.5 licence to its operations.
It is now over 20 years since the MarineDepartment first purchased Autohydro4.0 in 1991. During this time, ASC hasbeen supporting HKMD naval architects
with software updates, on-site trainingand remote technical assistance.
Autohydro is a hydrostatic and stabili-ty program used to perform stability cal-culations and create assessments, such asstability books.
Release 6.5 adds new functionality tothe Probabilistic Damage assessment inorder to handle recent changes to the rulesfor cargo and passenger vessels.
HKMD first started using Autohydro 20 years ago
Hong Kong Marine Department addsAutohydro licence
4: Creation of vesselhealth management
system
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Martek Marine reports that itsbridge watch and alarm system (BNWAS)Navgard has become the first such systemto attain US Coast Guard approval.The company says that the BNWAS hasalready been approved by all major classi-fication societies since its launch inSeptember 2010.
Imtech Marine reports that it is toreshape its Radio Holland organisa-tion in the US, expanding the service net-work to an increased number of ports,broadening the product portfolio, consoli-dating service dispatch and back officefunctions into one central location, andincreasing flexibility in current logisticsoperations.
Imtech Marine has also appointedSytze Voulon to the position of regionaldirector north west Europe (Rotterdam).Mr Voulon has previously worked atMobil Oil, Stork, Lips and, mostrecently, at Rolls-Royce, where he wasregional director marine Europe & Africa/ vice president services Europe & Africa.
MSG MarineServe reports that ithas been appointed as an official trainingagent by ChartWorld to provide ECDIStraining services locally and worldwide.The agreement is part of an arrangementinvolving MSG itself, its sister companySafebridge and ETC.
Digital Ship April 2012 page 29
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION NEWS Digital Ship
www.transas.com
Transas reports that two new maritimetraining facilities in the US and inIndonesia featuring its simulation technol-ogy are now open, and ready to acceptcadets for training.
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy(MMA) in the US recently opened theAmerican Bureau of Shipping InformationCommons Building, which houses theAcademy’s new Full Mission ShipSimulator.
The 42,000 square foot academic build-ing will host the Marine Transportationprogramme offered at MMA, with simula-tion facilities including a full mission, 360degree bridge simulator, debriefing room,
instructors’ control room and an ante room. The simulated bridge will include an
Integrated Navigation System (INS),Dynamic Positioning Systems (DP2),ARPA/Radar multifunction displays, andElectronic Chart Display and InformationSystems (ECDIS).
The full mission simulator builds uponthe Transas Navi-Trainer Professional 5000simulator systems already installed atMMA. It can operate either independently,or in joint exercises across campus formulti-vessel scenarios with the existingTug Bridge and Electronic Navigation Lab.
In Indonesia, a new IntegratedNavigation System Building operated byPIP Semarang (Semarang MerchantMarine Polytechnic), one of the state edu-
cation institutions administered by theTransportation HRD Agency, has opened.
The core of the training facility is a nav-igational simulator NTPro 5000 mainbridge, with 12-channel visualisation anda 3-channel rear view screen for DynamicPositioning (DP) training, providing 360degree views.
Four cubicle part-task bridges extendthe training capacity, as well as six traineestations that can be used for training in DP(both DP class 1 and DP class 2) andRadar/ECDIS operations.
“(PIP Semarang) is very proud to beclassified as one of the modern world classmaritime training and education trainingcentres in the world,” said Capt BambangPurnomo, director of PIP Semarang.
Simulator centres open in US and Indonesia
“I don’t care about ECDIS.Why should I?”
Transas Marine.
The world’s number one in ECDIS
He’s right. When it comes to ECDIS implementation you don’t need to care. Not if you’ve chosen Transas that is. We’ve spent over 20 years refining the world’s best ECDIS System. We care. So you don’t have to.
For more info on ECDIS implementation go to ECDISfit.com or scan the QR code above.
The new simulators in Indonesia (left) and the US are now ready to accept cadets
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www.maris.nowww.seagull.no
Maritime Information Systems (MARIS)has signed an agreement with Seagull AScovering cooperation on product specificECDIS training at Seagull’s shore-basedtraining centre in Norway.
MARIS says that the agreementbetween the two Norwegian companiesfits with its aim to develop a standardtraining package by working with those in the ECDIS training business to offercooperation and market MARIS’ productsand services.
“Our strategy is to identify crucial safe-ty and environmental issues facing thehazardous cargo sector and develop andpublish recommended criteria that willserve as benchmarks for the industry,”said Steinar Gundersen, deputy chief exec-utive (corporate), MARIS.
“There is demand for product specificECDIS training and our strategy is to workwith leading training institutes around theworld to offer the end-users such productspecific training. In conjunction with theInternational Maritime Organization andregional and national regulatory bodiesMARIS supports the development ofinternational conventions and global regulations that enhance the safe opera-tion of vessels.”
“We support global enforcement ofconventions and regulations and encour-age industry-wide acceptance of guide-
lines and recommendations. It is vital forMARIS to offer product specific training toour customers in more than 40 countriesas a leading ECDIS supplier. MARIS putsan agreement in place with training insti-tutes ensuring that the training is based onthe latest software, documentation etc andthat the training institute is approvedby MARIS.”
www.kongsberg.com
A new Offshore Vessel Simulator at theSimSea AS maritime training centre inHaugesund, Norway, has opened.
The simulator, supplied by KongsbergMaritime, is part of a 1300m2 simulatorpark offering integrated training on off-shore vessel operations as well as missionplanning applications.
The Offshore Vessel Simulator includesan interface to a range of task simulatorsfor team training of offshore operations.
Also included is an assisting offshorevessel simulator that can be configured asa second anchor handling vessel for teamtraining of anchor handling operations,and an offshore crane simulator which has
been supplied by the Kongsberg sub-sidiary, GlobalSim.
All simulated operations can be carriedout individually as well as in an integrat-ed environment where all simulated vari-ables interact with each other within thescenario.
“Integration is critical to improvingsafety and competence for hazardous off-shore operations,” explains RuneJohansen, director, SimSea.
“Ours is perhaps the most integratedOffshore Vessel Simulator in operation sowe are able to provide a unique platformfor highly realistic team training that cov-ers all aspects of offshore vessel operationeither as standalone modules or as a fullyintegrated training exercise.”
New simulator centre opens
Seagull will now be able to offer type-specific training on MARIS ECDIS
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION NEWS
Digital Ship April 2012 page 30
The Offshore Vessel Simulator is installed at the SimSea AS maritime training centre in Norway
MARIS and Seagull in product specific ECDIS training link
www.navtor.no
E-navigation company NAVTOR hasannounced the launch of its ‘Pay As YouSail’ NAVTOR ENC Service, which hasreceived approval from DNV.
The Pay As You Sail (PAYS) systemallows users to begin the licence period onthe ENCs that they require only when thevessel actually sails into the area coveredby the chart.
NAVTOR uses vessel tracking data,collected every 90 minutes via AIS (bothsatellite-based and coastal) or directly byInmarsat-C polling, to determine when thevessel has entered the area and when thelicence period should begin.
“The service makes all ENCs immedi-ately available, free of charge for planningpurposes. Once you start sailing, only theENC charts actually used for navigationare automatically calculated andcharged,” explains Jan Helge Skailand,NAVTOR’s development manager.
“Hence it’s not only more convenient, itis also far more economical and transpar-ent, as the web-based ENC portfolio man-agement tool NAVTOR NavTracker isincluded as part of the service.”
ENCs are provided by PRIMAR, andthe whole global folio of available charts isprovided to the vessel on a secure USBmemory stick.
Updates to charts can be imported to theUSB stick via any PC with an internet con-nection (over satellite or in port), and thentransferred to the ECDIS. Weekly updatesare typically of an order of about 3MB.
The dynamic licensing concept is not anew one, with Dutch chart companyDatema launching a system in 2009 whereall ENCs would be available for viewingand planning purposes, but would notneed to be licensed until the ship enteredthe chart area.
However, the roll out of that servicehad to be postponed following objections
from UKHO, which disagreed with PRI-MAR (also ENC supplier to the Datemaservice) on the issue of whether viewingand use of electronic charts for passageplanning should mark the beginning ofthe licence period.
This debate took about two years tocome to a conclusion, with the UKHO-ledIC-ENC granting approval of the serviceunder certain conditions from April 2011.
The Datema service differs significantlyfrom the NAVTOR service in terms of shiptracking however, with Datema providingits own tracking unit to the ship.
NAVTOR's system does not require installation of any hardware or software to operate.
“The team at NAVTOR saw the oppor-tunity to completely rethink the mecha-nisms for chart supply with the user, the navigator, as the number one priori-ty,” saids NAVTOR marketing managerWilly Zeiler.
“The system facilitates seamless chartmanagement on the bridge. It not onlyeases the navigator’s workload, but alsoincreases safety and security at sea.”
NAVTOR is also introducing aNAVSync ENC Updating feature with theservice, an online system which ensuresthat the ENC database is always right upto date before setting sail.
The company says that the PAYS prod-uct has been trialled on board theNorwegian cruise ferry Bergensfjord for anumber of months, with the testing moni-tored and controlled by DNV before itgranted its approval.
“Our aim is to make the difficult easyand this product is true to that objective,”said OEM manager Bjørn Kristian Sæstad.
“NAVTOR has only been in the marketfor around eight months, but we havealready made agreements with some ofthe major ECDIS manufacturers to joinforces and implement technology thatreally offers the market a seamless e-navi-gation solution.”
NAVTOR launches Pay As You Sail ENC service
The NAVTOR management team has launched its own take on ENC licensing
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Digital Ship April 2012 page 31
Digital Ship
www.actisense.com
Actisense reports that it is ready to launchits new EMU-1 device, a specialised ana-logue to NMEA 2000 interface, designedto operate specifically with engines.
Working in conjunction with the UKdistributor for Nanni Diesel, the device isdue to be beta tested in Q1 of 2012, with aplanned release in Q2, following success-ful tests.
The EMU-1 is beingdesigned to simplify theconversion of analogueengine parameters (of tem-perature, pressure, Tach /RPM etc.) into the corre-sponding NMEA 2000engine parameter PGNs,reducing the number ofinput/output wires requiredat each engine.
The EMU-1 can handlesix gauge / parameterinputs (these can be insteadof the gauge or in parallelwith the gauge), four alarminputs, two Tach inputs andtwo additional auxiliaryinputs, which are flexible tosuit each installation. Mostnotably, the device will be
backwards-compatible with older engines."The EMU-1 has been designed with
simplicity in mind," said Phil Whitehurst,managing director of Active ResearchLimited.
"This will change the way analogue toNMEA data conversions are done. Thisproduct meets the rigorous demands of a marine environment and we are surethat it will become highly sought after inthe trade."
Engine Monitoring Unit interfaceset for launch
The new unit will allow data from engines to betransferred to NMEA 2000 devices
www.nautissim.com
VSTEP, in cooperation with its distribu-tion partner Shipbridge, reports that it hassuccessfully delivered and installed aNAUTIS desktop simulator at theNational Taiwan Ocean University inKeelung, Taiwan.
The simulator will be used to train uni-versity maritime students and maritimeprofessionals in shiphandling andmanoeuvring.
"We are proud to deliver this simulatorto a leading maritime university such asthe Ocean University. Shipbridge hasplayed a pivotal role in this project," saidVSTEP CEO Cristijn Sarvaas.
"Shipbridge will be a valuable partnerto continue the steady growth of VSTEP inthe region. In the past year, VSTEP hasdelivered simulators to a number ofclients in China and South East Asia andthis cooperation will significantly increaseVSTEP’s reach into this key market."
New sim for National TaiwanOcean University
www.veripos.com
Veripos reports that it has won an exten-sion of its positioning contract with SiemMeling Offshore DA, the Stavanger-basedshipping company jointly owned by SiemOffshore and OH Meling.
The three-year contract extension is for the continued provision of GNSS positioning facilities to Siem MelingOffshore’s fleet of Platform SupplyVessels (PSVs).
Veripos will provide its dual-beam
Standard positioning service for theNorwegian company’s Siem Pilot andSiem Sailor PSVs, both of which are alsoequipped with LD2 integrated mobilereceivers for real-time processing of data.
Similar hardware is also to be installedaboard Siddis Mariner, which is beingprovided with Veripos’s Standard Plusand Glonass positioning service, whileother vessels joining Siem MelingOffshore’s PSV fleet are expected to besupplied with comparable Veripos posi-tioning services and equipment.
Siem Meling extends positioning contract
www.fugromarinestar.com
p29-40:p15-25.qxd 09/03/2012 14:28 Page 3
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION NEWS
Digital Ship April 2012 page 32
From the leading technology company:leading te
0575/12
MARIS is working with the UKHO to develop The Admiralty e-Navigator.
Videotel and Safebridge joinforces on ECDIS training
LED display from North Invent
www.videotel.comwww.safebridge.de
Videotel and Safebridge, in conjunctionwith Safebridge sister company MSGMarineServe, report that they are towork together to provide a range ofgeneric and product specific ECDIStraining.
With the support of the IMO, Videotelis updating its original ECDIS course tofollow the new STCW Manila amend-ments and the proposed new IMO ModelCourse 1.27 (latest edition).
This training, in the form of distancelearning using a generic ECDIS model,will be available through VOD (video ondemand) and the newly launched VODOnline, so that study can take place at seaor on shore.
Once deck officers have interim certifi-cation of successful foundation trainingfrom Videotel, they can progress to type-specific training and final certification byattending one of the training centresaround the world that form part of the MSG controlled ECDIS TrainingConsortium (ETC).
The type-specific training and final testing will use simulation of the actualECDIS equipment installed on theplanned assignment. Booking of theonward training can be arranged throughVideotel.
Experienced seafarers transferring toships with different ECDIS models,necessitating further type-specific training, will also be able to avail ofclassroom based training in Hamburg,on board a vessel itself if requested or, through ETC, at 11 locations aroundthe world.
Alternatively, Safebridge will offeronline type-specific training with realtime simulation on the original ECDISmanufacturer’s software, with testingand certification.
All Videotel clients can also bookSafebridge and MSG ETC coursesthrough Videotel.
Certification and a reference databasefor the appropriate regulatory authori-
ties will form part of the servicesoffered.
“Whilst the IMO Model Course 1.27content has still to be ratified by the IMO,with Flag State Authorities also yet toagree on what specific ECDIS trainingthey will require, over the past year verycareful thought has gone into providingwhat we hope will prove to be a very sat-isfactory, practical and cost effectiveECDIS training solution for our clients,”said Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel.
“In addition to the valuable inputreceived from the IMO, ICS, MCA,OCIMF, Dr Andy Norris and participatingship owners and ship managers, wewould also to like to thank Furuno fortheir invaluable input throughout.”
In related news, Safebridge reports thatJapan Radio Co. Ltd (JRC) has become thelatest ECDIS manufacturer with which ithas reached agreement to develop type-specific training.
JRC joins a number of other ECDISmanufacturers that have agreed dealswith Safebridge for the development ofonline type-specific training, includingSAM Electronics, Sperry Marine, ImtechMarine, 7Cs, ChartWorld, RaytheonAnschütz and Transas Marine.
The Safebridge training process willbe approved by JRC in accordance withSTCW and Flag State requirements.Safebridge will also provide course certi-fication on behalf of JRC and traineedatabase services for reference by PortState Control and other concernedauthorities.
The courseware will be released in thelate summer of 2012.
"It is expected that tens of thousands ofvessels will be required to install ECDISover the next six years and we are morethan pleased with the partnership withSafebridge," said Bas Eerden, productmanager at JRC Europe.
"Effectively, with nowadays the impor-tance of the total cost of ownership, JRC iscontent with this new and innovative wayof offering cost-effective JRC ECDIS typespecific training solutions to ship ownersand seafarers."
www.navico.com
Navico has updated its Simrad brandBroadband Radar software developmentkit (BRPC SDK) to allow OEM and thirdparty developers to integrate the technolo-gy with their own applications.
Developers will be able to integrate fea-tures of the Broadband 4G Radar into PC-based applications, with the radar dataable to be received and manipulated on aPC with Windows, without the need for a
Simrad multifunction display.The BRPC SDK works with an off-the-
shelf Simrad Broadband 4G Radar, mean-ing there are no special models to pur-chase, and the 4G system is available withtwo levels of functionality, basic level(LL1) or advanced control (LL2) operation.
Navico says that the Broadband 4G isthe first dome radar in the world to useBeam Sharpening, a technology used toimprove azimuth resolution, the effectivehorizontal beam width of the radar.
Software integrates with Broadband 4G Radar
Third party developers can integrate with the 4G radar
www.northinvent.com
North Invent has introduced its new 19-inch Sea Line MK3 (LED) maritime dis-play, designed primarily for ECDIS, radar,Integrated Bridge System and engineroom applications.
The new display features AC or DCpower (self-sensing, with priority for AC)and graduated dimming for differinglighting conditions, in addition to beingwaterproof to IP65.
It also features various interfaceoptions including DVI-I (analogue anddigital), VGA, Composite Video and S-Video, and joins the existing range ofNorth Invent Sea Line MK3 displays,
available in a selection of different sizes.The 19-inch Sea Line MK3 LED display
is EN60945 approved, and North Inventsays that type approval for ECDIS andradar use from the major classificationsocieties is pending and expected beforeApril 2012.
“LED technology enables better per-formance in terms of brightness so ournew 19-inch Sea Line MK3 (LED) displayoffers excellent viewing clarity,” saidSøren Refsgaard, international sales man-ager, North Invent.
“Reliability and operational lifeexpectancy have also been improvedbecause LED displays use fewer compo-nents. Based on these benefits we havechosen to introduce LED versions of ourmost popular sizes first, but we plan tooffer this technology throughout the SeaLine MK3 range in the future.”
The new display is primarily aimed at use in bridge systems
p29-40:p15-25.qxd 09/03/2012 14:28 Page 4
Digital Ship April 2012 page 33
Digital Ship
www.thomasgunn.com
Thomas Gunn Navigation Services hasannounced that it has been awarded a newcontract by Unicom to supply an addition-al 43 vessels with its outfit managementservice, adding to the 78 vessels alreadybeing supplied with navigation solutions,the bulk of the Unicom fleet.
Unicom will be provided with bothRussian Hydrographic Office and UKHydrographic Office charts and publica-tions, in both digital and paper format,
customised to its own operational andvessel specific requirements.
"We value the strong business relation-ship we have built up with Unicom over anumber of years," says Thomas Gunn,founder and managing director of ThomasGunn Navigation Services.
"We are very pleased that their positiveexperience of that relationship hasenabled us to develop our partnership fur-ther, and are looking forward to workingclosely with them in the future." Unicom isa member of the Sovcomflot Group.
Seafarer fatigue project releases dataFindings from Project Horizon – an 11-partner European research study – on howwatchkeeping patterns can affect thesleepiness levels of ships’ officers havebeen made available.
The 32-month EU part-funded researchprogramme included work by academicinstitutions and shipping industry organi-sations, with specialist input from trans-port and stress research experts.
A total of 90 experienced deck andengineer officer volunteers participated intests at Chalmers University of Technologyin Göteberg and at Warsash MaritimeAcademy at Southampton Solent University.
The project used bridge, engine roomand cargo simulators to scientificallyassess the impact of fatigue in seagoingscenarios, measuring their levels of sleepi-ness and performance during the mostcommon watch keeping patterns – fourhours on/eight hours off (4/8) and sixhours on/six hours off (6/6).
Some volunteers were also exposed to a‘disturbed’ off-watch period, reflecting theway in which seafarers may experienceadditional workloads as a result of portvisits, bad weather or emergencies.
According to Project Horizon its testingwas able to provide detailed empirical dataon the sleepiness levels of watch keepers
working within those scenarios, enablingresearchers to analyse the impact of sleepi-ness on decision-making, reaction timesand other key elements of performance.
The project's key findings include datathat:� at least one occurrence of sleep was
detected among 45 per cent of officers in the 6/6 team working the 0000-0600hrs watch at Chalmers and one occurrence for about 40 per cent of those on the 0000-0400 watch in the 4/8 pattern
� at Warsash, where the watchkeepers remained undisturbed in their off-watch rest periods, the number of occurrences of sleeping on watch for officers on the 6/6 pattern varied, and was up to more than 20 per cent on the 1800-0000 watch
� such incidents of sleeping on watch were found within both watchkeeping patterns, and they mainly occurred during night and early morning watches
� participants in all the groups reported relatively high levels of subjective sleepiness on the KSS scale, which got higher towards the end of a watch and the end of the week
� varying degrees of sleep loss were observed between the watch systems and depending on whether off-watch
periods were disturbed or not. Overall sleep duration for those on the 4/8 pat-tern was found to be relatively normal, with around 7.5 hours a day for those in team 1 at Chalmers and about 6 hours for team 2
� participants working 6/6 watches were found to get markedly less sleep than those on 4/8, and data showed a clear ‘split’ sleeping pattern in which daily sleep on the 6/6 pattern was divided into two periods -- one of between three to four hours and the other averaging between two to three hours
� reaction time tests, carried out at the start and end of each watch, showed clear evidence of performance deterio-ration – and the slowest reaction timeswere found at the end of night watch-es and among those on the 6/6 patterns
� watchkeepers were found to be most tired at night and in the afternoon and sleepiness levels were found to peak towards the end of night watches
� the 6/6 regime was found to be more tiring than the 4/8 rotas and ‘disturbed’ off-watch periods were found to produce significantly high levels of tiredness
� in both watch systems, the disturbed off-watch period was found to have a profound effect upon levels of sleepiness
� there was evidence that routine and procedural tasks could be carried out with little or no degradation, whilst participants appeared to find it harder to deal with novel ‘events’, such as col-lision avoidance or fault diagnosis, as the ‘voyages’ progressed
� researchers also noted a decline in the quality of the information being given by participants at watch handovers as the week progressed
Researchers say that they have been ableto use the data to develop a new fatiguemanagement toolkit for use by ship own-ers and managers, seafarers, regulatorsand others, to help arrange workingschedules to mitigate risks to ships andtheir cargoes, seafarers, passengers andthe marine environment.
"Seafarer fatigue is one of the biggestsafety issues in the shipping industry, andthis research has taken our understandingof the way in which the quality of sleepoff-watch affects the sleepiness of watch-keepers on watch to a new and muchdeeper level," commented project coordi-nator, Graham Clarke.
"It is hoped that the fatigue manage-ment toolkit will be a lasting legacy for thesector, providing a resource that, by estab-lishing improved working patterns, willhelp to enhance the safety of ships andpassengers, and the welfare of seafarers."
Unicom extends navigational data contract
www.furuno.com
FURUNO reports that it has reachedagreement with the Turkish companyÖzsay, the national distributor forFURUNO in Turkey, and the Greek train-ing centre GMC for the provision ofFURUNO type specific ECDIS training.
Özsay has already been providing typespecific ECDIS training courses to naviga-tors since last December under theFURUNO NavSkills training agreement,while GMC began providing ECDIS train-ing as a member of the FURUNO NavSkillsnetwork of training centres in February.
Furuno says that the aim of itsNavSkills training concept is to ensurethat mariners receive the same level ofquality, content and competence fromtraining in any of the accredited trainingcentres, or from any future training plat-form provided by FURUNO.
It is based on a mutual agreementbetween FURUNO and the training cen-tre, which stipulates the necessary qualifi-
cations of the local instructors, the needfor compliance with STCW-2010 require-ments and a commitment to match thelevel of training provided in FURUNO’sown training centres in Denmark andSingapore.
As part of the agreement FURUNO willeducate the local instructors and provideupdated training materials and exercisesas required. Instructors will also beoffered refresher training when required.
The type specific ECDIS training courseoffered by FURUNO is a two day coursecovering the functionality and operationof FURUNO ECDIS model FEA-2107/FEA-2807.
With these two training centres havingjoined the NavSkills network, FURUNO isnow able to provide type specific ECDIStraining in Germany, Turkey, Greece,Singapore and Denmark, and is currentlyworking on establishing similar co-opera-tions with local training centres in South,Central and North America, Europe,Africa, Oceania and Asia.
FURUNO adds type-specific training partners
www.raytheon-anschuetz.com
Raytheon Anschütz reports that it is nowoffering an integrated weather chart over-lay for its Synapsis ECDIS system, devel-oped in cooperation with German seaweather provider WetterWelt.
The new overlay combines the sea chartand weather chart in one display. Allweather parameters important for naviga-tion are presented as values or symbols ona separate layer and can be switched onand off at any time.
The system can show all availableweather forecasts for the next few days,which can also be played as an animation.
The parameters which can be displayedinclude the mean wind with direction andspeed as well as gusts, wave height, wavedirection and swell, period intervals ofwaves and swell, current, air pressure,weather conditions and air temperature.
The navigator can define which datathey want to have displayed in a particu-lar situation, and which limits they wouldlike to set. If individual weather valuesexceed the pre-set limits, the values areshown graphically as weather warnings.
“The consideration of weather data isbecoming more and more important for theshipping industry,” says Thomas Wolter,product manager at Raytheon Anschütz.
“Wind and waves or weather conditions
such as fog have a direct influence on safety.Wind and waves, swell and currents have adirect influence on fuel consumption. Andall together influence the travel speed andprompt arrival at the destination harbour.”
“The Gulf- or Canary Streams move atabout 1 to 1.5 knots, or 24 to 36 sm per day.Even at a relatively slight decrease in itsown speed, the engine requires signifi-cantly less fuel, which at today's bunkerprices has a great effect on the cost. For a15-year-old, 20,000 dwt container shipwith a speed of 20 knots, a speed change ofone knot can make a difference of about 10tons of fuel per day.”
The Synapsis ECDIS imports theweather data via a standardised GRIB-filefrom a weather data provider. Customerscan choose themselves from whichprovider the data are to be taken.
Free weather subscriptions are availablewhich offer some basic parameters, but seaweather reports from professional weatherservice providers are also available.
The paid data packages contain com-plete sea weather information and range insize from 25kb for the Baltic Sea to 500kb forthe complete North Atlantic. The data canbe imported into the ECDIS by download ore-mail, either directly or via a USB stick.
Raytheon notes that free weather datausually contains less information, but at thesame time much larger amounts of data.
Weather overlay for Raytheon ECDIS
The new overlay will combine weather and chart data within the ECDIS display
p29-40:p15-25.qxd 09/03/2012 14:28 Page 5
TT he Nautical Institute has publisheda set of ‘Industry Recommenda-tions for ECDIS Training’, with the
aim of addressing what it calls “confu-sion” with regard to ECDIS training.
This guidance document has beenissued by an industry group made up of anumber of international shipping industryorganisations and organised and coordi-nated by The Nautical Institute.
These organisations include BIMCO,GlobalMET, International Federation ofShip Masters’ Associations, InternationalGroup of P&I Clubs, InternationalMaritime Pilots’ Association, InternationalChamber of Shipping, Intermanager,Intertanko, International ShippingFederation, Marine Accident Investigators’International Forum, and OCIMF.
The guidance note covers issues oftraining and competency for ECDIS andoffers an interpretation of IMO require-ments for ECDIS training.
The Nautical Institute says that discrep-ancies have arisen between flag states’regulations and training that is aimed atmeeting the IMO standards, and that thesediscrepancies have led to a concern thattraining might risk not meeting the mini-mum standards – something it says is ofgreat concern to the shipping industry.
There are two key dates for ECDIS thisyear – in January 2012 ECDIS training reg-ulations came into force as part of theSTCW 2010 Manila amendments and,from July 2012, mandatory carriagerequirements start to be phased in.
The organisations supporting this guid-ance say that they want the industry tounderstand that ECDIS must be taught inthe context of navigation, rather than justECDIS operation, and that ship ownersand operators will require those who havetaken generic training to be capable ofdemonstrating, in full, the competenciesrequired by the IMO.
The shipping organisations that haveendorsed this guidance are demanding athorough generic training course (unlikely tobe less than the IMO recommended 40 hours)and effective familiarisation of onboardequipment for all watchkeepers prior totaking charge of a navigational watch.
They have also emphasised the needfor watch-standers to demonstrate all IMOidentified competencies and to maintainthese competencies – including familiari-sation with any updates or alterations.
“ECDIS is a complex system and willbe one of the most essential tools for sup-porting mariners in their efforts to ensurethe safety of navigation and protection ofthe marine environment,” commentedJames Robinson, president of TheNautical Institute.
“Shipowners must not assume that anECDIS course certificate is enough toensure safety and shipmasters shouldwork with their bridge teams to ensurethat ECDIS best practice and companyprocedures for familiarisation and use ofthe ECDIS are continually maintained.”
Guidance on ECDIStraining
The text of the guidance document followsbelow:
Being aware that the implementation ofElectronic Chart Display and InformationSystems (ECDIS) has given rise to confu-sion in regard to ECDIS training, an indus-try group, organised and coordinated byThe Nautical Institute and comprisingleading international shipping industryorganisations, held a series of meetings inorder to produce this guidance on issues
of training and competency for ECDIS.The 2010 amendments to the STCW
Convention for ECDIS training will nottake full effect until 2017.
Therefore in accordance with best prac-tice it is recommended that approvedECDIS training be undertaken as soon aspractical to ensure that all bridge watch-keeping officers meet all the competenciesrequired by STCW prior to sailing on aship fitted with ECDIS.
It is recognised by all signatories to thisguidance that ECDIS, as defined by theInternational Maritime Organization(IMO), when implemented will be one ofthe most important navigation and deci-sion support tools.
The complexity of ECDIS should berecognised and the ability of a watchkeep-ing officer to be competent and confidentin operating ECDIS as part of the ship-board navigational system is essential forsafety, security and protection of themarine environment.
The regulatory requirements forGeneric Training and Familiarisation inECDIS are covered by various internation-al instruments including the IMO STCWConvention, the ISM Code, SOLAS andalso by national laws.
The industry also recognises that com-
pliance with these regulations includingthe required competencies are increasinglybeing examined by external parties includ-ing Port State Control, insurance inspec-tors, charterers and accident investigators.
The industry organisations recognisethe following definitions for ECDISTraining:
Generic ECDIS Training: ECDIS train-ing to ensure that navigators can use andunderstand ECDIS in the context of naviga-tion and can demonstrate all competenciescontained in and implied by STCW 2010.
Such training should ensure that thenavigator learns to use ECDIS and canapply it in all aspects of navigation,including the knowledge, understandingand proficiency to transfer that skill to theparticular ECDIS system(s) actuallyencountered on board, prior to taking overnavigational duties.
This level of training should deliver thecompetencies at least equivalent to thosegiven in IMO Model Course 1.27.
Familiarisation: Following the success-ful demonstration of competencies con-tained in the Generic ECDIS Training,familiarisation is the process required tobecome familiar with any onboard ECDIS(including backup) in order to assure anddemonstrate competency onboard anyspecific ship’s ECDIS installation, prior totaking charge of a navigational watch.
The industry further endorses the fol-lowing issues pertaining to ECDIS training:
All watchkeeping officers must be com-petent in the use of the onboard ECDISprior to taking charge of a navigationalwatch. An implicit element of continualcompetence is the ability to demonstratethat competence.
Familiarisation pertains to any ECDISonboard including any backup systems.This includes any pertinent informationrequired for the safe operation of the ECDISincluding all updates and alterations.
Focus should be upon achieving anddemonstrating the necessary competen-cies, rather than time spent on training orachieving certification alone.
There are a wide range of trainingmethods and tools available that can be
used, alone or in combination, that maycontribute to a navigator’s competency.Familiarisation should be structured, spe-cific to the onboard equipment and itsarrangements and should be complemen-tary to generic ECDIS training.
In order to meet the competencies iden-tified in the IMO Model course (1.27) ‘TheOperational Use of Electronic Chart andInformation Display Systems (ECDIS)’,the minimum training time is unlikely tobe less than the IMO recommended 40hours, and assessment of competencyshould be conducted by a suitably trainedinstructor/assessor.
The competencies contained in Modelcourse 1.27 should, for trainee OOWs, beincorporated into the STCW Officer of theWatch II-1 Navigation at the operationallevel training.
The requirement for familiarisation isrecognised under the provisions of section6.3 & 6.5 of the ISM Code which requires notonly effective training, but familiarisation ofequipment and regulations with respect tosafety and emergency related duties.
Pilots should be able to demonstratethe competencies contained in ModelCourse 1.27, however pilots should not beexpected to meet familiarisation require-ments. It is recognised that manufacturerprovided tools for structured onboardfamiliarisation will enhance and possiblyadd value to onboard ECDIS.
RecommendationsIn concluding the guidance document, thesupporting organisations offered the fol-lowing five specific recommendations toensure that adequate standards areachieved in ECDIS training:1. Ship operators are recommended to
recognise the critical importance of ECDIS for navigational safety and ensure that crew competency is achieved and maintained.
2. ECDIS trainers should take the contents of this document into account and ensure that their courses deliver at least the competencies for navigators which have been identified by the IMO.
3. Equipment manufacturers should take the contents of this document into account, are urged to recognise their role in the familiarisation process and to work with ship operators to meet their needs.
4. Flag States are encouraged to note this document and to consider its content when developing requirements and guidance for ECDIS.
5. Port States and other inspection/ auditing authorities are encouraged to provide appropriate ECDIS training to their staff.
A wide range of industry bodies have backed the ECDIS training recommendations
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION
Digital Ship April 2012 page 34
A group of international shipping industry organisations have joined together to issue a series of recommendations on ECDIS training, published by The Nautical Institute,
in light of concerns over whether training on the equipment may fail to meet minimum standards
Industry Recommendations for ECDIS training
DS
p29-40:p15-25.qxd 09/03/2012 14:28 Page 6
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The demands for ECDIS training are increasing, but so are the options available to shipping companies looking to make sure that their crews are adequately trained in the use of this
soon to be mandatory equipment, writes Björn Röhlich, MSG MarineServe
ECDIS training – past, present and future
SS ince the rolling time frame forECDIS implementation has alreadystarted, shipping companies and
crewing agencies have to prepare theirnautical personnel.
ECDIS training actually requires twocomponents: generic training and equip-ment-specific training, generallydescribed as type-specific training.
Training requirements are nothingnew: in 2000 the IMO introduced its IMOModel Course 1.27 for the ‘OperationalUse of Electronic Chart Display andInformation Systems’. This generic ECDIStraining was designed to be held in a class-room environment during a 40-hourcourse. A new edition of this ModelCourse is currently under review asSTW43/3/1 by the IMO.
They then published the INTERIMGUIDANCE ON TRAINING ANDASSESSMENT IN THE OPERATIONALUSE OF THE ELECTRONIC CHART DIS-PLAY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM(ECDIS) SIMULATORS (STCW.7/Circ.10,June 2001).
In spite of these initiatives, ECDIStraining was not included in the STCWConvention and Code for a long time.
This led to inconsistencies in the regu-lations from the various Flag States: for theIsle of Man and United Kingdom regis-tered ships, for example, it was mandato-ry for the navigation officers to attend a
Flag State accepted IMO Model Course1.27 or an MCA approved generic ECDIScourse; other Flag States like Germany didnot require any kind of ECDIS trainingand therefore did not certify the courses;and some Flag States, like Cyprus, certi-fied the IMO Model Course 1.27 for Greektraining institutes but with the certificatesexpiring after a period of 5 years.
With the changes to the STCWConvention and Code (also known asthe Manila Amendments), ECDIS train-ing becomes an integral part of the nau-tical officers training scheme, startingJanuary 2012.
Within the next five years every officerserving on an ECDIS equipped vesselmust have attended a generic ECDIS train-ing, which is accepted by his home coun-try and the Flag State of the ship in whichhe/she is serving.
This is certainly a step in the rightdirection since the quality of the ECDIStraining provided worldwide varies froma three-day classroom course up to a five-day, 45-hour course. In some cases sailorsget on-board training with an IMO ModelCourse 1.27 certificate but have nevertouched an ECDIS before.
Training providers Looking at the various training providers,you will find excellently equipped facili-ties with ECDIS classrooms and individ-
ual simulators for each student, but thereare other training providers who teach upto 30 students in a beamer equipped class-room with only one ECDIS, reading themanufacturer’s manual page-by-page.
Manufacturer approved, high quality,training providers are hard to find in someparts of the world.
The training equipment and methodused, however, is just one step on the wayto a successful ECDIS training. Much alsodepends on the knowledge and teachingskills of the instructor and the quality ofthe courseware in use.
Some ship owners have experiencedproblems with well-equipped trainingcentres because the instructors are eithertoo old, and have therefore never sailedwith ECDIS before, or are young officerslacking training experience due to the factthat they are only filling in during theirshore time.
Accidents involving vessels, like theCFL Performer, Cosco Busan, LT Cortesiaand the Pride of Canterbury, show thepressing need to not only invest in theright equipment and paper work, but tomake sure that the crew really has solidknowledge of the equipment in use.
This is not, however, only about acci-dents: it is also about safe administration.Keeping all charts updated, loading newcharts and applying T&P notices needs tobe learned in order to avoid a deficiencythat can be noted by Vetting or Port StateControl.
In a recent study, Germanischer Lloydpinpointed that most of the deficienciesreported were due to a lack of knowledgein the field of navigation.
Some of this knowledge can beacquired by attending an equipment spe-cific training course.
In the past this was a non-regulatedobligation for the ship owner, implicitlymentioned in the ISM Code, the ParisMOU and required by vetting.
The content of the equipment familiari-sation was not described and certificatescould be issued by anybody (there was asituation some years ago, when a distancelearning provider with no manufacturercourse training issued type-specific train-ing certificates even though no tutoringwas provided and based solely on an exer-cise sheet completed using the ship’sequipment).
Much of the knowledge was, in fact,simply acquired through trickle-downtraining from one officer to another withthe event being recorded by a note in theship’s logbook.
In 2011, however, the MPA issued cir-cular No. 3 of 2011, which was followed by
the MCA’s MIN 405. Both documentsplace much of the responsibility for train-ing on the ECDIS manufacturer.
The MCA requires, for the ECDIS ship-specific equipment training, that “itshould build on an approved generictraining course and be delivered by themanufacturer, the manufacturer’sapproved agent or a trainer who hasattended such a program.”
MPA also requires an approved gener-ic course and in addition points out that“the navigating officers should be provid-ed with training on the specific make andmodel installed on their ships. This equip-ment-specific training can be supplied bythe shipping company itself as part of shipfamiliarisation, using the services of train-ers appointed by the manufacturer or themanufacturer’s agent.”
Since the new STCW Convention andCode implicitly requires a lot of practicalknow-how from the navigator, it is verylikely that more and more flag states willissue similar national regulations in orderto ensure a certain minimum quality in theequipment-specific training.
As on many occasions in the past, theMCA has already set a high standard byrequiring the following topics to be cov-ered during such equipment-specifictraining: � familiarisation with available functions � familiarisation with the menu structure � display setup � setting of safety values � recognition of alarms and malfunction
indicators and the actions to be taken � route planning � route monitoring � changing over to backup systems � loading charts and licences � updating of software Taking these topics into account itbecomes obvious that the training has tobe done on a live, running, system andthat it is therefore very necessary to investtwo full training days.
Manufacturerinvolvement
In the past, selling the equipment andconducting maritime training was gener-ally split between the manufacturer andindependent training providers.Certainly, every ECDIS manufacturershould be able to offer equipment specif-ic training but not all of them got serious-ly involved in Flag State approved gener-ic ECDIS training.
With increased system complexity onboard modern vessels and the lack of stan-dardisation, however, the transfer ofknow-how from the ECDIS manufacturer
Within the next five years every officer serving on an ECDIS equipped vessel must have attended generic ECDIS training
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to the navigation officer on board becomesmore and more critical.
The approaches to the whole questionof training vary considerably: some ECDISmanufacturers have set up their owntraining facilities, some of which nowcover a much broader training pro-gramme than originally conceived and areachieving independent status; one has cre-ated a network of approved trainingproviders for its own equipment; othersare outsourcing the work to vetted andapproved training providers; and some, inthe face of the high demand, do both.
Training providers, too, are gearing upto meet the demand by installing ECDISunits and/or simulators to meet the type-specific training requirements.
All of these solutions, however, are notable to change the fact that the training isclassroom based and therefore restrictedin terms of the numbers that can be handled: they are qualitative solutionsand not quantitative and represent a highcost factor to the client in terms of timeand money.
One manufacturer has already recog-nised this disadvantage and is now sell-ing ECDIS training, including ECDIStraining courseware and instructor cours-es, to the shipping companies direct andhas also started to utilise its own localoffices for training.
Other manufacturers solve this chal-lenge by partnering with local independ-ent training providers. This certainlysaves travel costs for the crews and leadsto a situation where the manufacturerwith the most training facilities gains acompetitive advantage.
Given that MCA still insists on the useof original hardware, these providerseither offer the customer the possibility ofreceiving training on a wide range of man-ufacturer’s equipment in large, fixed loca-tion, training facilities or, in one particularcase, ECDIS training is provided using alaptop-computer based classroom that isfully mobile, allowing the provider to con-duct training in its offices, on-site or wher-ever the customer wants.
In order to ensure the quality and tocomply with MPA and MCA require-ments for official manufacturer approval,your training provider should have signedofficial partnership agreements with allhis offered brands.
A minority of these providers has alsoaddressed the DoE issue and, togetherwith the relevant local authority,achieved accreditation for type-specificECDIS training.
Going online Today, experienced training providers aretrying to deliver the best possible supportto their clients, providing ECDIS consult-ing and giving post-course advice. Thechallenge in the immediate future will bethe multiplicity of equipment and inter-
faces, the demand for training and thecosts that this combination will generate.
One of the independent providers has tackled this problem by broadeningthe manufacturer training network concept to a training provider networksuch that its manufacturer approvedcourseware can be offered through itspartners to achieve standardised, highquality training.
Using a modular course structure, theyoffer a standardised generic componentthat can be individually combined with atype-specific component for the differentECDIS brands offered.
To make this available worldwide, ithas launched a training consortium inwhich all partnering training institutesreceive a detailed instructor course, areregularly audited to ensure the qualityand work to the one set of course materi-al. Such a training alliance also offersglobal training capacities to smallerECDIS brands.
This modular approach is very interest-ing, as it generates the consistency of a sin-gle learning platform.
Such an approach has been used by oneparticular provider offering online train-ing which provides training on the live,running, OEM software and requires thesingle platform to permit delivery using aweb-based solution. Most major manufac-turers’ ECDIS equipment can be offeredusing a free play or a guided trainingmode, which is followed by candidateassessment leading to certification.
To cover the certification requirements,all test results, feedback forms and copiesof each certificate are kept in a centraliseddatabase. The authenticity of each certifi-cate can be checked via an automated sys-tem using a smart phone camera and a 3Dbarcode, which eases the work of a vettingor Port State control inspector.
Using an online system the sailor canfamiliarise himself at home before joiningthe vessel and training institutes onlyneed to invest in one ECDIS classroom,which allows them to provide ECDISgeneric and type specific training for amuch wider range of manufacturers thanwould otherwise be the case.
From the point of view of the individ-ual sailor, the owner or the crewingagency, this saves a lot of travel time andmoney; from the point of view of the train-ing institutes on the other hand, thisenables them to offer ECDIS training for awider variety of ECDIS manufacturerswithout incurring the investment coststhat this would normally entail.
ECDIS training is changing today: inthe age of electronic communications andgames, the teaching methods need tomove with the skill set of those cominginto the industry. In the end, it will cer-tainly become more professional and theofficer on-board will feel more confidentusing ECDIS to its full potential.
Synapsis Bridge Control combines most advanced functions with well-proven reliability in one cohe-sively developed bridge system.
Using the cutting-edge of navigation technology, Synapsis Bridge Control provides highest fl exibility in system confi guration as well as simplifi ed and predictable operation.
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Digital Ship April 2012 page 37
About the authorBjörn Röhlich is managing director of German maritime trainingprovider MSG MarineServe, having formerly been global training man-ager at Transas Marine as well as serving as an officer with the German�avy. Mr Röhlich holds a business degree in marketing and internation-al human resources from the Helmut-Schmidt University in Hamburgand is a certified project-manager.
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TT he possibility of creating a ship’s sit-uational awareness display was firstput forward some years ago. The
basic idea then was to replace separate radarand electronic chart displays with a singleunit, allowing the complete navigational sit-uation to be more easily observable.
Depending on the navigational infor-mation required at any particularmoment, the user could readily optimisethe displayed view, such as by simplychanging scale.
The outputs of the basic navigationalsensors, for instance gyro, log and depthindicator, would be continuously dis-played and there would be ready access toenable the control of advanced functional-ity, such as a track keeping system.
This single display would become theprimary means of navigating the ship and,being multifunctional, would be instantlyreconfigurable to facilitate any situation-specific action.
With time, this somewhat over simpli-fied concept has evolved into moredetailed thinking, which has been general-ly consolidated into the 2008 revision ofIMO’s performance standards for integrat-ed navigation systems (INS).
However, the concept of using situa-tional awareness displays frequentlyresurfaces, perhaps because of the grow-ing availability of ECDIS and chart radars.
They can apparently be set up to givevery similar information and so why don’twe just combine their functionality into asingle display, which can be used for allsituations?
In fact, one essential difference is thatthe ECDIS display requirements are opti-mised for route monitoring but a radar dis-play is optimised for collision avoidance.
Significantly, no chart information ispermitted to be obscured on an ECDIS byoverlaid radar data, including tracked tar-gets. Conversely, on radar no radar-derived data can be obscured by ENCinformation.
The implication of all this is that if colli-
sion avoidance decisions are taken on anECDIS then critical target information maybe missed. If route monitoring decisions aremade on a chart radar then critical ENCdata may not be taken into account.
It is conceptually very difficult toresolve this conflict but it becomes a non-issue when it is realised that route moni-toring and collision avoidance are paralleloperations that normally require quite dif-ferently optimised displays, both of whichare being regularly adjusted to meet therequirements of the specific situation.
Therefore, at least two displays areessential for situational awareness – onefor route monitoring and the other for col-lision avoidance.
Bridge workstationsBack in 2000, IMO’s Maritime SafetyCommittee adopted guidelines on‘ergonomic criteria for bridge equipmentand layout’. They are published in thedocument MSC/Circ.982, which is avail-able on IMO’s public website.
The guidelines divide the bridge intoactivity-related areas, with the user sittingor standing at a specific workstation.Examples are the ones for Navigating andManoeuvring, Monitoring andCommunications.
The Navigating and Manoeuvringworkstation is described as the “Mainworkstation for ship's handling conceivedfor working in seated/standing positionwith optimum visibility and integratedpresentation of information and operatingequipment to control and consider ship'smovement.”
The Circular defines 46 different func-tions and display items that are to bemade available at the workstation, withECDIS and radar functionality making upjust two of these.
It stresses the need for highly importantor frequently used information to be per-manently displayed – but it also encour-ages display simplicity to avoid informa-tion overload, with only the necessarydata being shown for any task.
Despite the specific requirements withinCirc.982 for a Monitoring workstation, theNavigating and Manoeuvring workstationalso has to provide a monitoring role for itsuser, typically the OOW. The separateMonitoring workstation is primarily intend-ed for use by other bridge staff, such as themaster, pilot or assistant watch officer.
It is quite clear from all this that theNavigating and Manoeuvring workstationis far from being a simple display, notleast because of the multiple parallel tasksthat are ongoing – particularly the needfor adequate information to decide uponspecific actions, while monitoring theoverall situation.
In the computer world the term work-station is often used for a single computer,
display and keyboard. However, the IMOuse of this term is totally disconnectedfrom its computer implications and doesnot imply a computer-display dominatedbridge, let alone a single display solutionfor each bridge workstation.
Integrated NavigationSystems
The requirements within MSC/Circ.982provide the backbone to the revised per-formance standards for integrated naviga-tion systems, which are contained withinMSC.252(83) and agreed in 2008.
This document starts off by definingthe purpose of INS, which is to “enhancethe safety of navigation by providing inte-grated and augmented functions to avoidgeographic, traffic and environmentalhazards.”
It proceeds to identifying the concept of atask station. Unlike the term workstation thiscan often be looked at as being a single dis-play with associated controls but is certainlynot restricted to such an interpretation.
Task stations are defined as being mul-tifunctional, allowing them to be switchedto any particular task or set of tasks.
The INS performance standardsemphasise that sufficient task stationsmust be available to at least simultaneous-ly support the operation and presentationof the detailed carriage requirementsdefined within Regulation 19 of SOLASChapter V.
The standards particularly stress thatthe workstation design, layout andarrangement must follow MSC/Circ.982.
All this implies that a workstation willtypically consist of a number of multifunc-tion task stations, together with appropriatecontrols and auxiliary information displays,such as digital and analogue readouts.
For the Navigating and Manoeuvringworkstation this is certainly necessary, asseveral major tasks are usually beingsimultaneously performed, major exam-ples being route monitoring, collisionavoidance, manual or automatic steering,display of navigational and control data,and alert monitoring management.
In particular, since it is unlikely that asingle display optimised to decide on thebest collision avoidance manoeuvre willalso give an effective wider view of theoverall situation needed for route moni-toring, it calls for at least two adjacent andappropriately configured multifunctionaltask stations.
An additional benefit of a task stationbased approach is that it makes it feasibleto have instant reconfiguration at the work-
station level, enabling the bridge to opti-mally meet the different layout require-ments needed, for example, when on route,during docking or on anchor watch.
All this is immensely different to thenot uncommon misconception that an INSis just a term for a single display, general-ly configured for situational awarenessbut instantly switchable to perform differ-ent tasks.
On the bridge of a ship we are not par-ticularly short of space and so there is nopressure to have a single display approach.
Into the futureIronically, perhaps future bridge worksta-tions really will consist of a single screen –a very large, high definition flat panelenabling the simultaneous display of opti-mised visual information for a number ofparallel tasks.
This is functionally very similar to hav-ing separate smaller displays, but it shouldallow improved optimisation of the posi-tion of displayed data to better suit the par-ticular situation and in the future couldbecome less expensive to install and main-tain than a multi display system.
However, redundancy issues wouldalso need to be taken into account if bridgeoperation were to rely on a small numberof very large displays.
As we go into the future it can be expect-ed that the emphasis will be increasingly ontask functionality. For example, referencewill be made to the route monitoring andthe collision avoidance task station, ratherthan the ECDIS and radar display.
A future collision avoidance task sta-tion in its normal mode would perhapsconsolidate the target derived informationfrom all onboard radars together with AIS,automatically identifying the integrity ofeach displayed target.
With the excellent auto clutter settingson most radars presently available, this isa very attractive route for the immediatefuture, especially as the possibility isexplicitly mentioned in the INS perform-ance standards.
Of course, the targets would also beavailable for display on the route monitor-ing task station but quite different selectioncriteria would generally be used, ensuringthat the visibility of critical chart informa-tion was not compromised and that thescreen does not become over-cluttered.
Maybe we should already be using theterms route monitoring and collision avoid-ance displays rather than ECDIS (in routemonitoring mode) and radar to better reflecttheir use – and minimise misuse?
The concept of multifunction displays, combining elements of the various navigational systems onboard shipto create a comprehensive information display, has been around for some time – but the practicalities
of optimising for various functions on one screen need to be considered, as Dr Andy Norris explains
Multifunctional awareness
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Dr Andy �orris has been well-known in the maritime navigation industry for anumber of years. He has spent much of his time managing high-tech navigationcompanies but now he is working on broader issues within the navigationalworld, providing both technical and business consultancy to the industry, gov-ernmental bodies and maritime organizations. Email: [email protected]
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION
Digital Ship April 2012 page 38
Integrated navigation systems can consistof a number of displays, that can be setup in the optimal configuration required
