digital ship magazine (october 2010)

SS hipping giant APMoller-Maersk is toextend its usage of

the Inmarsat FleetBroad-band system following theagreement of a mammothdeal that will see the sys-tems installed aboard anadditional 200 vesselsacross its fleet.

This extension of itscurrent agreement withMarlink, already provid-ing airtime services under

a contract agreed in 2008,will increase the total num-ber of AP Moller-Maerskvessels sailing withFleetBroadband to 370.

Marlink's parent compa-ny Vizada will alsobe offering additionalvalue-added services fromits Vizada Solutions rangeunder the deal, such as webcompression and filtering.

"The cost effective andreliable communications

provided by Marlink andits partners, Vizada andInmarsat, will enableMaersk Line to deliver sig-nificant operational effi-ciencies resulting in fuelsavings and emissionreductions that will helpMaersk Line reach ourambitious environmentaltargets," said Niels Bruus,director, energy efficiency,Maersk Line.

"Further, it has been of

utmost importance toMaersk Line that the solu-tion has focus on crew wel-fare by offering facilities forour crews to stay in touchwith family and friends24/7. Our latest agreementwith Marlink will enable usto offer these services tocrew onboard our fleet."

Marlink and Inmarsathave also been keen toexpress their delight atsecuring such a huge con-tract, with 200 vessels rep-resenting the largest num-ber of ships ever to besigned to a retrofit satellitecommunications deal.

"Our renewed agree-ment with AP Moller-Maersk is testament to ourstrong understanding ofthe company's communi-cations requirements," saidTore Morten Olsen, CEO,Marlink.

"Marlink prides itself onbeing able to provide cus-tomers like AP Moller-Maersk with exceptionalsupport, globally, 24/7,guaranteeing AP Moller-Maersk access to the high-

IN THIS ISSUE

October 2010

electronics and navigation

software

satcoms100-strong Frontline fleet to install VSAT – 4

Shell begins roll-out of wireless crew networks – 14

Globe Wireless launches iFusion – 16

Eimskip and JR Shipping agree SIS deals– 18

KeepUp@Sea for 20 BourbonOffshore vessels – 20

Improving seafarer safetywith CBT – 22

Maersk agrees 200-vesselFleetBroadband deal

USCG issues AIS caution forEastern US – 27

OSG concludes data collection technology project – 34 Taking control of yourtraining – 35

Maersk is to extend its landmark 2008 deal to install FleetBroadbandon its ships under an agreement to introduce the satellite

communications system onboard an additional 200 vessels - the largest satcoms retrofit deal in maritime history

The number of Maersk vessels carrying FleetBroadband is set to increase to 370 continued on page 2

© 2

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“Dualog has been around for a long time and they are renowned for their extensive knowledge of the maritime industry. They listen to us, the customer, providing us with the best solution and support at all times. We know our communications are secure in their hands,” says Bill Caldwell.

All Northern Marine-managed ships are being equipped with Dualog® Connection Suite™ to manage and control ship-shore data communication.

With more than 6,000 sea staff and a fleet of 60 ships operating globally, Glasgow-based Northern Marine Management has chosen Dualog as its trusted maritime communication partner.

– Bill Caldwell, IT manager of Northern Marine Management

“It’s a matter of trust and security”

Meet us at Digital Ship Singapore 2010 27-28 October 2010, Suntec Convention Centre Dualog® Connection Suite™ - Take Control

10

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:22

Digital Ship October 2010 page 2

Vol 11 No 2

UPCOMING CONFERENCESDIGITAL SHIP SINGAPORE

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No part of this publication may be repro-duced or stored in any form by anymechanical, electronic, photocopying,recording or other means without theprior written consent of the publisher.Whilst the information and articles inDigital Ship are published in good faithand every effort is made to check accura-cy, readers should verify facts and state-ments direct with official sources beforeacting on them as the publisher canaccept no responsibility in this respect.Any opinions expressed in this maga-zine should not be construed as thoseof the publisher.

continued from page 1

est quality and most reliable satellite com-munications. This is fundamental to APMoller-Maersk's operations for both busi-ness-critical and crew applications."

James Collett, head of maritime busi-ness at Inmarsat, said that Maersk's deci-sion to press ahead with commercial ship-ping’s largest ever commitment toInmarsat maritime services was made eas-ier after its installation experiences duringthe initial 170-ship roll-out.

“One of the many attractions ofFleetBroadband for AP Moller-Maersk isthe speed at which the company has beenable to roll it out across its fleet – it isextremely proud of its ‘100 installations in100 days’ record," he said.

“AP Moller-Maersk is one of theworld’s largest, most established andhighly respected shipping companies. Weare delighted that our fastest-growingmaritime service has been selected to rev-olutionise crew and operational communi-cations in Maersk’s liner fleet."

“A commitment of this magnitude andduration - the largest ever for Inmarsat serv-ices by a commercial shipping line - con-firms beyond doubt that FleetBroadband isthe market-leading maritime satellite com-munications technology.”

Two years onMaersk’s original 170 vessel contract forFleetBroadband was one of the first majorfleetwide deals agreed for the latestInmarsat satcom service, coming as it didbefore full global coverage had beenachieved in early 2009.

This commitment from Maersk repre-sented a huge vote of confidence inInmarsat’s ability to deliver the world-wide version of the service, and a signifi-cant upgrade on the Fleet 77 systems thatwere already in use aboard most of theships targeted for upgrading.

This move also meant a major changein the operation of the IT systems withinthe company, moving from a circuit-

switched environment on Fleet 77 to an IP-based network on FleetBroadband.

Maersk’s investment in this switch fromInmarsat’s legacy satcom systems to thisnew way of operation, which will nowincorporate 370 vessels, is also a goodindication of how IP technology is becom-ing the standard set-up in the maritimemarket.

This is evidenced by how adoptionrates for FleetBroadband have made itInmarsat’s fastest-ever growing service,while installations of Iridium OpenPortand VSAT systems also run into the thousands.

While the definition of ‘broadband’ inthe maritime market may still prove elu-sive, and be constantly changing depend-ing on who you are talking to, the need forIP onboard is well established.

The application of this technology tooptimise operations is now the major chal-lenge for the maritime industry, as it soonwill be for Maersk’s 370 vessels.

Printed by The Manson Group Ltd

Reynolds House8 Porters' Wood

Valley Road Industrial EstateSt Albans

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DS

When Digital Ship was launched, with ourvery first issue in October 2000, ‘DotCom’ was the byword for the future ofshipping technology.

As the internet was predicted by manyto change the way that businesses in everyindustry operated, maritime entrepreneursand established organisations alike lookedto take advantage of the perceived oppor-tunities in the digital world’s wild west.

Indeed, the front page story of that veryfirst issue carried the headline ‘Baltic goesVirtual’, with details of the BalticExchange’s decision to create a VirtualExchange ‘as an alternative to the inde-pendent dot.coms offering charteringservices over the internet’.

Further examination of the pages of thisfirst edition of Digital Ship reveals theextent of the expectation at that time as tohow e-procurement was set to create ahost of maritime millionaires.

Names such as OneSea, PrimeSupplierand Setfair may be familiar to shippingveterans, but these e-commerce compa-nies were unable to turn their dot comdreams into revenues.

Like many in the wider economy, alarge number of the online companies thatsprang up during the internet revolutionfound their businesses to be unsustainablebehind the curtain of hype created by the boom.

OneSea and PrimeSupplier merged tobecome SeaSupplier, acting as an e-pro-curement subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen.

The Setfair.com purchasing site estab-lished by Inmarsat, and backed by areported $70 million in investment, wasdescribed in our first issue as 'makinggood progress' and 'taking a lead in mar-itime procurement' – however, this busi-ness was closed before Digital Ship hadreached its first birthday.

Many others came and went, thoughthe October 2000 edition did contain aglimpse of what would become one of thesuccess stories of maritime e-procurement.

An interview with the fresh-faced CEO

of e-commerce start-up ShipServ includeddetails of his mission to convince people ofthe value of online purchasing – with aslightly more mature Paul Ostergaard stillat the helm, the company has managed toweather the early storms and reportedtransaction volumes of $1.2 billion on itsplatform for 2009.

Satellite communications news formedonly a small part of the Digital Ship worldin October 2000.

The dominance of Inmarsat services atthe time was further underlined by a newsstory confirming the decommissioning ofthe last of the satellites operated by thefirst incarnation of Iridium, which hadentered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999.

At that time, in the days beforeInmarsat Fleet, 9.6 kbps over Inmarsat-Aor -B was the norm in the industry, withhigh-speed data services of 64 kbps avail-able at a premium rate of $20 per minute.

However, with some curious symmetryto 2010, Digital Ship October 2000 carried a story detailing Inmarsat’s moves into the VSAT market, following the acquisi-tion of the VSAT operations of EAE Groupin Scotland.

This article notes that ‘it could becomerealistic to offer telephone services ofunder $1 per minute, so long as the highcapital costs of around $100,000 can becovered’.

Ten years on, VSAT is now an estab-lished maritime technology offering ‘all-you-can-eat’ voice and data for a fewthousand dollars per month, and Inmarsathas committed to a $1.2 billion Ka-bandVSAT satellite construction project prom-ising 50 Mbps vessel communications.

On the navigation technology side, onefeature article in the October 2000 issuepredicts that vessels may be able to travelfrom Scandinavia to Singapore exclusivelyusing electronic navigational charts(ENCs) ‘within a few years’.

While this may have been a little opti-mistic, progress in this direction has atleast slowly continued, culminating in

IMO’s decision to phase in ECDIS carriageas a mandatory requirement from 2012.

With all of these various technologies,the modern landscape is almost unrecog-nisable from that of October 2000.

Many companies have come and gone,future developments have proven difficultto predict, and surprising new innovationshave led to enormous changes in theopportunities available to those workingat sea.

Digital Ship is proud to have been a partof this exciting sector of the maritimeindustry since that October 2000 issue, andwe would like to express our sincerethanks to all of the friends, colleagues, andpartners that have supported us duringthese past ten years.

At that time the ‘dot com’ was thefuture – with high-speed broadband,organisation-wide integration of enter-prise software systems, and shore-con-nected digital navigation systems all avail-able today, who knows where the nextdecade will bring us?

We look forward to joining you infinding out.

Rob O’Dwyer, Editor, Digital Ship

Digital Ship celebrates 10 years – October 2000 to October 2010

10October 2000 to October 2010

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:27

www.gesatcom.com

GE-Satcom has launched a new maritime satellite communications serv-ice, offering Ku-band VSAT connectivitysupported by an L-bandback-up terminal.

GE says that the projectto develop the new SatlynxMaritime service was con-ducted in close collabora-tion with a Hamburg-basedGerman fleet operator,which offered insight intothe particular needs of com-mercial shipping whendesigning the system.

A six month pilot wasfirst carried out on board alarge container vessel oper-ating between ports in Asia, Africa and Europe,and following successfulacceptance the service hasnow been scheduled forcommercial roll out to 14additional ships.

The system being provid-ed includes voice, internetaccess and a range of TVcontent including dailynews, sports reports andmagazine shows that can bemultiplexed into any cabin,technical or recreation room.

Satlynx Maritime isoffered with a flat rate, andoperates on the iDirectEvolution platform. Ku-band is used for the primarylink, but the service canautomatically switch to anL-band link via Inmarsat orIridium, as a back-up.

Captain G Falk Bethke,chief superintendent withGE-Satcom shipping cus-

tomer Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, com-mented: "[This] retrofit solution providesa scalable platform on which cutting-edge fleet management applications canbe built, such as location tracking, eco-

routing, and performance monitoring toreduce operational costs - for both newbuilds and existing ships alike."

"The maritime sector is extremelycompetitive and it’s vital to have the best

crew for our fleet. The better we’re able tolook after our crew, the easier it is toattract and retain the top people. WhatGE-Satcom has done is bring affordabili-ty to first-class crew welfare services."


Digital Ship

GE launches new satcom service

Dates foryour diary:

Digital Shipevents 2011 -see page 36

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

SATCOMS NEWS


www.mtnsat.com

www.maritimebroadband.com

MTN is to provide VSAT services to ship-ping companies Beluga Shipping andHellespont, following the agreement oftwo separate deals with the German ves-sel operators.

Project- and heavy-lift carrier BelugaShipping is to install a broadband VSATsystem onboard the newbuild MV BelugaShanghai.

Beluga Shanghai is one of Beluga’s newP-class series of super heavy-lift vessels,which offer crane capacities between 800and 1,400 tons and loading capacities of upto 20,000 deadweight tons.

The shipboard VSAT will use MTN’s Ku-band network, backed up by an InmarsatFleetBroadband 500 terminal, which will beused as a secondary satellite connection.

The system will include automaticswitchover functionality to move to theFleetBroadband when out of Ku-band cov-erage. The MTN software supplied underthe deal will also include least-cost routinganalysis to select the optimum communica-tion pathway.

Additionally, Beluga is installing a fixedMTN VSAT solution in Bremen, Germany,which will be used for system integrationand vessel simulation.

Beluga’s initial service plan calls for a128 kbps guaranteed committed informa-tion rate (CIR), with the ability to burst tohigher rates as needed.

The company plans to leverage thebroadband ship-to-shore connections tointegrate the vessels’ ICT systems andprocesses into its worldwide enterpriseICT infrastructure and network.

For instance, the ship’s voice-over-IP(VoIP) switching system will be connectedvia MTN to the central PBX at Beluga’sheadquarters, so that Beluga can managethe entire fleet from the central unit as alarge worldwide network.

“We selected MTN to be our VSATprovider for the new multipurpose, heavy-lift project carrier of the P-series after acareful analysis of alternative solutions,”said Niels Stolberg, president and CEO ofBeluga Shipping.

“MTN offered excellent Ku-band cover-age with a guarantee of uncontendedbandwidth and built-in ability to upgradeto additional bandwidth as needed. MTNhas excellent references in integratinghigh-bandwidth satellite connectivity withshipboard and shore-side IT systems.”

After evaluating the first ship installa-tion, Beluga may consider installing theMTN VSAT solution aboard additionalvessels, according to Mr Stolberg.

Under the other deal with HellespontShip Management, MTN and partnerMaritime Broadband have been selected toprovide communication services to the MTHellespont Progress product tanker, undera 36-month agreement with the German-based vessel operator.

"On the MT Hellespont Progress, wehave chosen to proceed with a 3-year con-tract for MTN global C-Band services, util-ising Maritime Broadband’s C-Bird (anten-

Beluga and Hellespont agree VSAT contracts

na)," said Matthias Edler, IT manager,Hellespont Ship Management.

"We have found MTN’s worldwide cov-erage to be consistent and C-Bird to be eco-nomical and reliable. In addition, we areproviding internet and telephone services toour crew on a regular and affordable basis."

The Hellespont Progress vessel wasoutfitted with Maritime Broadband’s C-Bird antenna system in December 2009,with service delivered via MTN’s VSATnetwork. MT Hellespont Progress is a228.6-metre product vessel built in 2006,trading worldwide.

“My crew are really enjoying the C-Birdand MTN’s VSAT services. After a hardday’s work, family and friends are just asnap of the finger away,” said CaptainAmo of the Hellespont Progress.

The vessel has been fitted with fourphone lines for crew calling, as well as e-mail and internet access. In addition, theVSAT network will also be used for allship operations, including remote man-agement communications.

The 36-month contract calls for a guar-anteed committed information rate (CIR)of 64 kbps, with maximum bandwidth of128 kbps.

Hellespont Ship Management is apply-ing a policy of employing more than oneprovider to supply communications serv-ices to its fleet, with Marlink also provid-ing VSAT to the company's other ships.

In related news, MTN has alsoannounced that it has signed an agreementwith PT Aditech Matra to act as an autho-rised reseller of its VSAT products andservices in Indonesia.

"This partnership aligns with our ongo-ing strategy to be more highly accessible toour customers," said Ian Maxson-Davies,director of channel sales, MTN.

"To quickly respond to the needs of ourcustomers, we have been aggressivelyexpanding our global footprint throughvarious initiatives such as our resellersprogramme and opening additional salesand technical support offices located inmajor maritime centres."

"In the maritime and satellite communi-cations industries, our value proposition ofreliable always-on, always-available sys-tems, guaranteed bandwidth, and superiorsupport for our customers worldwide, stillremains the best return on investment."

www.cobham.comwww.ship-equip.comwww.mtnsat.comwww.satcomglobal.comwww.intelliantech.comwww.addvaluetech.comwww.inmarsat.com

www.mcp.com

Maritime Communications Partner (MCP)has announced an agreement to provideonboard GSM services to Paul GauguinCruises, which operates the cruise ship M/SPaul Gauguin in the Pacific Ocean region.

The contract covers GSM, CDMA,GPRS, PDSN and CrewSIM services on theM/S Paul Gauguin, and any future vesselsthat may be added to the fleet. The deliv-ery includes the removal of existing net-work equipment and re-installation of newequipment and services.

“One of the main criteria for MCP to secure the contract was their provenability to complete the change while theship was still in operation and very quick-

ly bring the vessel back online with mini-mal quest disruption,” said RichardBailey, president and CEO of PaulGauguin Cruises.

The company says that it has noticed anoverall improvement in signal coverageonboard the ship, which it expects willlead to an increase in usage.

“We are very pleased to be able to bringsuch a fine luxury cruise ship into theMCP family of vessels,” says FredSorensen, managing director for MCP inthe Americas.

“We will continue to build marketshare in the US by providing the indus-try’s best product portfolio and by beingthe top revenue producing operator in themarket place.”

Paul Gauguin agrees GSM deal

www.ship-equip.com

Ship Equip reports that it has signed a dealwith tanker operator Frontline for thedelivery of its SEVSAT maritime broad-band system to the Frontline fleet.

The agreement includes ships fromFrontline, Golden Ocean andKnightsbridge Tankers. The Frontlinegroup of companies, under majority

owner John Fredriksen, controls morethan 100 ships.

“We have had a dialogue withFrontline for some time,” explains KnutHelge Drivenes, Ship Equip’s sales direc-tor, who agreed the deal with Frontline.

“They wanted to improve ship-shorecommunication, for both crewing andoperational purposes.”

“We managed to reach an agreementwhere Ship Equip, through SEVSAT, willdeliver its best expertise and knowhow inorder to ensure the fleet owned byFrontline Management will get a state ofthe art high speed maritime broadbandsolution.”

Ship Equip notes that several Frontlineships have now been installed with theSEVSAT solution since the deal wasfinalised in June, and are now operationalwith internet access, e-mail and telephonelines, including prepaid crew calling.

“The fact that the world’s largest tankerowner has chosen Ship Equip confirmsthat we have a competitive product andthat our focus on delivering only VSAThas been right,” said Ship Equip CEO, IvarNesset.

“That way we do not have internal con-flicts of interest around delivering highspeed VSAT at a fixed cost versus main-taining revenue from lower bandwidthdial up communication.”

working with Navico.Addvalue Technologies has

appointed Michael Butler as an additionalindependent director of the company. MrButler was previously managing director,then president and chief operating officerand an executive board director, atInmarsat, from May 2000 to April 2009.

100-strong Frontline fleet to install VSAT

A number of Frontline ships have alreadyinstalled the SEVSAT system under

the contract

Cobham Satcom reports that it hasagreed a deal with Ship Equip to sup-ply the largest single quantity order everreceived for its Sea Tel 09 series antennas.Ship Equip has already had a long dealerrelationship with Cobham Satcom,stretching back to 1996.

MTN Satellite Communicationshas appointed Joseph Wright as chairmanof its board of directors. Mr Wright previ-ously served as chairman of Intelsat,from 2006 to 2008, and was president andCEO of PanAmSat from 2001 to 2006.He recently retired as CEO of ScientificGames Corporation.

MTN Satellite Communicationshas also opened a new sales and service

office in Southampton, UK. Ian Maxson-Davies, commercial director, MTN cruiseand ferry services, will lead the new office.

Satcom Global has appointed PeterLiberi as vice president of global businessdevelopment. Mr Liberi joined SatcomGlobal in November of 2008, bringingwith him over 20 years of satellite commu-nications experience in both the MSS andVSAT markets.

Sean Hatherley has taken over the roleof vice president of sales at Intellian.Starting his 20-year career in Englandwith Autohelm, Mr Hatherley relocat-ed to the United States to work with Raytheon Marine andRaymarine, before most recently

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

Digital Ship

www.stratosglobal.com

Evergreen Marine Corp has successfullydeployed the Inmarsat FleetBroadbandsatellite communications service on itsentire fleet of 70 container vessels, follow-ing an installation project conducted by Stratos.

Stratos is currently also managingdeployment of FleetBroadband on anadditional 28 vessels operated byEvergreen subsidiaries.

Evergreen will use Stratos'AmosConnect system to manage all e-mail, fax, SMS and interoffice communica-

tions via the terminal. The company will also run a number of

additional operational applications overthe satellite link, such as remote manage-ment to allow headquarters’ personnel tomanage the ships’ computers without visiting the vessel, database synchronisa-tion, and access to the onboard voyagedata recorder.

Evergreen is also testing the Blue OceanWireless (BOW) GSM service overFleetBroadband, though a final agreementon this technology has not been reportedto date.

“After a successful trial programme last

Evergreen completes FleetBroadband deploymentyear, we discovered that FleetBroadbandensures peak performance for a widerange of business-critical applications,”said Evergreen executive vice president,Patrick Lin.

“Our crewmembers also benefit fromreasonably priced private e-mail, whichhas helped maintain high crew spirits andproductivity. The combination of serviceaffordability and high performance con-vinced us to deploy FleetBroadband onour entire fleet.”

“Stratos completed installation onthese 70 vessels in only three months.Efficient system deployment was made

www.cobham.com/seatel

Cobham Satcom reports that orders for itsSea Tel Ultra Small Aperture Terminal(USAT) marine stabilised Ku-band anten-na system have been on the increase, par-ticularly on offshore marine support ves-sels participating in oil cleanup and track-ing efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Cobham customer Data TechnologySolutions (DTS) says it has installed sever-al of these systems on its network over thelast 60 days as part of these operations inthe US.

The USAT 30 is a 76cm (30 inch) two-axis antenna, which Cobham says is con-

figured to be compatible with all Ku-band satellites through its use of QuadLocal Oscillator (Quad L.O.) LowNoise Block (LNB) technology.

Rick Groen, director of advancedtechnology and systems at SeacorMarine, represents one of the shippingcompanies that has been employingthe system, and has been happy withthe experience to date.

“DTS and Cobham give us quality,reliability and excellent service,” hesaid.

“These companies are nimble andhave a hands-on approach to prob-lem solving. The balanced approach

Sea Tel Ku-band applied in Gulf operations

possible by Stratos’ ability to provide asingle source for installation, airtime andmeticulous customer support – from Hong Kong in our local Mandarinlanguage.”

The deal with Evergreen has helped topush Stratos past the milestone of 5,500FleetBroadband installations, out of thetotal of more than 12,000 totalFleetBroadband activations completed byInmarsat.

It is the first distribution partner toreach this number, marking Stratos out asthe single biggest provider of the satcomsystem to the maritime market.

with a finger-on-the-pulse is what wewant from our suppliers and that is what we have received from DTS andCobham Satcom.”

John DeSana, vice president of CobhamSatcom, also commented: “USAT 30 hassuperior efficiency and the best pointingaccuracy of any system of this size, whichhas been an extremely useful feature whencommunicating in a rapidly changingenvironment such as the cleanup effort inthe Gulf of Mexico.”

“This has allowed DTS to provide theexceptional value and quality of their net-work services to a much larger and morebandwidth-conscious customer base. DTS

The USAT antenna has a 76cm diameter

is now expanding their footprint to Africaand other parts of the world using theUSAT platform.”


p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

SATCOMS NEWS


New satcom products from Marlinkwww.marlink.com

Marlink has launched a number of newmaritime satellite communications servic-es and tools at the SMM exhibition, includ-ing GSM, software and VSAT products.

The Call@SEA GSM service enablespassengers and crew to use their ownGSM-enabled mobile phones onboardVSAT-enabled ships, based on technologyprovided by Swedish maritime GSM com-pany, Seanet.

Users can either utilise their own exist-ing mobile subscription, or an onboardprepaid subscription via SIM cards pro-vided on the ship.

The system can also be used by vesseloperators for communication with crew, as

SMS messages can be sent to all users con-nected to the onboard GSM network usingsoftware provided by the Call@SEA service.

The next product being launched is@SEAdirect, an entry-level-band VSATservice offering multiple data speeds of upto 1024/256 kbps. Equipment is availableunder a leasing agreement, if required.

The product provides internet, e-mailand voice for business andcrew use, at a fixed monthlyrate, and uses the sameantenna system as Marlink'sWaveCall VSAT solution.

The third new launch is@SEAwebControl, designedto offer network operatorscontrol of content and band-width consumption by block-ing access to harmful andinappropriate websites andrestricting access to band-width consuming services.

The program can also beused to ensure that internetusage is compliant with thevessel operator's usage poli-cy. In the event that a restrict-ed website is accessed, theuser will be immediatelyredirected to a Marlink web-site where information aboutthe violation is provided.

Three levels of content andbandwidth control are avail-able, with level three the mostrestrictive, though cus-tomised filters are available.Vessel operators are able todefine whether all of theLocal Area Networks (LANs)onboard are routed throughthe @SEAwebControl server,or if individual networks areselected.

@SEAwebControl is avail-able to all VSAT customers,with no additional equip-ment installations requiredonboard the vessel.

Finally, Marlink has alsointroduced a new@SEAoptimizer bandwidthoptimisation service for usewith its VSAT products,which it says can improvenetwork efficiency by up to95 per cent by removingrepetitive traffic from theWide Area Network (WAN).

The company says it is par-ticularly useful with web-based applications, such asbrowsing, e-mail and file shar-ing, utilising features includ-ing caching, TransmissionControl Protocol (TCP) accel-eration and data compression.

@SEAoptimizer maintainscopies of routinely accesseddata on a disk installed on theship, eliminating unnecessaryrequests to web serverswhich in turn increases thespeed of the overall commu-nications network.

The service is application-independent, and any con-tent stored can be reused byany application, file or user .

www.radiohollandgroup.com

RADIO HOLLAND CONNECT: AIRTIME ANYWHERE

FOR ALL YOUR C NNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS

WE C NNECT AT SEA

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

Digital Ship

www.thrane.com

Thrane & Thrane has introduced a rangeof new GMDSS communication products,that will together form its SAILOR 6000GMDSS Series.

The products will feature the compa-ny's new ThraneLink network solution, acommunications platform developed byThrane & Thrane engineers enabling allSAILOR 6000 Series products to commu-nicate with each other.

This uniform communication system isbased on a LAN interface, using standardRJ45 cabling and open protocols.

This enables a service technician toaccess all the SAILOR products from a sin-gle point, for diagnostics and uploading ofnew software, while also allowing the net-work to automatically identify new prod-ucts in the system, assisting in installation.

The SAILOR 6000GMDSS Series consists offive core new products: aconsole system; an Inmarsatmini-C with message termi-nal; a new VHF system; anda new MF/HF unit.

The backbone of theSAILOR 6000 GMDSS con-cept is the new consoledesign and configuration,which can be delivered withequipment installed andfully tested from the factory.

Thrane says that this series of productsis also the first to provide specificallydesigned triple GMDSS, SSAS and LRITfunctionality, via the new SAILOR 6110mini-C, the first ever touch screen operat-ed mini-C (via the required SAILOR 6006Message Terminal).

The new maritime radios (SAILOR6222 VHF and SAILOR 6300 MF/HF) aredesigned to work both as part of the series,or as standalone communication tools.

"The intensive platform and productdevelopment that we have undertaken tocreate the SAILOR 6000 GMDSS Seriesproducts and ThraneLink has resulted in atruly next generation offering with awealth of new functionality and benefits,all underpinned by the highly regardedSAILOR build quality and reliability," saidCasper Jensen, VP maritime business unit,Thrane & Thrane.

GMDSS technology launched by Thrane www.vizada.com

Vizada has developed a new UniversalCard Crew Order service, to enable crewto purchase and reload private communi-cations credit online with their own cred-it card.

Crew members are not required to havea pre-configured account or to obtain thecard from the shipping manager, and willinstead have full independence to buycards or credit on board. The shippingcompany only needs to agree to offer theservice on the vessel, and determine theprice of communications credit.

To purchase cards or reload existingones, crew members connect to Vizada'sonline management system using the sat-coms onboard the vessel.

The payment process, which takesplace in a secure online environment, follows the same format as any standardonline purchasing system, based on a partnership with the Global Collect creditcompany.

Cards of 30 or 50 minutes can be paidfor using any standard debit or credit card.

Vizada says that this service will helpto free crew members, shipping managersand captains from the need to perform anyadministration in relation to calling cards -all purchasing and reloading is carried outonline by the individual crew member.

Shipping companies can sign up

for the service by contacting a Vizadaservice provider.

The launch of this new service coin-cides with Vizada's celebration of the 10thanniversary of the launch of the SkyFileMail service at SMM.

SkyFile Mail was originally launchedat the SMM trade show in 2000, with the latest version, version 8, launched in October.

Today, more than 12,000 customers areusing the software, averaging more than 3million messages per month, and almost40 million messages per year. In additionto this, almost 2 million SMS messages aresent or received annually.

Version 8 of the software will provide'split billing' for IP services, and a 'MyMail' feature which will allow crew mem-bers to customise their individual prepaidsub-accounts to communicate in their ownlanguage.

Each sub-account can be configured in nine different languages - English,French, German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish,Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. Messagescan be sent or received in all globallyavailable languages simultaneously,enabling users to switch from one lan-guage to the other.

My Mail accounts stay with the crewmember, and can be accessed from each dif-ferent ship they serve on with all configura-tions and settings remaining unchanged.

Credit card crew calling from Vizada

Thrane's latest generation is designed with open protocolsfor easy integration


• On-demand solutions for any size or type of maritime operation, anywhere in the world

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See how we can enhance your maritime satellite communications experience – contact Marlink Tel (24/7) +32 70 233 220 · Fax +32 2 332 33 27 · [email protected]

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p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

SATCOMS NEWS


Norbulk to install OpenPort on 70 ships

www.iridium.com

Norbulk Shipping is to install Iridium'sOpenPort satellite communication sys-tems across its fleet of more than 70 ships,in a move to reduce its monthly ship-shorecommunication costs.

Iridium service provider AND Groupwill supply the equipment and serviceplan for the Norbulk ships, while also inte-grating the satellite terminals with a soft-ware system which includes a web-basedtool for managing e-mail, data and voicecommunications.

“Iridium OpenPort, coupled withAND Group’s flexible service plan, willhelp us greatly reduce our monthly satel-lite communication charges,” said WalterWoodage, director and general managerof Norbulk.

“In the current economic climate, it’svitally important for us to control our operating costs in order to remaincompetitive.”

Ian Robinson, CEO of AND Group,notes that his company has now installedIridium OpenPort terminals on more than400 ships around the world.

In other news, Iridium also reports thatit is collaborating with the DanishMaritime Safety Administration (DaMSA)in the roll out of the EfficienSea project, apilot e-Navigation programme to broad-cast Maritime Safety Information (MSI) toships in waters outside the coverage of ter-restrial communication systems.

Under the programme, DaMSA willconduct shipboard tests of Iridium-basedshort-burst data (SBD) devices for receiv-ing and printing out MSI messages.

Trident Sensors and Rock Seven, bothIridium partners, are respectively supply-

ing the shipboard device for the tests, andthe software and infrastructure to supportthe MSI message transmissions.

The sea trials are scheduled to runthrough into 2011, primarily conducted inthe Baltic Sea Region and the watersaround Greenland.

Results will be presented to interna-tional organisations working with e-Navigation, such as the IMO and theInternational Association of Marine Aidsto Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities(IALA).

Ships subject to the Global MaritimeDistress and Safety System (GMDSS)requirements must be equipped withmandatory radio and satellite communica-tion equipment, including a NAVTEXreceiver that prints out weather alerts andother safety messages sent from shoreauthorities.

Iridium's SBD devices will be used tomimic NAVTEX processing and messageformats, while also providing geo-fencingand vessel tracking that will permit theMSI broadcasts to switch automaticallyfrom NAVTEX to Iridium whenever theship enters waters not covered by theNAVTEX transmitters.

“The opening of new Arctic Nav Areasfor shipping will pose a challenge forauthorities charged with mandatorymarine safety broadcasts in those regions,”said Omar Frits Eriksson, head of DaMSA’sinnovation and project division.

“In addition to our MSI work within e-Navigation in the Baltic Sea Region, weare working with Iridium and its partnersto investigate additional methods fordelivering MSI messages to ships in ArcticNav Areas, taking advantage of Iridium’slow-latency satellite SBD service.”

www.globalstar.com

Globalstar has announced that October19th is to be the scheduled inaugurallaunch date for six of its second-generationsatellites, using the Soyuz launch vehicle.

All six Globalstar satellites are current-ly undergoing pre-launch assembly, inte-gration and testing at the BaikonurCosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

A total of four launches carrying sixsatellites each will be conducted by launchservices provider Arianespace using theSoyuz launch vehicle, which has beenused to successfully launch Globalstarsatellites on eight previous occasions.

The 24 new second-generation satelliteswill be integrated with eight first-genera-tion satellites that were launched in 2007,to form a 32-satellite constellation.

Once fully deployed the new constel-lation and upgraded ground network

are designed to provide increased dataspeeds of up to 256 kbps in a flexibleinternet protocol multimedia subsystem(IMS) configuration.

Globalstar expects the new constella-tion to secure its space segment beyond2025.

“(We are) launching and deploying oursecond-generation satellite constellationyears ahead of our primary competition,”said Tony Navarra, president, global oper-ations, Globalstar.

“Once the new constellation is fullydeployed next year, we expect that com-petitive advantage will have expanded toas many as six years or more.”

“We will also once again reliably pro-vide the world’s finest quality mobilesatellite voice and fastest mobile satellitehandset data services to commercial andgovernment customers in more than 120 countries."

Globalstar satellite launch date announced

Fastnet and Stena Line in VSAT agreements www.marlink.com

Marlink has secured a new 3-year contractwith Irish ferry operator, Fastnet Line, todeliver, install and operate its SealinkVSAT solution onboard Fastnet Line'sflagship vessel, Julia, while also renewinga separate deal with Stena Line.

The new system to be delivered toFastnet will be used to provide bandwidthfor vessel management, as well as passen-ger and crew applications.

"The installation of Marlink's Sealinksolution is in line with our ongoing com-mitment to offer our customers greaterchoice, as passengers will be able to takeadvantage of onboard internet and tele-phone services, providing them withgreater value during their journey withus," commented Owen Barry, operationsmanager, Fastnet Line.

"In addition, Sealink will improve oper-ational efficiency by strengthening com-munications between the vessel and headoffice ashore and enabling crew to effec-tively stay in touch with friends and fami-ly at home, improving crew welfare."

The Ku-band VSAT installed on the MSJulia will provide bandwidth of up to 128

kbps, as well as 10 simultaneous telephonechannels, and an administrative LAN con-nected to an internet VPN service.

The contract also includes Marlink'sPrepaid Talk and Internet@sea services,which can be sold to passengers at FastnetLine's own defined rate.

Stena Line’s renewed and upgradedsatellite communications contract willnow include integrated satellite telephonyaccess to 34 vessels and internet access to27 vessels.

Stena Line will use the VSAT system,with access to 8 Mbps satellite closed usergroup capacity, to offer free WiFi internetaccess for passengers.

The ship-to-shore network on the entireStena Line fleet of fast ferries, traditionalcombi ferries, RoPax freight and passen-ger ferries will be upgraded, as well as itspure cargo ships operating in Scandinaviaand the North and Irish Seas.

Administration of LAN-LAN servicesbetween ships and land, TV reception in the Nordic region and company ship-to-shore networking with terrestrial back up and rerouting functionality atMarlink's Eik Teleport will also beincluded, as well as third party band-

width access and IP management.The new contract between Stena Line

and Marlink is effective for the next four years.

"We have worked with Stena for someyears breaking new ground as we havedeveloped unique services," commented

The Fastnet vessel Julia will be equipped with 128 kbps VSAT

Tore Morten Olsen, CEO, Marlink. "They were our first customer to pro-

vide pay-per-use on our Internet@SeaPrepaid Surf service. We are delighted thatwe can continue to innovate with our part-ners and look forward to more excitingdevelopments in the future."

Globalstar will begin launching its newly constructed satellites in October

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

where to next?

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

KVH buys Virtek for $6.5m www.kvh.com

www.virtek.no

KVH and Virtek Communication haveannounced that they have entered into anagreement for KVH to acquire theNorwegian communications technologycompany, for $6.5 million.

Virtek's CommBox system, supplied tomore than 700 vessels owned by 50 differ-ent shipping companies primarily basedin Scandinavia and Northern Europe, isused to manage communications to andfrom vessels over a variety of differentsatellite communications services.

Virtek's estimated revenues for 2010should be between $2 million and $3 mil-lion, according to the companies.

Functions integrated into theCommBox equipment include automatedswitching between satellite services forredundancy and cost control, onboardfirewall and virus protection, and opti-mised data transmission technology.

Mobile communications tools such asmail servers and web servers are also partof the system, as well as other communi-cations tools to facilitate file transfers andremote access to onboard equipment.

As a result of this acquisition, KVHsays that it anticipates being able to sup-port a significantly larger population of

users with its existing satellite capacity,as well as offering new content serviceslike chart and software updates, digitalnewspapers, weather reports, and IP-based television.

“Virtek, its talented team of softwareengineers, and its proven middlewareapplications are an excellent fit with KVHand our rapidly expanding satellite com-munication business, most notably in thecommercial marine market,” explainsMartin Kits van Heyningen, KVH CEO.

“The capabilities offered by Virtek’sCommBox technology complement andexpand the comprehensive satellite com-munication concept that is at the heart ofthe TracPhone V7 and mini-VSATBroadband solution."

"The integration of this powerful mid-dleware technology will strengthen ourcompetitive position in the maritimebroadband marketplace, enable us to offera wide range of value-added functionalityto customers, and provide a path toenhance the efficiency and versatility ofour mini-VSAT Broadband data commu-nications network.”

Virtek’s current management and teamwill continue to operate as a discrete unitwithin KVH, while also integrating theCommBox and any future technology intoKVH’s overall future strategy.

Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH, and Morten Aasen, Virtek, celebrate the acquisition agreement

SATCOMS NEWS


www.idirect.net

VSAT antenna manufacturers Sea Tel,Intellian and Jotron have concluded theimplementation of the OpenAMIP protocol developed by iDirect, havingcompleted successful interoperability test-ing with iDirect's range of broadbandsatellite routers.

According to iDirect a further nineantenna manufacturers are also in theprocess of implementing the protocol, andare currently working with iDirect to qual-ify that their systems are interoperable.

Development of the OpenAMIP proto-col began more than four years ago, withthe intention of creating an industry-wide, open-source standard for antenna-router integration.

iDirect has since integrated the open-source code into its maritime VSAT plat-form, and has now established a for-malised qualification programme forsatellite antenna manufacturers.

The company says that the protocoleliminates the need for proprietary codingto make new antennas or routers worktogether, allowing maritime companies tochoose from a wider selection of hardware

to best suit their needs.OpenAMIP is an IP-based protocol that

facilitates the exchange of informationbetween an Antenna Controller Unit and asatellite router.

It allows the router to command theantenna and enables the use of AutomaticBeam Switching, which transfers connec-tivity from one satellite beam to the next as a vessel passes through multiplefootprints.

In addition, the protocol will also helpservice providers and their customers tomeet government regulations by com-manding the antenna to mute the signal inno-transmit zones.

"Maritime VSAT networks are com-plex, and service performance dependssignificantly on how well the underlyingtechnologies integrate," said ChristianBergan, director of maritime vertical,iDirect.

"Our goal through the OpenAMIP pro-tocol is to remove some of the complexityand promote a shared standard within themaritime industry for technologyproviders to work together on makingmaritime networks more reliable andmanageable for end users."

iDirect protocol integrated by VSAT manufacturers

www.thrane.com

Thrane & Thrane has been awarded a con-tract by Inmarsat to upgrade and add newfunctionality to Inmarsat’s BroadbandGlobal Area Network (BGAN), the net-work which forms the backbone of theFleetBroadband service.

The contract is valued at DKK 25 mil-lion (approximately US$4.25 million), withwork already underway at Thrane &Thrane's systems division.

The full feature set agreed under thedeal is expected to be available on

Inmarsat's network during 2011, allowingfor an enhanced range of services andcapabilities.

"Thrane & Thrane have been instru-mental in the on-going development of theBGAN system, and we are delighted to beworking with them on this next stage of itsevolution," said Richard Denny, seniorvice president of global networks andengineering at Inmarsat.

"We look forward to the improvedfunctionality that this latest set ofenhancements will deliver to users globally."

Thrane agrees FB network upgrade deal

www.mtnsat.com

MTN Satellite Communications has intro-duced StreamXcel Plus, a new integratedhardware and software solution for man-aging shipboard satellite communications,which incorporates both VSAT andFleetBroadband services.

StreamXcel Plus will provide automaticswitching capabilities between MTN’s Ku-band service and Inmarsat’sFleetBroadband whenever the vesselmoves outside the Ku-band beams.

Two separate onboard corporate andcrew communication networks will beprovided onboard under the service.

The corporate network includes twovoice lines, data and internet access overVSAT, with FleetBroadband as a backupcommunications system. VSAT band-width data compression and optimisationis also included.

The crew network offers two voicelines, utilising MTN’s OceanPhone storedvalue calling plans, and Wi-Fi internetaccess. The bandwidth required to sup-port the crew network is provided at noadditional cost, and does not interferewith the corporate bandwidth.

A range of management tools for theship-to-shore voice and data links are alsooffered, including data compression,remote administration of servers and com-puters on board, and anti-virus, anti-spamand content filtering.

An optional bandwidth analyser soft-ware package is additionally available,with VSAT traffic analysis capabilities for

the ship operator.“We are introducing StreamXcel Plus to

meet the emerging requirements forgreater integration of shipboard andshoreside communication and IT net-works, as well as improved crew moraleservices,” said Bradford Briggs, senior vicepresident, MTN commercial shipping andenergy services.

“We can now provide a cost-effectivesolution that combines both VSAT andFleetBroadband voice and data to create a complete, optimised communicationsnetwork.”

In related news, MTN has alsoannounced an expansion of its VSAT cov-erage in the South Pacific, with the activa-tion of Ku-band services on a new satellitebeam covering the waters surroundingAustralia and New Zealand.

The South Pacific Ku-band beam is uplinked through a teleport in Sydney, which is connected via fibreoptic cable into MTN’s terrestrial sup-port infrastructure.

Using MTN’s automatic beam switch-ing technology, vessels’ VSAT antennaswill be repointed to the South Pacific satellite beam when sailing through thesewaters.

“This is an integral part of our ongoingprogramme of continuous improvementfor our network,” said JonathanWeintraub, CEO, MTN.

“We expect to add more satellitebeams as needed to ensure uninterruptedcoverage across all the world’s majorocean routes.”

Combined VSAT and FB system from MTN

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:23

Come and visit SpeedCast atDS Hong Kong on October 27th & 28th at BOOTH n° 13

Come and visit Eutelsat at DS Athens on December 1st & 2nd

at BOOTH n° 14

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:24

SATCOMS NEWS


www.hughes.com

Triton Diving Services and BEEMAR havebegun implementing new maritimebroadband systems from HughesNetwork Systems.

Louisiana-based Triton provides div-ing services to oil companies, derrickbarges, government, and commercial ves-sels, and other businesses operating inthe Gulf of Mexico.

The company's fleet of diving vesselswill now have access to internet, data,VoIP, and video capabilities via the broad-band connection.

Triton’s broadband network and appli-cations will be fully managed by Hughesin partnership with ESSI Corporation.

ESSI installed the Hughes’ marine-sta-bilised VSAT antennas on Triton’s fleet ofDiving Support Vessels (DSVs), which areable to track their target satellites andcompensate for the constant pitch andyaw movement of the vessels.

“We believe that all diving incidentsare preventable, and our goal is to do zeroharm to people and to the environment,”said Gary Pouwels, vessel and equipmentmanager at Triton.

"That’s why we equip our ships with thebest available maritime technology. Hughesgives us the high performance andadvanced network application capabilitiesneeded to keep our crews safe and happy."

In this regard, one of the main areaswhere Triton intends to apply the com-municaitons system will be in the provi-sion of real-time data for Triton’s Health,Safety and Environment (HSE) manage-ment system.

The new network will also be used tosupport Triton's efforts as part of theDeepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup project.

“High availability and high perform-ance maritime solutions offered in a cost-effective package are what the Hughes

Maritime Broadband solution is allabout,” said Vinod Shukla, senior vicepresident, international, Hughes.

“We are proud that Triton DivingServices has chosen Hughes as the pre-ferred communications service providerfor its fleet of diving vessels and look for-ward to working with them to continuallyenhance the capabilities and benefits fortheir crews on board.”

BEEMAR's contract with Hughes cov-ers the installation of VSAT communica-tions systems across its fleet of newDynamic Positioning 2 (DP-2) PlatformSupply Vessels (PSVs).

BEEMAR's entire fleet will be equippedwith a fully managed maritime solutionfrom Hughes, again in partnership withESSI Corporation, under an agreementincludeing internet access, voice, e-mail,video, and Wi-Fi services onboard theships, for crew and operational use.

"Our vessels support everything fromdeepwater oil production, deep shelfexploration, offshore and sub-sea con-struction, to seismic and special well serv-ice support," said Darrel Plaisance,BEEMAR vice president and COO.

"In all cases, fast internet services arerequired to coordinate resources and per-sonnel, and to enable workers to keep intouch with their families. Because Hughesmanages it all for us, it's one less thing forus to worry about."

The DP-2 vessels use computer controlsto automatically maintain the ship's posi-tion with thrusters and propellers, ratherthan dropping anchor.

The Hughes VSAT system will provideservices for BEEMAR vessels in theMediterranean, Red Sea, Caribbean, andoff the coast of Mexico.

ESSI has already installed gyro-sta-bilised maritime satellite antennas on sevenof the PSV fleet to date under the deal, withfive more ships under construction.

Triton and BEEMAR implementHughes VSAT

www.minivsat.com

VSAT satellite service providers KVH, ShipEquip, New Wave Broadband and TelenorSatellite Broadcasting have boosted theirrespective Ku-band coverage areas throughthe agreement of new satellite capacity con-tracts in various global regions.

Users of KVH’s mini-VSAT system inthe waters of North America, the Gulf ofMexico, and Central America, will benefitfrom the introduction of an additional fullsatellite transponder covering the area, aswell as the roll-out of a new spread spec-trum waveform.

KVH, and partner ViaSat, report thatthey have expanded the broadband net-work's capacity in the region by more than500 per cent, to support existing andfuture subscribers.

"The mini-VSAT Broadband networkwas designed from the ground up to offerservice and performance superior to tradi-tional maritime VSAT services," said Brent

Bruun, KVH vice president of satellitesales and business development.

"Thanks to its flexible and robust archi-tecture, the network is capable of rapid,easy expansion to meet the growingdemand for affordable broadband serviceand voice communications at sea."

"Advancements in ViaSat's ArcLightspread spectrum waveform combinedwith additional satellite capacity allow usto provide more than six times the band-width previously available in this region."

The mini-VSAT network is delivered byeleven satellite transponders and eightsecure earth stations, offering voice serviceand internet access with speeds of up to512 kbps (upload) and 2 Mbps (download).

"For mariners looking ahead to theirfuture communication needs, the mini-VSAT Broadband solution offers today whatother providers are planning to offer threeor four years from now," Mr Bruun added.

"mini-VSAT Broadband is already thefastest growing global VSAT network for

the maritime industry as we expect to shipour 1000th system very soon, less thanthree years after the launch of the service."

"While the network already offers out-standing capacity worldwide, we are com-mitted to the continued enhancement ofthe service that vessels worldwide alreadyenjoy. That is why we're now preparing toroll out this advanced technology intoother mini-VSAT Broadband regionsaround the globe."

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, ShipEquip, New Wave Broadband and TelenorSatellite Broadcasting (TSB) have signed amulti-year agreement for the provision ofsatellite capacity and iDirect services.

TSB will provide uplinks for the iDirectservices from its Nittedal teleport inNorway, where it has recently installed aniDirect hub.

The increase in satellite capacity will beused to provide the companies’ existingcustomers with more bandwidth, as wellas opening up opportunities to offer more

services to new customers. The coverage expansion has also

helped to extend the coverage area avail-able for the provision of multi-regionalKu-band services.

“We are very happy to have signed adeal with New Wave and Ship Equip, andare currently discussing additional con-nectivity in other regions,” said MichaelCarter, sales director – datacomms servic-es with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting.

“We have increased our focus on themaritime market recently and this agree-ment is evidence that our efforts havebeen timely. This market now accounts fora significant part of our datacomms busi-ness and it is obviously important to us.”

Ship Equip CEO, Ivar Nesset, also com-mented: “The deal increases reservecapacity considerably in the Middle Eastwhere bandwidth demand has beenincreasing, and comes also as a responseto a rise in demand for Ship Equip’s mar-itime broadband solution, SEVSAT.”

Ku-band VSAT coverage expansion continues

www.telaurus.com

NSC Schifffahrtsgesellschaft andTelaurus Communications have signed aformal agreement which will see theshipowner outfit its entire fleet withInmarsat FleetBroadband 250 andTelaurus se@COMM software.

NSC operates a fleet of more than 50vessels, with an average age of 3.5 years.The agreement was made by Telaurus'German sales and support office inHamburg, and formally concluded dur-ing the SMM exhibition.

Under the terms of the agreement,NSC will replace its Inmarsat Fleet 77units with FB250, and will use Telaurusse@COMM software to manage its com-munications traffic. The deal wasreached after a six-month sea trial usingthe new equipment.

“We chose Telaurus because theywere able to deliver the level of service

that they promised in a single, completepackage," said NSC, in a statement.

"From the start, Telaurus gave us aclear picture of what se@COMM coulddo, how communications can be con-trolled and how much they would cost.This was proved during the sea trials onthe Memphis."

“We were particularly concerned to avoid the cost problems we know can be encountered when moving to broadband communications. It isimportant for us to demonstrate to our principals that we are managing the fleet to optimal efficiency. Telaurusconfirmed that it is possible to havecomplete control and visibility of thosecosts.”

NSC chose the FleetBroadband 250system as it felt it represented the bestmix of data speed and simplicity ofinstallation due to its small sizedradome, which measures about 32cm

NSC agrees fleetwide satcom contract

www.telemargroup.com

Telemar has announced the completion ofan acquisition of Polaris Electronics Norge,a provider of satellite communicationsequipment, servicing and maintenance tothe Norwegian shipping industry.

The Polaris business unit has beguntrading under the name Telemar Norge asof mid-August 2010.

Telemar says that one of the goals of thedeal was to gain a foothold in theNorwegian maritime market, which it seesas one of the most important marketsworldwide.

“This milestone is tightly consistentwith our strategy of global coverage forthe shipping industry and of strengthen-ing our positioning as a leading world-wide system integrator in satellite com-

munication and electronic bridges servic-es” said Bruno Musella, Telemar manag-ing director.

“Telemar Norge will be in the best posi-tion to consolidate its longstanding loyaltypartnership with Norwegian maritimecustomers and to enrich its service portfo-lio and capabilities.”

“This will add value to the Norwegianmaritime industry through Telemar’s inte-grated approach, global network syner-gies and end-user understanding.”

Telemar is represented through 13 sub-sidiaries in 11 markets worldwide, includ-ing Germany, Italy, UK, USA, Sweden,Russia, Finland, China, Hong Kong, SantoDomingo, and now Norway.

The company says that it also has anumber of other possible new markets“under consideration.”

Telemar completes Polaris acquisition

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:24

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Shell International Trading and Shipping is to outfit its 72-strong fleet of tankers with VSAT communications systems,which will be utilised to provide wireless internet access onboard – allowing crews to get online using their own laptops


SATCOMS

SS hell International Trading andShipping Company Limited (STAS-Co) is to implement wireless broad-

band networks across its fleet of 72 oil andLNG carriers, with the aim of providingcrew welfare services such as e-mail, webbrowsing, social networking and low-costvoice calling to its seafarers.

These new networks will be imple-mented on the STASCo vessels by satellitecommunications company NSSL, whichwill provide its Cruise-IP VSAT broad-band service to the Shell fleet as part of afive-year contract.

Installation of the equipment on theSTASCo ships has already started, with ateam of engineers flying around the worldto deliver the roll-out.

In order to reach the companies’ goal offinishing the broadband installationsacross the entire fleet by the end of 2010,NSSL says it has doubled its engineeringresources to dedicate extra manpower tothe project.

The relationship between NSSL andSTASCo extends back 12 years, with the sat-com provider having originally supplied aMini-M Crew Calling system in 1998, whichutilised phone cards to manage usage.

As an existing service provider,STASCo invited NSSL to present its VSATsolution to the company approximatelyfour years ago, as it began to explore thepossibility of implementing broadbandcommunications on its ships.

By this time most STASCo vessels wereoperating with Inmarsat Fleet 77 onboard,however this was mainly used for opera-tional purposes, and the shipping compa-ny was keen to introduce new crew servic-es on its ships to encourage loyalty andimprove retention rates.

With Ku-band coverage beginning toexpand at the same time, STASCo decidedthat this type of solution may be an idealway to meet these goals.

A resulting trial on four vessels trading inthe Pacific Ocean in 2007 proved to be verysuccessful in this regard, leading STASCo toextend the system to several other vesselsoperating in the region throughout 2008,and then to two vessels operating on a glob-al basis shortly thereafter.

In 2009 Shell contemplated makingVSAT connectivity a fleetwide offering,and began a tender process featuringNSSL and a number of other providers.Following this process STASCo concludeda contract with NSSL in March 2010,approximately four years after the initialdiscussions about a trial had taken place.

Onboard networkThe network design that NSSL will pro-vide under the contract will be organisedin a kind of ‘internet café’ layout, with aseries of wireless access points for crew

around the vessel, as Ian Lewis, engineer-ing manager at NSSL, explains.

“Because the ships are metal hullednormal Wi-Fi wouldn’t travel that far,especially around the cabin areas, so wehad to use quite a number of wirelessaccess points,” he told us.

“This means that the crew can bringtheir own laptops.”

Essentially, this system provides free-dom of access to the crews to use the par-ticular applications they are comfortablewith to communicate online, whether thatbe webmail from Yahoo or Google,Facebook, or even Skype.

“On some of our networks we’re askedto provide the e-mail system, and the soft-ware applications and everything else, but

on others we just provide the modem andthe user can have their own IT set-up,”said Mr Lewis.

“With this particular design for Shellwe were providing the wireless networkaround the ship, but the crew had theirown laptops. Then we provided the voicelines as well, pre-paid and post paid, sep-arated for business and crew use.”

The number of available voice lines oneach ship will vary from two to four,depending on the specific requirements ofthat vessel.

“That part of the design was donebased on the number of crew, and wherethe ships were planning to travel,” said MrLewis.

“On some we provided handsets too,on others we just provided an RJ11 socketto plug their own PBX or their own hand-sets into.”

Available bandwidth for the ships canalso be customised according to require-ments, again often based on the number ofcrew onboard.

“The crews aren’t very large on theships, so even 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps wouldserve them very well,” said Mr Lewis.

“Obviously if it was a larger crew theywould probably want to go higher for thatparticular ship. They can always upgrade

and downgrade anyway, and the boats cango into suspension, if they’re going into theyard for instance. If there’s something thattakes them out of action their airtime pack-age can be moved to another boat.”

Bandwidth usageSince STASCo has begun the introductionof the wireless network for crews NSSLnotes that it has seen a vast amount of traf-fic over the VSAT links, with thoseonboard taking full advantage of the newcommunications opportunities providedto them.

“The usage onboard has been huge,partly because they didn’t have internetbefore – they went from having nothing tohaving megabits of bandwidth overnight.

That had quite an impact on the staff,”said Mr Lewis.

“The idea is to have utilisation of thenetwork fairly constant, as one shift comesoff duty another shift goes on, and it’s theoff duty guys that will be using most ofthe bandwidth.”

“Before there would have been anInmarsat terminal onboard for businessuse, but they didn’t have much for crewuse at all.”

STASCo has also taken the decision notto require NSSL to implement filters onthe accessible content at the network level,preferring to operate under its own corpo-rate policies for internet use.

NSSL notes that it could manage thetype of traffic that goes over the network ifnecessary, blocking things like peer-to-peer sharing, but these decisions will beShell’s to make as and when it may bedeemed necessary.

“We customise the network aroundwhat they want. It’s a dialogue they needto have, the crew obviously want every-thing to be allowed, but that could chewup the bandwidth which is something thecompany don’t want,” said Mr Lewis.

“We don’t have any access control on aper-laptop basis, and, of course, whenthere are more people on the network at

the same time it will slow down for each of them.”

“We could implement a system to do itbut Shell didn’t want that, they just want-ed to have open wireless access on theships. There’s no limit on the amount ofdata they can download either, so then itjust comes down to being a managementissue onboard, in terms of the Captainmanaging the crew’s use of the network.”

Downloading of illegal content isanother issue that would need to be con-sidered, and while this has not occurredon STASCo vessels currently using theVSAT system, it is an area that crewsshould be aware of when connected to theinternet.

“We have terms and conditions associ-ated with ourselves, as an internet ISP,that we echo on to Shell as a customer,”said Mr Lewis.

“They then echo these on to their staff –things like no port scanning, no deliberateintroduction of viruses, no terrorism, nocopyright theft, things like that. We’ll becaught because they are our IP addresses,which we’ll know are on a particular ship.Then it’s up to the Captain to find outwho’s responsible.”

NSSL retains detailed data records ofthe traffic passing to and from the vesselsat its network hubs, which is available toSTASCo for monitoring purposes. At themoment this is only looking at data vol-umes, though further granularity in thereporting is possible if needed.

“We have a system where we measurethe usage of each vessel continuously,throughout the day, every few seconds,”said Mr Lewis.

“That’s presented in an online graph,password protected so the user can log inand see the usage per vessel – the lasthour, the last 24 hours, the last week, thelast month, and so on. They can see thetraffic, downloaded and uploaded, to anyparticular ship, and also the total numberof megabytes.”

“With that tracker they see the totaltraffic, but we have another tool that canproduce reports on the types of traffic. Itcould show you how many gigabytes ofiTunes or e-mail or webmail or Facebookyou downloaded. Those are bespokereports, so if they want to do specificreports for a specific ship for a specificweek, then we can produce that report.”

For the time being however, STASCo’sfocus is on providing the widest range ofpossible services to its crews, to make surethat its best and brightest remain with thecompany as loyal Shell employees.

With the provision of this open wirelessnetwork it seems that the seafarers on itsships, and their families at home, havebeen reaping the benefits of this new com-mitment to their welfare.

Shell begins roll-out of onboard wireless crew networks

Shell's tankers will offer wireless networks, to which crews will havefree access to communicate with home

DS

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:24

GESatcom

Triple Play the perfect mixGood fleet performance comes in threes with GE Satcom’s Satlynx Maritime solution. Our triple-play satellite network solution easily multiplexes internet access, TV entertainment and an integrated low-priced telephony system into any cabin, technical or recreation room. The Automated Beam Switching (ABS) feature opts for the least-cost route between three options: flat-rate Ku-band satellites, or Inmarsat or Iridium. You can control the system from land, monitoring your entire fleet worldwide - from fuel efficiency to positioning at sea - while keeping ship operations streamlined and crew morale high.

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p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:24

SATCOMS


Globe Wireless has introduced an integrated communications package including a FleetBroadband terminal, onboard security and routing management, and integrated GSM – which will allow seafarers

to make calls from their own mobile phones for $0.55 per minute

Globe Wireless launches iFusion

GG lobe Wireless has launched anew maritime satellite communi-cations system called Globe iFu-

sion, incorporating a FleetBroadband 250,a communications management gateway,and onboard GSM equipment.

Specifically designed for IP satelliteservices, Globe iFusion aims to integrateshipboard satellite communications,shore-side administrative control, GSMvoice and data, firewalls, and crew com-munications into a single system.

Globe will provide hardware, installa-tion, airtime, applications and mainte-nance as part of the package, as required.The company says that it will be offeringthe complete integrated onboard setup fora price of USD$12,000.

The new system comprises two main com-ponents, the Globe i250 and the Globe iPortal.

The Globe i250 includes a GlobeWireless-branded Inmarsat FleetBroadband250, based on Addvalue technology, and anonboard router gateway.

The system is configured to allow usersto make voice calls using a GSM handsetor normal fixed-line telephone, send orreceive e-mail and fax, browse the inter-net, and upload or download files. It alsoallows users to access Globe Wireless’commercial applications.

The Globe iPortal is the shore-side por-tion of the system, which allows land-based offices to control the communica-tions services onboard.

This includes the administration of userprofiles, browsing capabilities, firewall set-tings, satellite gateways and least cost routing.

“We have entered a new phase in mar-itime communications,” said Frank Coles,president and CEO of Globe Wireless.

“This solution fuses service, applica-tions and support into a single platform.

The solution includes a dual firewall,highly-optimised IP connections, andmultiple least-cost route gateways.”

DevelopmentThe evolution of this system goes backapproximately four years, following GlobeWireless’ acquisition of Seawave. Thisdeal included a piece of Sewave technolo-gy called the Integrator, which was theforerunner to the new shipboard gateway.

“It had an Iridium terminal inside, andfor IP and Inmarsat services it used MPDS.It also had a GSM unit in there, but thatwas purely for data communications outof the terminal,” Mr Coles explained.

“Then, earlier this year, we bought acompany called Zynetix, which providedus with a GSM platform, and made us aGSM operator with our own SIM card.And, of course, we also became aFleetBroadband distribution partner.”

“We then went and talked to a compa-ny called AddValue in Singapore, a manu-facturer of FleetBroadband antennas. Withtheir help and with our engineers we puttogether this product.”

Globe’s aim was to try and integrate anumber of the various solutions availablethrough these different products into asingle package, that could provide ship-ping companies with one platform cover-ing most of its communications needs.

“There are airtime resellers out there,companies that provide shipboard GSM,companies that provide satellite equip-ment, a whole raft of e-mail providers,”said Mr Coles.

“If you need a network router or IPoptimisation, you need to go somewhereelse, buy a box and put that on board, andthen go somewhere else for the installa-tions and putting in the VPNs. You could

go and do it, but you’d be dealing with aspaghetti of different companies.”

“What we’ve done is taken the‘spaghetti’ out of it, and put it all in oneplace. To put all of those boxes togethertoday is going to cost you somewhere inthe region of $20,000. And depending onthe routing you put on board, or the IPacceleration or other things, those num-bers could be considerably higher.”

Mr Coles believes that the $12,000 pricepoint that Globe is marketing the productat will encourage the industry to look veryseriously at the offering.

“We think this is a very small price topay for the market, when you consider theaccidents waiting to happen, when youconsider what’s in there,” he said.

“The power to control any of the termi-nals on the ship, control your businesscommunications, your crew communica-tions, your voice and your data traffic.”

The fact that the package comes alreadyintegrated also helps in smoothing theinstallation process, which can be man-aged from the shore offices once a connec-tion is established.

“It’s as simple as taking the boxonboard, connecting the antenna, andwhen it talks to the shore it will be config-ured and ready to go. And that also meanswhen it breaks you can do the same thingwith the next box,” said Mr Coles.

“You also have the ability to add up to10 other IP connections. There are threeports on the box, but with a switch youcan add up to 10.”

“Not that a ship is ever going to have 10comms connections, but you could have oneport for Wi-Fi connection, in another a secondFleetBroadband terminal, and in anotherVSAT – Ka-band, Ku-band or C-band. I jokedwith the Inmarsat guys that we’re alreadyKa-band ready for their next generation.”

GSMFrom a crew perspective, one of the mostexciting aspects of this system could willthe possibility to access a range of cheapcommunications options from their ownmobile phones.

To access the onboard GSM only aGlobe Wireless SIM card and an unlockedcell phone handset are required. The sea-farer inserts the SIM into the phone andthe Globe i250 system will create a prepaidaccount for the crewmember.

Once this is done that crew memberwill have instant access to voice calling,SMS and e-mail via their mobile phone.

Voice calls will be charged at a flat rateof $0.55 per minute, to landline numbersanywhere in the world. Calls to mobilephones will be higher, and will varydepending on where the call is terminated.

“We believe voice remains very impor-tant to the market, we still see very highusage amongst our crew,” said Mr Coles.

“The crew can use their cell phone

onboard as the means of communicatingwith shore. It provides a prepaid and post-paid platform for voice and for data, inone place, and from the same billing planthe shipping company buys from us.”

“It allows you to route the call over theinbuilt i250 (FleetBroadband antenna), orany other satellite terminal connected tothe box – VSAT, Iridium, or even anotherFleetBroadband.”

SIMs are available from the ship’sCaptain, and come with $2.50 initial cred-it. They can be recharged using a prepaidreload code, sent to the Captain by Globe.

The crew member purchases the code andinputs it into the phone to top-up. Crews canalso check their balance on their phone,which sends a message to the network on theship and retrieves the information.

“All of the crew accounts will be basedon the SIM card. The crew buy a prepaidSIM card, insert it in their cell phone, switchon the phone, follow some instructions, andthey are up and running on voice, on SMS,and on e-mail,” said Mr Coles.

“By the end of the year they’ll be up andrunning on internet browsing too, all fromthe one SIM card and one account. Theydon’t have to browse on the phone, they canbrowse on a computer with the sameaccount, but the SIM card is what activatesthe account and puts them on the network.”

This same account will also work onany other ship that is running the GlobeiFusion system onboard, meaning that theseafarer can keep the same SIM card intheir phone and access their store of creditas they move from ship to ship.

SMS over the system will be charged atapproximately $0.25, while e-mail will becharged at $5.50 per megabyte – whichGlobe says would allow small text-basede-mails to be sent for “just pennies”.

However, despite this low data cost Globeis convinced that voice calling will be the mostpopular service available to the crews.

“Blue Ocean Wireless, who really start-ed the market in GSM, always said thatthey had 87 per cent SMS traffic – butthat’s because the voice rates were toohigh,” said Mr Coles.

“We have it exactly the other wayround, we have about 87 per cent voiceand very little SMS. Because we have $0.55per minute the crews much rather talking,they’re not all teenagers going crazy onSMS. They’d rather make a phone call,especially at a cost effective rate.”

All phone numbers available on theGlobe SIM cards are currently US based,though Globe is looking at extending this tonumbers in other countries. However, MrColes notes that most calls are ship to shoreover the system, so the number of the phoneon the ship is not important in that case.

“Because of the way telcos rip every-body off on calling a ship, you’re better offsending an SMS to the ship saying ‘callme’,” he said.

The iFusion package includes an FB antenna, communications gateway, and GSM hardwarefor $12,000 DS

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:24

p1-17:p1-14.qxd 04/10/2010 15:24

SOFTWARE NEWS


www.sismarine.com

Eimskip, Iceland’s oldest shipping compa-ny, and JR Shipping of the Netherlands areto implement software packages by StarInformation Systems, following the comple-tion of evaluation and pilot programmes.

Under the terms of the agreement withEimskip, Star Information Systems (SIS)will provide a fully integrated softwaresolution, including systems to manage avariety of functions, including mainte-nance, purchasing, messaging, insurancepolicies and claims, budget and cost con-trol, and crew and document management.

The system will be installed onEimskip’s fleet of 10 vessels, and in itsoffices in Iceland.

Eimskip’s search for this new systemwas a result of the company’s previoussoftware provider failing to offer adequatesupport, according to Niels Eyjólfsson,Eimskip superintendent.

“Our primary interest was in SIS’ main-tenance and purchasing systems and, afteran internal review and demonstration, weconcluded (that) Star Central PurchasingSystem and Star Maintenance fit ourneeds,” he said.

“The SIS solution corresponds to ourefforts to upgrade onboard IT systems,which is designed to improve our efficiencyand lower costs related to administration,purchasing and planned maintenance.”

Martin Karlstad, SIS CCO, also com-mented: “As a leading Icelandic providerof transport and logistics services active inthe Atlantic basin, Eimskip now has thesoftware to help support their growingbusiness.”

“The fact that they chose SIS after acareful review of competing systemsdemonstrates the value of our offering.”

SIS will provide training services andthe software was scheduled to be imple-mented and fully operational by the end of September.

“We look forward to working withEimskip and will welcome their feedbackat forthcoming user conferences,” said MrKarlstad.

The other contract, with JR Shipping, isthrough Dutch-based maritime consultan-cy firm MirTac, which has agreed a deal tomanage a fleetwide implementation of theIPS (Information and Planning System)fleet management software system fromSIS for the vessel operator.

Eimskip and JR Shipping agree SIS deals

Eimskip's fleet of 10 vessels will install the new software systems

JR Shipping has signed a contract forinstallation of the software onboard 25ships, and in its offices, following the com-pletion of a successful pilot programme.

The pilot implementation consisted oftwo phases. The first phase consisted ofscreening and importing of data, databasebuilding and user training, while the sec-ond covered full operational testing ontwo vessels and in the office.

“During the successful pilot implemen-tation on two vessels, both vessel andoffice staff acknowledged a vast increasein efficiency,” noted Fabian Klok, manag-er ICT, JR Shipping.

“Processes and procedures, such asmaintenance planning, stock control, ves-sel administration and document control,were implemented into a user friendlyand reliable management system.”

www.aveva.com

Jurong Shipyard, a subsidiary ofSembcorp Marine, has extended its associ-ation with design technology companyAVEVA, selecting its AVEVA Marine (12Series) system for a number of upcomingmarine and offshore projects.

The 12 Series is the latest incarnation ofAVEVA’s marine systems, and allows usersto more easily manage and secure legacydata, which the company says is particularly

useful in connection with large-scale projects.“We are pleased that Jurong Shipyard

has made the decision to migrate toAVEVA Marine and greatly value the trustthat it has placed in AVEVA technologyand our business relationship,” said PeterFinch, president of AVEVA Asia Pacific.

“We are confident that the functionalityand flexibility of AVEVA Marine (12 Series)will provide Jurong Shipyard the tools todeliver their global projects in the mosttimely and efficient manner possible.”

Jurong Shipyard extends AVEVA agreement

Fleet management software from Jeppesenwww.jeppesen.com/marine

Jeppesen has launched a new maritimefleet management information systemcalled Jeppesen Fleet Manager, a web-based tool used to provide shore-sidemanagers with updated passage datadirect from their ships.

The program is designed to integratewith other Jeppesen products and servic-es, including C-Map charts and Jeppesen’sVessel and Voyage Optimisation Solution(VVOS).

The Fleet Manager assesses the passageof each ship by comparing progress interms of distance covered, time used andfuel consumed, or according to the specif-ic terms of a charter party agreement.

In the office on land, an interactive dis-play of the ship's progress is presented onnavigational charts, with the potential fora further weather overlay.

"One of the key differentiators betweenJeppesen Fleet Manager and competing sys-tems is the program’s ability to track aship's performance against charter partyterms or pro forma," said Ron Moody, prod-

uct manager for Jeppesen Fleet Manager. "Both for the operator and the charter-

er, there is now clear documentation aboutthe voyage."

Integrating with VVOS can provide acomparison of planned route and histori-cal track, predicted ETA and variance fig-ures, severe motion and weather warningsand slow-down alerts.

The new system is being offered as anonline service to subscribers, who will usea log-in and a secure browser connectionto access the ships’ performance data.

The already established VVOS systemis also the subject of a recently announcedcontract with the US Navy, which is toconduct a 6-month trial evaluation of thesoftware, which combines ocean weatherforecasts, computer modelling of ship per-formance, and route optimisation algo-rithms to assist in voyage planning.

Jeppesen says that the system canpotentially improve the efficiency of shipnavigation by reducing fuel consumptionand carbon emissions, improving ETAsand providing data that can be used tohelp extend the life of a vessel.

The VVOS system will be evaluated byCommander, Naval Meteorology andOceanography Command – CNMOC – atthe US Naval Maritime Forecast Centres inNorfolk, Virginia and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The commercial off-the-shelf version ofVVOS includes proprietary weather andwave forecasts of up to 15 days, updatedtwice daily. High resolution (1/32-degree)surface ocean currents, updated daily, arealso provided and utilised in VVOS’sroute optimisation computations.

The system calculates an ‘optimal pas-sage solution’ against which actual passagescan be compared for relative efficiency.

This is based on the principle that, for agiven passage with specific ship loadingconditions and departure and arrivaltimes, there is a theoretical optimal pas-sage that minimises fuel consumptionwhile meeting all safety requirements andother user-specified constraints.

This optimal route and speed profile iscreated, first, by creating a grid of all pos-sible solutions, and then by searching forthe most efficient solution using the soft-ware’s Dynamic Programming algorithm.

In other news, Jeppesen also reportsthat it has launched a "communityresource" for the maritime industry, aheadof IMO’s mandatory carriage require-ments for ECDIS and its e-Navigationimplementation plan.

The website (www.e-navigation.com),with associated forums in social mediaspaces such as Facebook and LinkedIn,provides information about technical con-cepts, rules, new developments and trends.

“e-Navigation and mandatory ECDISwill impact everyone in the shipping indus-try for a generation, as it involves using allthe capabilities of technology to empowerships’ operators and improve decision-making,” said Willy Zeiler, marketing andcommunication manager for Jeppesen.

“We believe that this idea has tremen-dous potential, with links to efficiency, safe-ty and a simpler interface for navigators.”

An interlinked reference library of arti-cles relating directly to ECDIS and e-Navigation is included, with visitors ableto propose changes or new articles. Linksto sites like Twitter, Facebook, Deliciousand LinkedIn allow users to share, interact and discuss their own take on e-Navigation issues.

FleetWeather Ocean Serviceshas opened a new office in Singapore, toprovide services for the Asia Pacificregion and to offer local sales and sup-port services in the area.

Aveva has released version 4.5 of its Aveva NET Portal, which uses object-based technology to link relatedproject documents and information in a single view. The new user interfaceallows for multiple ‘dashboards’ to suitdifferent roles within the organisation,providing users with only the informa-

www.fleetweather.com

www.aveva.com

www.witherbyseamanship.com

tion they need to perform their particulartasks.

Witherby Publishing Group isto provide Petrospot publications aseBooks. All of the eBooks are available todownload and view on the WitherbySeamanship eBook reader.

p18-23:p15-25.qxd 04/10/2010 15:32 Page 1

MTN LEADS THE WAYIN A SEA OF VSAT OPTIONS.Sure, there are other fish in the sea but MTN stands out in the crowd for more than one reason and its time you find out why!

For more information on our products and services, contact us at the following sales offices:

U.S. toll-free: 877.464.4686 | U.S. 1.954.538.4000 Greece: +30.210.983.5220 | Hamburg: +49.40.38079.556Southampton: +44.1489.585.030 | Singapore: +65.9688.1128 or email us at [email protected]. www.mtnsat.com

By bringing together the best equipment, redundant

terrestrial networks, exceptional satellite coverage areas,

and the most advanced MPLS based infrastructure, your

vessels stay connected. MTN serves more maritime crew

than any other VSAT satellite services provider. We’ve

been exceeding expectations for the most demanding

clients for over 25 years.

p18-23:p15-25.qxd 04/10/2010 15:32 Page 2

SOFTWARE NEWS


www.palantir.no

Bourbon Offshore Norway has agreed acontract with maritime technology compa-ny Palantir for the delivery of Palantir'sKeepUp@Sea solution on 20 BourbonOffshore vessels.

Under the terms of the deal Palantirwill also be responsible for service andsupport for the existing IT and communi-cations infrastructure on BourbonOffshore vessels.

The new Bourbon Vessel IT Standardthat the company intends to introduce is built on Palantir's KeepUp@Sea solu-tion, and will be delivered as a managedservice from Palantir's headquarters in

Stord, Norway. Additional elements of the contract

include hardware, software, logistics,installation and migration servicesonboard the vessels.

Pilot installations of the new IT systemsare scheduled to take place in October,with the global roll-out of the technologyto the Bourbon Offshore fleet set to followsoon afterwards.

"We have come to the conclusion thatthe KeepUp@Sea solution from Palantirwould best meet our overall target, whichis a reliable and secure IT&C networkonboard of our vessels," said Kay-ÅgeFugledal, IT vessel manger at BourbonOffshore Norway.

Bourbon Offshore to install Palantir system www.autoship.com

Autoship Systems Corporation hasannounced the release of a new auto-mated tool for generating AutoloadDatabases, for use with its ship designsoftware systems.

The new feature allows ship design-ers to automatically export their 3Dmodel and stability database into theAutoload software system, regardless ofthe 3D design package being used.

Autoship says that this feature hasbeen high on the wish-list of its cus-tomers, as it allows them to export theirearly stage designs into Autoload data-bases so they can show simulations to

their own potential end-clients, andthen make any necessary changes aspart of the design evolution.

This new release will help shipdesigners to quickly create Autoloaddatabases for graphical simulation,without having to wait until the endstage of their projects.

This will also allow the software to be used to show vessel operators’ ownend clients how a vessel will perform,and to produce necessary loading, sta-bility and crane handling documenta-tion upfront.

Autoship's development team havechosen IGES as the backbone format forthe new tools.

New ship design tool from Autoship

20 Bourbon Offshore vessels will adopt KeepUp@Sea. Photo: Kay-Åge FugledalThe new tool allows simulations of the completed vessel

to be created early in the design process

p18-23:p15-25.qxd 04/10/2010 15:32 Page 3

Digital Ship


www.shipserv.com

Prestige Cruise Holdings has signed up tojoin ShipServ's maritime e-commerce trad-ing platform, TradeNet.

Prestige, which operates the Oceaniaand Regent Seven Seasbrands, will use TradeNet topurchase spares and suppliesfor its current fleet of six shipsand two newbuildings to bedelivered in 2011 and 2012.

Prestige Cruise Holdingswent live on TradeNet inJuly 2010, following JohnGustafsson's recruitment asdirector of technical purchas-ing. Mr Gustafsson immedi-ately targeted improved con-trol of purchasing as an oper-ational goal for the fleet.

“Our ships are constantlymoving targets so it’s crucialthat we can generate pur-chase orders at the right timeto get the supplies to port onschedule,” he explained.

“The first improvement forus was that, instead of dozensof clicks to create and e-mail a(purchase order) to a numberof suppliers, ShipServ enablesus to reach several in one go.It’s a tremendous time savingto have all your suppliers allin one place.”

Mr Gustafsson says hehad calculated a two to threeweek lead-time for roll-out ofthe system, but in the event,his purchase agents wereusing TradeNet by the after-noon of the first day.

“We expected a toughlearning curve but we wereup and running the sameday,” he said.

"We expect to be able tomanage our new tonnage with-out adding to headcount. Infact we expect to assign a pur-chase agent to do follow upsand tracking. What ShipServ isdoing is freeing up time."

ShipServ estimates that alarge cruise ship can gener-ate up to eight times morepurchase orders per yearthan a standard cargo ship –equivalent to a small fleetfrom a single vessel.

In other news, ShipServ alsoreports that it is expandingits service to German ship-owners through new co-operation agreements withGermanischer Lloyd's softwarearm, GL Maritime Software,and German software houseR+M Business Software.

As part of the GL deal aspecial ‘plug-in’ is to be devel-oped, which can connect GLmaintenance and purchasingsystems onboard ship directlyto suppliers on TradeNet.

“Having clients being able

to connect directly via their GL software willreally open up our ability to deliver value tomore ship owners, and reduce the time ittakes for them to get onboard," said PaulOstergaard, founder and CEO of ShipServ.

"It will also help our supplier members too

by deepening the pool of ships available andbringing them new customer opportunities.”

'Plug-ins' will also be a feature of thedeal with R+M, which will integrateTradeNet into its 'for.SHIP' programme,an industry-specific solution based on theMicrosoft Dynamics NAV system.

"Our co-operation with ShipServ enablesthe customer to exchange data with TradeNet

directly from their system," explainedOliver Schmitz, sales manager, R+M.

“This way integrated communicationbetween ship and shore is being extendedto the supplier. The whole purchase can becompleted without media conversion andin structured data. This guarantees an effi-cient way to communicate with suppliersand handle requisitions.”

Prestige deal for ShipServ

p18-23:p15-25.qxd 04/10/2010 15:32 Page 4

AA lthough it should be consideredas a complement for traditionaltraining methods, and not a sub-

stitute, using computers to simulate reallife scenarios has become an increasinglyimportant part of the training of seafarers.

Examples of high profile collisions, likethat between the Andrea Doria and theStockholm, have subsequently been recre-ated in computer form with a view toshowing crew members ‘how not to do it’.

A recent International Institute ofMarine Surveying conference in Londonhighlighted the dangers of being over-dependent on electronic equipment, andfailing to back up electronically providedinformation with physical checks.

However, as computers have becomeincreasingly powerful and versatile, so toohave the computer based training pack-ages available. Crew members can learnhow to manoeuvre a ship in a restrictedport area, how to respond to a potentialcrisis, or how to load a vessel to ensuremaximum safety.

For example, Warsash MaritimeAcademy’s full mission bridge simulatorhas control equipment designed to simu-late various vessel configurations, fromsingle or twin screw to azipod propulsionsystems.

So, in general terms, how can computerbased training (CBT) contribute toenhanced safety at sea?

According to Nautical Institute directorof projects David Patraiko, CBT brings “avaluable contribution to a blended learn-ing strategy.”

“The obvious advantage is the use ofquality multimedia, but other advantagesare the ability of students to learn at theirown pace and the ability to carry out selfassessments,” he said.

The use of the phrase “blended learn-ing” highlights the point that CBT shouldform just part of the training mix, and con-

ventional means of training should not beignored. However, Mr Patraiko can pointto tangible examples of where CBT hascontributed to understanding among sea-farers where a more traditional approachmay not have worked.

“There are many examples of how CBTcan improve learning, but my favourite isthe teaching of ship stability. An animatedillustrative example of stability principles,to me, adds much to the diagrams andgraphs in book form, “ he said.

Clearly, as technology continues toevolve, CBT will be developing with it,with enhanced features, and more realisticsimulations. While shipboard computersmay not yet have the sophisticated fea-tures available to onshore simulators, thismay well come in the future.

“I think that as technology continuallyimproves, maritime CBT will benefit enor-mously from improved graphics, simula-tion, gaming technology, internet connec-

tivity and greater user interaction,” MrPatraiko said.

PiracyPiracy is a potential area where CBT canbe used to promulgate useful, and poten-tially life-saving, information.

As Mr Patraiko notes, “there is a lot ofgood advice available to help crews avoidpiracy, though unfortunately not all of it isbeing taken. There is a potential, particu-larly by using the benefits of multimedia,to improve the application of best prac-tices in this area.”

According to the InternationalMaritime Bureau, over a thousand crewmembers were taken hostage by pirateslast year, with 49 vessels hijacked, mostlyby Somali pirates.

This is undoubtedly a global issue,and shipping companies across theworld are eager to improve their chancesof successfully avoiding pirate attacks, orat the very least minimising their impact

as far as possible.In this regard shipping companies like

SCF Unicom Management Services ofCyprus, Euronav Ship Management ofAntwerp, and Fairsky Shipping AndTrading of Greece have all introducedCBT products specifically designed toassist crew members in dealing with pira-cy incidents

These software-based systems, provid-ed by Norwegian company Seagull, focuson issues like best practice to avoid a pira-cy attack, what to do if one occurs, andhow to react if the vessel is overcome by pirates.

While it is self evident that no amountof training can entirely prepare you for atraumatic event – the New York-basedSeamen’s Church Institute is conductingresearch into post piracy trauma assess-ment and treatment – it can at least pro-vide preparation for crew members whomay be required to go into a danger zone.

Given the number of newbuildings setto be delivered in the next year or so, aswell as the shortage of skilled officers,CBT may be a useful solution in overcom-ing the logistical difficulty of getting crewmembers to an onshore training facility.

Assessing the usefulness of CBT canbest be done by a company itself, withregard to its own particular needs, accord-ing to Mr Patraiko.

“The Nautical Institute promotes bestpractice in the use of CBT, however themeasurement of its effectiveness needs tobe taken on a company basis when com-paring it to other forms of training and ofcourse the costs involved,” he said.

“Trainees may also respond differentlyto the kind of training methods used.”

CBT onlineTaking CBT online also presents additionalopportunities in widening the training netto include those who may not be immedi-

SOFTWARE


Piracy is one area where CBT can prove useful, helping crews to learnbest practices in reacting to an attack. Photo: Jason R Zalasky

Improving seafarer safety with CBT With seafarer shortages set to increase the strain on the maritime education system, the Nautical Institute’s

David Patraiko told Digital Ship about how he believes computer-based training can act as a vital ingredient in enhancing crew performance

p18-23:p15-25.qxd 04/10/2010 15:32 Page 5

ately able to attend a physical centre. “Linking CBT with the internet has

obvious potentials in terms of keeping thetraining current, interactive, offering feed-back and centrally managing fleet train-ing,” said Mr Patraiko.

“Although I expect these aspects willincrease in the future, the practical use ofinternet currently in the maritime industryneeds to be kept in mind.”

Issues like the use of broadband havebeen exercising the minds of ship man-agers and other trade associations as theyseek to encourage young people to go to sea.

The Maritime Labour Convention 2006is in the process of moving towards entryinto force, with the support of just 30countries, responsible for a minimum of33 per cent of the world’s tonnage,required.

Mr Patraiko believes that CBT can playan important role in circulating informa-tion about these new rules, and helpingseafarers to understand what they shouldexpect from their working conditions.

“The MLC 2006 is a vital initiative for seafarer rights, and I'm sure the use of CBT can bring an awareness and understanding of the issues to the seafar-ers,” he notes.

The new convention consolidates more than 65 maritime labour standardsdeveloped over the past 80 years and setsout seafarers’ rights across a wide range of topics, including such issues as hours of rest.

One question mark that still remains inthe use of these systems is whether experi-enced seafarers will be attracted to com-puter based training.

However, according to Mr PatraikoCBT does offer one advantage to experi-enced mariners, in that they “are able tolearn at their own pace, assess their com-petence and use the software to targetupdated issues or identify personal weaknesses.”

Products like the SAfeCargo liquidcargo simulator, developed by Warsashand US-based MPRI, have modules whichprovide feedback to the trainee, whichthey suggest will essentially replace a

supervisor or instructor. However that does not mean that crew

members should be left alone to experi-ence a virtual learning experience.Involvement by more senior and experi-enced personnel, up to and including themaster, is essential.

The nature of shipping means thatsmall numbers of individuals will begrouped together on vessels, sometimesfor months at a time. A good workingenvironment and strong links betweenindividuals is vital if they are to do theirjobs, and enjoy doing their jobs.

Mr Patraiko believes that CBT can be used to contribute to relationship management, communication during thevoyage, and perhaps even the complaintsprocedure.

“Good quality CBT has the potential toimprove understanding of any subject,whether it is regulated, non-regulated oreven for personal development,” he said.

“Management and leadership compe-tencies are extremely valuable on boardand CBT can play an important role with-in a blended learning strategy to offerimprovement.”

The role of the ship’s master may con-jure up a paternal image for some, but oth-ers in the industry say the role is now oneakin to that of a company managing direc-tor, responsible for those on board but also ensuring close links with thoseashore, with a vital training role to fulfil inboth cases.

As with all companies, the managingdirector’s ability to ‘walk the job’ will bekey to the success of the business.

LimitationsDespite these potential benefits, CBT as itexists today is subject to certain limita-tions, be they cost, availability of internetaccess, or the ability of crews to find timeto do the training.

“I think another limitation is a goodunderstanding of the cost/benefit modelsfor CBT,” said Mr Patraiko.

“For many years there has been an avi-ation industry CBT Committee (AICC)made up of various stakeholders, and nowthat the maritime industry is on the cusp

of more CBT usage due to the growingfunctionality of affordable technology andindustry demands for training and themanagement of competencies, maybe it istime to revisit such a concept.”

The maritime industry has often beenunfavourably compared to the aviationindustry in terms of its speed of reactionwhen accidents occur, and its ability tospeak with one voice, to name but twocriticisms.

However, it can also be said that, in cer-tain cases, ships’ crews are subject to farmore rigorous standards than those pre-vailing in other industry sectors, includingaviation.

These include the need to be physically

fit- which in some industry sectors mightlead to charges of discrimination- becauseof the requirement, in the case of passen-ger ships for example, to be responsiblefor the safe evacuation of those aboard,with the ability to fulfil these duties withutmost dispatch.

Helping these crews to stay at the top oftheir game should see computer basedtraining become more, rather than less,prevalent in the years to come, as commu-nications, computer hardware and soft-ware improve.

However, a rounded approach to train-ing is the key – mixing the best that CBTcan offer with good, practical personalexperience and leadership from the top.


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www.shipdecision.com

Stelvio has added a set of new features tothe Chartering Module of its ShipDecisionmaritime software package, in an initia-tive conceived jointly with Canadian shipowner Canfornav.

The Module aims to provide Chartererswith one consolidated view of all informa-tion related to a Contract of Affreightment(COA).

This includes all documents and e-mailspertaining to the COA, such as cargo typeand volume, or allotment across a specificnumber of voyages, and features a completetrail of all actions taken to move the cargo.

“We are on our way to becoming apaperless operation,” said Knud Jensen,executive vice president of Canfornav.

“With the introduction of new COA,voyage tracking and fixture tracking fea-tures in ShipDecision, we can keep a clos-er tab on the movement of our cargos andvessels which supports our charteringdepartment as well as operations.”

Stelvio says that the consolidated viewoffered by the software should make iteasier for companies to track and managethe individual voyages taken to fulfill each COA.

“This initiative is consistent with ourapproach of continuously evolving ourproducts to support business-specificneeds,” said Albert Carbone, president ofStelvio.

“By collaborating with our clients, wecreate solutions that are applicable to themaritime industry as a whole.”

Canfornav assists in ShipDecision upgrade

www.portvision.com

PortVision reports that its vessel-tracking service and PV-OnBoard battery-operated satellite trackers havebeen successfully applied by BP in managing its response and restorationoperations related to the DeepwaterHorizon incident.

The PortVision system includes a data-base of real-time and historical AIS track-ing data, to provide visibility of commer-cial vessel activity.

To track smaller vessels that are notequipped with AIS transponders, BP usedthe service with data provided by thesatellite trackers, which are now beingdeployed on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

PortVision says that it customised thesystem to BP’s requirements, addingscreen overlays of divisional responseareas throughout the affected Gulf regions,

and colour-coding vessel types withinthese areas using its VesselZones feature.

"We have worked closely with BP andthe Unified Command operations team insupport of real-time vessel-tracking activi-ties related to the Gulf incident responseand restoration effort," said DeanRosenberg, PortVision CEO.

"This includes providing a combinationof hardware and customised software,extensive support services, and our PV-OnBoard satellite trackers."

"The PortVision service offers signifi-cant benefits in incident-response andother maritime intelligence applications,and also enables responders and otherparties to access historical AIS and satellite data for a variety of purposes,from policy development and training to litigation support and the verificationof vessel operating fees and servicecharges."

PortVision aids in Deepwater Horizon response

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LCD display, and historical data can berecalled and viewed via the menu system,which also offers access to a range of addi-tional parameters, such as alarms to alertoperators that the smoke densities areapproaching illegal levels.

As well as smoke monitoring, theVigilant system can receive signals fromoxygen analysers installed in the boilerexhausts to monitor for higher thanexpected levels of oxygen, which indicatethat combustion in the boiler is not as effi-cient as it should be.

A single PC is used to control the sys-tem, with advanced versions of the systemallowing all engine smoke, GPS and oxy-gen data to be shared with the ship’s cen-tral control and monitoring systems.

www.bmtargoss.com

BMT Argoss, a subsidiary of BMT Group,reports that it has deployed its marinemanoeuvring simulator, PC Rembrandt, toassist the Port of Itajai in Brazil ahead of itsreopening to large-sized container traffic.

The port was struck by a flash floodtwo years ago which silted the harbour by up to 4m in some areas, and resulted in the port authority reducing the size and draught of vessels that could enter the port.

This reduction in vessel size hit theport’s revenue severely, especially at a timewhen the world’s shipping economy wasexperiencing a severe downturn in trade.

Following one of the largest surveyingand dredging operations in Brazil, the Portof Itajai is once again open for business tolarge container vessels.

To prepare for this re-opening, a PCRembrandt marine simulator workshopwas established at the port’s offices inBrazil in order to refresh pilots’ ship han-dling knowledge and experience of largecontainerships.

The workshop lasted four days andwas attended by Itajai Pilots, senior repre-sentatives of APM Itajai, MSC and the PortAuthority.

The workshop provided the pilots witha simulated model of a 290m containervessel, which had been fully validatedagainst previous ship trials data.

The Port of Itajai was recreated in PCRembrandt using the standard BritishAdmiralty chart and the port’s latestbathymetry and hydrodynamic data,

including tides and currents, were incor-porated from information gained throughCPE Brasil’s recent surveying work.

Further information was added on-sitein Brazil such as the port’s tug suite, whichcan be simulated in PC Rembrandt in vec-tor format.

The PC Rembrandt system was man-aged and operated by BMT Argoss’Southampton director Simon Burnay, withall runs and simulations conducted on theworst case scenarios to test and identifythe port’s operational limits for vessels ofthis size.

At the end of the four days, a set ofStandard Operation Procedures (SOP’s)were developed between BMT Argoss andthe Port of Itajai’s pilots for the safe opera-tion and manoeuvring of container vesselsof 290m and over.

“We have a strong relationship withCPE Brasil and the Port of Itajai and weare delighted that BMT Argoss was giventhe opportunity to deliver cost-effective,accurate and flexible on-site training tosupport the port’s increased capacity,”noted James Norwood, manager, manoeu-vring simulation division, BMT Argoss.

“During the workshop, a full range ofsimulation runs were conducted withextreme environmental conditions addedin both night and day modes to test the limits.”

“The information gleaned from PCRembrandt provided all stakeholders withan extremely accurate analysis of largecontainership operations in Itajai and welook forward to hearing the results of thePort’s first 290m container vessel visit.”

The recreation of the Port of Itajai has allowed pilots to prepare for the port's reopeningafter a flood

Simulation practice for Brazilianpilots ahead of port reopening

Martek introduces smoke monitoring system


www.martek-marine.com

Martek Marine has introduced its newVigilant product, a calibrated funnelsmoke monitoring system used to keeptrack of ship emissions.

A funnel smoke monitoring systemmeasures the density of smoke usingopacity monitoring techniques based on atransmitter and receiver installed on eitherside of the funnel. The transmitter sends abeam of light towards the receiver and theobscuration - the amount of light thatreaches the receiver - is measured.

The thicker and darker the smoke, theless light received by the transmitter: verydark smoke will result in a very lowamount of light or even no light beingreceived by the receiver.

The readings are sent via serialcommunications protocol andcabling to the Vigilant control sys-tem, where the software converts thesignalled values to representation interms of the Ringelmann Scale,which grades densities of smoke.

Readings can be stored by thesystem, and can be used by ship-ping companies wishing to defendthemselves in the event of accusa-tions made by authorities that theship was exhausting black smokein contravention of local or interna-tional regulations.

The values are displayed on an

Digital Ship

Navico has entered into a cooperativepartnership with Consilium, to cooper-ate in offering new radar technology prod-ucts to the maritime market underNavico's Simrad brand.

Emerson Process Managementhas agreed a deal with HattelandDisplay to provide type-approved com-puters and displays for the company'sDeltaV digital automation system.

Comark Corporation has receivedAmerican Bureau of Shipping

(ABS) Type Approval on its 15-inchseries of MDU marine computers and dis-plays. The MDU15 and MDUPC15 featuresunlight readable or LED backlit displays,and processing options that include Core 2Mobile, up to 2.2 GHz, with up to 4GBRAM.

exactEarth has hired Albert Antoineas regional sales director for Asia and thePacific Rim. Mr Antoine, who previouslyworked as a consultant on maritimedomain awareness issues, will be based inSingapore and act as a local point of con-tact for customers of the company's space-based AIS service, exactAIS.

Ocean Signal has announced theappointment of Mark Day as its globalsales and marketing manager. Prior tojoining Ocean Signal, Mr Day wasEuropean sales manager for McMurdo.

www.navico.comwww.consilium.sewww.emersonprocess.co.ukwww.hatteland-display.comwww.comarkcorp.comwww.exactearth.comwww.oceansignal.com

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The transmitter and receiver are placed on eitherside of the funnel, measuring light passed

through the smoke

p24-40:p26-32.qxd 04/10/2010 16:00 Page 2


alarm monitoring. A central change of display colour

scheme and central dimming function canbe processed from any work-station within the integrated navigationsystem (INS).

The configurations and tasks of theworkstations are controlled by a newlydeveloped Bridge Integration Platform

with common interfaces tofurther ship systems, allow-ing additional applicationssuch as automation, DP sys-tem or CCTV from varioussuppliers to be displayed onthe workstations.

Within the INS, all data isdistributed by a new dualEthernet bus, which can bestored independently at anyworkstation. Access to all ofthe available data allowsusers to create their own newdisplay pages to meet theirindividual requirements.

To supplement these sys-tems Raytheon has addition-ally introduced a newVoyage Efficiency Monitor,which can jointly displaynavigation data with engineautomation data and load-master computer data.

The company says thatthis can be useful in support-ing the navigator in decisionmaking, particularly withregard to rudder steering.

To integrate the operatorinterfaces of the intelligentalert management systemand the new ConsistentCommon Reference System(CCRS), Raytheon has alsoenhanced its NautoConningdisplay.

Within the INS, the CCRScontinuously observes theavailability, validity andintegrity of all sensor dataand calculates a quality indi-cator for each sensor. TheConning displays the qualityindicators and provides asystem wide sensor andsource selection menuincluding a choice betweenmanual and automatic sen-sor selection.

A set of the best sensordata is compiled within theautomatic sensor selectionmode, and distributedthroughout the entire navi-gation system.

Synapsis Bridge Control isbeing joined by other newRaytheon products, such as anew adaptive NautoPilot5000 with colour TFT andtouch screen operation, aswell as a new Nautosteer ASsteering control system.

Based on CAN-bus,NautoSteer AS was devel-oped to be fail-safe, with allcomponents fitted with take-over functions and includingwire break and steering fail-ure monitoring.

ber of different ways, ranging from astand-alone ECDIS workplace to a fullintegrated workstation that providesaccess to all nautical tasks such as routemonitoring, collision avoidance, naviga-tion control, status and data display or

ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION NEWS

in Germany.The system features new wide-screen,

task-orientated multifunctional worksta-tions, built using standard hardware andsoftware for future scalability.

The unit can be configured in a num-

www.raytheon-anschuetz.com

Raytheon Anschütz has officiallylaunched its new Intelligent BridgeSystem, under the name Synapsis Bridge Control, at the SMM exhibition

Intelligent bridge debuted by Raytheon

SeaAccess turnkey solutions include:

– Worldwide coverage and service locations

– Corporate networking

– Internet and e-mail access

– Crew calling solutions

– 24/7 help desk

– Customer portal for metrics and tools

Satellite

VSAT

Phone/FaxGSM

Internet

Wireless Access Point

Satellite Network Gateway

Virtual Private Network

Isn’t it time for SeaAccess?Maritime communications are taking a turn for the better. Expensive phone calls, slow data transfers and gaps in coverage are a thing of the past. With SeaAccess Communications from CapRock, you get always-on, business-class broadband at an affordable, fixed, monthly cost virtually anywhere in the world. Without metered service and surprising cost fluctuations, your captains and crews can remain in contact with the corporate office and stay in touch with friends and family anytime. And thanks to CapRock’s global infrastructure, you’ll get worldwide coverage and local support day in and day out. All these advances lead to cost savings, more efficient fleet operations and more informed decision-making.

It’s time for a wave of change.

www.CapRock.com/SeaAccess

© 2010 CapRock Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Digital Ship


The US Coast Guard (USCG) has issued acaution to AIS users within the EasternUnited States to inform them that theymay have inadvertently been operating onthe wrong AIS channels.

Between July 27 and August 19, 2010,while conducting development testing ofits Nationwide Automatic IdentificationSystem (NAIS), the Coast Guard inadver-tently tele-commanded most AIS userstransiting the Eastern United Statesbetween lower Connecticut and NorthCarolina to switch to AIS frequenciesother than the AIS default frequencies(161.975 MHz - Channel 87B - 2087 and162.025 MHz - Channel 88B - 2088).

As a result, those users within uniquelydefined channel management regionscould neither see nor be seen by vesselsoperating on the default AIS channelswhen within these regions.

Similarly, vessels operating on defaultfrequencies could not see or be seen bythose vessels that were inadvertentlyswitched to other frequencies.

USCG notes that no other AIS users orareas were impacted.

AIS operates on multiple channelswithin the VHF-FM marine band. Thisability to use different frequencies allowsAIS to be used even when the defaultchannels are otherwise unavailable orcompromised.

In such conditions, authorities can use

an AIS base station to tele-command ship-borne AIS devices to switch to other moreappropriate channels when withindefined regions of 200 to 2000 square nau-tical miles.

This can be done automatically (andwithout user intervention) through receiptof an AIS channel management message(AIS message 22) or manually entered viathe AIS Minimal Keyboard Display(MKD) or a similar input device.

Once commanded or manually entered,the channel management information willstay in memory for 5 weeks or until anaffected vessel moves more than 500 nau-tical miles from the defined region.

AIS channel management commandscan only be manually overridden orerased by the user via the unit’s channel(regional frequencies) management func-tion or automatically overridden viaanother channel management message forthe same defined region.

USCG notes that reinitialising or reset-ting the AIS or transmission channels willnot necessarily reprogram the unit back tothe default channels.

As a result of this incident, for fiveweeks commencing September 1st, USCGbegan broadcasting new channel manage-ment messages to tele-command all AISusers back to the default channels.

To ensure that these messages werereceived, they were being broadcast on

Channel 70 – Digital Selective Calling(DSC), which is also monitored by alltype-certified shipboard AIS.

While this ensured that all AIS userswould receive the message regardless ofwhat AIS channel the unit is operating on,USCG notes that it could have caused aminor inconvenience to owners of olderDSC radios who may have received analert upon receipt of this message.

The operation is not expected to havehad any other effect on DSC radios.

USCG reminds all AIS users to main-tain their AIS in effective operating condi-tion and to validate their AIS data prior toeach voyage and as needed.

www.maris.no

Beluga Shipping is to introduce the MDSsystem from Maris on 50 multipurposeheavy lift project carriers.

The system will be used to provide thecompany’s Beluga Fleet Management sub-sidiary with modules to manage paperchart updates, and all digital publications.

“Our multipurpose heavy lift projectcarriers operate on routes off the beatentrack of the large global flows of goods,independent from on-site infrastructureand according to the flexible principle oftramp shipping in line with the customers’requirements,” said Kerstin Schmeding,nautical superintendent at Beluga.

“We have evaluated several programsover a long period of time and have neverfound this simple handling of foliostogether with such a completeness of theprogram. During the trial we have experi-enced great support and updates of thesoftware, which were taking our require-ments into account.”

The MDS system can be used for theupdating and management of papercharts, ENCs and marine publications, aswell as for weather, route and voyageplanning.

The indicated areas were affected by the AIS change. Photo: USCG

USCG issues AIS caution for Eastern US Beluga to installMaris MDS on

50 vessels

p24-40:p26-32.qxd 04/10/2010 15:54 Page 4

www.exactearth.com

COM DEV International subsidiary,exactEarth, has announced that its space-based Automatic Identification System (S-AIS) data has been used successfully bythe South African Maritime SafetyAuthority (SAMSA) in an ongoing trial.

The data was recently used in connec-tion with security efforts conducted dur-ing the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with CapeTown-based Marine Data Solutions inte-grating the S-AIS data into SAMSA'sNorcontrol IT vessel traffic managementsystem.

“We've been very impressed with thequality of data exactEarth has provided tous,” said Capt Karl Otto, executive head,Centre for Sea Watch and Response,SAMSA.

“Our existing coastal AIS equipment

has a limited range of 20 to 30 nauticalmiles and typically detects no more than afew dozen ships at a time.”

“During the World Cup exactEarth'sspace-based system was detecting over1,000 ships. This enhanced visibilityenabled our maritime security authoritiesto plan days in advance rather thanhours.”

According to exactEart, SAMSA is eval-uating S-AIS technology for its potential toimprove safety and security by enablingauthorities to monitor and communicatewith ships identified by their AIS signals.

The space-based AIS data service deliv-ers satellite-based AIS messages directlyto end users. Further satellite launches areplanned to take place later in 2010 and into2011, expanding the constellation and pro-viding improved revisit times and greatervessel detection rates.


www.arisimulation.com

ARI’s Simulation Product Training Centrein New Delhi, India, has announced thecommencement of training programmesfor Intertanko's TOTS scheme at the facili-ty.

Element 4 Tanker Officers TrainingStandards (TOTS) training and verifica-tion programmes for product, crude oiland chemical tankers, fully approved byDNV, will now be on offer at the simula-tion centre.

The facility will be utilising a DNV-cer-tified Class 'A' Full Mission Liquid CargoHandling Simulator to conduct the train-ing programme, according to ARI.

“ARI’s Liquid Cargo HandlingSimulator comes with a library of TOTScompliant training and verification exer-

cises and presents an opportunity forIntertanko member companies and mar-itime institutes to rapidly deployapproved effective tanker competencyassessment and enhancement solutions,”said Shravan Rewari, ARI managingdirector.

“We are extremely privileged to beassociated with this Intertanko initiative.”

Intertanko marine director, CaptHoward Snaith, also added his support tothe new training programme, commentingthat the organisation is "absolutelydelighted that ARI’s Simulation ProductTraining Centre has achieved accredita-tion to run the TOTS simulator courses."

"This is the first TOTS accredited centrein Asia and we encourage our members toavail themselves of this world class facili-ty,” he said.


ARI simulation centre commences TOTS training

www.comarsystems.com

UK-based Comar has introduced its newAIS receiver, the AIS-2-2000, compatiblewith NMEA 200 networks.

Installing the unit on a NMEA 2000 net-work on board ship can be done using adrop cable and NMEA 2000 connector,which supplies both data and power con-nectivity to and from the network.

An existing VHF Radio Antenna can alsobe used, in conjunction with the ComarASR 100 VHF splitter, to save on the cost ofinstalling a separate VHF antenna.

New AIS receiver from Comar

ARI's facility will now be offering training under the Intertanko TOTS initiative

Space-based AIS aids World Cup security

www.transpondertech.se

Saab TransponderTech has been awardedcontracts by the China Maritime SafetyAgency (MSA) and the Romanian NavalAuthority, to supply land-based and ves-sel-based AIS technology.

The MSA contract covers the supply ofan AIS network covering six major in-land waterways in China, with the aim of improving vessel traffic monitoringstations' visibility of the thousands of vessels transiting the country’s riversand canals.

Saab will supply some 150 AIS basestations and more than 50 system serversalong the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal (also

known as the Grand Canal of China), aswell as the Heilongjiang, Songhua, tribu-taries of the Yangtze, Pearl and HuaiheRiver systems.

Saab had previously supplied the AISnetwork covering China’s coastal waters.

Under the Romanian contract, Saabwill supply 250 inland AIS transpondersand 20 portable AIS units, to supply ves-sel data to electronic chart displays intraffic control centres.

Again, Saab had previously installedthe Romanian River Information System(RoRIS), which uses AIS and other sen-sors to provide surveillance and monitor-ing of the Romanian portion of theDanube River and the Black Sea coast.

Romanian and Chinese AIS contracts for Saab

Comar says that it believes this newunit to be one of the only NMEA 2000products that reads and decodes all AISmessages into NMEA 2000 format.

“With NMEA-2000 quickly becomingmore accepted as the way forward in theindustry, the timing of this could not bebetter,” said Peter Cotton, managingdirector of Comar Systems.

“The unit is very economically priced,simple to install and includes everythingyou need in one small box and our distrib-utors are already telling us we have a suc-cess story on our hands.”

www.imtech.eu

Germanischer Lloyd has certified a newalarm, monitoring and control systemdeveloped by Imtech Marine Germanyand Free Technics, two companies in theImtech Marine group.

The Imtech AMCS system has evolvedfrom the previously available FreeTechnics NavVision technoloy, andincludes shockproof fanless solid-state PCsusing Windows Embedded software and a

Imtech AMCS certifiedredundant Ethernet topology.

The human-machine interface is combinedwith alarm handling, and features graphicduty alarm panels with integrated engineer-ing calling / personal alarm functionality.

Configuration tools are included to aidusers in commissioning and maintainingthe AMCS, with a graphical editor to cre-ate user-defined Mimics.

Imtech notes that its AMCS is able toread out and control more than 10,000measuring points.

www.transas.com

Shipping companies Wilson ASA andGleamray Maritime Inc have agreed newECDIS deals with Transas, with the aim ofintroducing paperless navigation aboardtheir vessels.

Wilson has reached a framework agree-ment with Transas for the supply ofECDIS to 18 new vessels under order, aswell as upgrades of the systems on itsremaining fleet, which consists of 113 ves-sels ranging from 1,500 to 10,000 dwt.

Dual installations of Transas Navi-Sailor 4000 MFD ECDIS allow the ships tofulfil the ECDIS carriage requirements forpaperless navigation, removing the needfor paper chart back-ups on board.

Transas has already delivered dualECDIS to two vessels under the contract,the Wilson North and the Wilson Nice.

The deal has been reached after an in-depth evaluation process whereby Wilsonexamined a number of different available

technologies, with Nikolai Berget, Wilsonpurchasing manager, noting that the com-pany’s final choice represented the mostcost efficient solution that included all ofthe products and services the companyrequired.

The agreement with GleamrayMaritime covers its entire fleet of ownedand managed vessels, currently consist-ing of seven bulk carriers but with anewbuilding programme of 10 shipsunderway.

Gleamray has decided to proceedwith these installations now to pre-emptthe oncoming ECDIS carriage require-ments, beginning in 2012.

Transas will supply dual ECDIS sys-tems to the ships, as well as the TransasAdmiralty Data Service (TADS) whichincorporates official ENCs and chartupdates.

Under the contract agreement Transaswill also provide ECDIS training for theentire Gleamray crew.

Wilson and Gleamray to go paperless

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www.kongsberg.com

Kongsberg Maritime has reached anagreement with the Research Council ofNorway, whereby the organisations willcooperate in the development of a user-directed research programme calledSIMAR - Simulation of DemandingMaritime Operations - aimed at improv-ing simulation training by enhancingfocus on human factors.

The main goal of the research project isto obtain new and improved knowledge ofhuman factors in a learning environmentbased on simulated complex maritimeoperations, in order to develop a new gen-eration of research based, maritime simu-lators for demanding and risky opera-tions.

The aim is to be able to assess andmeasure the effect of the simulator train-ing - both in the simulator (based on thespecific learning objectives) and duringactual maritime operations (such asreduced risk, reduced number of acci-dents, reduced costs related to loss ofequipment and more efficient operations).

To achieve this, the project has defined4 sub goals: Defining and developinghuman learning objectives based on rele-

vant parameters available in the simula-tor; Designing and controlling the exer-cise/scenario; Increasing the knowledgeof how simulator training affects humanlearning; Strategies for implementingknowledge of human factors.

It is hoped that the SIMAR projectcould help to improve simulator trainingby enhancing the education process,through extensive testing on new and effi-cient education methods.

Through the SIMAR project, KongsbergMaritime says that it wants to develop asimulator that combines the latest in simu-lator technology with the latest in humanfactors knowledge.

"We have used our market and opera-tional competence in combination withour simulator hardware and softwareexpertise to provide high quality trainingfor seafarers since the seventies," saidTerje Heierstad, product and technologymanager, Kongsberg Maritime,Simulation & Training.

"Technology has developed fast and weare now offering incredible degrees ofrealism so we are keen to develop thelearning aspects and human factors insimulation training further. There is cur-rently very little research in this field, so

SIMAR is exploring new ground for themaritime industry."

"We are convinced that the cooperationwith the Research Council of Norway andour R&D partners will contribute to thedevelopment of the best tool for the futuretraining on demanding operations."

The task of defining and developinghuman learning objectives based on rele-vant parameters available in a simulatorwill primarily be carried out by ChalmersUniversity of Technology, as MargaretaLützhöft, Docent at Chalmers Universityof Technology, Institution for Shippingand Marine Technology, department forvessel work environment and safety,Gothenburg, explains.

"At the institution for Shipping andMarine Technology and in the competencecentre, Lighthouse, we have developedcompetence for research and developmentwithin many maritime fields," she said.

"SIMAR gives us a unique possibility topractice our knowledge - both employeesand students - to improve maritime edu-cation and safety at sea."

Universities in Vestfold and Oslo willwork in cooperation on the project, andwill be responsible for performingresearch on the education process in the

simulator based on knowledge of mecha-nism and methods in education.

Testing of new training exercises, basedon competence of educational mechanism,will be executed at the simulator centre atVestfold University College, as noted byMarius Imset, Institute leader at theFaculty of Technology and MaritimeScience at the University College inVestfold.

"Knowledge on how new informationtechnology and instrumentation can con-tribute to increased safety and efficiencywithin the maritime sector is a priorityarea for us at Vestfold University College,"he said.

"We perform research on how humanfactors work together with technology andorganisation, and the use of advancedsimulators provides new and exciting pos-sibilities."

"Our cooperation with Kongsberg, theUniversity of Oslo and Chalmers isunique, as it brings together differentworld-leading communities on complexand demanding maritime operations. Weare proud to contribute to the SIMAR proj-ect, which will bring out new knowledgewith the purpose to increase safety, effi-ciency and improve the use of energy."

www.furuno.co.jp

Furuno has launched a training and sim-ulator solution called NavSkills, whichaims to offer ship owners and trainingcentres a full package of the servicesrequired to offer compliant training tonavigators.

The system consists of a full missiontraining simulator with ECDIS planningstations, using real equipment for thebridge and planning stations to makeusage more realistic.

The simulator offered is approved byDNV SeaSkill as class A or S, dependingon the solution selected by the ship own-ers or training centres.

The training package includes DNVSeaSkill-certified ECDIS training and theDNV SeaSkill-certified IBS/INS Operatortraining course (both in compliance with the

relevant IMO Model Courses), as well asBridge/Engine Resource Managementtraining and Bridge Team Managementtraining.

“The uniqueness of the NavSkills solu-tion lies with the second part of the pack-age, which is a service contract,” saidMads Friis Sorensen, branch manager atFuruno Copenhagen.

“The service contract covers the provi-sion of approved training materials, edu-cation of the local instructors and theassessment by DNV SeaSkill of the train-ing courses to be conducted by theNavSkills customers locally."

"It is a kind of turnkey solution, whichenables the ship owners or training centresto provide DNV SeaSkill-certified trainingcourses from day one. Furuno will, as partof the service contract, handle the issuingof certificates to the trainees.”

www.chartco.com

ChartCo has released PassageManager, anew addition to its oceanMaster softwarepackage.

The new application is a passage plan-ning and product management tool usedto organise, purchase and update all paperand electronic charts, in real time.

Port, weather and tide information isintegrated, as well as ChartCo's full rangeof products, which removes the need forthe mariner to have to rely on any onedata supplier.

The mariner can use the software toplot a route and identify the most appro-priate products needed to navigate thepassage. New products can then beordered according to the most cost-effec-tive mix of paper and electronic charts

and publications.The ports database, supplied by IHS

Fairplay, offers data on 10,000 ports andterminals as well as 23,600 port serviceproviders, which the company says canprove useful in planning port calls.

Port maps and plans are also availableto assist in docking scenarios, while adaily news service informs users of criticalrequired information.

"(This system) will provide marinerswith not just navigational data, but prod-uct management which will significantlyimprove their ability to sail safely and costefficiently," said Rory Davis, ChartCosales and marketing manager.

"PassageManager is a superb tool formanaging the mix of paper and electronicdata now found on a vessel and it comes atno extra cost to the subscriber.”

New launch from ChartCoTraining packages introduced by Furuno

Simulator training research to investigate human factors

Furuno's NavSkills system includes DNV-certified training packages

www.ecdisplus.com

Kelvin Hughes has launched its newECDISPLUS service, which aims to pro-vide a package of services for thoseinstalling ECDIS systems onboard theirvessels.

This includes the supply and installa-tion of the ECDIS hardware, initial supplyof official ENC chart data, chart licencemanagement services and ChartCoupdates.

A new Outfit Management Service(OMS) is also included, a system used tomanage the supply of data to the vesselthrough the ongoing monitoring of vesselmovements and changes to ENC coverage.

These different elements can be tailoredto the specific requirements of the fleetinvolved.

“Kelvin Hughes fully supports the IMOin the move towards mandatory ECDIS,and we’re pleased to be able to launchECDISPLUS,” said Kelvin Hughes CEO,Russell Gould.

“Through ECDISPLUS, Kelvin Hughescan provide every component needed tomake ECDIS easy and compliant and helpcustomers make the journey from paper toelectronic navigation. Kelvin Hughes’ECDISPLUS provides a single-point solu-tion; one that we are confident will changethe infrastructure for navigational dataand how it is used.”

ECDIS package introduced by Kelvin Hughes

p24-40:p26-32.qxd 05/10/2010 09:41 Page 7

For more information contact:[email protected]+1 202-944-6944

www.intelsat.com

With the world’s largest FSS fl eet and the most extensive global teleport and fi ber infrastructure, Intelsat provides its customers with unparalleled resources.

Put the power and reach of the Intelsat network to work for you. To learn more, visit www.intelsat.com

p24-40:p26-32.qxd 04/10/2010 15:55 Page 8

www.wartsila.com

Wärtsilä has launched a new PropulsionCondition Monitoring Service (PCMS),designed to provide real-time data andadvanced analytics on the condition of a

vessel's propulsion equipment. The new system, adapted from the

remote monitoring architecture Wärtsilädeveloped for its engine monitoring serv-ice, combines sensory data such as vibra-tions, pressures, and temperatures with

the operational parameters of the propul-sion equipment, such as pitch, steeringfeedback and set points.

In addition, it takes into considerationnautical parameters like vessel speed, andrate of turn and draught, thereby provid-

ing the ability to relate sensory data to theactual operating conditions.

The system has been developed to detectthe operational states of the propulsionequipment through real-time comparisonsof parameters from multiple sources, and isclaimed to be the first commercial productto measure vibrations on the inside ofthrusters using sensors located right next to

bearings and gears.A PCMS Advisory

Monitor is included in theonboard equipment, whichgathers and provides infor-mation from all the PCMScabinets on the vessel.

Data collected is thentransmitted daily to WärtsiläPropulsion Services, wherethe information is analysed.In the event of irregularities,the system immediately notifies a Wärtsilä propul-sion specialist as well as the owner.

"Wärtsilä is the first com-pany with a propulsion mon-itoring product that is able tomeasure up to 16 accelerom-eters continuously andsimultaneously," said FrankVelthuis, system develop-ment expert, propulsionservices at Wärtsilä.

"This enables us to cap-ture all events that may leadto problems, and to knowexactly when and why theyoccurred."

In other news, Wärtsilähas also launched itsWärtsilä Communicationand Control Centre (Wärtsilä3C) solution, which aims tointegrate a vessel's entirecontrol system.

All relevant ship's con-trols and alarms are integrat-ed into the system, to beaccessed with a commoninterface.

The system aims to inte-grate with navigation solu-tions, and leverage routeplanning, optimal engineconfiguration and decisionsupport tools to increase thevessel's fuel economy andreduce the maintenancerequirements of the ship'ssystems.

"With Wärtsilä 3C,Wärtsilä can now provide,manage and guarantee main-tenance for the full scope ofall ship operating systems,which further strengthensour position as the industry'sleading systems integratorand solution provider," saidAaron Bresnahan, vice presi-dent, special vessels,Wärtsilä Ship Power.

"The Wärtsilä 3C is thenerve centre for the vessel,and will definitely simplifyoperations. It also adds fea-tures, maximises the ship'spower efficiency, andextends its lifecycle."



Vessel monitoring tools from Wärtsilä

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Tel: +45 45 160 180 • Fax: +45 45 160 181 • E-mail: [email protected]

©2010 KVH Industries, Inc. KVH, TracPhone, and the unique light-colored dome with dark contrasting baseplate are registered trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. 10_KE_V7miniVSAT_Comm_DigitalShip“What Broadband at sea was meant to be” and “mini-VSAT Broadband” are service marks of KVH Industries, Inc.

ArcLight is a registered trademark of ViaSat, Inc.; all other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Patents Pending.

An end-to-end communications solution with a compact 60 cm antenna and a fully integrated control unit and modem.

Dramatically cut your airtime costsand improve your ship’s operations with KVH’s mini-VSAT BroadbandSM –the most affordable service for broadband Internet, e-mail, and telephone!

Fast, low-cost Internet at sea – Rely on broadband Internet with speeds as fast as 2 Mbps down and 512 Kbps up while saving 85% or more vs. other solutions.

Crystal-clear telephone calls – Make calls whenever and wherever you wantusing either of the two lines of integrated voice service optimised for maritime customers or KVH’s crew calling solution.

Easy to install and setup –ViaSat’s exclusive ArcLight® spread spectrumtechnology enables a small 60 cm antenna with dramatically superior performance, easy installation and activation in as little as 1 day!

Seamless global coverage – mini-VSAT Broadband is a rapidly expanding Ku-band global network with totally automatic satellite switching and seamless roaming between regions.

What broadband at sea was meant to beSM – TracPhone® V7.

“We were particularly impressed with the TracPhone V7’s small size and affordable airtime. We are excited to have a new solution for day-to-day shipboard satellite communications that is both affordable and easy to install alongside our existing Inmarsat and GSM systems. This helps to keep our business operations efficient, and allows the crew to use the services to stay in touch with their loved ones. This is especially important, because in our industry retaining quality crew and officers is essential.”

- Runar Gaarder, ICT Manager for Mowinckel Ship Management

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p24-40:p26-32.qxd 05/10/2010 09:42 Page 9


Digital Ship

www.northropgrumman.com

Sperry Marine has launched a new gener-ation of marine alarm, monitoring andcontrol solutions, under the VisionMasterbrand.

Offered in two basic configurations –VisionMaster Alarm Management System(AMS) and VisionMaster MachineryControl System (MCS) – the systems arebased on commercial-off-the-shelf indus-try-standard components.

A dedicated redundant-switchedEthernet local area network is used to pro-vide complete field-to-serverdata links, with the Ethernetring structured around twoservers to provide redundan-cy for control and monitor-ing of all subsystems.

The open architecture per-mits the connection of moni-toring stations anywhere inthe vessel, and uses thin-client technology to allow forexpansion with new fixedand mobile workstations onthe network.

“The VisionMaster AMSand MCS solutions aredesigned to provide an easy‘drop-in’ replacement forlegacy machinery automa-tion systems, as well as new-builds, with serial interfacesto the sensors on dieselengines from most majorplant manufacturers,” said JNolasco DaCunha, vice pres-ident of Northrop GrummanSperry Marine.

“They can be installed asstand-alone alarm, monitor-ing and control solutions, orintegrated with the SperryMarine VisionMaster FTintegrated bridge systems.”

In other news, SperryMarine has also opened anew ship navigation train-

ing centre in Charlottesville, Virginia, toprovide a range of navigation courses,including computer-controlled class-room training and a full ship’s bridgesimulator.

Courses include operation, mainte-nance, trouble-shooting and repair ofshipboard systems. The facility is expectedto serve approximately 750 students peryear.

Outside of the new facility inCharlottesville, Sperry Marine operatessimilar training centres in the UnitedKingdom and Germany.

Sperry launches monitoringand control systems

www.satcom-solutions.comMaritime Broadband

For more info contact NSSL Ltd:Tel: +44 (0) 1737 648 707 E-mail: [email protected],

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www.sam-electronics.de

SAM Electronics has secured new ordersto outfit 50 vessels under construction atyards in China, Germany, Italy, Korea,Netherlands and the Philippines with its new range of NACOS Platinum inte-grated navigation and automation con-trol systems.

The NACOS Platinum range is built using standardised hardware andsoftware components in a networkedarchitecture.

Among the vessels being equipped, all of which are due for delivery in 2011and 2012, are 10 new GermanischerLloyd-classed 142,500 dwt containerships being constructed by HyundaiSamho Heavy Industries, Korea, on

behalf of Bernard Schulte/Peter Doehle. Others include six gas tankers for

Hartmann Reederei and a similar numberof bulk carriers for SCI ShippingCorporation of India, which are beingcompleted by Daijang Shipbuilding,China, and STX Shipbuilding respectively.

Other newbuilding types to be fittedwith the systems are ro-ro ferries forNordic Ferries, a dredger for DEMEDredging, a megayacht for an undis-closed owner and a series of new-genera-tion cruiseships for Carnival Cruises andAida Cruises.

The NACOS Platinum range of modu-lar vessel control systems has been newlydeveloped by SAM together with its asso-ciate companies, Lyngsø Marine ofDenmark and L-3 Valmarine of Norway.

www.ecdis.org

ECDIS Ltd reports that it has delivered anECDIS Quality Control training course tothe Singapore Navy.

The course is designed for advancedand experienced users of ECDIS, who havereached a position of quality controlling thestandards of their fleets’ navigation.

“Besides the excellent infrastructureand first-class set up, what impressed memost was the professionalism of the staff,"commented LTC Terence Ho, head of seariding and audit branch for the Republicof Singapore Navy.

"In addition to the deep expertise andexperience that one can only get fromyears of practical experience, their open-ness to share was a refreshing difference

from many of the commercial ECDIScourses available.”

Mark Broster, managing director ofECDIS Ltd, noted that his company hasbeen pleased to see maritime organisationslooking to develop higher level navigationskills among their crews, and taking advan-tage of the latest electronic systems.

“It was a pleasure to work with experi-enced navigators eager to transfer theirskills into the digital age," he said.

"It is our aim to help take their level ofECDIS knowledge to the next level. Wehave found that many fleets, both com-mercial and military, proudly promote theidea of high standards of navigation train-ing. It is great to see that the SingaporeNavy are seeking to take their ECDISknowledge to the highest and safest level."

50 newbuild orders for SAM Additional ECDIS training for Singapore Navy

LTC Terence Ho of the Republic of Singapore Navy celebrates the dealwith Mark Broster of ECDIS Ltd

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ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION

OSG is coming to the end of a data management technology implementation project that will see its 54 vessels transmitting daily information from their engine rooms to its offices on shore

OSG concludes data collectiontechnology project

OO verseas Shipholding Group(OSG) is currently in the processof completing the full rollout of a

management data technology project to itstwo international fleets, managed from itsoffices in Athens and Newcastle, totalling54 vessels.

This is the culmination of an implemen-tation process that started back in 2007,when OSG decided to embark on a projectthat would allow for digital data from ves-sel engine rooms to be streamed ashore,producing live data that would assist inthe day to day technical management ofthe ships.

This project also included digital man-agement of environmental tags, fitted topipes and flanges throughout the oilywater separator system, that would great-ly enhance the audit trail and simplifyaudit inspections by third parties.

Under the project OSG engagedDatatrac, a data capture technology com-pany based in the UK, to fit its ElectronicEngine Room Log and Envirotrac prod-ucts, which were then at the prototypestage of development, on a trial ship forassessment.

That initial trial installation has sincebeen extended fleetwide, with OSG alsoadding training systems for the technolo-gy at its training centre in Manila andmanning offices in Croatia and Russia,where crews are able to either have initialor refresher training before tours of duty.

Onboard systemEach OSG vessel is equipped with tworuggedised Palm Pilot handheld comput-ers, adapted by Datatrac to read contactmemory electronic tags.

Two versions of the tags are issued.One is a low capacity tag used purely toidentify its own serial number, with thesecond type being capable of having pre-programmed information on it.

Two software programs are also pro-vided – Assetrac, which runs theElectronic Engine Room Log, andEnvirotrac.

Envirotrac manages the vessel’s envi-ronmental control log whilst Assetrac isused for gathering and storage of datafrom the engine room machinery andequipment.

The objective of Envirotrac is to pro-vide a digital log for use in external andinternal audits, that shows when and whyenvironmental tags, placed on each acces-sible junction point on selected pipes inthe engine room, have been changed.

A contact memory tag is permanentlyattached to an environmental tag and is

pre-programmed with the latter’s serialnumber. This tag is issued by the masterand affixed to selected pipes in the engineroom by the Chief Engineer.

This fact, and every time the tag ischecked, is recorded in the software byreading the tag with the reader and thensynchronising with the computer.

The software provides all the reportsrequired for audit purposes and a dailysnap shot of them is uploaded to the webfor shore side management purposes.

Using the same hardware asEnvirotrac, Assetrac tags are placed atstrategic points round the engine roomadjacent to where readings are taken to fillout the daily log.

The engine room watch keeper com-pletes their rounds as normal; howeverthey enter the data into the handheld read-er by ‘touching’ the tag.

The handheld reads the ID of the tagand converts it into a location. This loca-tion cues the operator to take the readingsallocated to that point by answering ques-tions generated on the handheld.

On returning to the engine controlroom the data is then downloaded to thePC and into a database.

The engine room log is shown on anExcel spreadsheet, which is automaticallyupdated with the new data. Datatrac saysthat Excel is used as it enables universalmanipulation of the data collected.

On a daily basis the data from the last24 hours is sent ashore and displayed on asecure website, so that shore mangers can view the engine room log from theprevious day, as well as any engine roomremarks.

Data analysisAll data from vessels is transmitted ashoreduring ship communication periods andstored. This data is accessible on the web-site by the vessels’ Superintendents, via asecurity control system.

Data can be viewed either in a tabularform or a graphical representation.

For example, items such as total HOIFO consumed per day can be viewed in atable in relation to the time that the read-ing was taken (such as the ‘watch’ inwhich it was recorded), and then dis-played in graphs with moving averageand trend lines interpolated from the data.

Limits for the data (set via the ‘user’feature on the website) can also be dis-played on the graph, with the high andlow limit for that data item indicatingwhether or not the data is within permis-sible limits.

Though still in the early stages ofimplementing this technology, Datatrac

says it is also currently providing systemsto monitor selective data, which providesa range of ‘steaming’ information.

When analysed, the company suggeststhat this could help to provide more effi-cient operation plans, and hence a reduc-tion in running costs. It may also be possi-ble to predict maintenance schedules,notwithstanding manufacturers’ recom-mended intervals.

Datatrac notes that, as the interpolationof the data is quite complex, it is continu-ing to investigate this area of data analysisto introduce extended added value to thesystems for OSG.

ImplementationTo implement the system onboard shipDatatrac provides an engineer to installand initially train the ships’ crew in theuse of the programs. This process takesapproximately 3 or 4 days.

This process has required both Datatracand OSG to be flexible, but Datatrac says that acceptance by the crew of theproducts and the training they are givenhas been key in making the project a suc-cess to date.

The crews have reportedly respondedwell to the training provided to learn howto operate using the technology, despitethem, on many occasions, having to findtime in their busy work schedules to learnthe system.

This has also helped to ensure that thesystem is configured and installed in theoptimum way for the specific ship, accord-ing to Datatrac.

The basic install template for vesselsrequires alterations due to the fact that

vessels differ in many minor ways. Crewknowledge has been fundamental in thesechanges, and has also led to modificationsin Datatrac’s design of the products toprovide custom adjustments for user envi-ronments and overall operations.

In particular, the Engine Room (paper)log, which was a generic type log, wasconverted to Excel, but over the last threeyears has been subject to many changes toconvert the generic information into amore concise version of what is recorded.

Any amendments and modifications tothe system can be sent to the vessel via e-mail, saving on time and logistical issuesand reducing the impact on the day to dayoperation of each vessel.

Without the crews’ feedback and coreknowledge this would not have been pos-sible. Datatrac expects that furtherchanges will also emerge over time, asequipment changes and technologyadvances.

Shore support for the system is alsoprovided via e-mail, which has been vitalin ensuring the continuing operation ofthe Datatrac system onboard OSG vessels.

The company says that the ships’ crewshave responded well to this form of sup-port, and have adjusted to any delays insupport exchanges due to the sometimesinterrupted nature of ship-to-shore com-munications.

Following these implmentations, anddespite what Datatrac describes as a slowstart, crews aboard the OSG fleet are nowoperating with a high-level knowledge ofthe system, reducing support issues andallowing OSG to reap the benefits of itsdata management technology.

The ruggedised Palm Pilots supplied by Datatrac collect data fromthe electronic tags installed around the vessel

DS

p24-40:p26-32.qxd 04/10/2010 15:55 Page 11


Digital Ship

IImproved safety is obviously one ofthe ultimate goals of installing the lat-est digital navigation systems.

The introduction of mandatory carriagerequirements for ECDIS is a good exampleof this, where a 2007 DNV report whichpointed to how the use of the technologycould reduce the frequency of groundingson major routes by up to 38 per cent waspresented to IMO and used to support theintroduction of these systems across theglobal fleet.

However, with ECDIS as with everyother type of bridge system, any potentialimprovements in safety presuppose thatthe operator of the equipment is compe-tent in its use.

Expecting navigators to be responsiblefor the safety of a vessel while relying on systems with which they are not comfortable is a recipe for disaster – evi-denced by the variety of accident reportsciting technology-assisted collisions andgroundings.

Therefore, training then becomes key tothe successful introduction of these tech-nologies. However, training academies areset to be stretched to their very limits asmandatory training on new systems, suchas ECDIS, will require tens of thousands ofhours of additional classroom time.

Appreciation of these potential futuredifficulties is now pushing some compa-nies to look at introducing their own in-house training centres, to take control oftheir own needs in a way that suits them-selves and their operations best – helpingto optimise the availability of crew andensure quality standards across the fleet.

One example of this is crew manage-ment company Hanseatic ShippingPhilippines, which has initiated its ownfacilities in Manila to train crews that willserve aboard the approximately 110 ves-sels with its seafarers onboard.

This training centre features two fullmission bridge simulators, with five andthree visualisation channels respectively,and a full mission engine room simulator,with two models. All of the simulatorswere provided by Transas.

Hanseatic’s journey towards the open-ing of these facilities dates back approxi-mately five years, as Ioannis Tzanos,financial advisor, Hanseatic, explains.

“In the early stages, we purchased CBT(computer based training) materials, butlater, around 2005, we realised that prac-tice together with the theoretical knowl-edge is the best way to move forward inthe future,” he told us.

“We had continuous meetings andcommunications with our Principals andaround 2006, with their financial support,we decided to set up our own simulatorfacilities.”

“Our main reason was to improve the

theoretical and practical knowledge of ourcrew. We wanted to further enhance theircompetency in both areas and be able tomeet the challenges of the 21st century.”

Hanseatic had become dissatisfied atthe competence levels it was seeing insome of the seafarers it was recruitingthat had attended a variety of differentinstitutions, and was determined toimprove the skills of those that wouldserve on its ships.

“We found that the educational ortraining background of the seafarers wasnot of a level that met with the expecta-tions of our Principals,” said Mr Tzanos.

“So, by creating an in-house trainingfacility which would be under our control, we saw that the benefits could be immense. We would be able to iden-tify the strengths and weaknesses of theseafarer and be able to act on themappropriately.”

Training programmesThe training programmes conducted byHanseatic at its facility fall within twomajor areas, as Mr Tzanos explains.

“We have official training, where ouroffice can provide training to our crewaccording to (Republic of the Philippines)

Maritime Training Council proceduresand requirements,” he said.

“For the deck crew, we offer the SSBT(Ship Simulator and Bridge Teamwork)course and, for the engine crew, the ERS (Engine Room Simulator) course. Thelocal government offices have accreditedsaid courses.”

“Secondly, our training centre has alsobeen accredited by the PRC (ProfessionalRegulation Commission of thePhilippines) to carry out licensure practi-cal examinations.”

For the SSBT and ERS, the officialcourses, the trainees have to remain atHanseatic’s training facilities for five days,completing a total of 40 hours of training.For in-house programmes, sometimesspecified by the company’s Principals, thesame five day schedule is also followed.

“However, for the in-house trainingcourses adjustments are made in accor-dance to the needs of the trainee,” saidMr Tzanos.

“For example, if the trainees for thebridge course consist of new applicants,we focus more on the familiarity of theequipment, as well as basic seamanshipsuch as steering and finding the positionof the vessel.”

“If our training instructor notices that atrainee needs extra training, he is advisedto return in order to improve his knowl-edge on a specific area. This is done on acase to case basis.”

Mr Tzanos notes that the content of thecourses is constantly evolving, and needsto be frequently updated to keep up withtechnology trends.

“In the last 10 years, new rules and reg-ulations have been introduced in the inter-national shipping industry, and the vari-ous equipment on vessels is getting moresophisticated and complex,” he said.

“Thus, by having the in-house trainingfacilities, our office can gauge the weak-nesses in the knowledge of our crew.”

“We are able to then not only offer theofficial courses but also our additional in-house courses, to further tackle any weak-nesses and equip our crew with the addi-tional knowledge to help them overcomethe new challenges ahead.”

The company is also in constant com-munication with its Principals to gaugeany particular areas which they feel mightrequire a greater training emphasis, andlearn about any new systems that arebeing introduced.

Mr Tzanos says that this is growing in

With the availability of spaces in maritime training facilities set to be squeezed over the next few years, particularly with regard to ECDIS courses, Hanseatic Shipping Philippines told Digital Ship

about how it found an alternative option – building an in-house simulator centre

Taking control of your training

Some maritime companies are now installing their own simulators, to gain control of the quality and scheduling of their training

p24-40:p26-32.qxd 04/10/2010 15:55 Page 12



importance as digital bridge systemsbecome more prevalent.

“The latest generation of seafarers aremore dependent on the navigationalequipment of the vessels,” he told us. “Theintroduction of electronic equipment suchas ECDIS and AIS is very helpful and use-ful, but can also take away the ‘indepen-dent’ thinking of the seafarer.”

“With our in-house training facilitieswe can assist them in following good prac-tice on the electronic equipment, but canalso train them to navigate the vessel with-out the use of the electronic equipment.”

“We do find that the latest generationhas an easier time in understanding thenew equipment and the obvious advan-tage is they can be trained in a shorteramount of time as they are also eager tolearn. The disadvantage is that they relytoo much on the equipment and if anunusual or unexpected situation arisesthat requires them to think ‘outside thebox’, they find it difficult to make a prop-er decision.”

All of these training programmes areprovided free of charge for the crews –removing any financial burden from theseafarers themselves, which Mr Tzanosbelieves helps in producing well-trainedand loyal crewmembers.

Using simulatorsMr Tzanos is a firm believer in the benefitsof simulator training, with Hanseatic sofar having been impressed with the resultsof using the technology.

“The practical knowledge, especiallyfor the young graduates, is limited, butwith the use of the simulators the crew ismore confident in their ability to navigatethe vessel,” he said.

“It creates a good familiarity with theequipment onboard, and this creates goodand harmonious working conditionsonboard.”

This extends to a variety of differentbridge systems, and, despite ECDIS beingone of the key training areas ahead of the2012 regulations, Mr Tzanos says that thecompany is careful not to focus too heavi-ly on one piece of equipment

“In my opinion, all the pieces of navi-gational equipment are important - fromthe use of the steering and the communi-cations for the new graduates, to the morecomplicated equipment such as the ECDIS

and GMDSS for the officers,” he told us.“Yes, we have already started famil-

iarising the crew with the use of the ECDISequipment in our in-house training pro-gramme, and our instructors have under-gone training on the use of ECDIS equip-ments and we hope, in the future, toaccredit the course with the local govern-ment offices.”

“However, each piece of equipment onthe bridge and in the engine room serves aspecific purpose, with the final outcomebeing the navigation of the vessel safelyand efficiently.”

With this in mind, Hanseatic is keen toinvestigate ways in which it might add toits use of simulation technology and con-tinue to make its training courses as com-prehensive as possible.

“Shipping is an ever evolving industry.We are always assessing the needs of ourPrincipals in order to ensure that the crewbeing deployed are equipped with the lat-est knowledge in running and managing avessel safely and efficiently,” said MrTzanos.

“We always want to improve our train-ing standards and ensure it is up to date,so in the future we are planning to pur-chase additional model vessels and portsfrom Transas to provide an ‘actual’ under-standing of the peculiarities on a particu-lar type and size of vessel, and offer expo-sure on different ports.”

“We then hope that we can be accredit-ed by the local government offices to offeradditional official courses, such as ECDIS,GMDSS and Ship Handling.”

Industry trendsHanseatic’s investment in its own trainingfacility, while maybe not yet typical, isindicative of a slowly growing trend in themaritime industry. Transas says that it isnow doing one or two such projects eachyear, and that expressions of interest in thefeasibility of building a centre are at amuch higher level than a few years ago.

Bjorn Rohlich, training manager atTransas Germany, believes that there arefour main reasons why a company mightadopt such an approach.

“Number one is that you need type-specific training for ECDIS, and some-times it might be hard to find a trainingcentre for your specific ECDIS manufac-turer. In that sense it would be easier to

train your people in your own facility withthe same equipment they would findonboard,” he told us.

“The second reason is the requiredstandard you want to reach. If you haveyour own training you will know thateveryone is getting the same level oftraining.”

“The third reason is standardisation, asthey will know exactly what courseware isbeing used for all training, and the fourthreason is availability, so they can allocatetraining slots in the optimum way togeth-er with their own crewing department.”

Of course, these reasons will only comeinto play if it makes financial sense toinvest in in-house training. In this regardTransas believes that the systems arebecoming relatively more affordable, par-ticularly when considered against thefuture training needs of the company.

“They are still expensive but arebecoming affordable because we are usingcommercial off the shelf hardware, andthe investment is not so big that you needpublic or governmental money to do it,”said Ralf Lehnert, managing director,Transas Germany.

“Companies can now afford to do it, wehave one customer in Spain for example, amedium sized company running eighttugs, and they have established their ownsimulator centre.”

“For them the investment was about€300,000, but the headquarters, where thetraining centre is, is only 50 metres awayfrom the main port where the real shipsare, so the real captains can come insidefor some special manoeuvring training onthe simulator, try it out, and five minuteslater be doing it for real.”

Another example is Reederei NSB, aGerman company operating a fleet ofabout 100 containerships, as well as anumber of tankers, which also invested asubstantial sum in its own facilities.

“Although we were not the suppliers inthat case, we were involved, and theyinvested approximately €1.5 million for anengine room, large ship handling, and liquid cargo handling simulators,” saidMr Rohlich.

“They use it not only for training and assessment of their own crews, butalso as a way of getting all of their crewback to the headquarters once a year,which is not the case in many companies.

So for them it helps with company spiritand showing their own employees that thecompany is interested in their safety, andin their future.”

“Intership Navigation is also runningits own simulator out in the Philippines,we just did an upgrade so that theonboard simulator and the shore basedone will match together, so they will havethe same technology and exercises.”

Mr Lehnert notes that the kinds of sumsinvolved are only a fraction of what mighthave been required just a few years ago.

“This kind of thing was impossible tenyears ago, it would have been a €2 millioninvestment, which they could not afford,”he said.

“It’s still a costly exercise, it costsmoney to run the facility, but again, com-pared to 10 years ago it’s now affordable.”

Availability of trainingAnother motivating factor for companiesthat are looking at in-house facilities is thepotential problem in securing places attraining academies in the future, particu-larly for ECDIS training ahead of themandatory carriage requirement whichTransas has identified as ‘point numberone’ in any training discussions.

“Everybody is saying that up to 250,000nautical officers will need to be trained by2018, but there are some market investiga-tions which have suggested that the train-ing capacity, per year, might be between20,000 and 25,000,” said Mr Lehnert. “Soyou can count for yourself and see that itwon’t be sufficient.”

“One of the biggest problems with thiswill be when people try to make up forthis with ‘cadet factories’, like we haveseen in the Philippines. You cannot run anECDIS course and get people to therequired level of proficiency if you have 20people in the classroom.”

“They might pass the exam, but therewon’t be proper attention as to how theyare learning how to deal with the safetyrisks involved. We recommend a maxi-mum of eight trainees. If you count that way, the training problem would beeven worse.”

Mr Rohlich suggests that this problemis only likely to deteriorate, and that ship-ping companies need to start thinkingabout their future requirements now, toavoid potential problems further downthe road.

“Some are looking ahead and arealready booking courses and partneringwith training centres they have beenworking with over the years, but buildinga training centre is a real option, maybetogether with another shipping compa-ny,” he said.

“Building training ships is anotheroption, where you can teach cadetsonboard, and we have two customers(Intership Navigation and Spliethoff)which have built two bridges on ships,one on top of the other, for training.”

In any event, training in the use of thesesystems is not optional. These technolo-gies are here to stay, and in Mr Rohlich’sview the price of ignoring crew compe-tence could be very high indeed.

As he notes: “One untrained officer cancreate damage that will cost more than allof the training of your whole fleet wouldcost. It is that important.” DS

To discuss availablepositions and rates, andsponsorship opportunities,contact Ria Kontogeorgou,exhibition manager, Digital Ship LtdTel: +44 (0)20 7017 3401 Mob: +44 (0)7815 [email protected]

Date Event Venue

2-3 February Scandinavia Scandic Hotel Bergen City9-10 March Hamburg Magnus hall 5-6 April Cyprus St Raphael Hotel & Resort14-15 September USA The Italian Center of Stamford18-19 October Singapore Suntec7-8 December Athens Athinais Cultural Center

Digital Ship 2011 events

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Digital Ship

SS ince early this year, ships runningat least one make of ECDIS candownload navigational charts and

chart updates at sea, via internet down-load. OK, last year's wreck won't show upon ENC updates from hydrographicoffices for another two or three years yetanyway, but this is progress, damnit.Don't question it.

DNV's OK'd it, as well. They will type-approve an ECDIS that uses internet con-nections for updates, provided a) there is afirewall, b) there is an anti-virus strategy,and c) there is an electrical internet killswitch. Of course, all of this assumes thatthe greatest threat is from outside.

I've heard from more than one sourcethat this is not the case.

One major shipping company had anECDIS crash because the officers wereusing it to surf the internet while en route(perhaps they were studying the compa-ny's HSE policy online). The fuming man-ager said that they would fix this by allow-ing the machine to access only one URL,that of the chart update provider.

Is it a shock to imagine an officer boredout of his mind jimmying the ECDIS toserve him YouTube videos?

To me it wouldn't even be a shock tohear that the flight crew of an airlineroverflew their destination because theywere tweeting about Justin Bieber. Betterthat than arguing about airline policy –something which caused the pilots of aNorthwest Airlines flight in the US to misstheir landing in Minneapolis by 150 milestowards the end of 2009.

There's a fear of technology at work here.It's the same kind of thing that led employ-ers ten years ago to hesitate to give theiroffice workers internet access.

It's alive today when they cut off accessto YouTube, Facebook or Skype (I was toldby one executive that his company wouldn'tlet him use the last one because "it's free andit works, unlike our enterprise solution.")

Hell, give seafarers internet connectionsbroader than the New Jersey turnpike, ifthey want. If they can't pull it up on theECDIS, you can be sure they're going to pipeit into their iPhones or Androids.

The fact is this: They might be looking atporn and strike a bridge. They might alsoaccess countless tools to make them even bet-ter and more accountable officers. The inter-net doesn't kill people (not usually anyway).

The fellow running the IMO's e-Navigation working groups told me they'reputting the focus on what they call a "singlewindow".

Let's not split hairs here; that's theECDIS. This window's going to be full ofgood stuff, and soon. And it'll be up to everymariner to use it as he likes. In fact, I hopethat seafarers come equipped with theirown system in the future (like Norwegianpilots).

Imagine when a master can just show upwith her ECDIS under her arm, plug intoany ship and she has everything in the digi-tal and physical world she needs, rightthere. A reality, you think?

Ryan Skinnerhttp://5956n.typepad.com

www.veripos.com

Veripos has been awarded a master serv-ices contract by Polarcus, a Dubai-based3D seismic survey company, for the sup-ply of positioning services and equipmentin support of a new fleet of Ulstein-designed vessels. Under the contract,Veripos will provide each of four newPolarcus vessels with a combination of itsUltra Precise Point Positioning globalservice, together with LD2-G2 integrated

mobile receivers and Verify QC softwarefor real-time monitoring. The first two 12-streamer vessels, Polarcus Nadia andPolarcus Naila, are already operating inthe North Sea, while the Polarcus Asima,an Arctic-ready 12-streamer vessel, hasbeen recently launched and will work ini-tially in the Black Sea.

Polarcus Samur, a new environmental-ly-responsive vessel, is due to be providedwith Veripos GNSS positioning supportlater this year.

Dude, you can get YouTube on the ECDIS!

An artist's impression of how a busy seafarer might take advantage of an internet-connected ECDIS

www.kongsberg.com

Kongsberg Maritime has released a for-ward looking bridge version of its K-Master workstation, which allows for con-trol of navigation and manoeuvring froma single seated workstation, with systemssuch as propulsion, chart radar and con-ning display all integrated.

Further sub-systems like DynamicPositioning, an independent DP joystick,thruster control, machinery automationand cargo control, and bridge auxiliariescan all be included in the system.

"K-Master was originally conceived as

an intuitive, safety and efficiency enhanc-ing control solution for more complex off-shore operations such as anchor han-dling," explains Roy Larsen, marketingmanager, Kongsberg Maritime.

"However, the concept of a seatedoperator with all systems on-hand natu-rally transfers to other applications, soour engineers have re-designed K-Master to make it suitable for forwardbridge operations."

The design of K-Master is based onhuman factors and ergonomics researchcarried out by Kongsberg Maritime overthe course of several years.

New version of bridge workstation introduced

Comment

Polarcus vessels to install positioning systems

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FF or good reasons maritime legisla-tors are very keen to specify com-pulsory alarms and indications to

warn mariners about potential dangersand problems.

In particular, alerts – the generic namefor alarms and indications – are essentialto inform users of problems with systemsand machinery that are out of sight andnormally operating satisfactorily.

Many such systems do not need continu-ous monitoring of performance. Action is typ-ically only required when an alert is generated.

However, navigational alerts are ratherdifferent in concept. Through simple checks,for example by calculating whether the clos-est point of approach (CPA) of a radar or an

AIS detected target is less than a preset limit,they provide warnings to users that the situ-ation may require their attention.

Unfortunately, in a lot of cases it isoften very difficult to set sensible limits.Either many unnecessary alerts are gener-ated or else potentially dangerous but oth-erwise unobserved events are not alerted.

In particular, over-alerting can be dan-gerous. In busy situations the user is indanger of automatically acknowledgingthem without due consideration of theirrelative seriousness.

In fact, safe navigation requires contin-uous user monitoring of the total situa-tion. It is certainly true that many naviga-tional alerts are mandated primarily as abackup in case of human failure.

ECDISThe set of ECDIS alarms and indications isperhaps one of the main reasons that liebehind the increased safety expected fromships fitted with such systems. In general,they alert users to immediate issues thatthey may have missed.

If appropriate use of ECDIS was beingmade then these alerts would be superflu-ous. However, accidents almost alwaysarise from inappropriate actions. Steering

into unsafe waters that have well charteddangers is far from unknown, underliningthe fundamental usefulness of ECDIS alerts.

It is almost always the case that a wellset-up ECDIS will provide an appropriatealert if steering towards any charted fea-ture that could be hazardous to the safepassage of the vessel.

Its general tendency for caution, togeth-er with its apparent reliability gives theimpression that no dangers will ever bemissed and therefore its correct action canalways be relied upon.

In fact this is not the case. In reality,things can go wrong for a variety of reasonsand so user vigilance is always required, atleast with the present ‘state-of-the-art’.

Also, any tendency to give unduereliance to the apparently indicated safesituation perhaps detracts some usersfrom spending appropriate time in gain-ing their own situational awareness.

The situation is rather different to whenusing navigational alerts on radar, such asCPA and new target alarms. From theirown experience users are aware that radardata can sometimes be unreliable andtherefore due caution is typically given toall such data.

Route planningUnfortunately the over-reliance on ECDIScan be taken even further. In particular,some users may consider that route plan-ning is totally simplified because ECDIScan be set to examine the planned routeand give alerts for all charted informationthat is a potential hazard to own-ship.

Of course, the automatic route checkingfacilities on ECDIS should be used and can bevery useful in indicating if anything is amisswith the planned route. However, it is essen-tial to manually verify the safety of the routebefore the automatic facility is activated.

Manual checking should be performedon the largest scale ENCs that the routecrosses. This importantly provides the

necessary familiarisation of the route,while not giving undue reliance on theautomatic checking facilities of ECDIS.

However, a final check should be madeusing the automatic facility. It should pro-vide an alert on anything missed duringthe manual check – in which case the usershould feel suitably chastised.

Unfortunately, a major problem withthis is that the automatic process willalmost certainly tend to be very cautiousand will generate many superfluous alerts.

Each one needs checking, which on somesystems can be quite tedious, perhaps giv-ing rise to important alerts being missed.

It should also be noted that, in someinstances, it is possible that alerts will not begenerated. In which case, it likely that the samealerts will not be generated during passage exe-cution, underlining the need for continualmanual monitoring of the displayed chart data.

Alert relianceSo why cannot ECDIS alerts be 100 percent relied upon?

The first possibility is that own-shipparameters and aspects such as safety con-tour depths may have been incorrectly set-up on the ECDIS or inadvertently changed.

Good ship procedures should be able toeliminate occurrences of this, but thingscan occasionally go awry, making it by farthe most common possibility of inhibitingthe generation of critical automatic alerts.

A second possibility is that the sup-plied ENC data could have deficienciesthat affect the correct operation of alertson geographically specific objects.

Another possibility is that the actualECDIS in use may not correctly alert underall conditions. This could be due to an iso-lated fault or even a design fault that affectsall ECDIS equipment of the same type.

ECDIS designs have to undertake exten-sive independent type approval tests.These are generally very effective at detect-ing faulty operation but occasionally lessobvious deficiencies can pass unnoticed.

A further possibility is that the stan-dards applied to ENC data and ECDISequipment may be insufficiently defined.Despite being very detailed and arising outof painstaking work by international com-mittees, not all relatively obscure cases ofdata and equipment interaction may havebeen completely taken into account.

Real examplesAn example of data deficiency is perhapsthe realisation by the InternationalHydrographic Organization earlier thisyear that a small number of shoal sound-ings had been coded into ENC data in sucha way that they would not trigger alerts.

They would also not appear on the dis-play when the ECDIS was switched to theBase or Standard display modes.

Hydrographic Offices around the worldhave been busy correcting this anomalyand many have now confirmed that alltheir affected ENCs have been corrected.

In fact, the fundamental reason forthese anomalies probably arises fromsome lack of clarity or other deficiencywithin the data standards.

A very recent example of some ECDISunits apparently not operating to detailedrequirements in some situations has been high-lighted in NAVAREA 1 Warning 230/10,issued in September 2010.

The anomaly can occur when routes arebeing planned across regions where only smallscale ENCs are available. Not all ECDIS unitsappear to perform appropriate route checkingin these circumstances and so alerts are notalways being properly generated.

In general, this is not a problem sincevast areas of ocean have no hazards signif-icant to normal navigation. However,there are some areas that have isolateddangers, such as small islands, which areonly covered by very small scale charts.

Manual checkingEven when manually checking the route onsmall scale ENCs it appears to be easy forimportant isolated dangers to be missed. Forinstance, it has been reported that there areexamples of point features being obscured onsome equipment by depth contour numerals.

ENCs for ocean regions are typically ata scale of 1:3,000,000. A feature, even of1NM dimension, would have a scale sizeof just 0.6 mm. This perhaps explains thedifficulties that have to be overcome whenusing such charts to avoid these dangers.

To improve the visibility of isolateddangers on small scale ENCs it has beensuggested that textual information shouldbe turned on. This provides additionalvisual indication of these hazards andappears to be an excellent practice.

It does, however, highlight a presentdeficiency, either in the availability of suit-able scale ENCs or else in the standardsconcerning the display of isolated dangerswhen larger scale charts are not available.

However, if ECDIS is used properlynone of the problems highlighted hereprevent its safe use.

Users have to develop an ECDIS mind-set. Its strengths and weaknesses differsubstantially from the use of paper charts.

In particular, as with all current naviga-tional equipment, reliance on automaticalerts is not good practice, even thoughthey provide a useful backup in cases ofpoor vigilance.

While technology-based systems offer great potential to improve safety, over-reliance and a lack of awareness of where these systems can falter can sometimes create the opposite effect. Dr Andy Norris explores

some of the key factors in making technology part of the navigation mindset

Alarming matters

Over-reliance on electronic aids can deter navigators from establishingtheir own visual situational awareness. Photo: BenFrantzDale

DS

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]

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digital ship magazine (october 2010)

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