digital ship magazine(june/july2012)

CC obham, parent company ofSea Tel, has announced thatit has reached agreement

with the board of directors of Thrane & Thrane on the terms of arevised voluntary tender offer for the company.

Under the terms of the revisedoffer, Thrane & Thrane shareholderswill be offered DKK435 in cash foreach Thrane & Thrane share, anincrease of DKK15 per share overCobham’s offer announced on 10April 2012.

At the time of the initial DKK420

offer Cobham had said that this pricewas final, and that it would not beincreased unless another party madea bid for the company.

Cobham says that its u-turn inoffering an extra DKK15 per share isbased on the value of a dividend thatwould otherwise have been declaredin June 2012 in relation to the yearended 30 April 2012.

The revised offer values the sharecapital of Thrane & Thrane on afully diluted basis at approximately£275 million (approximately US$445million), a 2.6 per cent increase from

the initial offer. Lars Thrane, who founded the

company with his brother and is cur-rently a member of the board of man-agement and board of directors ofThrane & Thrane, had stated at thetime of the initial offer that he wouldnot sell his share of the company to Cobham.

However, he also seems to havehad a change of heart and has nowentered into a binding agreement toaccept the revised offer in relation tohis holding of 1,349,084 shares, repre-senting 22.7 per cent of the fully

IN THIS ISSUE

June/July 2012

electronics and navigation

continued on page 2

software

satcoms

Gigabytes onboardwith 3G at sea – 6

Cutting costs at Wisby Tankers – 10

Competition driving maritime satcom tohigher bandwidth – 12

Taking charge of your IT with serviceorientated architecture – 23

Using CBT to meet training requirements – 25

Eco-friendly fuel savings – high as a kite – 28

Thrane & Thranetakeover bid accepted

High performance navigation – 44Alternative systems and the future of positioning – Dr Andy Norris – 50

Cobham’s on again, off again move to buy Thrane & Thrane is now very much on, as the Danish antenna manufacturer’s board of directors accepted a bid for the company, which it has recommended to shareholders

FOCUS ON ECDIS TRAINING Guide to ECDIS trainingregulations – 40 ECDIS familiarisationtraining and CBT – 42

Management responsibility for Sea Tel would be transferred to Thrane & Thrane in Denmark once the takeover is completed

(+47) 77 62 19 00 or [email protected]

”We are deploying Dualog Connection Suite on 83 ships in less than 12 months with only good feedback from the vessel users and offi ce staff ”, says Tormod Johannesen, the IT Manager of Wilson Ship Management in Bergen.

“Dualog Connection Suite is a modern and fl exible product and this fact, combined with internal planning, has brought us into a brand new world in a minimum of time”, adds the happy IT Manager.

“A Brand New World”Tormod Johannesen, IT Manager Wilson Ship Management, Bergen

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Digital Ship June/July 2012 page 2

Vol 12 No 9

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27-28 November 2012

Digital Ship Limited2nd Floor,

8 Baltic Street EastLondon EC1Y 0UP, U.K.www.thedigitalship.com

PUBLISHERStuart Fryer

EDITORRob O'Dwyer: Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 3410

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[email protected]

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continued from page 1

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Satcom Direct has become a directreseller for TriaGnoSys satellite com-munications products and equipment in the United States, and is now the only TriaGnoSys reseller partner in thecountry.

Intellian has appointed VikaashSukul as EU operations manager, to belocated at the company’s European salesand support office in Rotterdam, theNetherlands. Mr Sukul will manageEuropean sales and support operationsout of the office.

Marlink has appointed ShinobuSuzuki as its new Japan country manager.Ms Suzuki will be based in Marlink’sTokyo office and will have responsibilityfor the Japanese and Korean markets.

Thuraya has signed a service partneragreement with Telespazio VEGA ofthe United Kingdom, a subsidiary ofTelespazio SpA, a Finmeccanica/Thales company. Telespazio VEGA willdistribute Thuraya’s satellite communica-tions products.

www.vizada.com

Vizada and its partner SRH MarineElectronics report that they have signed a24-month agreement with DanaosShipping Co Ltd to equip the company’sfleet of 63 vessels with a broadband com-munications system.

The agreement includes the provisionof 1 GB of connectivity to the fleet overInmarsat FleetBroadband terminals, to bemanaged via Vizada's XChange and CrewPC services.

Greece-based Danaos Shipping pro-vides ship management services to one ofthe world’s largest fleets of container-ships, with a number of additional diverseshipbuilding projects in the pipeline.

SRH will provide the Thrane & ThraneSailor FleetBroadband terminals, whileVizada will provide its XChange plat-form, a piece of hardware installedonboard offering a user interface thatwill allow Danaos IT managers or cap-tains to choose settings and configura-tions to make the best use of theFleetBroadband connectivity.

The XChange system also includes webcompression and filtering capabilities, andoptimised connectivity switching features.

The Crew PC system which will beinstalled onboard the vessels is a comput-er that comes preconfigured to match the

communication needs of the Danaos crew. This will include elements such as web

browsing and options for chatting withloved ones onshore during downtimeaboard.

"In this difficult period, having a reli-able cost effective solution onboard is vitalfor our business. As the IT manager ofDanaos, I know that reliable ship-shoreconnectivity is key," said Vassilis Fotinias,IT manager, Danaos.

"Through Vizada XChange, I can con-trol and monitor the on board IT infra-structure remotely. If this can be combinedwith crew welfare solutions, such as CrewPC, you can increase your business."

Danaos to install broadband system on 63 vessels

diluted share capital of Thrane & Thrane.In addition, the other members of the

board of Thrane & Thrane have enteredinto an undertaking to accept the revisedoffer in relation to their respective indi-vidual holdings, amounting to, in aggre-gate, 17,040 shares - representing 0.3 percent of the fully diluted share capital ofThrane & Thrane.

Cobham now owns or has receivedundertakings in respect of a total of2,819,919 shares, representing 47.4 percent of the fully diluted share capital ofThrane & Thrane, having already pur-chased 25.59 per cent from various insti-tutional investors and on the open mar-ket before the bid was accepted by theThrane board.

The board of Thrane & Thrane hasnow said that it will recommend therevised offer to its shareholders, and thatit will "support and facilitate the makingof the revised offer."

Cobham believes that this recommen-dation will allow it to secure a higheracceptance rate which will "enable aquicker and more effective integration of Thrane & Thrane into the Cobhamgroup."

The offer price of DKK435 represents apremium of 48 per cent on the closingprice per share from the Nasdaq OMX inCopenhagen on 24 February 2012, the lasttrading day prior to Thrane & Thrane'sfirst announcement that it had receivedan unsolicited offer for the company.

The price also represents a multiple of15.4 times Thrane & Thrane's operatingprofit for the twelve month period up to

31 January 2012, on the basis of an enter-prise value of DKK2,621 million (approx-imately US$465 million).

“We are very pleased that, by increas-ing our offer to take account of the divi-dend for the year now ended, we havereached agreement with the board ofThrane & Thrane,” said John Devaney,Cobham’s executive chairman.

“Their recommendation will allow usto move quickly, and with certainty, withthe integration of Thrane & Thrane intothe Cobham group.”

“We believe that this is an outstandingopportunity to bring together two world-class, highly complementary, commer-cially focused satcom businesses and is inline with our aim of prioritising invest-ment that will bring more balancebetween our defence/security and com-mercial markets.”

Next movesShould the takeover of the company goahead, Cobham says that routes to mar-ket for the two businesses will be com-bined and they will use a combined deal-er network.

Cobham also notes that it intends thatmanagement responsibility for the com-bined maritime satcom business, whichwill include Sea Tel, Cobham’s largestsatcom business unit, would be trans-ferred to Thrane & Thrane in Denmark"as soon as practicable."

Thrane & Thrane’s Danish facilitywould be designated as a 'CobhamPrincipal Operating Location' and would receive further investment as

part of Cobham’s 'Excellence In Delivery'programme.

Assuming Cobham secures 100 percent ownership of Thrane & Thrane, thecompany anticipates that the transactionwould cover its cost of capital in the sec-ond full year of ownership, and that itwould achieve a minimum of £4 million(approximately US$6.5 million) perannum of pre-tax synergies as a result ofthe transaction, in the areas of engineer-ing, production, distribution and corpo-rate costs.

Thrane & Thrane's satcom businesshas around 600 employees located inDenmark, the USA, Norway, Sweden,China and Singapore, working with aglobal network of distributors.

For the twelve months to 31 January2012, the company generated revenue ofDKK1,092.4 million (approximatelyUS$193 million), with profit before tax of DKK169.4 million (approximatelyUS$30 million).

For the same twelve month periodThrane & Thrane held net assets ofDKK1,003.7 million (approximatelyUS$177.5 million) and gross assets ofDKK1,721.4 million (approximatelyUS$304 million).

Cobham is substantially larger,employing more than 10,000 people onfive continents and with preliminary rev-enues for the year 2011 of approximatelyUS$3 billion.

Cobham has acquired nearly 50 com-panies in the last decade, including SeaTel in 2003, which has since doubled bothits revenue and R&D investment.

www.satcomdirect.comwww.triagnosys.comwww.intelliantech.comwww.marlink.comwww.thuraya.com

DS

Vizada’s XChange platform will be used tomanage the communications system

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p1-13:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:49

SATCOMS


Docking unit for Iridium phone launchedwww.beamcommunications.com

www.iridium.com

Beam Communications has received certi-fication from Iridium Communications foruse of Beam’s LiteDOCK docking stationswith the Iridium Extreme satellite phone.

Beam says that it is the first manufac-turer in the world to receive certificationfor a docking unit for the handset.

The range of docks extends the function-ality of the Iridium Extreme so that it can beused for voice, data and tracking serviceson vessels and in other remote locations.

The PotsDOCK provides features suchas external GPS connectivity, the ability touse standard telephone equipment such ascorded or cordless handsets, and integra-tion with a PBX for on-vessel use.

“Iridium communications devices andservices are more vital than ever in theglobal communications infrastructure,”said Greg Ewert, executive vice president,global distribution channels, Iridium.

“This is because of the ability of inno-vative partners, such as Beam, who makeit possible to communicate through ournetwork anywhere on Earth with toolsthat make connectivity possible where itwas never before imagined.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to actas a solutions catalyst for such forward-

thinking on our partners’ part. They trulyunderstand – and meet – the global con-nectivity needs of customers in endlessmarkets around the world.”

Beam says that initial orders havealready been received for the units andthat shipping has commenced.

www.harris.com

Harris CapRock Communications hassigned a five-year agreement with cruiseoperator Royal Caribbean Cruises to pro-vide communication services onboard itsfleet of 34 ships across the RoyalCaribbean International, Celebrity Cruisesand Azamara Club Cruises brands.

The hybrid communications set-up willfeature a fully managed, end-to-end VSATservice as well as a terrestrial communica-tions element, to enable access to RoyalCaribbean's corporate network and busi-ness applications, as well as broadbandinternet and telephony services.

The system will combine Ku-band andC-band VSAT with shore wireless connec-tivity, so that the ships can switch fromone preferred platform to another, max-

imising service availability and avoidingdowntime.

Harris CapRock says that each ship willbe equipped with two or three stabilisedVSAT antenna systems.

"At Royal Caribbean, our goal is forguests to have the best experience possiblewhile vacationing on our ships," said BillMartin, vice president and chief informa-tion officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

"An important part of that experience isthe communications service made avail-able to them and making sure it performsabove their expectations. We set a goal tochange the market expectations foronboard communications, and withHarris CapRock's innovative solution, ourguests will be able to remain connectedwith friends and family onshore in waysnot possible on any other cruise ship."

The dock extends the features ofthe Iridium phone

Harris CapRock agrees 34-ship cruiseVSAT deal

www.inmarsat.com

Inmarsat has announced the first appoint-ments to its global network of XpressLinkdealers, with sixteen companies to offer the service via sales teams based in NorthAmerica, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

XpressLink is Inmarsat's integrated Ku-band and L-band solution, available for afixed monthly cost. Up until now the serv-ice was only available from Inmarsatdirectly, via the channel consisting of itssubsidiaries formerly known as ShipEquip and Stratos.

The company says that XpressLink sup-ports always-on data speeds of 768 kbps,with a committed information rate of 192kbps, when the VSAT service is active.

Customers using XpressLink will auto-matically be switched to the InmarsatGlobal Xpress Ka-band service when it islaunched, and will see their bandwidthdouble at that point.

In arriving at this list of sixteen newXpressLink dealers, Inmarsat says that inearly March it issued an invitation to dis-tribution partners, service providers andsystem integrators to confirm their interestin becoming a seller of the service.

This met with a positive response frommore than 80 per cent of those contacted,according to the company, and negotia-tions with the majority of applicants arenow at what it calls "an advanced stage."

The initial 16 dealers are: � Anchor Marine� AND Group� Arskom� DH-INTERCOM� Elcome� EosSat� Hellenic Radio Services� Jsat Mobile� Navarino� One Net� Otesat-Maritel� Satlink� Selex� Societa Italiana Radio Maritime� Station Satcom� Tile Marine"We are excited by this endorsement of theXpressLink service as a gateway to GlobalXpress," said Frank Coles, president,Inmarsat Maritime.

"[These] companies are at the forefrontof delivering high-quality and cost-effec-tive solutions to shipping fleets. They willnot support a service unless they know itoffers demonstrable value to their cus-tomers – value that is future-proofed withthe transition path to Global Xpress."

"Several of the dealers we haveannounced [have] already closed deals,and we expect more soon."

XpressLink dealers announced

'Several of the dealers have already closeddeals' - Frank Coles, Inmarsat Maritime

Freedom of the Seas is one of the vessels that could feature Harris CapRock VSATunder the new agreement. Photo: Royal Caribbean

www.kns-kr.com

Korean satcom antenna manufacturerKNS Inc has released a new 75cm VSATantenna model, named 'Z7'.

Available now, KNS says that Z7 is oneof the first 3-axis antennas of its size in themarket. It features a 4, 8, or 16-watt BUC,a brake system, and an optional Co-pol kit.

The antenna is optimised for localisedservices, which KNS says would make itparticularly useful for smaller ships.

"A 75cm antenna has an advantage ofcovering considerably more nautical milesthan the prevalent 60cm models, whilealso being much more affordable than thelarge 85cm variety," said Noah Chung,marketing director for KNS.

"As such, Z7 provides consumers with

a new high-end alternative that offerswide coverage at a fraction of the cost."

The Z7 antennas can be used with aspread spectrum modem, allowing forworldwide coverage, and are compatiblewith all modem manufacturers.

www.vocality.com

Vocality has announced that it has startedshipping its BASICS Multivoice forFleetBroadband hardware platform, foruse with the forthcoming Inmarsat Multi-voice enhancement to the satcom terminal.

The device has been designed for usealongside current FleetBroadband terminals,and enables users to extend the single voicecapability, upgrading from just one phonecall to support eight concurrent phone calls.

This is achieved without the need for

any further equipment, beyond theVocality device, and can be used withstandard off-the-shelf analogue phones.

BASICS Multivoice for FleetBroadbandcan be connected to a PBX onboard a ship,or can have up to eight regular analoguephone handsets directly connected.

Vocality says it will be working withexisting maritime distribution partners andservice providers to connect to their owncrew calling packages where possible.

The units will be operational uponlaunch of the service in Q2 2012.

Vocality ships FleetBroadband Multi-voice unit

KNS launches 75cm VSAT antenna

The 75cm Z7 Ku-band antenna from KNS

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LL ike tax cuts, vacation time andbirthday presents, there are somethings that you can never get

enough of. In the maritime world ‘data’has joined that list, with an insatiabledemand for internet, e-mail and a growingnumber of ‘essential’ applications pushingtraffic ever upwards – and that’s just forthe crew.

However, like tax cuts in particular, ifyou do get more of what you want when itcomes to bandwidth on your ships, youinevitably end up paying a price for it inone form or another.

Generally ships operate far from land,and cannot take advantage to terrestrialinfrastructure facilitating cheap and plenti-ful internet access. As a result, satcoms isthe backbone of ship communications – andthe laws of supply and demand will tell youthat traffic on scarce and expensive orbitingsatellites is not going to come cheap.

However – all ships have to come ashoresometime, and, depending on tradingroutes, some vessels spend a significantamount of time within a reasonable dis-tance of land. In circumstances like thesethe opportunity exists to leverage the ter-restrial infrastructure to boost the datacapabilities of the ships’ satcom systems.

This was the approach taken byNorbulk Shipping Group, a ship manage-ment company with offices in Glasgowand Riga, which has 80 vessels under fulltechnical management including tankers,bulk carriers, Ro-Ro’s and multi-purpose/ reefer ships.

Like most shipping companies, Norbulkis constantly on the lookout for new tech-nologies that will improve efficiency andreduce operational costs, and communica-tions plays a large part in that process.

In this regard, approximately 18months ago the company began a fleet-wide roll-out of the Iridium OpenPort sys-tem to its ships, to replace its various exist-ing satellite terminals and derive morevalue from its communications spend, asDenis Dorigo, IT manager at the NorbulkGroup, explains.

“The OpenPort was chosen because of

a long time, and we’re also looking to givethe crew a little more freedom onboard.This is something we’re thinking of fleet-wide, but because those four ships aretrading mainly near the coast and have 3Gcoverage we started to have a look at howwe could exploit that situation.”

The Wavetec Mobile service is a 3G/4Gcommunication solution for vessels transit-ing between different countries. It has sofar only been deployed on ships travellingbetween the US and Canada, but the com-pany says that it is currently looking tostart testing in other international locations.

Installing the system involves affixing asmall antenna on the ship, with a cable toconnect into the network. This allows forconnections to 3G/4G mobile networksacross multiple countries without anymobile roaming charges, as the useragrees a single subscription with WavetecMarine for the service, while providing anincreased reception range for the 3G/4Gnetwork.

In Norbulk’s case, Wavetec Marine rep-resentatives attended the vessels to com-plete the installations, which are donewithin one day.

Once everything is set up, the amountof data that can be transferred for relative-ly small amounts of money is far removedfrom what can be done over satellite.

“We pay a monthly subscription toWavetec of a few hundred dollars per ves-sel, and that covers 12 gigabytes of datatransfer, independent of where they are,”said Mr Dorigo.

“I would say that’s pretty good when com-pared to a satcom contract. We usually havelots and lots (of our allocation) left over.”

“Our standard Iridium contract is for50MB and 300 voice minutes per month,and most of our fleet manages to keepwithin that.”

Communicationsmanagement

With both satcom and 3G systemsinstalled onboard these four ships,Norbulk also required a system to manageswitchover between the two, and to make

sure that the ships don’t transfer largeamounts of data when outside theWavetec Marine coverage area – which MrDorigo estimates to be 20 to 30 per cent oftheir time at sea.

This was provided by Norwegian com-pany Dualog, which has installed itsConnection Suite system across the fleet tomanage business e-mail and automatic filetransfers. This includes an optionalCrewMail service, as well as the DualogDuaCore Pro software firewall and router.

On the four ships using the WavetecMobile system DuaCore Pro handles rout-ing of IP traffic between the Wavetecequipment and the Iridium OpenPort,which is designated as a ‘backup’ systemwithin this arrangement.

“(Using 3G) makes sense, you get highspeeds, you can browse the internet andhave the crew happy. You just need to becareful because it’s the ship’s communica-tions system, so the minute you lose the3G reception you need to automaticallyswitch over and lock all of that traffic,”said Mr Dorigo.

“That’s where the Dualog system comesin, with a firewall and their DuaCore Prosystem. We have total control of what ishappening onboard of the ship and outsidethe ship. We can control data going to cer-tain e-mail addresses, we can quarantine itand wait for somebody to approve it. We’refairly flexible with everything, and Ihaven’t had any complaints yet.”

Mr Dorigo notes that it is vitally impor-tant to have a management system likethis in place to effectively run two com-munications services, with widely varyingcosts, side-by-side on the ship withoutrunning up unexpected bills.

“They call it OpenPort because whenyou plug it in you have access to every-thing, so you need to be careful,” he told us.

“We get (communications serviceprovider) AND Group to also filter trafficon the shore side. The minute you getcomputers starting to talk on your net-

Gigabytes onboard with 3G at sea

cost, it was very cost effective for us.Before that we were using a whole rangeof systems,” he told us.

“We manage many vessels on whichwe had no involvement in the originalchoice of communication equipment, sowe tend to have whatever type of systemis onboard. We have ships with Mini-M,with Fleet 77, with Fleet 55, so a wholerange of satellite systems. OpenPort hasgone on as well as those systems, we got avery good deal from Iridium and left theold systems on as a back-up.”

“The OpenPort is much more effectivein many ways, it has some downsides butit has a lot of upsides also. It’s been a win-win situation for us.”

The roll-out of the Iridium system wascompleted in early 2012, but this was notthe end of the company’s communicationsupgrade.

In assessing the various options avail-able to squeeze as much data as possiblefrom the communications budget, MrDorigo came across a company calledWavetec Marine that was offering 3G datacommunications services for ships travel-ling in specific areas, including travelbetween Canada and the US.

With four of its own vessels engaged inregular trade between Canada and the USMr Dorigo decided to trial the service andsee what kind of difference having thisadditional communications optiononboard could make to operations.

“We’re always looking to improvethings in general and have many things inthe pipeline to be explored, to see howthey would fit IT wise, comms wise andso on. Some owners require certain datato come out from the ships, other ownersneed other things. We keep looking at thebest deals that are out there to do this,”said Mr Dorigo.

“For those four ships in particular itwas very interesting that they had thismobile phone reception for a long part oftheir voyages, which basically made itintriguing to try and find something wecould integrate with this.”

“We’ve been looking to reduce costs for

In an attempt to increase its vessel data traffic while reducing its costs, shipmanagement company Norbulk Shipping has implemented a 3G-based system that allows its ships to access gigabytes of data for just

a few hundred dollars a month, when within range. Denis Dorigo, Norbulk Group, told Digital Ship about the technology

Norbulk Acadian is one of the vessels using the combined satcom/3G system onboard

‘We pay a monthly subscription of a few hundred dollars per vessel,

and that covers 12 gigabytes of data’ – Denis Dorigo, Norbulk Group

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middle of nowhere, I think we’re edgingthat way. Of course they have to recoupsome money – but something like IridiumOpenPort, just a few years ago getting 64 kbps or 128 kbps for the money thatwe’re paying now wouldn’t have beenthought about.”

“I’ve been with Norbulk for 15 years,and when I joined we had a few Linux ter-minals, and I recall that we started toinstall the first Windows 3.0 system –that’s ancient. Our whole e-mail systemcould only hold 200 MB, then the serverwould be full and would crash. At lastcount of our e-mails I think we now hadsomething like 600 GB. It’s just amazinghow everything has evolved – and it’s apleasure to be part of it.”

work you’re still going to have to pay forthe computers trying to reach the shore. Sothe Dualog system will basically block allof that off and we say ‘you’re on Iridium,you can only connect to Dualog’. Thoseare the only ports that are open, and onlye-mail can go through.”

“When it switches over to the 3G sidebasically everything is open. Voice callingis always open, and we have calling cards– though those four ships never have touse them since they get 3G reception.Saying that though, Iridium is fairly cheapfor making outgoing calls. Outside thosefour ships we give the crews calling cards,and we give them private e-mail.”

The switching system is also available onthe other ships in the fleet not fitted with3G, though on those vessels switching is notparticularly required as all of the onboardoptions are L-band satellite services.

“It doesn’t really make any sense toswitch over from Iridium to Mini-M, butevery ship has two or three profiles,depending on how many communicationsystems they have, and we have full con-trol of how it’s going out,” said Mr Dorigo.

“The switchover is absolutely no prob-lem. We did have some slight problems,not with many, but some slight problemswith a few of the OpenPorts and it justswitched over.”

“Dualog has profiles for a million things.Sometimes it can get overcomplicated, inthe sense that you can say that if you’re onthe Mini-M you are only allowed to trans-mit certain file sizes and that kind of thing.

But in the end it makes sense, actually.”

Working with unlimiteddata

With the mixed 3G/satcom system up andrunning on its four ships Norbulk hasopened the door to almost unlimitedcheap data, when in range of the mobilephone service, and has the option to intro-duce any type of IT system it requires.

“With vessels that have high-speeddata, where you don’t look at the data con-sumption, the sky really starts to becomethe limit,” said Mr Dorigo.

“What data do you want from the ship?You can do anything – maintenance sys-tems, purchasing systems, forms, all thosekinds of things. It just makes life mucheasier.”

Remote access to the ships’ networks forIT management is one of the applicationsthat Mr Dorigo points to as an example ofhow the Wavetec communications systemhas made a big difference to operations.

“On the Canadian/US ships you justconnect and you can hop from one PC tothe other, you remotely access a master PCand that will let you in to the rest of thenetwork,” he said.

“With that we can fix problems beforethey happen, and of course you can seethings yourself. It’s difficult for peoplewho are not really computer literate in atechnical way to actually explain what’shappening and the errors that they get. Ifyou can do that you will reduce your trav-el a lot.”

“On the rest of the fleet, I have beenthinking about doing remote connections tothe ship, but on satcom it can be fairly unre-liable and I wouldn’t like to know howmuch a remote connection to a ship wouldbe if you were working on it for an hour.”

With that in mind, Mr Dorigo is keen toimplement similar systems on other vesselsin the fleet trading in coastal areas, thoughhe admits that he has struggled to findcomparable offerings in other regions.

“We had looked at it previously and thetechnology was not available,” he said.

“It would be something to look at forships which have a standard trade,because you also need to look at theexpense of installing the system and howlong it would take to get your money back.But it’s absolutely something we wouldlike to look at – that’s the way forward, Ithink. On the current installations paybackwas approximately one month”.

Apart from 3G technology, Mr Dorigois also keen to look at other new technolo-gies coming into the market, and is hope-ful that evolution in maritime communica-tions will continue to bring faster, cheaperservices to those at sea.

“There are always new technologiescoming out, so you need to keep your eyeopen. 3G may be good today, but in a fewyears’ time we might have even faster,more cost efficient satellite communica-tion systems – and that’s your need for 3Ggone,” he said.

“I’m pretty sure that if we give it a fewyears we’ll have huge speeds out in the DS

Installation involves this simple antenna,and can be completed in one day

www.boatracs.com

www.kvh.com

Boatracs and KVH report that they are towork together to deliver a communica-tions service for small to medium sizedbusinesses in the commercial workboatand fishing markets.

Sold through Boatracs, the Boatracsmini-VSAT Fleet Management Solutionincludes a TracPhone V3 (to be called theBoatracs mini-VSAT V3), as well asBoatracs’ fleet management platform,Boatracs BTConnect.

BTConnect is a web-based solution thatintegrates message and mapping function-ality, and includes features such as route

planning.Other software products like BTForms,

an electronic forms system that automatesvessel data collection, can also be includ-ed. The new service will be made availableand supported through KVH andBoatracs’ dealer network.

"We are very excited to partner with aninnovative top-tier company like KVH tointegrate the award winning TracPhonemini-VSAT Broadband system withBoatracs’ software solutions for the com-mercial maritime market," said IrwinRodrigues, president and CEO of Boatracs.

"With increased regulatory compliancereporting and heightened competition, theneeds of our customers have evolved dra-

matically over the pastfew years. We’re see-ing a growing need forsimple yet highlyeffective integratedsolutions that driveoperational efficien-cies, vessel productiv-ity and compliance."

"The Boatracs mini-VSAT FleetManagement Solutionmeets these require-ments in an affordablepackage through asingle providerknown in the industryfor reliable service anda dedication to cus-tomer support."

www.jotron.com

The Jotron Group has announced that itwill merge its remaining Norwegian com-panies (Jotron AS, Jotron Phontech AS andJotron SatCom AS), following the sale ofits Jotron Consultas AS software division.

100 per cent of the shares in JotronConsultas AS were recently acquired byKongsberg Maritime as part of a dealannounced in March 2012.

The name of the new combined compa-ny will be Jotron AS, with an annualturnover of 305 million NOK (approxi-mately US$53 million) and 150 employees.

“This merger and the sales of JotronConsultas AS will allow Jotron to fully

Boatracs and KVH join forces to serve smaller vessels

The package will include a KVH mini-VSAT and Boatracs software

Jotron Group merges Norwegian operationsfocus on our core businesses: communica-tion products and systems for maritime,land and air applications,” says MagnusVold, managing director of the 'new'Jotron AS.

“It will allow us to consolidate oursales, R&D and production resources toexpand the business and better serve ourcustomers worldwide.”

Jotron AS will be organised into divi-sions covering separate market segments,with a Maritime & Energy divisionresponsible for all business with maritimecustomers worldwide.

The new organisation of the companywill officially come into effect on July 1st 2012.

www.satcube.com

Gothenburg-based Satcube AB reportsthat it is in the process of developing anew range of maritime satcom antennas,which it says will be aimed at “the nextgeneration of satellite capacity.”

The platform features an active damp-ening system, to eliminate shocks andvibrations and reduce the number of sys-tem failures.

"These satellite terminals need to bemore accurate and demonstrate greaterefficiency than the old L-band system ter-minals they replace," said Jakob Kallmér,Satcube CEO.

"Availability and robustness require-

ments continue to be extensive. However,customers aren't prepared to pay muchmore for the hardware. That's why youneed to take a new approach when devel-oping this type of terminal."

"We drew inspiration from the automo-tive industry, incorporating simple, inex-pensive components without stretchingthe limits of function or quality. Thisapproach has resulted in a number ofinnovations for which we have submittedpatent applications."

Satcube says it plans to release a betaversion of the system this winter to test theconcept in the North Sea. It is expectedthat a fully industrialised product will beavailable by mid-2013.

Satcube announces satcom antenna development

p1-13:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:51

p1-13:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:51

WW isby Tankers is a first-genera-tion tanker operation and man-agement company, still owned

and operated by its four founding mem-bers. Since its inception, the company hasgrown from a single ship to a full-fledgedshipping company with more than 300employees working onboard its vesselsand at its offices ashore, developing andbuilding its own ships along the way.

While a traditional company in manyrespects, Wisby is looking to be cutting-edge when it comes to technology and leveraging IT to drive efficiency inoperations.

This philosophy was applied when itbegan to search for a new satellite com-munications system for its fleet that woulddrive efficiency and reduce costs, whilealso adding additional options for itscrews to stay in touch with home.

Wisby operates 12 tankers, includingchemical and oil tankers as well as bitu-men tankers, ranging in size from 5,000 to75,000 DWT.

In addition to their varied applicationsand sizes, these vessels also travel in vari-ous different regions, covering most of theworld’s shipping routes.

CommunicationsThe company was using a variety of sys-tems, including Inmarsat Fleet andFleetBroadband as well as CDMA mobiletechnology solutions, to meet the diversecommunications needs of the fleet, but asmonthly airtime costs were growing thecompany decided that this arrangementwould not support its vision to enhance itsbusiness operations, IT management, andcrew retention programmes with moreonboard connectivity.

Wisby decided that it needed to find anew onboard communications solution,and this led the company to try out KVH’smini-VSAT Broadband service using its60cm TracPhone V7 antennas. So far it hasbeen very pleased with the results, accord-ing to Bo Olausson, IT manager for WisbyTankers AB/Wisby Shipmanagement AB.

“Our main goal was to lower our com-munications and IT support costs, with asecondary goal of supporting crew moralewith an internet connection to use at theirleisure,” he says.

“We were looking for a small antennasize, with worldwide coverage and ease ofinstallation on our smaller vessels.”

“The TracPhone V7 system price wastwo-thirds the cost of the other VSAT sys-tem we have in use, and KVH’s globalsupport is vital because our operations arealways in progress worldwide.”

The mini-VSAT Broadband serviceuses ArcLight spread spectrum technolo-gy developed by KVH’s satellite technol-ogy partner, ViaSat, to offer Ku-bandconnectivity via 14 Ku-band satellitetransponders.

KVH says that this spread spectrumtechnology is what enables use of anten-nas of 37 cm for the Ku-band service and 1metre for combined C/Ku-band coverage.

When coverage is not available, or thesystem is not in operation for any otherreason, communications onboard Wisbyvessels are strictly limited, as Mr Olaussonexplains, with the connection switchingover to the previously installed satcomservices.

“Our older communications systemsare maintained only as backup, and whenthey are in use, only our e-mail service isallowed to be used,” he says.

While operating on Ku-band, MrOlausson notes that the fixed fee nature ofthe VSAT service has reduced the compa-ny’s communications spend significantlyon a number of ships.

“On some vessels, our communicationscosts are cut in half,” he says.

“But on others, we have requested thatthe TracPhone V7 be installed immediate-ly upon delivery from the shipyard, sothat we could enjoy the lower costs fromthe beginning.”

The satcom system is connected to dualWAN routers on Wisby vessels, making itpossible for the company to use both stat-ic and dynamic WAN-IP addresses whilealso managing multiple local networks.

The company is also able to make use ofQuality of Service (QoS) management andtraffic prioritisation on its communica-tions system.

In addition to these network functional-ities, one further key aspect of the systemfor Wisby when deciding on a new com-munications service was antenna size, asMr Olausson recalls.

“The smaller form factor of both theantenna and below decks unit was a majorhelp when deciding final equipment posi-tioning on the vessels, both above andbelow decks,” he explains.

“The systems were easy to installbecause they came with clear technicalinstructions, and we received great sup-port from Cordland, the KVH distributorin Sweden, before installation and duringthe initial setup. We continue to receiveoutstanding support from the staff inKVH’s Denmark office, who alwaysrespond to our questions quickly and pro-fessionally.”

Going forwardWisby Tankers is committed to continuingto move its business forward, adopting thebest in communications technology alongthe way. Based on the results so far MrOlausson says that this strategy willinclude further adoption of VSAT technol-ogy in the future.

“As we move forward and grow ourbusiness, KVH’s new 1-metre TracPhoneV11 systems (for dual Ku/C-band cover-age) are a major upgrade candidate forsome of our vessels,” he says.

“We are more than pleased with themini-VSAT Broadband systems’ perform-ance – the system is just as stable and auto-matic as KVH advertises it to be, especiallywhen compared to other VSAT services.”

“In addition to the great performanceand significant cost savings, this solutiongives us better support for our IT opera-tions. The user-friendly operation andability to offer crew access means that we also have a happier crew, who arewilling to return to our vessels for multi-ple contracts.”

SATCOMS


Having decided to change its satellite communications system in an effort to reduce costsand increase efficiency, Wisby Tankers installed the mini-VSAT service from KVH

– and has managed to reduce its spend by 50 per cent on some vessels

Cutting costs at Wisby Tankers

Wisby has installed the mini-VSAT service on its tankers, and has noticed a drop in its communications spend DS

www.selexelsag.com

SELEX Elsag, a Finmeccanica company,reports that it has launched a newOceanLink VSAT satellite communica-tions system.

Primarily aimed at the commercialfishing industry and offshore renewableenergy support operators around the UKand North Sea area, OceanLink60 andOceanLink80 will provide 'always-on'broadband internet and Voice over

Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls at a fixedmonthly cost.

"Since being launched earlier this yearand following extensive sea trials, ordersfor both versions of the product havealready exceeded initial expectations; withexcellent customer feedback on the solu-tion even when operating in the harshestof sea conditions," said Trevor Bond, headof marine sales at SELEX.

"This clearly shows SELEX Elsag's com-mitment to develop solutions that connect

and protect right across our marine cus-tomer spectrum."

In other news, SELEX has also recentlyreported that has agreed two new satellitecommunications deals, with North StarShipping and Viking Supply ShipsLimited.

SELEX will supply three Sea Tel 4009stabilised maritime Ku-band VSAT com-munication systems to North Star, on afive-year hardware rental maintenancecontract.

The contract also extends an existingairtime agreement to accommodate thenew installations.

North Star is building three new shipsto add to its fleet of 32 vessels that SELEXis currently servicing.

Viking Supply Ships (previously SBSMarine Ltd) has also signed a similar fleet-wide five-year rental maintenance agree-ment for VSAT services and airtime.

Under the contract, SELEX will pro-vide Viking Supply Ships PlatformSupply Vessels with improved VSAThardware and an enhanced broadbandairtime package.

OceanLink VSAT from SELEX

p1-13:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:51

If you’re tired of rising SATCOM costs, come on over to the mini-VSAT Broadband world!

Get KVH’s new report“Comparing KVH mini-VSAT Broadband

to Legacy Solutions” at:

www.minivsat.com/one

How did KVH become #1 in maritime VSAT?**Euroconsult Report, March 2012 and NSR, May 2012

K V H I N D U S T R I E S W O R L D W I D EWorld HQ: United States | [email protected] EMEA HQ: Denmark | [email protected] Asia-Pacific HQ: Singapore | [email protected]

+1 401.847.3327 +45 45 160 180 +65 6513 0290

©2012 KVH Industries, Inc. KVH, TracPhone, and the unique light-colored dome with dark contrasting baseplate are registered trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. mini-VSAT Broadband is a service mark of KVH Industries, Inc.

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p1-13:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:51

SATCOMS


TT he economic recession whichbegan in 2007 has impacted themaritime sector in various ways

including reduction of maritime trafficand reduced prices for maritime trading,leading to a difficult financial situation forshipping companies and fleet operators.

Despite the recovery of the last 24months, there is still an overcapacity ofvessels, which could lead to low operatingmargin, difficult access to financing andeventually the bankruptcy and the restruc-turing of fleet operators.

Under such a difficult industrial cir-cumstance, in 2011, the global maritimesatellite communication market achievedalmost 6 per cent growth in operating ter-minals count and about 1 per cent increasein revenues.

The total size of the market reachedabout 315,000 active terminals (includingMSS and VSAT) and close to $1.4 billion atthe tier-1 service provider level.

Despite some decreases in equipmentsales and slowdown in new installations, alarge number of service providers report-ed continuous growth in satellite usageand service revenues. Indeed, both theestablished MSS service and the emergingVSAT business contributed to the growthof the overall maritime satellite communi-cation market.

Since 2008, the global market has beengrowing at a high single digit annual ratefor both revenue and terminals.

Despite the phase-out of some legacyInmarsat services (which is being accelerat-ed by Inmarsat itself), the entire maritimesatellite communications market remainsactive, and is still in the growth momentum.

Additionally, a large part of the mar-itime community is not yet well addressedby the satellite communication industry,and opportunities are still ahead in under-developed vertical segments, emerginggeographic markets, and new applications.

97 per cent MSSReviewing the maritime market in the lastfew years, we see that VSAT is absolutelythe hottest topic in the sector.

Announcements for new VSAT instal-lations and new capacity leasing are beingmade almost every week, and by nowalmost all traditional Inmarsat serviceproviders or resellers have VSAT servicesin their product portfolio.

However, according to the analysis ofEuroconsult, the development of VSATseems more or less exaggerated. In 2011,among the 315,000 active maritime satel-lite communications terminals, about 97per cent of them were MSS terminals andonly 3 per cent were VSAT terminals.

Indeed, the MSS industry has recog-nised a continuous growth in the maritimemarket over the last three years in terms ofthe number of terminals, from fewer than

255,000 active terminals in 2008 to morethan 306,000 in 2011, corresponding with a7 per cent CAGR (Compound AnnualGrowth Rate) over the three-year period.

At present, MSS services, especiallylegacy Inmarsat services, are widely usedacross the entire maritime market for alarge range of mission-critical communi-cations. At the MSS service provider level,total revenue represented roughly 60 percent of the total maritime satellite commu-nication service market in 2011.

The share of MSS revenue was muchlower than that of terminals, primarilybecause of the lower MSS AverageRevenue Per User (ARPU), dragged downby both low data rate tracking / safetycommunication terminals which normallygenerate low monthly fees and low usageterminals which are mainly used as back-up to VSAT services.

VSAT competitionIncreasingly, the VSAT competition hassignificantly slowed down the MSS busi-ness. Inmarsat, in particular, reported thatits maritime revenue decreased by 0.5 percent in 2011, and it informed investors inMarch 2012 that it expects no growth in itscore business over the next two years.

Other MSS operators, such as Iridiumand Thuraya, are still relative newcomersto the maritime sector, and their maritimebusiness is affected by the VSAT only to avery limited degree.

To adapt to the competitive marketlandscape, MSS operators are changingtheir traditional business model.

To illustrate, following the VSAT busi-ness model, in 2011, Inmarsat launchedVLA (Very Large Allowance), which offersheavy consumers its FleetBroadband serv-ice with a monthly fixed fee.

In addition, in order to lock in cus-tomers, Inmarsat also launched, via itsservice subsidiaries and partners, hybridFleetBroadband / Ku-band offers whichare upgradable to the upcoming GlobalXpress Ka-band system.

Iridium has also identified the opportu-nity to partner with VSAT players. InJanuary 2012, Iridium announced that itwould be teaming up with KVH in orderto offer a global seamless maritime broad-band service.

Facing the fact that most VSATequipped vessels still keep MSS services(in most cases, Inmarsat ones) as the back-up, which generate very limited revenueto MSS operators, Inmarsat adjusted itsservice pricing from May 1st, 2012.

According to feedback from the enduser community, Euroconsult under-stands that this price adjustment directlyleads to a 15 per cent-30 per cent increasein cost for medium and light users ofInmarsat services.

With such a cost, the installations of

Inmarsat terminals for VSAT backup pur-poses become economically uninteresting.However, many other moderate Inmarsatusers which do not have VSAT on-boardalso get affected by this cost increase.

In the short term, this pricing change willdirectly improve the ARPU of Inmarsatmaritime services, and therefore drive themaritime revenue upwards. For mid andlong term, such a significant price increaseshould result in increasing churn rate.

Will the FleetBroadband bundles,Hybrid Ku-/L-band packages and later onthe Ka-band service be successful enoughto offset the negative perception from endusers of this pricing change? We are keento see the Inmarsat financial reports at theyear end 2012.

VSAT growth On the other side, the fast growing andstrong revenue generating VSAT is increas-ingly growing in importance in the mar-itime satellite communications market.

The number of VSAT maritime terminalsincreased significantly, from fewer than6,000 active terminals in 2005 to around9,000 in 2011, contributing a strong CAGRat 15 per cent over the three-year period. Asof 2011, there were about 9,000 VSAT mar-itime terminals in operation in the world.

The new-generation Ka-band systems(especially the Inmarsat Global Xpress) indevelopment will soon be launched ontothe commercial market.

Several years ago, due to technical andcost issues, only a few capacity-hungrysectors, such as Oil & Gas offshore, hadlarge-scale VSAT installations. However,the fast-increasing crew communicationsonboard merchant ships and the increas-ingly demanding passenger communica-tion needs on cruise ships and superyachtsin recent years have generated hugecapacity requirements, which cannot bemet by MSS services at an affordable cost.

For operational communications, newapplications such as real-time monitoring,remote diagnostics, maintenance, routeplanning, electronic port declaration, etc.are being adopted by an increasing num-ber of vessels, and all of these applicationsare driving the growth of on-board band-width requirements.

Consequently, the installation of broad-band VSAT systems has becomeinevitable, especially for high-end vesselssuch as cruise ships, superyachts, offshorerigs, tankers, Oil & Gas survey vessels, etc.

The business model for mobile VSATon both satellite operator and satelliteservice provider levels differs from thetypical business model used for MSS.

Basically, the model follows the logic ofthe FSS industry. Thus, satellite operatorslease wholesale capacity in the form of ded-icated transponder capacity in specific mar-itime beams, and service providers leasethis dedicated capacity over a timeframe(in general, estimated at between one tothree years; some could be for longer timeor even the entire satellite lifetime).

In order to provide VSAT service glob-ally, capacity from multiple transpondersand possibly from several different FSSoperators may be required.

As of 2011, the global maritime VSATmarket represented 40 per cent of theentire maritime satellite communicationindustry at service provider level.

VSAT by 2021Driven by strong demand for data com-munications, especially IP data applica-tions, Euroconsult sees strong growth inthe coming decade.

This demand is driven by applicationsin three categories, including safety & reg-ulatory communications, professionalcommunications for ship operations andcrew welfare/entertainment.

Following the current market trend,VSAT service providers should gain mar-ket share in terms of revenue over thecoming 10 years.

In 2021, the revenue of serviceproviders in the maritime market shouldreach approximately $1.7 billion, of whichMSS service providers account for 45 percent and VSAT service providers accountfor the remaining 55 per cent.

MSS wholesale revenue vs VSAT capacity revenue

Despite global economic difficulties and growing business pressure on shipping companies, the maritime satellitecommunications market continues to grow, both in terms of numbers of terminals and revenues, writes Wei Li, Euroconsult

Competition driving maritime satcom to higher bandwidth

DS

About the authorWei Li is senior consultant at Euroconsult and editor of Maritime Tele-com Solutions by Satellite - Global Market Analysis & Forecasts, Aero-nautical Telecom Solutions by Satellite - Global Market Analysis & Fore-casts, Mobile Satellite Communications Markets Survey – Prospects to2020, and Company Profiles – Analysis of FSS Operators.Mr Li can bereached at [email protected].

p1-13:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:51

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SOFTWARE

www.maritime-connector.com

Online maritime job board, MaritimeConnector, reports that it has recordedthe registration of its 50,000th seafarer.

Maritime Connector began as a region-al service connecting Croatian shipownerswith Croatian seafarers, before expandingthrough international collaboration withshipping companies looking for Croatianofficers and crew.

The company says that the English ver-sion of the website continued to attractnon-Croatian officers, leading MaritimeConnector to completely redesign the plat-form, so that it is now available in Englishonly and welcomes seafarers from all overEurope and Asia to register their CV intothe database.

"Seafarers are very satisfied with thepossibility of having information on thejob openings with various ship operators,managers and crewing agencies at oneplace. This helps them to get informationabout new maritime jobs in time, andshortens the marine vacancies search.Also, they get the chance to send their CVdirectly to the company, which guaranteesequality of opportunities and transparen-cy," the company said.

"The companies that work with us are satisfied as well. The crew search is now more efficient, both in terms oftime and money. Besides shipping operators, we collaborate with some of the largest and oldest crewing agents

in the world – Wilhelmsen ShipManagement, BSM and V.Ships and allof these companies use us both for crewsearch and PR."

"Furthermore, by getting a great num-

ber of applications to their seagoingvacancies, companies are enabled tochoose the very best crew. It is simple –nobody can make a better choice for yourcompany than you can."

www.shipping-kpi.org

The Shipping Key Performance IndicatorProject, initiated by InterManager but nowadministered by the independent KPIAssociation Ltd, has passed the milestoneof adding the 1,000th vessel to the datasystem.

Performance statistics from these ves-sels are now being inputted into the pro-ject’s website – enabling the KPI system toproduce performance measurement statis-tics for the industry.

“This is excellent progress for the proj-ect and indicates a great deal of industryinvolvement and support,” said CaptainKuba Szymanski of InterManager, onbehalf of the KPI Association.

“By collating performance data from awide range of shipping companies we areable to calculate key performance indica-tors to enable benchmarking againstindustry averages.”

“The more information we have themore accurate these indicators are whichwill help to ensure the standards withinour industry are kept high.”

Started by InterManager, together with The Norwegian Research Council,Marintek and Wilhelmsen ASA, theShipping KPI Project developed standardtools for measuring companies’ and ves-sels’ performance.

Now established as the independent,not-for-profit KPI Association Ltd, theproject is working with a range of industry

stakeholders and aims to develop a stan-dard for ships’ performance measurementthat is common to the industry.

The data which each company inputs iscompletely confidential and cannot beaccessed by any other user of the service.However, the combined anonymised dataenables the KPI Project to calculate indus-try averages to enable companies tobenchmark their vessels’ performance.

The KPI Project is now aiming toinclude 2,000 vessels in its database by theend of 2012.

Newcruz Offshore installs enginei

Oldendorff toimplement BASS

software

Job site registers 50,000th seafarer

‘The more information we have, the moreaccurate these indicators are’ – Capt Kuba

Szymanski, InterManager

KPI project passes 1,000 vesselswww.enginei.co.uk

Newcruz Offshore Marine Services, aSwiber Group company, has implementedthe enginei fuel management system fromRoyston Limited aboard its new offshoresupport vessel, the Swiber Carinabe, thefirst company in the Asian market to do so.

The Swiber Carina was launched lastyear as the first in a building plan for 11vessels that will provide oilfield supportservices around the Malaysian Peninsula.

The system will be used to provide realtime fuel consumption details on boardand, simultaneously, at the company'shead office. Royston says that, in separatetrials, an enginei system has enabled someusers to achieve fuel savings of up to 20per cent.

Enginei can be applied to any diesel-powered vessel and works by measuring

fuel flow and matching the data with theship's GPS location. This information isused to continuously calculate a vessel’s'miles per gallon' and to correlate theinformation with its activity and speed.

A bridge display allows Masters to con-sequently be continuously aware of theirfuel consumption, and make adjustmentsto improve the balance between theirspeed and fuel consumed.

Similarly, operations managers ashorecan use the information to deploy vesselsin a timely and cost effective way.

The data on the vessel, along with itsGPS location, is relayed ashore to a satel-lite map display which provides the ship’ssuperintendent with a real-time presenta-tion of each vessel’s location and fuel con-sumption. A graphic overlay shows theamount of fuel being consumed at anypoint along its track.

The enginei system presents real-time vessel locations and fuel consumption

The website has expanded from being a purely Croatian-focused service to welcomingseafarers from all over Europe and Asia

www.bassnet.no

Dry-bulk operator Oldendorff Carriershas agreed a deal with Norwegian compa-ny BASS, to implement its software sys-tem.

Oldendorff Carriers currently controlsa fleet of some 400 chartered and ownedvessels operating across the globe.

BASS’s contract with OldendorffCarriers comprises the complete BASSnetpackage of ten modules covering mainte-nance, procurement, dry-docking, safety,risk management, operations, crewing,payroll and services like database buildingand conversion.

“After a comprehensive comparison ofthe suppliers and their systems, the deci-sion was clearly made in favour of BASSsoftware because we think BASSnet is thefleet management suite in the marketwhich best fits our requirements,” saidOldendorff Carriers fleet manager,Charles Jan Scharffetter.

“We are confident that BASS Software’sprofessional team will implement thecomplex project smoothly.”

Oldendorff joins other companies likeStolt Tankers, TMT, Pacific InternationalLines, APL, NYK Ship Management, “K”Line, CMA CGM, Lamnalco, WilhelmsenShip Management and Hapag-Lloyd inimplementing the BASS software system.

p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:59 Page 1

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p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 10:59 Page 2


SOFTWARE

www.classnk.or.jp

www.napa.fi

www.marorka.com

Two new technology systems to assist inthe implementation of Ship EnergyEfficiency Management Plans (SEEMP)have been launched, one from Icelandiccompany Marorka and another as part of acollaboration agreement betweenClassNK and software provider NAPA.

Last year, the IMO announced amend-ments to MARPOL that will make aSEEMP mandatory from 1 January 2013for all ships over 400 gross tonnage.

The SEEMP solution from Class NKand NAPA will combine modules to opti-mise trim, route and speed optimisationand weather routing with an analyticsservice to offer operational efficiency anddecision support.

The system aims to allow owners andoperators to respond quickly and adaptoperations in real-time to capitalise onlatent efficiencies to increase eco-efficien-cy and reduce fuel consumption.

Class NK and NAPA say that they areworking closely with Japan's largest ship-builder, Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.,which has been instrumental in shapingthe development of the system.

A trial version of the new solution isexpected to be completed within the year,and upon completion will undergo realworld testing on vessels owned and operat-ed by an Imabari Group shipping company.

Feedback from this verification testingwill be used to further develop and refinethe system prior to final release.

Imabari Shipbuilding will also makeuse of the system and the results from itsverification tests to further improve theperformance of new vessels built at itsshipyards.

“Eco-efficiency lies right at the heart ofNAPA's business, we are committed toproviding environmentally sound solu-tions from eco-efficient ship design to ouroperations support software,” said Juha

Heikinheimo, president, NAPA Group. “The partnership with ClassNK shows

the potential of NAPA's software in sup-porting significant financial and environ-mental savings.”

“Indeed, when married with soundmanagement practice, improvement oflatent efficiencies, optimisation of trim, bal-last and floating position, and implementa-tion of voyage optimisation systems, anelectronic approach to SEEMP can achieveas much as 15-20 per cent in fuel economy,depending on the vessel type.”

Marorka, meanwhile, has launched itsown Marorka Online SEEMP system toassist shipping companies in ensuringcompliance.

The new web-based product guidesship operators through the creation oftheir SEEMP, and aims to reduce the effortrequired in managing SEEMPs for anentire fleet.

The online service provides a fleetoverview for measures and goals, with acalendar view for upcoming projects, andoffers a central repository for documentmanagement, allowing crews to print themost recent version of the document fromthe web.

Marorka says that this should also helpcompanies to perform continuous evalua-tion and improve their operations based onanalytic reports and live measurements.

"We at Marorka are quite excited aboutSEEMP. We’ve been living and breathingenergy management for ships for over adecade now, and it’s our belief thatSEEMP will prove to be an effective cata-lyst for improving energy efficiency," saidKristinn Aspelund, Marorka sales andmarketing director.

"We have created an add-on forMarorka Online, our web-based fleet ener-gy management solution, which allowsSEEMP to become an integral part of shipmanagement. Our development team hasbeen focusing on making an easy-to-usetool for shipping companies to maintaintheir SEEMPs."

www.monalisaproject.eu

The world’s largest cruise company,Carnival Corporation, has joined theMONALISA project, led by The SwedishMaritime Administration, which aims tocontinuously track the locations of cruiseand cargo vessels sailing in Europeanwaters.

The MONALISA project is a comput-erised tracking system that offers a contin-uous view of ship traffic in specificregions, and is designed to provide cruiseand cargo operators with information thatenables them to operate as safely and effi-cently as possible.

The latest phase of the project, calledMONALISA 2.0, will include a renewedapplication to the European Commission'sTEN-T (trans-European transport net-work) programme.

Carnival Corporation will work withthe Swedish Maritime Administration toextend the current test area from the Baltic

Sea to include the Mediterranean Sea.A number of Europe-based ships from

various Carnival Corporation brands areexpected to participate in the initial pilotphase of the MONALISA 2.0 project.

"Due to Sweden's geographical positionwe are dependent on a strong and efficientinfrastructure to a greater extent thanother countries," says Jonas Vedsmand,marketing director at the SwedishMaritime Administration.

"The Swedish Maritime Administrationis very proud to lead a project aimed atmaking a concrete contribution to creatingefficient maritime routes, enhancing mar-itime safety and to reducing the environ-mental impact. The project has attracted aconsiderable international interest, whichalso confirms that we are on the right track."

Danish, Norwegian, Spanish andItalian authorities have already joinedMONALISA 2.0, and authorities fromseveral other countries are said to beinterested.

Yasushi Nakamura, ClassNK, and Juha Heikinheimo, NAPA Group,mark their collaboration agreement on the SEEMP system

SEEMP tools launched

Intergraph has opened its newly-expanded Intergraph Global MarineCenter in Busan, South Korea, with a ded-icated support team for customers aimingto implement SmartMarine Enterprise inmarine and offshore projects.AVEVA has opened a new office in

Wroclaw, Poland, to offer sales and sup-port for all of AVEVA’s solutions and con-sulting services in the country.

www.intergraph.comwww.aveva.com

www.tpt.com

Tokyo-based company Marubeni hasdeployed a cloud-based shipping softwaresystem for chartering, vessel operations,and freight risk management from TriplePoint Technology.

Marubeni is an international tradingcompany with 120 offices in 68 countries,and with interests including textiles, pulpand paper, chemicals, food products, ener-gy, metals and mineral resources, trans-portation machinery, and power projects.

Triple Point's Chartering andVesselOps systems will act as an integrat-ed platform managing Marubeni's charter-ing, post-fixture activities, and the finan-cial aspects of vessel operations.

The software provides a global view ofvessel movements, market cargo availabil-ity, and existing cargo commitments.

Triple Point says that the Chartering andVesselOps applications are currently usedto manage commercial shipping operationsat over eighty companies, with approxi-mately 2,500 users across the globe.

www.quantum-bso.com

Perma Shipping Line has implementedthe Qi-Liner analytics product fromQuantum BSO for its liner and NVOCCbusiness.

The software system is used to organisea variety of business data for display andanalysis of performance in a range of oper-ational areas.

It is built on Quantum’s BusinessIntelligence engine Qlikview, and thecompany says it contains 13 dashboards,balanced scorecards, management reports,over 2,000 analytics, 200 reports and 10different simulations.

Ali Meghami, managing director ofPerma, says that the system will be used asa strategic management, planning andefficiency tool, with the aim of improvingperformance.

Arjun Vikram-Singh, CEO of Quantum,also commented that he hopes the systemwill provide dramatic returns for Perma inits commercial management, and organi-sational and asset efficiency.

Mona Lisa for Carnival

Carnival ships will be tracked under the MONALISA initiative. Photo: WikiEk

Marubeni toimplement Triple Point

Perma ShippingLine implementsanalytics system

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www.videotel.com

Videotel reports that it has launched anew training series, Leadership andTeam Working Skills, which aims toassist in building competence in resourcemanagement.

Produced in conjunction with TheSteamship Mutual UnderwritingAssociation (Bermuda), Leadership andTeam Working Skills is available on DVDand interactive CD-ROM, and is aimed atall sea-going personnel, particularlywatchkeeping officers in both the deckand engineering departments.

Topics include The Voyage Plan; bothBridge and Engine Room Watchkeeping;Working with Pilots; and ResourceManagement and Accident Prevention.

There is also a module featuring casestudies of five incidents where the bridgeteam failed to keep the ship out of dan-ger as a result of poor resource manage-

ment. Incidents are re-created usingactors and showing the data available tothe bridge team.

The audience are invited to view eachincident and then to stop and analysewhat went wrong and discuss how thingscould have been done better.

"With continuing improvements intechnology, human factors feature moreand more frequently in the causal chain,"said Nigel Cleave, CEO of VideotelMarine International.

"Forty years ago, the average cargo shipwas manned by 40-50 crew – nowadays,even on VLCCs, we are seeing crews num-bering in the low twenties. Individuals arerequired to operate ever more efficiently,adding further pressure on board."

"This series addresses many of the key issues defined by the STCW andSOLAS conventions, which provide aframework for safe and effective work-ing practices."

Resource management training systems from Videotel

Marine Software supplies systems toLeighton Offshore

Improved bridge resource management can help to prevent accidents

www.marinesoftware.co.uk

Marine Software Ltd in the UK reports thatit has successfully supplied its PlannedMaintenance, Stock Control andPurchasing software to Leighton Offshore.

The system has been installed onLeighton Offshore's latest DNV classedCable Working Barge 'MPV1' (GRT2,363), and at its Kuala Lumpur manage-ment office.

This delivery builds on previous soft-ware agreements to supply Leighton's

existing Pipe Lay Barge fleet, includingLeighton Stealth, Leighton Mynx andLeighton Eclipse, as well as its non-float-ing assets ashore.

All vessels are managed by Leighton'sMalaysia head office.

"Leighton Offshore and the users ofMarsoft are very satisfied with the effi-ciency and simplicity of the system," saidLeighton Offshore, in a statement.

"We are also thankful to the promptsupport system provided by MarineSoftware head office."

New contracts for ABS-NS


SOFTWARE

www.aveva.com/aveva_erm

AVEVA has released a new softwareproduct family for the marine market,called AVEVA Enterprise ResourceManagement, which will be aimed at ship-yards in particular.

Comprising the products AVEVAMaterial, AVEVA Planning and AVEVAProduction, the applications support theproject management and execution process.

AVEVA says that they should helpshipyards to benefit from lower materialand production/construction coststhrough improved project efficiency,shortening timescales and increasing proj-ect quality and control.

The applications incorporate procure-ment, project control, logistics, materials

management, production planning andconstruction management.

“AVEVA Enterprise ResourceManagement combines the proven plantand marine capabilities of world-recognisedproducts AVEVA VPRM and AVEVAMARS,” said Lars Riisberg, vice president,enterprise resource management, AVEVA.

“By bringing together the best of thesetechnologies, including the ability tomanage multiple projects within a muchlarger programme, we are helping ourcustomers dramatically enhance theirbusiness performance.”

“AVEVA has built its reputation ondelivering innovative software solutionsin the marine and plant markets and iscreating a new generation of applicationsthat offer even greater project manage-

ment efficiencies.”In addition to this Enterprise Resource

package, AVEVA has also recently intro-duced its AVEVA Electrical application,which aims to cut the man hours requiredfor ship design.

The company says that the system hasdemonstrated man-hour savings of up to30 per cent in the ship design process dur-ing pre-release customer testing, whencompared to traditional applications.

The software can also be implementedas part of AVEVA’s IntegratedShipbuilding strategy, which aims to opti-mise the entire shipyard by improving thedesign, planning and production processthrough information sharing and work-flow management, using the AVEVAMarine portfolio of solutions.

“AVEVA Electrical is very quick andeasy to deploy, both on new projects andalso on refit projects where access to lega-cy data is essential,” said Bruce Douglas,senior VP marketing & product strategy,AVEVA.

“We have worked with numerousmarine customers to ensure the highestquality and accuracy of electrical datafrom design to commissioning. This prod-uct enables electrical engineers to collabo-rate fully across inter-discipline design toproduce automated deliverables whichare completely consistent and accurate.”

“With its advanced graphical userinterface and sophisticated design rules,we believe AVEVA Electrical will quicklybecome the preferred choice for all sizes ofmarine projects.”

AVEVA launches Enterprise Resource Management

www.eagle.org

ABS Nautical Systems reports it hassigned new contracts with TMS Bulkersand TMS Dry in Greece, and another withSamson Maritime Ltd in India, for its NS5Enterprise software system.

The Greece-based bulk carrier opera-tors, both part of the TMS group, will usethe application to assist in the machineryand structural assessment programmesthat they already have in place.

Both companies will implement theHull Inspection and Maintenance &Repair modules as part of the ABSNewbuild Programme, which offers freesoftware to ABS-classed vessels built after1 January 2009.

The systems provide tools to monitorthe structural condition of vessels whilealso helping to manage vessel mainte-nance functions.

TMS Bulkers will install the softwareon six of its bulk carriers, while TMS Drywill implement it on 19 of its own ships.

Earlier this year, TMS Tankers, alsopart of the TMS Group, began implemen-tation of the NS5 Enterprise HullInspection module on 37 of its ABS-classed vessels.

In India, the contract with SamsonMaritime Ltd is an expansion of a previ-ous agreement for the NS5 Enterprise sys-tem.

Samson Maritime will be adding thePurchasing & Inventory module to six ofits vessels, which it will use to identifyinventory replacement needs, averagetransaction costs, delivery dates and turn-around cycle times.

The software will also link directly toSamson Maritime's accounting system.

The company had already been utilis-ing the ABS-NS Maintenance & Repair,Hull Inspection and DrawingsManagement modules on four of its plat-form supply vessels.

These installations have also beendelivered as part of the ABS NewbuildProgramme.The Leighton MPV1 has installed the software

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www.tidetech.org

Tidetech has released the results of simu-lations of its tidal optimisation system oncoastal shipping routes, showing signifi-cant time savings on optimised voyages.

The company says that, in simulationsdeveloped for transits through theEnglish Channel, a time difference of 12.8 per cent was shown between ‘bestcase’ and ‘worst case’ passage times when using optimal tide and current(based on an 8,000 TEU container shipsteaming at 21kt).

Tidetech notes that this is the approxi-mate equivalent of US$9,400 of bunkercosts saved on one journey.

Speed optimisation using accuratetidal stream data differs from weatherand route optimisation in that it is aboutchoosing the best time to transit a passagewhere a choice of route is limited orrestricted (channel transits, controlledshipping lanes, ferry routes, etc).

With route restrictions and the pres-ence of tides, efficiency is found in timingthe journey relative to current/tide –

leaving/arriving at the right time to takeadvantage of the best current and opti-mising speed to maximise the positiveeffects of the current.

Using the English Channel as an exam-ple, timing a vessel’s arrival at theentrance to the channel correctly meansthat the ship can make the most efficient

passage through the Channel by goingwith the optimal flow of water.

Tidetech’s English Channel simulationshowed that the best case transit at slowsteaming speeds of 19kt is 32 minutesfaster than the worst case transit at 21kt.Based on an 8,000 TEU container vessel,the company says that this is a differenceof approximately 35.8 tons of bunkerage(or approximately $25,000).

“It’s clear that no stone is being leftunturned in the drive to improve efficien-cy of shipping – the influence of tide andcurrent is an obvious challenge toaddress,” said Tidetech managing direc-tor, Penny Haire.

“The reason it’s not been addressedbefore is that the information just hasn’t been available – now it is and can make a significant difference ifapplied correctly.”

“Our accurate, high-resolution globaltidal data can be integrated into bridgesystems allowing ships to make use ofadvantageous current, steam at more effi-cient speeds and minimise fuel used andtime spent in transit.”


Tidal optimisation simulation shows bunker savings

Timing arrivals and departures to take advantage of favourable currents can make a big difference to power usage

Ship waste management system introduced

SOFTWARE

www.ship-waste.com

French company Ship Waste Agency hasintroduced its SWANET platform, aninternet-based tool for ship waste man-agement and optimisation.

The system includes a vessel-basedsolution (SWABOARD), set up on acomputer onboard via a single CD or download link, and a shoreside internet platform (SWASHORE) whichacts as the link between local operators

and vessels.The application is used to manage

communication flows between involvedparties and issue the electronic docu-ments imposed by the IMO regardingwaste management, such as theAdvance Notification Form (ANF) orWaste Delivery Receipt (WDR). Thesedocuments can be filled in on the vesselor ashore.

Additional services such as anOnboard Waste Management tool and

www.skf.com

SKF has launched SKF ThrusterMonitoring, an integrated condition-based maintenance (CBM) system forpropulsion and positioning thrusters(tunnel and azimuthing thrusters).

The solution is based on SKF’s range ofcondition monitoring products and serv-ices, including on-line technology forvibration, lubricant and data monitoring.

The company offers installation andcommissioning of the systems, as well as remote data analysis and reportingservices, offering suggested reliabilityimprovements based on the monitoredresults.

“There is a clear desire and trend tointegrate existing separate systemsonboard a vessel,” said Gerald Rolfe, SKFmarine executive business manager.

“The SKF Thruster Monitoring solu-tion combines all required information inone system, which can be integrated withboth the thruster and ship managementsystems.”

a reporting tool for onboard waste flows (including log books) are alsoavailable, as is a WUR (WasteUnloading Request) option, a form sentdirectly to the collector underlining allwaste specifications.

Stakeholders can have ‘live access’ tovessel waste specifications and allupdated technical data, with the aim ofspeeding up the issuing of electronicwaste delivery receipts after unloading.

A Port Portal is also offered, with

information on all port reception facili-ties worldwide, including availability,which equipment and tools are beingprovided, their cost, and schedules.

Ship Waste Agency says that the tool will offer shipping companies thechance to share details of their wastemanagement with the public, to demon-strate the environmental friendliness oftheir operations.

The SWANET platform is availablewith a yearly subscription.

Condition monitoring for

thrusters launched

p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 11:27 Page 7

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SOFTWARE

www.abs-ns.com

software service training consulting integration understanding

The trusted name in fleet management software for your 60,000 ton hardware.software for your 60,000 ton hardwar

www.amarcon.com

Smit Marine Projects B.V. has extended itsrelationship with Amarcon, with an orderfor the OCTOPUS-Onboard system for thevessel Taklift 7.

In 2010 OCTOPUS-Onboard wasalready installed on the Taklift 4 after alease period, and the recent installation onthe Taklift 7 provides similar functionalityto the previous one.

The system will be used to assist themaster and the crew of the floating sheerlegs during heavy lift offshore operationsand transport of project cargo by provid-ing motion monitoring, response predic-tion, heavy-weather decision support andweather window evaluation.

The software supplied to Smit Marinealso includes an interface with weatherforecast providers Nowcasting andOctomar for local weather reports.

All measured data from the bridge isstored, enabling the Smit Operations &Tender department to monitor themotions of the project cargo.

Amarcon says it is currently develop-ing a new version of OCTOPUS-Onboard- version 6 - which is expected to bereleased later this year.

www.cyberlogitec.com

Sinokor Merchant Marine Corporation inKorea has agreed a deal to install theOPUS Stowage system from CyberLogitecto optimise its container loading and dis-charge processes.

The data management system organisesplanning-related information in a database,offering an automatic optimisation func-tion and allowing information to be extract-ed for stowage planning improvements.

CyberLogitec says that the technologycan be implemented at the shipping com-pany within one month.

CyberLogitec is a subsidiary of HanjinShipping Holdings, and operates a net-work of branches which includes the USA,China and Spain.

Smit Marine putsOCTOPUSOnboard

‘We are delighted to add DDIT as areseller’ – Youri Hart, Port-IT

Sinokor to install stowage optimisation technology

www.port-it.nl

www.ddit.net.cn

Dalian Ocean Shipping Company inChina, a subsidiary of Cosco Group, is toequip 24 vessels with the Port-ITAntivirus service.

The contract has been agreed viaShanghai based maritime IT companyDDIT, which has recently reached agree-ment with Netherlands-based Port-IT to

act as a reseller of its services.DDIT already acts as a systems

provider for the entire Dalian OceanShipping fleet, offering services includingIT management.

“We are delighted to add DDIT as areseller to enter this new local market andwe have confidence that this will be afruitful relationship between the two com-panies,” commented Youri Hart, manag-ing director, Port-IT.

Dalian Ocean Shipping to install Port-IT Antivirus

Sinokor will use the CyberLogitec system to manage its container data

www.eagle.org

p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 11:28 Page 9

Digital Ship


The challenge of integrating all of the various types of technologies available to a shipping companyIT manager can be a daunting task, and often acts as a reason why organisations persist witholder versions of applications rather than suffer the pain of upgrading. However, working with

a service orientated architecture (SOA) can help to change all that, writes Lars Fischer, Softship

Taking charge of your IT

SS hipping companies wouldn’t sur-vive in the modern world withoutinformation technology. We are so

reliant on software applications that manyaspects of our businesses would simplygrind to a halt if these were taken away.

But rather than adopting an orderedapproach to IT, it seems that most shippingcompanies have accumulated their softwareapplications in a fairly haphazard way.

This is not surprising when we remem-ber that the IT world moves at a furiouspace, causing some technologies tobecome outdated within months of mak-ing it to market. It is not easy for a ship-ping company to predict what IT wizardrymight become available in the future andthe impact it might have on their business.

Many companies simply take whateveris available at the time they need it and trytheir best to integrate it with existing tech-nologies, platforms and software.

Most technology networks in large ship-ping companies have evolved in this wayresulting in disparate IT structures support-ing mainframe, midrange, UNIX and/orWindows technologies. Added to this, eachplatform will host a variety of applicationswhich all require their own set of database,system and collaboration software.

The end result is often a mind bogglingarray of hardware and software that mustwork together if the overall network is tomaximise value and minimise workload.

Linking technologyTo generate the best results from technolo-gy, these disparate systems will need tocommunicate and share information witheach other – and that is not easy to achieve.

It will usually require separate links fromone platform or application to another. Eachapplication - and there may be many ofthem - will need to link to most of the others.

Achieving a many-to-many integrationwill generally require the information tobe exchanged using data interface files orthrough an API based data exchange. API(Application Programming Interface) isbasically a set of instructions that allowsone application to interact with another ina defined language and message format

But the problem with these linkages isthat they are clunky and very hard to main-tain. Achieving seamless integration withso many applications, technologies, plat-forms, languages and interfaces is resourceintensive, expensive and inefficient.

Added complications arise when newapplications are required to replace orenhance the existing architecture.

From the diagram above (left) imaginereplacing the finance module with a moreup-to-date application. The links with thefive other applications will need to be re-engineered and re-installed and re-tested.

Depending on the technologies of theexisting applications, this will cause com-patibility problems as well as a significantresource requirement to develop five newinterfaces. Cost and business interruptionare also significant factors.

A disparate architecture such as this isgenerally inefficient as each applicationwill maintain its own master data such ascustomer/supplier details, commodityinformation or location masters.

This results in having to store andmaintain the master data in multipleplaces leading to inconsistencies across theapplications. Standard maintenance andadministration tasks are also duplicated.

Service orientatedarchitecture

A neat solution to this problem is to adopta service orientated architecture (SOA).

In simple terms, an SOA enables wide-ly different applications to integrate witheach other and organises them as inde-pendent, interoperable services. It sepa-rates the individual functions (such asfinance or scheduling) into distinct unitscalled services and re-sites them in thecentral SOA infrastructure.

This allows users to combine and reusethese services in a variety of applicationswithout having to duplicate them.

To achieve this, there needs to be anunderlying structure to manage the infor-mation flow, to standardise how informa-tion is passed, to create and execute busi-ness rules and to publish the servicesacross the network.

This structure is a middleware creatingthe typical architecture shown in the dia-gram above (right). Immediately it can beseen that each application requires just asingle link to the SOA middleware and thatthe middleware is responsible for sharinginformation with other applications.

In practice, the SOA infrastructure usu-ally comprises three components:� The actual implemented service. This

is independent and provides a clearly defined business orientated functionality

� The service bus. This manages the interfaces and the information flow between the different services

� The business process layer. This allows the mapping of business processes against the available services

Introducing an SOA solution into a com-pany that is operating an evolved, dis-parate architecture needs careful manag-ing. It is often an incremental process thatbegins with identifying the systems andapplications that will form part of the newarchitecture.

The legacy system will require a degreeof re-engineering to expose and separatethe relevant functionality or service. Inmost cases this requires the skills of a solu-tions architect who can balance the capa-bilities of the legacy systems against theneeds of the new SOA.

It is not necessary to migrate all theapplications to the SOA solution at once,often it is more manageable to link oneapplication at a time.

But when complete, the SOA solutiondelivers a range of benefits. Informationflow between the applications is stream-lined and efficient. Data is exchanged in astandardised format and is fully traceable.This ensures all the applications withinthe architecture communicate effectivelywith one another and data is reused.

Services (or core functionality) can alsobe reused. By offering these core serviceswithin the middleware, all applicationscan use that functionality rather than eachapplication duplicating core functionalityand then having to establish links acrossthe network.

Because each application is loosely cou-pled to the SOA infrastructure, it becomesrelatively easy to replace an applicationwhen it reaches the end of its useful life.

This means that companies canupgrade applications with new versionsas they become available without having

to deconstruct and rebuild the network.Not only is this much more efficient interms of cost and resources, it also min-imises business interruption and encour-ages a company to benefit from advancesin technology.

New technologiesTechnology exists to automate andstreamline our businesses allowing us tore-direct resources to more profitableareas.

But the pace of advance in IT has leftmany of us with outdated and incompati-ble systems and networks that are just toodifficult to upgrade. Often, we are not pre-pared to take a step backwards in order toachieve the two steps forward that ourbusinesses require.

Implementing innovations such asservice orientated architecture gives us thetools to enhance information flow acrossthe organisation without interruptingbusiness or learning how to use newapplications. It also allows us maintainpace with new technologies as theybecome available.

In short, SOA helps us take charge ofour IT rather than letting IT take charge ofour business.

Traditional architecture

About the authorLars Fischer is managing director ofSoftship Data Processing Ltd, Singapore,a wholly-owned subsidiary of Softship AG,a provider of software solutions to theinternational liner shipping sector

Service orientated architecture

DS

p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 11:42 Page 10

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Digital Ship


As crew training requirements continue to mount, with pressure from legislators compounding the growing shortageof qualified seafarers, training technologies that can extend the scope of crew education are becoming increasingly

important. Shipping companies Höegh Fleet Services and MOL Tankship Management (Asia) are among those using these new systems – they explain how CBT has made a difference in their organisations

Using CBT to meet training requirements

II n many people’s eyes, onboard train-ing for officers and crew will increas-ingly become the only way of meeting

the growing volume of requirementsdemanded by various new and amendedinternational maritime legislation.

As owners and managers find they areunable to send seafarers ashore to completeall of their training obligations, the indus-try’s means of recruiting, training, assess-ing, promoting and retaining the right peo-ple has never been more important.

Shipping companies Höegh FleetServices AS and MOL TankshipManagement (Asia) Pte Ltd are amongthose leveraging technology to find solu-tions to deal with these issues within theirown organisations.

Despite their operations being based ondifferent sides of the globes, both compa-nies found common ground in their beliefthat IT can assist in improving seafarercompetence while far away from shore,and have installed training systems fromSeagull to enhance the education andqualifications of their crews.

Höegh Fleet ServicesNorwegian owner Höegh Fleet ServicesAS was one of the early participants in thedevelopment programme for computerbased training modules in the early tomid-1990s, and the company has contin-ued to use the technology ever since.

Höegh initially used CBTs and video-based training packages from a number ofproviders, but decided in 1999 to focus itstraining activities with one provider andbegan to develop an extended relationshipwith Seagull.

“We find this type of training to be auseful addition to shore-based andonboard-based training,” says TerjeLorentsen, senior manager, fleet personnelat Höegh Fleet Services.

“Höegh has been actively involved indeveloping company-specific training mod-ules as well as providing Seagull with mate-rial for developing commercial modules.”

“A central collection system was part

of Höegh's vision to simplify data collec-tion from training and to prepare for acentralised system for competence man-agement for all crew. The other providerswere not active in pursuing a manage-ment system.”

In its use of training technology Höeghhad a number of specific requirements,particularly with regard to compliancewith impending maritime legislation. Thisinvolved the creation of an integrated set-up that would allow information to beaccessible within different applications.

“We had a close dialogue with thedevelopment section of Seagull and theywere willing to adapt several of ourrequirements in order to provide for dataexchange from the Seagull TrainingAdministrator to our Maritime PersonnelSystem,” says Mr Lorentsen.

“A good relationship was developedbetween Seagull and the provider of thePersonnel System and full integration wasestablished. The systems were adjustedand configured in order to facilitate atraining management matrix to be avail-able both onboard and ashore.”

“The crew and officers use the STA toreview their training data while the per-sonnel department utilises the MaritimePersonnel System to do the same.”

This customised set-up has allowedHöegh to streamline its personnel man-agement and more effectively manage thecompetence levels of its pool of seafarers.

“As we now have a xml - based datatransfer system we only record data in onesystem and have full overview of all train-ing in both the Seagull TrainingAdministrator and the Maritime PersonnelSystem. The Maritime Personnel System isthe master for personnel info while the STAis master for CBT and company-specifictraining,” says Mr Lorentsen.

“Virtually no administration is neededin the replication of data between the twosystems. Previously we had two encodersof data entering training information forour [then] 1,500 crew members. This job isnow fully automated and the encoders are

used to enter other relevant data for ourcurrent pool of 1,000 crew members.”

“We have a full replication interface so,with regard to follow-up training, my rolehas changed from data encoding and devel-opment of functionality to control and veri-fication that training is conducted accordingto guidelines given from the company.”

As to the future, Mr Lorentsen is look-ing for the development of modules thatmove the training required by the STCWManila amendments from being purelyshore-based to a module-based onboardtraining system, in areas such as ECDISand Electro Technician Rating training.

The target is to have a system compris-ing 60 per cent questions and written tasksusing the vessel as a classroom (and withsenior officers as instructors), 20 per centinteractive simulations, and 20 per centtheory and questions as part of CBT.

Mr Lorentsen would also like to see thedata exchange capabilities between shore-based and onboard databases enhanced,and the library of CBTs expanded to facil-itate further training for officers and rat-ings as requirements change.

MOL TankshipManagement

MOL Tankship Management (Asia) PteLtd, the subsidiary responsible for meet-ing the training requirements of MOL’sfleet of 50 tankers, including 33 very largecrude carriers (VLCCs), has used Seagull’straining services since early 2007.

“We opted to use Seagull for trainingpurposes because the company was theonly competitive provider in the industryrecognised and approved by the relevantmaritime authorities,” says CaptainHarminder Singh of MOL TankshipManagement (Asia) Pte Ltd in Singapore.

“MOL’s objective was to use computer-based self assessment tools for onboardtraining and monitoring purposes which,at the same time, met Tanker Managementand Self Assessment (TMSA) standards.The only other provider in the market atthe time lacked depth with computer-

based training.”The use of this technology in particu-

lar was beneficial as it allowed for flexi-bility in incorporating the company’sown training standards into the system asrequired, and as regulated by various flagstates.

“MOL Rank STEP competence evalua-tion was incorporated as part of SeagullTraining Administrator (STA), whichmeant that company-specific trainingrequirements and various courses werebeing offered onboard in a particularly costeffective manner,” said Captain Singh.

“Seagull provides us with regularannual upgrades which incorporate thelatest developments in regard to maritimelegislation such as the InternationalConvention on Standards of Training,Certification and Watch keeping forSeafarers (STCW).”

“Annual user meetings take place inSingapore during which Seagull presentslatest developments in line with interna-tional standards and requirements whilekeeping abreast of MOL’s new and specif-ic requirements.”

According to Captain Singh, one of thekey benefits for MOL in using trainingtechnology is in the ease with which sea-farers can be trained and monitored byship managers.

Seafarers have the opportunity toundertake various certified courses suchas CBT while onboard ship, and also touse the STA Online facility while ashore.A tailor-made customised monthly andannual report is created for every workstation, and analysis of these reports isavailable via the online component of thetraining system.

“The Seagull training database of MOLseafarers helps us indentify easily everyindividual crew member and each vessel’soverall performance with the click of abutton,” says Captain Singh.

“Being a pioneering shipping companywe impart to our seafarers the best onboardcompetence and training solutions andstandards as provided by Seagull STA.”

Höegh began to use computer based training as far back as the mid-1990s

MOL has integrated its own training standards for crews on its tankers into the computer-based system DS

p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 11:42 Page 12

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SOFTWARE

II n order to stay competitive in a chal-lenging market and to meet theincreasing number of national and

international regulations with regards toemission reduction, more and more shipping companies are searching foreffective measures to reduce their fuel oilconsumption.

Amongst the numerous options avail-able on the market is a form of propulsionsupport that has been effectively usedin the shipping industry for centuries –wind power.

Although crossing the oceans undersails is a long outdated method of trans-port, SkySails, a Hamburg-based companyspecialising in the research and develop-ment of auxiliary wind power propulsionsupport systems and vessel performancemanagement, has developed a towing kiteto be deployed on modern oceangoingcommercial cargo vessels.

The Hamburg-based companyequipped the first vessel, ReedereiWessel’s MV Michael, with a first genera-tion SkySails system at the end of 2007.Since then the propulsion support solu-tion has been tested under real-life condi-tions, the results of which have led to fur-ther developments in the technology.

At the moment, SkySails is finalisingthe product development for SkySailsGeneration III, which features a towingkite of 400m² capable of creating tractiveforces of up to 16 tons.

The first system of the pre-series will beinstalled on MV Aghia Marina, owned bythe Greek shipping company AnbrosMaritime and under long-term contractwith US charterer Cargill OceanTransportation.

With its continuously evolving towingkite solution, SkySails aims to providerenewable energy propulsion support,while at the same time reducing both fueloil consumption and greenhouse gasemissions (GHG).

According to the company’s own fieldstudies, the potential cost savings are sub-stantial; the company states that at a priceof US$ 0.06/kw, 1 kwh of SkySails powercosts half that of a kw produced by themain engine.

On the environmental side, theInternational Maritime Organisation(IMO) has published estimates suggestingthat towing kite technology has enormouspotential to reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions, by up to 100 million tons every year.

The SkySails propulsion support sys-tem consists of three main components: atowing kite with a rope, a launch andrecovery system, and a control system forautomated operation.

The solution is controlled through a soft-ware-based system, which the company

installs on a control panel on the bridge.In addition, although it might seem

absurd to think that the handling of thekite should require use of the satellitecommunications system, modern commu-nication technology nevertheless plays animportant role as the availability of liveweather data is essential for the effectivedeployment of wind propulsion systems.

In order to maximise the effectivenessof the kite, live weather data obtained viasatellite is needed to adapt the voyageplanning aspect of the system in coopera-tion with staff onshore during the voy-age, according to changes in the weathersituation.

Real-time information onvessel performance

In order to support shipping companies inefficiently saving fuel oil consumptionand sustainably reducing their vessels’greenhouse gas emissions – in short, toimprove the vessels’ operational efficiency– SkySails has developed the SkySailsPerformance Monitor.

The software-based decision supportsystem automatically provides shippingcompanies’ head offices, and the crew onboard, with real-time information on ves-sel performance data.

In addition, it combines this real-timevessel performance data with additionaleconomic information and offers practicalrecommendations to the officers on board.

The solution features a monitoringdevice, which is installed on the ship'sbridge.

This display provides the captain witha variety of information on vessel per-formance, such as the actual ship speed (inknots), the actual fuel consumption (inkg/nm), a graph that visualises actualship speed and actual fuel consumption

over the past 60 min, the optimal shipspeed (in knots), the actual fuel consump-tion rate (in t/day) and the fuel consump-tion over the last 24 hours (in tons).

The suggested optimal ship speed iscalculated on the basis of the prevailingconditions, which are continuously com-piled and computed in real-time. In addi-tion, the calculation takes into accountother essential information, such asbunker price, operating costs and charterrates, which are fed into the system by theon-shore staff.

The display offers a range of nauticaldata to the master, such as position andspeed of the vessel, or the weather situa-tion with regards to wind and waves. TheSkySails Performance Monitor can also be customised according to the user’sspecific needs, to collect additional infor-mation such as rudder position or torque,as well as data from the main engine andthe generators.

The SkySails Performance Monitor dis-play is divided into three sections, ofwhich the main section contains all rele-

vant parameters for monitoring the fueloil consumption. Data is collected in short,ten-minute intervals.

The recommended economical speed isdisplayed as a green line in the ‘Ship Speed’chart, whereas the speed curve of the last60 minutes is shown as a black line.

All of the collected and compiled datais automatically sent to a specified recipi-ent onshore once per day, for example theshipping company's head office.

The solution also includes the SkySailsData Management & Analytics service,which automatically creates an end ofvoyage report containing all collecteddata. This report is sent via e-mail to theshipping company's head office at the endof each voyage.

This compiled data can be used for anumber of purposes, such as to analyse andoptimise ship operations through compari-son with other vessels in the same fleet.

BenefitsThe implementation of the SkySailsPerformance Monitor aims to deliver anumber of advantages for shipping com-panies. The company promises not onlysignificant fuel savings, but also substan-tially reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the software systems canbe used to provide data monitoring andanalyses that can form the basis for theimplementation of the Ship EnergyEfficiency Management Plan (SEEMP),which is one of the mandatory measuresadopted by the IMO in 2011 to reduce theemission of greenhouse gases that stemfrom international shipping.

It is hoped that the decision support sys-tem will provide greater transparency ofthe ship's performance through the compi-lation and computation of a large amountof performance relevant information.

In addition, SkySails strives to offerboth ad hoc decision support, for shipowners, operators and crew, and the basisfor retrospective performance analysesthat can detect room for improvementand optimisation.

Apart from the implementation of a fleet-wide, systematic fuel-savingapproach, shipping companies can also usePerformance Monitor data in order to deter-mine what corrective actions are suitableand to assess if these were taken effectively.

In addition, all information needed forthe preparation of the voyage report isautomatically compiled and communicat-ed to shore, which should decrease theadditional workload on crews created byregulatory demands.

The information from the monitoringsoftware can help to increase awarenessamong crew and shipping companyemployees with regards to the optimisationof ship operations and fuel efficiencyimprovement, as well as emission reduction.

First users – Reederei Wessels

German shipping company, ReedereiWessels is continuously on the lookout forefficiency improvements and has alsolooked into a variety of solutions to opti-mise its ship operations.

Apart from using special paint for theunderwater part of the vessel or nozzlesthat improve the vessel movement duringthe voyage, Reederei Wessels was the firstshipping company worldwide to test theSkySails towing kite propulsion support.

As early as 2007, Reederei Wesselsintroduced the use of a 160 m² kite on its

Shipping companies are increasingly under pressure to reduce CO2 and other emissions, and there are a range of technologies available to help achieve this goal. One of the more unusual is the SkySails propulsion support system – Raymond Fisch, BBC Chartering, and Arno de Groot, Reederei Wessels,

spoke to Digital Ship about their recent experiences with the kite-based innovation

Fuel savings – high as a kite

Reederei Wessels was the first to implement the kite propulsion system

p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 11:42 Page 15

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SOFTWARE

MV Michael, a geared 3600 dwt multi-pur-pose vessel, in cooperation with SkySails.

A comprehensive testing period wascompleted successfully in 2009, and led tothe installation of the SkySails SKS160 KiteSystem on other new buildings, such as theMV Theseus, MV Telamon and MV Peleus.

Reederei Wessels says it is satisfiedboth with the results of the towing kiteimplementation and the daily handlingand maintenance of the system.

“We are proud to say,” says Arno deGroot, IT manager at Reederei Wessels,“that we are the first shipping companywho is using this kind of technology.”

“The positive results of the MV MichaelA were the reason that Reederei Wesselsdecided to install the technology on fur-ther ships. Of course, one of the progres-sive effects of this sort of propulsion sup-port is the emission reduction of our ves-sels. Green shipping is something that isvery important for Reederei Wessels.”

The implementation of the towing kitepropulsion support technology has led toa significant reduction of fuel oil con-sumption across the participating vessels,with Reederei Wessels witnessing a sav-ing of 10 to 15 per cent on the MVMichael alone.

In addition to the towing kite system,Reederei Wessels has also implementedthe SkySails Fuel Performance Monitor,which had been developed as a result ofthe companies’ joint SkySails SKS160 tow-ing kite experience.

“There were several reasons why we chose to implement the SkySails Fuel Performance Monitor,” explains Mrde Groot.

“One of our key drivers was that wewanted to obtain valuable assistance of thehuman element. We also wanted to sensi-tise the ship’s officers regarding the con-tinuously rising fuel oil costs.”

With the installation of the softwaresolution being scheduled and executedduring two days of general cargo opera-tion, no extra time needed to be spent onthe implementation. To simplify theprocess further crew were also trained onthe use of the Fuel Performance Monitorwithin that time frame.

Reederei Wessels says it is pleasedwith the overall smoothness and simplici-ty of the implementation process, thoughfor further reference or in order to clarifyquestions a detailed manual is availableand SkySails has set up a 24-hour helplinefor support.

There are a number of hardware compo-nents and additional prerequisites requiredfor the implementation. For example, ves-sels using the fuel monitoring system needto be equipped with a fuel computer aswell as a flow meter and sensors.

A further prerequisite is adequate inter-net connectivity. The satellite communica-tion system needs to be able to transferlarge attachments of up to 60 kb. In orderto cater for all necessities, ReedereiWessels uses both InmarsatFleetBroadband and Fleet33 as satellitecommunication devices.

Data usageReederei Wessels is satisfied with the sys-tem and the way it is operated via a dis-play on the bridge indicating a number ofoperating parameters, including vessel

speed, fuel oil consumption and addition-al navigational data, remarks Mr de Groot.

The shipping company is also benefit-ting from the Fuel Performance Monitorrecommendations for economically opti-mised ship operations.

“The core function of the SkySailsPerformance Monitor is to calculate theship's efficiency, from data containing a number of different parameters,” notesMr de Groot.

“We are pleased to have deployed asoftware system that enables us to opti-mise our vessel’s routes effectively.”

“The performance monitoring devicerecords the amount of fuel oil consumedduring a voyage and matches this with theconditions under which the consumptiontook place, such as speed, current andwave height. This information is veryvaluable for the master.”

In addition to optimised routes, theSkySails Performance Monitor calculatesthe so-called profit speed.

“This is a commercial aspect,” explainsMr de Groot.

“The calculation takes into account thevessel speed, the route and the estimatedarrival time at the destination port.According to this information, the vessel'searnings are calculated. The master canread off the display if a speed reductionwould save costs and make his decisionseconomically.”

The SkySails software solution alsosupports Reederei Wessel’s reporting sys-tem by providing a set of standard formsfor voyage and position reports for theship operator. This, says Mr de Groot, hasnotably simplified the data collection

process for the crew on board.In addition to standard forms, users can

create individual reporting forms accord-ing to their specifications. ReedereiWessels has made use of this opportunityand created individual reporting forms forthe fuel oil consumption and positionreports, which are sent to the shippingcompany’s broker, Arkon Shipping.

In addition, explains Mr de Groot,more detailed reports with all available

parameters are sent to the owner at regu-lar intervals.

Aside from these operational benefits,the software implementation has also ben-efitted the crew onboard the ReedereiWessels ships, says Mr de Groot.

“We have had a very positive reactionfrom our crew,” he says. “Especially thefact that less manual input is required isvery appreciated.”

“This saves time and provides goodadditional decision support. According tothe voyage parameters the system evalu-ates if the earnings are higher when goingfaster or slower and makes recommenda-tions accordingly.”

Mr de Groot points out that the includ-ed one-off training on the system uponinstallation has been sufficient for thecrew. New members of the seagoing staffare henceforth instructed by the master ofthe respective vessel.

Reederei Wessels, says Mr de Groot, isalso satisfied with the SkySails supportdepartment, which assists the customerswhenever necessary.

“The support hotline is available 24h aday,” explains Mr de Groot. “The supportcollaboration is excellent.”

Having been the first to adopt this tech-nology, Reederei Wessels says it hasworked on modifying and updating thePerformance Monitor software in conjunc-tion with SkySails.

“Close contact to the developers,”explained Mr de Groot, “made it easy forus to improve the system to the company’srequirements.”

“We have changed to a software solu-tion so that the master has now the possi-bility to enter the density at 15°C (kg/m³),for example 991.0 when using FuelRME180. The individual bunkered qualityis considered.”

Since the implementation of perform-ance monitoring on the first vessels,Reederei Wessels has closely monitoredthe financial benefits of the system, andfield studies on the MV Theseus have ledto interesting results with regards to thecost-saving potential.

Over a test period of 152 days, the ves-sel was able to achieve cost savings of€49,100, compared to the regular fuel costsof €348,100. This equals 14 per cent, or costsavings per calendar day of €323.

BBC CharteringGerman multipurpose and heavy lift shipoperator, BBC Chartering, had been fol-lowing the development of the SkySailstechnology for some years before adding a9,821 dwt multipurpose ship fitted with anauxiliary wind propulsion system bySkySails to its fleet in 2011.

“As a consequence of BelugaShipping’s demise in 2011,” saysRaymond Fisch, senior vice president,BBC Chartering, “we had the chance tointegrate the MV BBC SkySails and marketit as part of our vessel portfolio.”

“This allowed us to test the technologyand experience its application.”

BBC Chartering, says Mr Fisch, is satis-fied with the comparatively small amountof additional effort required for daily han-dling and maintenance.

The towing kite system is fully auto-mated, he says, and after training theexisting crew can operate the system with-out additional support.

However, as Mr Fisch points out, theoperation of the system onboard the vesselis only one part of the equation.

“Our efforts,” he notes, “push also atimproving the collaboration and commu-nication between ship-owner, crewingpartner, operator and commercial man-agement, so each party perceives the ben-efit of using the propulsion support and ishopefully motivated to support the kite-launching when this makes sense.”

The BBC Chartering vessel uses thetowing kite’s auxiliary propulsion supportwhenever the wind conditions allow.

BBC Chartering is anticipating a signif-icant reduction in fuel oil consumptionthrough the implementation of the towingkite solution.

“We are expecting a reduction of 10-15per cent, once the system is in full opera-tion,” explains Mr Fisch.

“If the weather conditions arefavourable, we expect this to contributeeven up to 2,000 kW engine load relief.This technology not only helps us save onfuel oil costs, but also supports our envi-ronmental policy with regards to emissionreduction.”

BBC Chartering took over a SkySails-equipped ship followingthe demise of Beluga Shipping in 2011

p14-32:p1-14.qxd 18/05/2012 11:43 Page 17

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SOFTWARE

As the current system is being upgrad-ed by SkySails, the chartering company islooking forward to testing the effects ofthese changes in the future. Although BBCChartering is anticipating a substantialbenefit from the upgrade of the technolo-gy, notes Mr Fisch, there is currently notsufficient data to confirm all numbers.

Should the outcome of a test period bepositive, BBC Chartering does not rule outimplementing the towing kite technologyon further vessels. However, Mr Fischnotes that wind propulsion is only one ofnumerous opportunities to increase ener-gy efficiency in the shipping industry.

“We regard wind as one of these oppor-tunities,” he says, “and expect that intelli-gent solutions will play a role in support-ing future ship propulsion.”

“As a commercial operator of a MPV/HL fleet we have an interest to charter infuel efficient and modern tonnage fromvessel owners that apply ‘forward think-ing’ technology.”

Changing attitudesIn addition to testing the benefits of thetowing kite propulsion support, BBCChartering has also embarked on theimplementation of the SkySails FuelPerformance Monitor.

Now that the technical manager of thevessels has installed the required hard-ware, the chartering company is expectinginformation generated by the system to beput to work. The objective, says Mr Fisch,is to integrate the relevant data generatedby the Fuel Performance Monitor system

into the company’s operating procedures.The main driver for the chartering com-

pany to install this new software was tocreate a behavioural effect through visibleperformance monitoring.

“As we can only improve what we canmeasure,” says Mr Fisch, “this tool offersan interesting means of communicatingand managing vessel performance, espe-cially regarding fuel oil consumption andcarbon emissions.”

The installation of the required hard-

ware was performed without complica-tion during port operations. However, MrFisch explains that the hardware installa-tion is the smallest challenge.

The core challenge, he says, is to put thesystem to use successfully and integratethe software and its results into the vesselmanagement process, rather than follow-ing a mere hardware oriented installationprocess.

Although BBC Chartering is keen onfully utilising the Fuel Performance

Monitor, the chartering company takes arealistic view in terms of when it expectsthe system to yield the first results.

“We simply don’t now know how longit will take to put the system to work effec-tively so that each party involved can takeaway expected benefits,” notes Mr Fisch.

Seagoing staff on the BBC vessel havereacted positively to the implementationof the new technology.

Mr Fisch recalls that the initial interestof crew during training and handlingexercises was positive. However, he alsopoints out that, from his commercial pointof view, the Fuel Performance Monitorneeds to attract the attention of all partiesinvolved.

Only then, he says, can the companyavail itself of the full potential of the sys-tem and optimise operations successfully.

BBC Chartering, although so farpleased with the outcome of the SkySailssystem, is still in the process of customis-ing and adapting the solution to company-specific requirements.

“We are still working on specifying thedata requirements, such as for voyage andnoon reports,” explains Mr Fisch.

“We aim at using the given features asmuch as possible, in order to minimise theamount of work put into the modificationof the software.”

“As it looks today the system possessthe flexibility to be used without having tochange the software fundamentally.Certainly we will know more once theprocess of using the data has been definedand fine-tuned.” DS

In conjunction with the onboard kite system, a software applicationis used to monitor fuel performance

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Ship owners and ship managers today face an increasing amount of challenges. Especially with a slowdown in the maritime industry, shipping executives are working harder to maintain profitability with the demand-supply imbalance and to keep vessels seaworthy by meeting growing crewing, manning and regulatory demands.

Yet they can hardly get peace of mind to focus on their core business with a relentless surge of technology call-for-actions. Cloud Computing. ECDIS. Broadband. ICT. VoIP. MVSAT. Social Media. FleetBroadband. Just to name a few.

How do ship owners and ship managers plough through this clutter to choose what is relevant to make communications onboard seaworthy and entrust that there is an upkeep of satcom technology onboard and between ship and shore year after year?

The Winning EdgeTo be a leading maritime service provider in Asia Pacific and Singapore, the world’s third biggest port1, is no minor feat. Where it is easy to provide bandwidth and a suite of maritime ICT solutions to shipping companies, the crux is the ability to provide peace of mind by taking this technology clutter out of the equation for ship owners and ship managers.

SingTel Satellite has been serving the global maritime industry for more than 35 years with customers from over 50 countries. With the advantage of owning global connectivity from satellite to IP to fibre, SingTel Group has achieved $18.1 Billion revenue in 2011 with an average growth of 7% YoY over the last 5 years. The maritime industry recognises SingTel’s innovation and contribution with awards, the latest being the Seatrade Asia Awards 2012 – The Technical Innovation Award, for CrewXchange@SingTel, its crew welfare ICT solution.

However, the winning edge does not only lie in the infrastructure or the innovation. It is the end to end customer care, from solutions development to professional consultation to global deployment to operational excellence through proactive monitoring and 24x7x1.5hrs response time to customer request through the Global Service Support and Network Operating Centre, which makes the ultimate difference.

Dare to Experience – SingTel Pays for Your Flight and Hotel Stay to Visit Them

As a mark of confidence to deliver peace of mind to ship owners and ship managers through meaningful Satcoms and ICT solutions coupled with customer service excellence, SingTel now runs the iExperience program. Under this program, SingTel flies in the customer, regardless of location, for free to visit the Satellite Solutions Centre (SSC) at the Bukit Timah Earth Station in Singapore for demo and hands on experience in the latest maritime ICT solutions, and the opportunity to interact with their Global Service Support and Network Operating Centre. The program completes with a hospitality extension of a trip out to Sentosa and dinner with the SingTel Executives. The program includes the night’s stay in a hotel in Singapore’s prime shopping district.

The SingTel iExperience program successfully takes care of opportunity costs, risks and builds confidence in shipping executives by offering a level of transparency unprecedented in this industry. To obtain the peace of mind you desire to focus on your core business, put up an entry for the SingTel iExperience program at www.singtelofficeatsea.com/iexperience

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ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION


Navis Engineering has opened anew office in Singapore, to act as itsregional sales hub for South East Asia andOceania. The office will be headed bySouth East Asia Area sales manager, YuriKrivtsov.

Raytheon Anschütz reports thatits Synapsis Bridge Control system hasbecome the world’s first navigation sys-tem to be type approved according toIMO’s new Performance Standards forIntegrated Navigation Systems (INS). Theapproval was issued by GermanischerLloyd.

Marine safety equipment supplierOcean Safety has appointed PaulWhite as sales office manager. The newlycreated role will see Mr White supervisingthe internal sales team.

Imtech Marine has opened a newoffice in Aberdeen, which will provideservices to international and locally basedvessels and platform operators. Imtechalready has offices in Newcastle andGlasgow in the UK, and the opening of theAberdeen office brings Imtech Marine’stotal number of service and outfitting cen-tres to 89 worldwide.

W R Systems has made two newappointments in its maritime technologiesdivision, with Arthur Thomas Senior join-ing as vice president – maritime businessand Mike Kellner joining as director –maritime business.

Hatteland Display has appointedAlphatron Trading (Shanghai) asits sales agent in China. The company willact as the support office for customers inChina in addition to providing sales facili-ties for all Hatteland products.

Hatteland Display has alsoappointed Jason Electronics Pte.Ltd. as its sole agent in Indonesia,Malaysia and Thailand.

Art Thomas and Mike Kelner, new appointments at W R Systems

www.hatteland-display.comwww.wrsystems.comwww.navisincontrol.comwww.raytheon-anschuetz.comwww.gl-group.comwww.oceansafety.comwww.imtech.eu/marinewww.transas.comwww.thomasgunn.com

The Raytheon Anschütz Synapsis bridge control system has gained INS type approvalfrom Germanischer Lloyd

Thomas Gunn NavigationServices and Transas Marine haveannounces a new partnership, wherebyThomas Gunn will offer Transas Navi-Sailor 4000 ECDIS as part of its total navi-gation solution, whilst Transas will offerThomas Gunn’s paper chart managementservice as a part of its ECDIS package.

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:06 Page 2


Digital Ship

Students Kinect with new simulatorwww.kongsberg.com

A new simulator designed to train engi-neers and crew in seismic streamer deckhandling using the Kinect motion sensorsystem from Microsoft has been installedat Vestfold University College in Norway.

The Seismic Streamer Deck OperationTrainer was developed as part ofKongsberg Maritime’s Offshore VesselSimulator, in co-operation with PetroleumGeo-Services (PGS) following an agree-ment signed in Q4 2010.

The system passed its Site AcceptanceTest at Vestfold University College inMarch 2012 and is now fully operational.

The Seismic Streamer Deck OperationTrainer utilises the Kinect for Windowsmotion sensing device, which is equippedon student stations to track their move-ments in order to display them within asimulation of the stern streamer deck.

This enables students to physicallywalk around the deck area, completing settasks according to the specific exercise.

They are equipped with a virtual tool-box presented on a touch screen close byand are also equipped with a winch/blockcontrol device, which is a physical deviceworn around the waist, allowing them toselect and control the correct winch/blockfor the job.

The simulator is based on the PGS seis-mic vessel Ramform Viking, and features

an accurate hydrodynamic model, 3D hulldesign and realistic stern streamer deck toensure that students can relate to the simu-lated vessel environment during training.

A typical simulation scenario involvesthree students. One is assigned supervi-sor, responsible for controlling winches,using a real winch control terminal inter-faced to the simulator. The other two stu-dents operate auxiliary winches and areequipped with the virtual toolbox, withthe equipment needed to complete theoperation simulated on screen.

“Back-deck operations have beenincreasing in complexity over the yearsand personnel are getting less exposure tothese critical operations, so we decidedthat simulator training was a natural stepto ensure safety and efficiency,” said EinarNielsen, vice president projects, MarineAcquisition PGS.

“This has been an interesting and chal-lenging project for both parties and I wouldsay the techniques employed with the sys-tem represent a step change in simulatortraining for the offshore environment.”

The installation at Vestfold UniversityCollege consists of two Instructor sta-tions, one navigation bridge, winch andblock control terminals, a common infostation for all three students and threestreamer deck crew operator stations(student stations).

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The Kinect technology detects trainee movements and depicts them within the simulated environment

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:06 Page 3



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www.exactearth.comwww.vesseltracker.com

VesselTracker GmbH, a provider of globalcoastal AIS data and maritime informa-tion, has agreed a partnership deal withspace-AIS company exactEarth, underwhich VesselTracker will market servicesdeploying exactAIS satellite data into theglobal commercial applications marketthrough its web services platform.

VesselTracker's current customersinclude Port Authorities, fleet manage-ment operators, insurance companies andship brokers. The new deal will enableVesselTracker to globalise its service andprovide visibility into ship movements outof the range of existing coastal stations.

A new custom data solution will also bemade available to provide solutions basedon XML Web Service data delivery.

“We are excited to sign this deal withVesselTracker,” said Peter Mabson, presi-dent of exactEarth.

“This agreement is a great step forwardfor exactEarth and means a whole new setof customers worldwide will now haveaccess to our exactAIS data and will seethe value of truly global coverage of mar-itime traffic.”

“We see this as a new chapter in theevolution of satellite AIS and look forwardto working even more closely withVesselTracker in the future to deliver pre-mium services to our joint markets.”

In other news, exactEarth has also

announced that it has been awarded a new multi-year contract by theCanadian Government for its exactAISdata service.

The $4.59 million order renews a cur-rent annual subscription and includes alicence for data usage throughout thewhole of the Canadian Government.

exactAIS is already used by the coun-try's Marine Security Operations Centre,which consists of multiple departmentsand agencies including the Departmentof National Defence, Transport Canada,the RCMP, the Canada Border ServicesAgency, the Department of Fisheries andOceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

The space-AIS data is typically used toenhance maritime security and surveil-lance, monitor and analyse arctic vesseltraffic, and for Search and Rescue (SAR)support.

“This renewal order, won in a competi-tive bid environment, continues to demon-strate how exactAIS is gaining traction inmany government departments with usesspreading beyond the traditional maritimeagencies,” said Mr Mabson.

“It shows that the exactAIS data serviceis now being recognised as a vital part ofmission-critical decision support systems.”

“We expect to gain further renewalsand wider market penetration worldwidethroughout 2012 as more and more cus-tomers realise the value of our service, andas we add to both our in-orbit and ground-based infrastructure.”

www.kongsberg.com

Seacor Marine is to install DynamicPositioning systems from KongsbergMaritime on two new 190-foot CrewZerClass Crew boats (also known as fast sup-ply vessels).

The Seacor Lynx and Seacor Leopard areunder construction at Gulfcraft Shipyard,located in Louisiana, US, and are scheduledfor delivery in the first half of 2013. Theships will be the first Crew boats to operateusing an ABS Class DP3 system.

A triple redundant Kongsberg K-PosDP3 system will be installed, integrated

with position reference and environmen-tal sensor systems.

“Dynamic Positioning offers significantstation keeping improvements comparedto manual control,” explains Joe McCall,project manager, Seacor Marine.

“In order for a DP system to be effec-tive, it has to be completely reliable ineven the most extreme weather condi-tions, so we are enthusiastic about theinstallation of Kongsberg DP3 aboard ournew CrewZer class vessels.”

“The system is designed to offer the high-est redundancy and reliability which allowsfor safer transfers of cargo and personnel.”

New Seacor ships to install KongsbergDP systems

Partnership agreement for exactEarthand VesselTracker

SMA installs ECDIS training systems

Global AIS data will be marketed via the VesselTracker web-services platform

www.kelvinhughes.com

Kelvin Hughes has supplied Singapore’slargest maritime training institution, theSingapore Maritime Academy (SMA),with 25 ECDIS training systems under anew contract.

The 25 MantaDigital ECDIS TrainingSystems will be incorporated withChartco’s Passage Manager, providingSMA with one of only three training cen-tres approved for generic ECDIS trainingby the Singapore Maritime Port Authority.

SMA recently updated its facilities,opening a new training laboratory at theend of August last year.

“We are committed to ensuring thatour simulators are always updated, so thatour graduates always meet the exactingstandards of IMO and industry,” saysCaptain Gopala Krishnan, SMA’s seniormanager, SMART Center and maritimesimulation division.

The ECDIS training system is ‘student-proof’, in that it doesn't allow access to themain operating system or changes ofparameters, and can connect to a vesselsimulator for expanded training options.

Kelvin Hughes has upgraded SMA’sexisting ECDIS master station with simula-tion software to output vessel movementsto the individual ECDIS workstations.

The SEACOR Lynx and SEACOR Leopard will be the first Crew boats to operate using an ABS Class DP3 system

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:06 Page 4


Digital Ship

www.raytheon-anschuetz.com

Raytheon Anschütz has completed thesupply of its latest generation ofIntegrated Bridge System (IBS) to the SAAgulhas II, a new polar research shipowned by the Republic of South Africa’sDepartment of Environmental Affairs(DEA).

Sea trials, including ice trial tests in theGulf of Bothnia, were successfully con-cluded during March 2012.

The 134 metre vessel was designedand built by the STX Finland shipyard atRauma, and will conduct research activi-ties and expeditions in the polar region.It is also designed to serve as an ice-breaker, a passenger ship and a supplyship for the South African research cen-tres in Antarctica.

The Integrated Bridge and NavigationSystem consists of six widescreen work-stations for radar, chart radar, ECDISand conning, as well as a NautoPilot, aredundant gyro compass system, a pack-age of navigation sensors, navigationdata management and a complete radiostation for GMDSS A4 operation in thepolar region.

One of the radars provides Ice Radarfunctionality with ice imaging capabili-ties, to assist the navigator in finding theoptimal route through icy waters andreduce fuel consumption and the risk

of hull damage. The bridge system also integrates a

Dynamic Positioning (DP) System, whichshares information such as waypointswith the navigation system to allow pre-cise operation within ice fields.

A helicopter console with a Chart

IBS for polar research vessel

The SA Agulhas II has installed an IBS

Radar slave display and equipment for theSRTP Room complete the package.

The bridge and navigation equipmentwas installed by technicians from ATMarine Oy in conjunction with RH SouthAfrica, both certified service partners ofRaytheon Anschütz.

Condor Ferriescrews receive

ECDIS trainingwww.ecdis.org

ECDIS training company ECDIS Ltdreports that it has completed delivery ofECDIS training courses to the crews ofCondor Ferries.

The training consisted of generic 5-dayECDIS courses, as well as type specifictraining for the equipment that is fittedonboard the vessels.

Condor Ferries operates the CondorVitesse, Condor Express and CondorRapide fast cat ferries, and the car, passen-ger and freight carrying vesselCommodore Clipper. Each year the com-pany carries more than 1 million passen-gers and 200,000 passenger vehicles.

"Over the last six months we have beenworking with EDCIS Ltd to provide ourofficers with generic and type specificECDIS training, and to refine our ECDISoperating procedures," said Captain FranCollins, operations director at CondorFerries.

"Feedback from those attending thecourses has been very positive with regardto the facilities and in particular the waythe training is delivered. Even those whohave had extensive experience with theequipment have found the five day courseworthwhile."

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:06 Page 5



www.chartworld.comwww.adveto.com

ChartWorld International has launchedACES, a new SENC ENC data service forships with ECDIS or ECS navigation sys-tems, based on the Admiralty ENC chartdata set from the UKHO and using theSevenCs EC2007 Kernel.

This Kernel is used by a number ofECDIS OEMs, including ChartWorld itselffor its own eGlobe ECDIS.

The eGlobe ECDIS product will be pro-duced under a new ECDIS OEM licenceagreement with Swedish manufacturerAdveto, with a value of 2.5 million SEK(approximately US$372,000).

“ChartWorld International and Advetosigned an agreement in November lastyear regarding the new cooperation whereAdveto’s accumulated knowledge is fittedinto the new eGlobe ECDIS,” explainsJochen Rudolph, managing director ofChartWorld.

The deal with ChartWorld representsAdveto's largest single order since thecompany was founded, in the mid-1980s.

ChartWorld says that its ACES(Advanced ChartWorld ENC Service)charts load quicker than standard S.57ENCs, allowing ECDIS chart loading orupdates to be completed in a much short-er time than was previously possible.

For example, it claims that the loadingtime for a set of ENCs in SENC encrypted

ACES format was only three to six min-utes, compared to approximately 60 min-utes for the same set of native ENCsencrypted in S.63 format, to be loaded intoan ECDIS using the SevenCs Kernel.

In other news, ChartWorld has also launched a new micro-site(www.ecdis-as-a-service.com) to markthe introduction of its ‘ECDIS as aService’ concept for supplying ECDISand digital chart data services to theSOLAS shipping market.

The site provides visitors with informa-tion about the concept and its specificservice components, such as the eGlobeECDIS, but also offers the opportunity forshipping companies to submit their owninformation in order to receive a cus-tomised service quotation.

“Shipping companies must implementECDIS, which requires considerable plan-ning and investment, as well as radicalchanges in operating procedures andtraining requirements,” said OliverSchwarz, ChartWorld International’s busi-ness development director.

“The current industry approach is toburden the shipping company customerwith full responsibility for addressing allthis myriad of problems themselves. Ourapproach is to take those problems awayfrom the customer and present them witha clear and simple packaged service solu-tion that is easy to understand, easy toimplement and affordable.”

The Maritime and Port Authority ofSingapore (MPA) and the Research Councilof Norway (RCN) have signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) torenew their bilateral agreement on maritimeResearch and Development (R&D), educa-tion and training for another three years.

The first MoU between the two partieswas signed in 2000, and has since beenrenewed in 2003, 2006 and 2009.

Since that first agreement, MPA andRCN have co-operated in research in areassuch as the maritime environment, sustain-able energy technology, offshore andmarine engineering, and maritime opera-tions and info-communications technology.

One of these research programmes is the collaboration between MPA

and Det Norske Veritas' Clean TechnologyCentre (DNV CTC) for R&D on the mar-itime environment and clean technologies.

“An increasing number of Norwegianmaritime companies have establishedtheir presence with headquarters for oper-ation and strategic coordination inSingapore in the last few years,” saidArvid Hallen, RCN director general.

“Norwegian R&D institutes and universities see Singapore as a strong col-laboration knowledge hub for the futuredevelopment into the Asian market.”

“Research and innovation is global, andI believe that Norway and Singapore rep-resent two of the most complete maritimeclusters in the world - a good basis forjoint collaboration.”

ChartWorld launches new ENC service

Raytheon Anschütz GmbHD-24100 Kiel, GermanyTel +49(0)4 31-30 19-0Fax +49(0)4 31-30 19-291

www.raytheon-anschuetz.com

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R Anschütz

Synapsis Bridge Control combines most advanced functions with well-proven reliability in one cohe-sively developed bridge system.

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www.awtworldwide.comwww.transas.com

Applied Weather Technology (AWT) andTransas Marine have announced that theyhave integrated AWT’s BonVoyageSystem (BVS) for on-board weather rout-ing with Transas’ ECDIS, to assist in voy-age optimisation.

This integration will allow users totransfer data from BVS to Transas Navi-Sailor ECDIS, and vice-versa.

BVS is used by approximately 4,000ships and provides data on weather andsea conditions that can be used to improve

voyage planning, reducing fuel costs andCO2 emissions. It offers 16-day forecastsupdated four times daily, and 10 years ofhistorical climate data.

“The combination of these two indus-try-leading systems is a key advantage forour clients,” said Skip Vaccarello, presi-dent and CEO for AWT.

“Now, Captains can see their routesoptimised by BVS plotted into the ECDIS navigation system. This will give Captains the ability to navigate with pinpoint accuracy the safest andmost efficient routes for their specificvessels.”

AWT and Transas integrate navigation technologies

Singapore and Norway to collaborate on maritime R&D

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:06 Page 6

Superior simulator trainingwww.kongsberg.com

Superior Energy Services of Houston,Texas, has taken delivery of a new mar-itime training simulator from KongsbergMaritime which will be used to provideintegrated, real-time training forSuperior’s offshore marine personnel at itsnew facility in Anchorage, Alaska.

Under the terms of the contractSuperior Energy Marine TechnicalServices has been supplied with a full mis-sion trainer in support of critical opera-tions including ship bridge manoeuvringand navigation, anchor handling, ROVoperations and crane operations.

The simulator features two full offshoreservice vessel bridges, with 360 degreefield of view, an offshore crane simulator,a DeepWorks ROV simulator, and a sepa-rate Process Simulator, for operator train-ing and control system checkout.

"At Superior Energy Services, we believein ensuring our people are as prepared andproperly trained as possible. It makes sensefrom a safety perspective, from an environ-mental perspective and from a businessperspective – it is simply the right thing todo," said Captain Scott Powell.

"Partnering with Kongsberg Maritimeprovided a depth of engineering capabili-ty that allowed us to mirror a physicalmodel-based simulation solution. This isthe closest we can come to creating realis-tic scenarios without facing these circum-stances first hand."

"Our people will be the best preparedin the industry and will have full confi-dence in the critical skills they will learnwith this state-of-the-art simulator. Thismulti-team training capability will have anet positive effect on our preparednessand our commitment to health, safety andthe environment."


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Furuno has announced that its new FMD-3200 and FMD-3300 ECDIS models willsoon be ready for launch.

The FMD-3200, with a 19-inch LCDscreen, and the 21-inch FMD-3300 willinclude a chart management system, inde-pendent of chart providers and compati-

ble with Jeppesen Dynamic Licensing andthe Admiralty Information Overlay (AIO).

The new ECDIS also have new GraphicUser Interface elements, with a Status Barand InstantAccess Bar providing whatFuruno calls a "task-based operationscheme" to offer direct access to necessaryoperational procedures.

The Status Bar at the top of the screenprovides operatingstatus, includingmodes of opera-tion and presenta-tion, while theInstantAccess Bar,on the left edge ofthe screen, pro-vides quick accessto functions avail-able in each of theECDIS operatingmodes.

The contents ofthe InstantAccessBar change accord-ing to the operat-ing modes selectedon the Status Bar.

www.thedigi talship.com

Keep your finger on the pulsewith our weekly e-mail

newsletter and our onlinenetwork for maritime

IT professionals

Dear Sir,

In response to the article published inMay 2012, and the recent reports thatmanufacturers’ ECDIS systems were notdisplaying certain data, Japan RadioCo., Ltd. (JRC) is pleased to updateindustry on its own immediate inves-tigative actions to determine the impactand any necessary corrective action forJRC ECDIS systems.

It was brought to attention by theIHO ENC data presentation and per-formance check (check data set), issuedby the IHO in October 2011, that keynavigational marks such as complexlights were not being displayed and thatwith some ECDIS models, types of part-ly submerged wreck symbols were notbeing displayed - although JRC has hada software upgrade to resolve thisanomaly since September 2010. It is cal-culated that approximately 30% of allmanufacturers’ current ECDIS modelsare not upgraded to the latest software.

Any ECDIS, which is not updated tothe latest version of IHO’s [continuouslyupdated] performance software require-ments, may be unable to correctly dis-play the latest charted or indication fea-tures when using ENC charts.Additionally, the appropriate alarmsand indications may not be activated,even though the features have beenincluded in the ENC.

The IHO ENC data presentation andperformance check response data showsthat from over 5,000 JRC ECDIS users,there was a return rate of less than 0.7%who replied to the IHO. In view of this itwas suggested that it be brought to theattention of mariners and vessel owners

via the March 2012 Navarea. For anyvessel owner/operator that has not car-ried out the IHO ENC data presentationand performance check on their ECDIS,it is recommended that this check iscompleted and information returned tothe IHO at the earliest opportunity.

JRC was the first manufacturer,together with the appropriate authori-ties, to pro-actively have greater contactwith ships’ staff, owners and managersof vessels, advising them to regularlyhave their ECDIS checked and if neces-sary, update the software. Thereby try-ing to find the best solution for ECDISsoftware updates with our customers.

Today, ECDIS performance, itsmandatory carriage requirement and inparticular the matter of softwareupgrades is the topic of many interna-tional meetings now being held. TheIHO check data set project has high-lighted the importance to have arequirement of ECDIS software versionupgrades being promptly completedwithin possible time limits and sched-ules, to ensure that all manufacturers’ECDIS systems are fully upgraded.

All JRC customers should rest assuredthat JRC will continue to do the best itpossibly can to ensure the correct andtimely updating of onboard ECDIS. JRCwas also pleased to receive complimentsfrom various authorities with respect tothe way the above was handled in aprompt and professional manner.

JRC has made readily available soft-ware upgrades for current and legacyECDIS models at www.jrceurope.com.

Kind regards,JRC

The new Furuno ECDIS has added access options on the top and side of the screen

Letter to the Editor – Response to IHB claimthat ECDIS ‘not functioning as expected’

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 14:44 Page 7



AA s most people in the industry arewell aware, IMO mandatory car-riage requirements for ECDIS

will begin to be phased in, for certaintypes of vessels, from July of this year.From this date and over the subsequentsix years of the implementation schedulea huge number of ships will have to befitted with the technology to remain incompliance.

Of course, fitting a piece of equipmenton a ship and using it to improve the safe-ty of operations are two different things –and so, training in the use of ECDIS is akey part of the implementation process.

However, while the directive as to whatequipment to fit and when to fit it is rela-tively straightforward, the type of trainingthat is required by those that will use theequipment onboard is a little less so.

One of the major issues that continuesto vex operators when implementingECDIS is the question of type-specifictraining – is it required, and what kind ofqualification does a seafarer need toachieve to prove they are competent inthe use of the particular equipmentonboard?

Even with the mandatory carriagerequirement approaching, the answer tothis question is not entirely clear.

The standardised IMO Model TrainingCourse on the Operational Use of ECDIS,IMO Model Course 1.27, was approved bythe IMO Committee on Standards forTraining, Certification and Watch-keeping(STCW) in January 1999.

Since then this standard has been themain requirement in demonstrating arequired level of competence to operateECDIS onboard ship, though the 1.27Model Course is again currently underreview at IMO with a view to updating itsrequirements.

Initially developed by the Institute ofShip Operation, Sea Transport andSimulation (ISSUS) in Hamburg,Germany, the primary objective of theModel Course was to ensure proper useand operation of ECDIS, through a thor-ough understanding and appreciation ofits capabilities and limitations.

The one-week Model Course, compris-ing 40 hours of instruction, features a syl-labus including classroom lectures,hands-on training, and exercise scenar-ios. In addition, it contains recommenda-tions for facility and staffing require-ments, lesson plans, teaching aids, and examples of ship-simulator trainingexercises.

Despite this course outline havingbeen introduced more than a decade ago,issues remained due to the fact thatECDIS training was not included in theSTCW Convention laying out the qualifi-cation standards for watchstanding at sea– a fact which created confusion as towhat level of training was necessary for

compliant operation.As a result, different Flag States imple-

mented contrasting regulations, muddy-ing the waters when it came to a consistentstandard for ECDIS training.

Manila AmendmentsThis oversight has been dealt with, tosome extent, by the 2010 changes to theSTCW Convention, commonly known asthe Manila Amendments.

Effective from 01 January 2012, trainingin safe navigation using ECDIS will be amandatory requirement in the 2010amendments (Manila Amendments) to theInternational Convention on Standards ofTraining, Certification and Watch-keepingfor Seafarers, 1978 (STCW) for all officersserving on vessels fitted with ECDIS.

Problem solved? Not quite.Despite its addition to the STCW

Convention, the requirements for ECDIStraining are not particularly well defined,and are open to interpretation as to whatexactly needs to be included.

Words like ‘familiar’, ‘understand’ and‘knowledge’ abound, but without refer-ence to a particular qualification that will be accepted as demonstrating suchcompetence.

For example, is type-specific trainingrequired to be ‘familiar’ with the system,or is a brief introduction to a particularmanufacturer’s equipment sufficient once the generic Model Course has beencompleted?

Guidance on training and assessmentin the operational use of ECDIS is provid-ed in Part B-1/12 of the STCW Code (§§ 36- 65), and the Manila Amendments to theSTCW Code[1] (STCW Conf. .2/34),Section A-VIII/2 Part 3, Reg. 8, state:

“4 - the master, chief engineer and officer incharge of watch duties shall maintain a properwatch, making the most effective use of theresources available, such as information,installations/equipment ...;

5 - watchkeeping personnel shall under-stand functions and operation of installa-tions/equipment, and be familiar with han-dling them;

6 - watchkeeping personnel shall under-stand information and how to respond toinformation from each station/installation/equipment.”

Section A-VIII/2 Part 3, Reg. 26, states:“The officer in charge of the navigational

watch shall have full knowledge of the locationand operation of all safety and navigationalequipment on board the ship and shall be awareand take account of the operating limitations ofsuch equipment.”

While Section A-VIII/2 Part 3, Reg. 36,states:

“Officers of the navigational watch shall bethoroughly familiar with the use of all elec-tronic navigational aids carried, includingtheir capabilities and limitations, and shall useeach of these aids when appropriate.”

ISM and PSCWith the STCW Convention not exactlydefinitive in outlining the required level oftraining for ECDIS, the InternationalSafety Management (ISM) Code can alsobe referenced to try and determine thequalifications required.

The ISM Code requires that officers arecompetent in the use of ECDIS to maintaina safe bridge watch and navigate safely.ISM Code section 6 points to the need fortraining specific to onboard duties prior toboarding, stating:

“6.2 - The Company should ensure thateach ship is manned with qualified, certifiedand medically fit seafarers in accordance withnational and international requirements.

6.3 - The Company should establish proce-dures to ensure that new personnel and per-sonnel transferred to new assignments relatedto safety ... are given proper familiarizationwith their duties. Instructions which areessential to be provided prior to sailing shouldbe identified, documented and given.

6.5 - The Company should establish andmaintain procedures for identifying any trainingwhich may be required in support of the safetymanagement system and ensure that such train-ing is provided for all personnel concerned.”

Port State Control can also offer anoth-er viewpoint, with Port State ControlCommittee Instruction 35/2002/02 refer-encing type specific training, asking:

“5.3.2 - Are the master and deck watchkeep-ing officers able to produce appropriate docu-mentation that generic and type specific ECDISfamiliarisation has been undertaken?”[2]

National Flag regulationsWith all of these different sources of infor-mation, perhaps the best advice is to fol-low the requirements of the Flag adminis-trations applicable to the vessel in ques-tion, and to make sure that training levelsmeet any additional specifications thatthey might prescribe.

For reference, the list below containsextracts of current rules for type specifictraining from a variety of Flag States (itshould be noted that the list is not exhaus-tive). Links to all of the documents con-taining this information will be availableon the Digital Ship website, via a singlelink referenced at the end of this article.Australia: Marine Notice 15/2010

“Before a watchkeeping officer or mas-ter intends to use an IMO compliant ECDISas the primary means of navigation theyshould, as a minimum, complete genericECDIS and ECDIS model-specific training.

However, in cases where officers ormasters have not had any recent experi-ence using ECDIS it is strongly recom-mended that refresher training be under-taken based on a generic ECDIS OperatorsCourse complying with IMO ModelCourse 1.27 - The Operational Use ofElectronic Chart Display and InformationSystems (ECDIS).”[3]

Bahamas: Information Bulletin No. 1382.1. This Bulletin applies to officers

serving onboard ships fitted with ECDISand Companies providing the officers forsuch vessels.

2.2.1 The applicable officers of Bahamasregistered vessels, which have ECDIS asthe primary means of navigation, arerequired to have completed both genericand ship specific ECDIS training

2.3 For the purpose of this Bulletin, thefollowing definitions apply:

i. Approved training is training thatsatisfies the requirements of STCW A/Vand has been approved by the Bahamas ora STCW party with which The Bahamashas a recognition agreement (BMAINFORMATION BULLETIN No. 121,‘COUNTRIES RECOGNISED BY THEBAHAMAS IN ACCORDANCE WITHSTCW REGULATION I/10’ includesGermany)

3.4 The BMA is only engaged in ECDIStraining approval relating to officers whohave been issued Bahamas Certificate ofCompetency and for training centerswhich are located in The Bahamas.

5 ECDIS Ship Specific EquipmentTraining

5.1.1 The ship specific ECDIS trainingshould relate to the make and model of theECDIS equipment installed on the ship.This should build on the generic training,and be delivered by either:

i. the manufacturer; or ii. the manufacturer’s approved agent,

or iii. a trainer who has attended such a

programme. 5.1.2 A manufacturer’s approved com-

puter based training package can beaccepted for this purpose.Bermuda: Bermuda Shipping Notice 10-2011

“In ships where ECDIS is the primarynavigational system there is a requirementfor all navigational officers to have com-pleted both generic ECDIS training andship specific ECDIS training....

Ship specific ECDIS training and famil-iarisation should be based on the actualequipment fitted on board and providedbefore the officer is expected to use theequipment. If the generic training coursehas been undertaken on the same equip-ment then the course certificate shouldmake clear the equipment that was usedfor the training in order to be accepted asmeeting this requirement.

In general the ship specific trainingshould be conducted on the equipmentthat is to be used by a manufacturer, hisapproved agent or someone who hasreceived a trainer’s programme for thatequipment. A manufacturer’s computerbased training package can be accepted forthis purpose.

The company operating the shipshould ensure that the ship specific train-

Whether you like it or not, ECDIS is coming. Ensuring compliance means having the right equipment on board, butalso having crews that are properly trained in its use – however, the actual training demanded varies depending on

your vessel’s circumstances. Digital Ship looks at some of the different requirements

Guide to ECDIS training regulations

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:01 Page 8


Digital Ship

ing is carried out and clearly documented.Given the critical nature of this trainingand the records of it this process should beincorporated in the ship’s SafetyManagement System”[4]Cyprus: Shipping Guidance Notice – 011

“I wish to inform you that theDepartment of Merchant Shipping (DMS),has decided to accept the use of ElectronicCharts & Display Information Systems(ECDIS) on Cyprus Flag ships includinghigh speed craft (HSC) as meeting thenautical charts and nautical publicationscarriage requirements stipulated inRegulation V/19.2.1.4 and V/27 of SOLAS74 as amended, under the following con-ditions:

All officers on watch must be familiarwith the operation of the ECDIS on boardthe ship.”[5]Germany: ECDIS Competence ofMasters and Deck Officers

“1.2 Specific ECDIS Training:Documentary Evidence (DocE)

Every ECDIS familiarisation training inthe efficient use of the ship specific ECDISequipment should be documented in anappropriate manner. This familiarisationtraining supplements the generic training.

The ship specific ECDIS training isoffered by the manufactures of ECDISequipment or by type-specific trainers andthe successful participation is documentedthrough DocE.

‘Trickle down training’ (i.e. internalonboard instruction by masters and deckofficers) does not usually comply with allrequirements and shall not be consideredas a training possibility.” Gibraltar: Shipping Guidance Notice – 011

“This Administration will issue a letteraccepting the ECDIS installation as fulfill-ing the requirements to replace papercharts provided:

The Master, Chief Officer and allNavigational Watch Officers have under-gone ECDIS training and familiarisa-tion.”[6]Ireland: Marine Notice No 51 of 2011:Training required for ECDIS as Primarymeans of Navigation

“The ECDIS ship specific equipmenttraining should relate to the make andmodel of the equipment fitted on the shipon which a Master or Navigational Officeris currently serving i.e. it will be necessaryto complete training for each different sys-tem a Master or Navigation Officer isexpected to operate.

This training should build on theapproved ECDIS generic training, and bedelivered by the ECDIS manufacturer; themanufacturer’s approved agent, or a train-er who has attended such a programme. Amanufacturer’s computer based trainingpackage can be accepted for this purpose.”Isle of Man: MSN 26: Replacing PaperCharts with ECDIS

“ECDIS Course: All ECDIS operatorsmust also have completed type specifictraining for the type of equipmentinstalled on the vessel on which they areworking. If the ECDIS course (1.27)included training on the type of equip-ment installed there must be a clear state-ment to this effect. Otherwise separatetraining will need to be undertaken. Thismay be in the form of Computer basedtraining supplied by the manufacturer ofthe ECDIS equipment.

Original training certification must beavailable on board for third party inspec-tion.”[7]Marshall Islands: MARINE SAFETYADVISORY NO. 7-09

“In addition, shipowners and operatorsshould ensure that their ships’ crews areprovided with a comprehensive familiar-ization programme and type-specifictraining; and that the ships’ crew fullyunderstand that the use of electroniccharts aboard ship continues to require theneed for passage planning.”[8]Panama: MERCHANT MARINE CIRCU-LAR MMC-218

“all ship's officers in charge of a naviga-tional watch on board the vessels to whichthe ECDIS is mandatory must attend, as aminimum, an approved generic ECDISoperator training course based on the IMOstandard model. This requirement shall bemet through type specific training provid-

ed by the ECDIS manufacturer.”[9 ]Singapore: SHIPPING CIRCULAR TOSHIP OWNERS NO. 3 OF 2011

“MPA's policy on ECDIS training is asfollows:

The navigating officers should also beprovided training on the specific makeand model installed on their ships. Thisequipment-specific training can be provid-ed by the shipping company itself as partof ship familiarisation, using services oftrainers appointed by the manufacturer ormanufacturer's agent.”[10]United Kingdom: MIN 405 (M+F)[11]

“The Master and all NavigationalOfficers of UK Flagged vessels, whichhave Electronic Chart Display andInformation Systems (ECDIS) as their pri-mary means of navigation, are required(by their Safe Manning Document (SMD)and Port State Control CommitteeInstruction 35/2002/02 (rev1)), to havecompleted both generic and ship specificequipment ECDIS training.”

Other relevant partiesThe issue of type specific equipment train-ing has also been raised by accident inves-tigation authorities like the FederalBureau of Maritime CasualtyInvestigation (BSU) in Germany and theUK’s Marine Accident InvestigationBranch (MAIB).

Following their investigations of mar-itime incidents these two bodies have rec-ommended type specific training as a wayof promoting safe operations – as exempli-fied by the following accident reports.

The BSU’s Investigation Report 1/08,into the grounding of the LT Cortesia,states that: “The Federal Bureau ofMaritime Casualty Investigation recom-mends that shipping companies and navi-gation schools now train senior nauticalpersonnel in the different voyage manage-

ment systems. Particular reference is to bemade to the varying device parametersand settings.”[12]

The MAIB report on its investigation ofthe grounding of CFL Performer notesthat: “Although ECDIS’ must meet thespecific performance standards set by theIMO, manufacturers inevitably varyaspects of equipment operation in order toremain commercially competitive. Thishas led to differences between systems interms of menus, terminology and equip-ment interface.”

“Such differences can be marked and,although operations manuals are provided,these are not always easily understood. Amariner’s proficiency in the use of a partic-ular system is therefore undoubtedly bestserved by the provision of equipment-spe-cific training, regardless of any previoustraining and experience.”[13]

Similarly, MAIB’s report on the investi-gation of the grounding of Pride ofCanterbury also states that: “Where anelectronic chart system is fitted as an aid tonavigation, proper generic and/or typespecific training in its use should be pro-vided to all navigating officers to ensure athorough understanding of its display andfunctionality.”[14]

Other external stakeholders have theirown opinions on the ECDIS training issue,with most supporting a level of ‘familiari-sation’, at the very least – such as, for exam-ple, the Ship Inspection Report (SIRE)Programme (2011 Edition), which states:

“4.23 ... Such training must be bothgeneric and specific to the ECDIS equip-ment that officers will use. ...deck officersmust be fully familiar with the operationof the ECDIS prior to the first voyage afterthe installation of the ECDIS in accordancewith paragraph 6.3 of the ISM Code.

4.24 ... If the equipment on board is ofa different type (manufacturer) to whichthe generic training was undertaken, thenevidence of familiarisation of the actualequipment fitted on board should be pro-vided. Record in comments the nature ofand duration of such familiarization.”[15]

ConclusionThe above referenced reports and require-ments reflect only a small portion of theavailable literature on ECDIS training, andindicate how difficult the issue of ensuringcompliance can be.

At the very least, this should encourageship operators to take the issue of trainingvery seriously, and make sure that care istaken to ensure that all applicable regula-tions are being met and that seafarers holdthe necessary qualifications to serve onECDIS-equipped vessels.

In particular, it is vital to understandFlag State requirements, and how applica-ble Flag regulations interpret the procla-mations of IMO and STCW.

In the end, perhaps the best advice is toaim for the most comprehensive trainingcourses available, both generic and type-specific – to stay ahead of compliance andaim for the highest possible level of compe-tence for navigators onboard ship.

The full list of references for this article, as well as links to referenced Flag States’ andother authorities own documentation, is available from the Digital Ship website, at:www.thedigitalship.com/pdf/ECDISregsguide.pdf

Digital Ship would like to thank ECDIS provider Transas for its assistance in collat-ing the information used in this article.

Training is key in ensuring high levels of competence in the application of ECDIS technology

DS

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Familiarisation and type-specific training for ECDIS is important in ensuring competence on the latest technology,but finding the time and the budget to facilitate this is not always easy – computer based training can provide

significant benefits in that regard, writes David Edmonds, PC Maritime

ECDIS familiarisation training and CBT

TT ype-specific training providesawareness of the functions presentin ECDIS, and the ‘How To’. How

do I install charts, update them, plan a route,and monitor position, on a specific ECDIS?

I have myself attended ships to deliverfamiliarisation or type specific training.Usually this is for a day to train the watchkeeping officers.

In practice everyone is trying to fittraining around other duties. The Masteris invariably called away; the Chief Officeris always busy.

If we’re lucky everybody gets anoverview and the second mate gets a rea-sonable run through on passage planning.And then, quite often, the second matewill say, “I’m away on leave tomorrow –I’ll try to pass on what you’ve told me tothe new second mate.”

This gives rise to ‘trickle down train-ing’, which is regarded as unsatisfactory.

Face-to-face training can be providedashore, usually at a customer’s offices. Thishas its strengths: no interruptions, time tocover the material; and its limitations:information overload (by mid-afternoon),skill fade (it may be weeks or monthsbefore the attendees use the equipment).

Face-to-face training carries costs thatmust be justifiable. There’s the cost of thetrainer, travel and subsistence; the logisti-cal problem of getting people together inone place and the fact that many seafarershave to undertake training in their owntime, unpaid.

Some estimate logistical costs to be asmuch as 75 per cent of the whole.[i]

EffectivenessStudies have shown that a primary causeof training failure occurs when trainees donot use what they have learned soon after-wards. As much as 70 per cent of learningmay come from actually doing the job,picking up from colleagues.[ii]

This is not an argument for leaving anypart of ECDIS training to informal means,but to emphasise the need to practise whathas been learnt.

The chart above right (fig.1) is adaptedfrom ‘Training on Trial: How WorkplaceLearning Must Reinvent Itself to RemainRelevant.’

A model for assessing training effec-tiveness is The Kirkpatrick Model (seetable, below).

Of importance for the trainee’s effec-tiveness, and the ship-manager or ownerpaying for the training, is that the trainingreaches through to levels 3 and 4.

In other words, that the underpinningknowledge learned during the generic andtype specific courses flow seamlesslythrough to the job.

Computer based trainingECDIS manufacturers have an impliedresponsibility to deliver type specifictraining on their equipment.

For example the MCA’s MIN 405[iii]states:

“3.1 The ECDIS ship specific equip-ment training should relate to the makeand model of the equipment fitted on theship on which they are currently servingi.e. it will be necessary to attend a train-ing course for each different system aMaster or Navigation Officer is expectedto operate.”

“This training should build on theMCA approved ECDIS generic training,and be delivered by the manufacturer; themanufacturer’s approved agent or a train-er who has attended such a programme.”

“Trickle down training (i.e. one officertraining another) is not acceptable as,inevitably, it leads to incomplete knowl-edge of the equipment’s capabilities, andespecially the lesser used functions, beingpassed on.”

Manufacturers have to get their train-ing right; it directly influences the effec-tiveness with which equipment is usedand, if done well, eases the burden placedon the support line.

The need for familiarisation training isnot a one off. ECDIS is and will no doubtremain a frequently changing system.Training will need to be updated whensystems are updated and frequentlyrefreshed as operators move between dif-ferent systems.

Many people today are comfortablestudying online. They don't want to sitthrough classes when they can work attheir own pace, with the opportunity topractise the skills and actions they need,which is more efficient for them.

If e-Learning is interactive enough togive them hands-on experience, then e-Learning can be very effective.

Everyone needs a solution that min-imises travel and expense, is available

when and where it is needed, and gets thetrainee up to levels 3 & 4.

Computer Based Training (CBT) meetsall of these requirements and is highlyeffective because:� It is ideal for teaching a process such as

using software.� It motivates with interaction and rich

content (images, animations, simula-tions, voiceover).

� It can be used anytime, anywhere,for initial and refresher training or reference.

� It is self-paced. Users can work at the speed that suits them, repeating sec-tions as necessary. It gives feedback,allowing users to measure their own progress.

� It provides documented and verifiable assessment via multiple choice and true\false questions, simulation and hot spot tests.

CBT, like any technical solution, can be developed to a higher or lower stan-dard. At its simplest, it is an electronicbook requiring nothing more from thetrainee than to press the next button. This is hardly likely to be an effectivetraining vehicle.

A more comprehensive course willinclude things like:� Text and voiceover� Interactive simulations – the trainee

takes part, pressing the buttons and mouse clicks that he would do on the actual ECDIS.

� Regular tests, taken before proceeding to the next topic. This helps to reinforce learning – even getting a test wrong helps users to learn.

There are some disadvantages: it does notgive the contact that allows instructors toanswer questions and give help whenneeded. This, I would argue, is of lessimportance for type specific training,where the skills and knowledge requiredare procedural. And CBT is time consum-ing and expensive to produce.

However, several administrations,including India, Ireland and Isle of Man,explicitly accept Computer Based Trainingfor type specific training.

A typical CBT course could compriseseven lessons and need about a day towork through, depending on the pace ofthe user, and should provide thoroughand interactive training in all aspects ofECDIS operation.

Each lesson should consist of voice-over and text explanations, and videosequences demonstrating ECDIS process-es. The user must interact frequently dur-ing training, carrying out actions as wouldbe done on the ECDIS. At the end of eachlesson, questions will reinforce learningand give feedback on progress.

A typical list of ECDIS Type-specificlessons could include:

1. Setup and Maintenance2. Basic Operation3. Installing Charts4. Working with Charts5. Passage Planning6. Preparing for a Voyage7. Monitoring Position8. AssessmentA final Assessment module can contain allthe questions. The Assessment test shouldconsist of a random selection from thisquestion bank, and be taken under con-trolled conditions and documented.

A high score (70 per cent minimum)should be set as the pass rate, so that it isnot possible to pass by guessing.

A help desk should also be available,should any clarification be needed, by e-mail, chat or by means of an online class,led by a qualified instructor at an agreedtime.

The results of any Assessment test canbe e-mailed to the ECDIS manufacturer orhis representative for verification, andonce checked a certificate of competencecan then be e-mailed back in return.

Additionally access can be made avail-able from a Learning Management System(LMS). This does require access to theinternet, but provides some additionalbenefits:� All lessons are online. Users’ comple-

tion of the course is tracked. Assessment can be offered at the end. Personal records are kept and progress tracked.

� Company Superintendent can be noti-fied who has taken, completed, etc.

AssessmentFor type-specific ECDIS, the objective isfor watch keeping officers to show com-petence in the operation and mainte-nance of the ECDIS. This requires thecreation of detailed objectives for each ofthe lessons.

The objectives are to a large extentmechanical. They require that the opera-tors appreciate what they can do with thesystem, know where to find functions andcan carry out tasks. They do not cover theprinciples involved, which are learnedduring the generic ECDIS course.

Fig 1: Learning effectiveness

Level 1: Reaction To what degree participants react favourably to the training

Level 2: Learning To what degree participants acquire the intended knowledge, skills, attitudes, confidence, and commit-ment based on their participation in a training event

Level 3: Behaviour To what degree participants apply what they learnedduring training when they are back on the job

Level 4: Results To what degree targeted outcomes occur as a result of the training event and subsequent reinforcement

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Consequently, for type-specific train-ing, the assessment should not, in myview, be too hard. It should be a goodmatch to what operators actually need todo in real life.

The tests that can be used duringassessment are varied and can include avariety of testing methods (see table,above).

It is not possible for a user to pass thetest by guessing. With true/false ques-tions it is possible to guess the rightanswer half the time, but increase the passrate to 80 per cent and the odds of passing

by guessing reduce to 5 per cent (see tableabove right).

And with multiple-choice, again, theodds stack up against guessing as soon asmore than one right answer is requiredout of four or five possible answers.

When the assessment is presented itshould be taken under controlled condi-tions, with verification of the student’sidentity, so that his result is documentedand a certificate issued if he passes.

Tests taken from a LearningManagement System via the internet arealso controlled. An LMS can maintain

records of the individuals who have takenthe course, track their progress, recordtheir results and issue a certificate whenthey pass the test.

Interested parties, such as the shipmanager, can also be automatically noti-fied when the course has been completedand a pass certificate issued.

There is no requirement for type specif-ic training to be approved. However, itcould be reassuring if the course were

approved by an appropriate body, forexample DNV’s Learning ProgrammesStandard.

The objective of this standard is “toensure uniform quality of training in themaritime industry, independent of loca-tion, operation and training method (and)… ensure that training programmesoffered within the maritime industry areproperly designed (and) contain clearobjectives for results.”

Multiple Choice Users select one or more correct answers from a list.

True/False Users choose either True or False (or Yes or No).

Fill-In-The- Blank Users complete a blank in a sentence or phrase.

Matching Users match entries in two lists.

Hot Spot Users move the pointer over areas on the slide.

Simulation Require the learner to perform actual work. Each step is Assessments stored separately.

Guessing � Odds

5 out of 10 50%

80% pass mark 5%

But with 20 questions < 1%

Guessing � Odds

1 of 4 1:4

But with multiple of 4 1:16

And multiple of 5 1:32

[i] With 75 per cent of the cost of trainingrepresented by logistics (travel, lodging,etc.), the global downturn has had thepositive effect of making companiesmore open to new ideas rather than justsending people to a course.

MTC’s Bihl insists, “Everyone – thecustomer and the provider – should befocused on trying to measure the ROI ofthe time and money spent on training.” Case Study Maersk Training Centre,

Maritime Executive July - August 2009, Page 25[ii] “An ASTD (2006) study identified thecauses of ‘training failure’ (i.e. training’sfailing to lead to expected results).”

“It found that 20 per cent was causedby events and circumstances prior totraining. 10 per cent was caused by sub-par delivery of the programs. And 70 percent was due to problems with what they called the ‘application environment’.”

“The latter consisted primarily of twofactors: participants not having theopportunity to use what they learned,and non-reinforcing supervisors’ actionsfollowing training.” Training on Trial:How Workplace Learning Must ReinventItself to Remain Relevant, 2010 James DKirkpatrick & Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick.

“A Josh Bersin (2008) study showed astrong trend toward informal learning. 20 per cent of job-relevant learning was

found to occur prior to formal trainingprograms, 10 per cent during training,and as much as 70 per cent as on-the-joblearning.” Training on Trial: HowWorkplace Learning Must Reinvent Itself toRemain Relevant, 2010 James D Kirkpatrick,PHd & Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick.[iii] MARINE INFORMATION NOTEMIN 405 (M+F) Training for ECDIS asPrimary Means of Navigation. (2011)Maritime and Coastguard Agency

DS

About the authorDavid Edmonds founded PC Maritime jointly with his wife Anne in 1987.The company is involved in PC software development, producing trainingsimulators and navigation systems.

References

Keep trimDynamic fore and aft trim measurement by Marinestar can lead to more economical use of bunker fuel.

Fugro Satellite Positioning, NorwayTel: +47 21 50 14 00 Fax: +47 21 50 14 01E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fugromarinestar.com

WHEN EFFICIENCY COUNTS...

...COUNT ON

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Manoeuvring large cargo ships in narrow waterways is a risky undertaking, and technology can certainly make asignificant difference in ensuring their safe passage. Neste Shipping operates on one of the more challenging

routes in Northern Europe and has recently implemented a new manoeuvring system – Captain Ari Inkinen,Neste Oil, spoke to Digital Ship about the company’s experiences

High performance navigation

SS hip accidents resulting from colli-sion or grounding typically resultin dire economic and environmen-

tal consequences. In particular, incidentsinvolving oil tankers that lead to spillagecan threaten the environment withtremendous ecological impact, while thefinancial costs may ruin the shipowner.

If the accident takes place in a transitwaterway, sea traffic may be blocked for along period of time, affecting other vessels.

Shipping companies that operate onnarrow water routes are specificallyrequired to observe safe navigation prac-tices and procedures and to continuouslyadjust their vessels' speed and course. Theconsequences of inaccurate navigation anda correspondingly high risk of accidents innarrow waterways drive shipping compa-nies operating in such regions to continu-ously modernise and update their naviga-tion and manoeuvring solutions.

The limited width of waterways is,however, not the only navigational chal-lenge for pilots of large seagoing commer-cial vessels.

Further complications in such areas arecaused by random hydrodynamic forces,such as strong winds or currents and con-sequential drift.

Shipping companies operating inregions that are subject to harsh winters,such as the Arctic, Russia and several partsof northern Europe, are additionallyexposed to the risk of thick layers of ice. Ificebreakers are deployed shipping compa-nies incur additional costs for their services.

In order to avoid these expenses, dou-ble acting tankers (DAT) have been devel-oped. Oil tankers built according to thesespecifications are designed to travel aheadin open water but are also capable of

breaking and passing through thick layersof ice, astern, without the additional assis-tance of designated icebreakers.

The Finnish shipping company NesteShipping, a subsidiary of Neste Oil, oper-ates on such narrow, ice endangeredroutes, predominantly in the Baltic regionand the North Sea.

Neste Shipping, operating a total of 22vessels, was the first shipping company toimplement double acting tanker technolo-gy on its vessel MT Tempera in 2002.

The 252 m long, double acting, Finnish-Swedish 1 AS ice class crude oil carrier isequipped with an extended double hulland segregated ballast water tanks. Inaddition, double skin cofferdams are pro-vided in way of all bunker tanks and thepump room has a double bottom.

The conventional rudder and propellerare replaced by an azipod propulsion sys-tem, which is capable of rotating 360°,with the normal ahead speed above 15knots. The vessel is further equipped withadditional bow thrusters to provideimproved manoeuvrability in narrowchannels and ports.

Double acting tankers are different tomanoeuvre than normal tankers, explainsCaptain Ari Inkinen, fleet manager, Neste Oil.

This, he says, is due to the very flexibleazipod propulsion system, which makes aship very handy to manoeuvre, not just inopen water but also in port and duringberthing operations.

With this propulsion system, tugs aretypically not needed for assist in berthingand port manoeuvres, says Capt Inkinen.

The DAT vessels feature a bulbousbow, which is designed for conventionalvoyages through open water. Only if the

conventional travel is inhibited by hard iceconditions, explains Capt Inkinen, is thedouble acting mode put into use.

“We have experienced,” he says, “thatthe course keeping capability in DATmode is substantially limited in openwater deployment. This restriction is how-ever resolved in ice conditions, as the icestabilises the bow movement.”

Among Neste Shipping's highly fre-quented routes is the Naantali channel,which crosses the Archipelago Sea on itsway to the Port of Naantali, where NesteOil operates a refinery.

The 65 nautical mile long Naantalichannel ahead of the Finnish West Coast,measures just 15.3 m in depth. Accordingto the Finnish Transport Agency, the chan-nel's fairway navigability is fraught withchallenges.

A number of difficult conditions, suchas poorly sheltered sections of the channel,which hamper radar navigation and navi-gation in rough seas, unpredictable cur-rents and particularly narrow and busypassages require not only the specialattention and caution of the pilot, but alsoprecise and accurate manoeuvring.

In addition, the ice conditions in thechannel vary and can cause navigationalaids to be submerged under the ice.

In the inner section of the channel thereis usually a 10 – 60 cm thick layer of fastice during the winter season. In view ofthese conditions, there are speed limits of28 km/h and even 22 km/h in parts of thechannel.

In addition, vessels with a draft close tothe maximum authorised draft arerequested to beware of shoals and causingsquat in a number of areas.

In essence, navigation in the narrowpassages of the Naantali channel requiresspecial attention and caution due to boththe geographic peculiarities and the heavytraffic.

Improving reliability andsecurity

As Capt Inkinen points out, accuratespeed and course information are veryimportant, especially within the con-strained conditions in the narrow water-ways, and concerns about the safety andreliability of its standard manoeuvringsystems drove the shipping company toinvestigate alternatives.

Prior to the implementation of the azi-pod propulsion system, Neste Shippingused a regular manoeuvring solution onits conventional vessels, namely a Beckerrudder and one CPP propeller, as well asadditional bow thrusters.

The navigation solution was part of anintegrated bridge system, and navigation

in the archipelago used to be mainly basedon a radar overlay navigational chart. Thesystems deployed on Neste Shipping ves-sels previously included two DGPS, twogyros, one standard compass and integrat-ed conning displays.

Capt Inkinen explains that manoeu-vring and navigation under the previoussolution was subject to a number of signif-icant disadvantages.

Conventional 1ASuper Ice class vesselsrequire more engine power and are there-fore more expensive to use. In addition,the conventional 1ASuper Ice class ves-sels, capable of independent operation inhard ice conditions, are not energy effi-cient in open water – and thus not costefficient in terms of power generation.

Apart from the purely financial down-side of the previous solutions, there werealso a number of operational issues.

Navigating the narrow Naantali channelrequires constant adjustments of speed andcourse, and making these changes has, inthe past, frequently led to gyro compasserrors, which have in turn substantiallyimpeded the determination of headings.

In addition to the unreliable gyro head-ing information in the archipelago, theconventional single-track GPS systembeing used, without backup, led to signifi-cant problems caused by the poor redun-dancy of satellite navigation and furtherdecreased the security and reliability ofnavigation in these confined waters.

Manoeuvring double acting tankers,Capt Inkinen points out, poses additionalchallenges of its own, as these large andheavy vessels have a huge mass.

Neste Shipping has noted irregularitiesin the doppler log in the past, caused bypropeller currents and sediment move-ments under the ship in shallow waters.This especially hampered the berthing andunberthing processes, and side movementspeed figures were not reliable, jumpingup to 0.8 knots and occasionally evenmore.

In order to improve the reliability ofnavigation and make the manoeuvringprocess more secure, Neste Shippingdecided to implement a new solution.

A number of important prerequisitesinfluenced the selection process. As CaptInkinen recalls, it was important that itsvessels were capable of independent oper-ation under Baltic ice conditions, but inaddition a new system would be requiredto significantly improve the positioning.

“For Neste Shipping it was highlyimportant to be able to better assess thedistance of fore and aft to the berth inorder to improve the ship’s aligned posi-tion,” notes Capt Inkinen.

“However, what most was important to

The ice-class tanker MT Tempera has installed a precision positioning system to assist with manoeuvring

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us, was to quickly obtain accurate infor-mation about the ship’s sideway speed atfore and aft.”

As an additional benefit, NesteShipping wanted the new system to pro-vide accurate online trim information.

“This,” Capt Inkinen explains, “is anew feature for us and gives us informa-tion about the ship’s trimming in differentwater depths and under different speeds.”

“We hope that the constant adjustmentof the trim, even underway, will directlyimpact the fuel oil consumption.”

As well as these requirements, therewere three other main conditions thatinfluenced the selection process.

Besides the proven capability of pro-viding accurate course information, NesteShipping required a suitable provider tobe a well-known and experienced compa-ny from Europe with an economically sta-ble background, and able to offer reliableequipment. Another highly importantattribute was the availability of a back-upsystem for GPS.

“The reason, why we chose Fugro isquite simple,” notes Capt Inkinen.

“We had had some co-operation withFugro beforehand. Neste had two shuttletankers operating on dynamic positioningsystems on North Sea oil fields. We oper-ated DARPS/DGPS/SPOTBEAM as aposition reference system on dynamicpositioning.”

“The positive experience our companyhas made with Fugro encouraged us tostick with the provider. We did not haveto look into other solutions.”

New technologyWith its Marinestar Manoeuvring System(MS), Fugro has developed a navigationsolution designed to aid vessel positioningin confined waters. Additional functionsof the manoeuvring software include adocking tool, a quay drift and squat alarmsystem, as well as the capability to sendinformation to optimise the vessels’ trimwhile at sea.

The solution is based on a differentialglobal navigation satellite system(DGNSS), which uses two independentdifferential GPS and GLONASS receiversinstalled on a vessel – one fore and one aft,for redundant positioning. These widelyspaced DGNSS receivers are able to sharedifferential corrections with each other.

Whereas GPS (global positioning sys-tem), which is maintained by the US gov-ernment, is the most widely used position-ing solution, GLONASS (GlobalnayaNavigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema/Global Navigation Satellite System, aradio-based satellite navigation systemoperated by the Russian AerospaceDefence Forces) is able to provide a back-up for the GPS system.

The redundant positioning method issaid to offer high accuracy, in centimetre-range. As Fugro points out, IMO has rec-ommended such redundancy throughRes. MSC 115 (73), which states: “A com-bined receiver, when compared to eitherthe GPS or GLONASS receiver, offersimproved availability, integrity, accuracyand resistance to interference.”

Fugro says that its combined systemsshould also help to improve the availabili-ty of satellite navigation in situationswhere parts of the sky are obscured, suchas in cases close to obstructions or duringionospheric scintillations.

Reliability is also improved throughredundancy of data sources (using addi-tional lines of position), to help to identifyincorrect measurements. Ultimately, usinga higher number of satellites improvesgeometry calculations and is expected tolead to improved accuracy.

The integrated GPS/GLONASSreceives information from Fugro’s differ-ential corrections service using a spotbeam antenna. The service utilises the GPSL1 and L2 frequencies and the GLONASSL1 and L2 frequencies, and uses the orbitand clock method for calculating correc-tions for each individual satellite.

According to Fugro this should providea high integrity, global solution with ahorizontal accuracy of 10 cm (95 per cent).

Testing the systemIn order to test the suitability ofMarinestar MS for the company’s pur-pose, Neste Shipping agreed with Fugroon a trial phase and the software systemwas implemented on the double actingtanker MT Tempera in June 2011.

The MT Tempera was chosen for thetrial because, as a very large vessel, itneeds accurate information when navigat-ing in the narrow fairways of the archipel-ago and while manoeuvring in port orduring the berthing process.

In addition, explains Capt Inkinen, thevessel’s officers are skilled in handlingnew technology and are motivated to seekimprovements with regards to improvingsafety and fuel economy. The MTTempera’s integrated bridge was alsobeing upgraded during that time and theinstallation of Marinestar MS could beconveniently included in this work.

The implementation of the hardwareand software components was scheduledduring a maintenance stoppage of a fewdays at the Turku STX shipyard inFinland. Neste Shipping, explains CaptInkinen, availed itself of the assistance ofyard technicians in order to secure theaccurate alignment of the inclinometersensor.

As mentioned earlier, the navigationsystem requires the installation of twoantennas on each ves-sel, one at the stern andone at the bow, as wellas a display system forgeneral navigation andmanoeuvring.

This display showsinformation such as heading, rate of turn,speed over the ground in both thefore and aft and athwart ship’sdirections, and can be positioned anywhereon the ship, including atthe conning positionand the bridge wings.

The shipping compa-ny had been advised byFugro to make advancepreparations, and assuch fibre optic cablehad been installed fromthe forward part of theship to the bridge, andfrom the aft mastto the bridge.

In addition, powersupplies had beenarranged and designat-ed locations for thereceiver installation hadbeen checked.Mounting bracketswere also pre-fabricatedfor the final antennainstallation.

“The final installa-tion,” notes CaptInkinen, “was carriedout by Fugro engineers.All the preparationsmade it possible to com-plete the installationwork in only threedays.”

After carrying outthe hardware installa-tion, Fugro implement-ed its Marinestar MSsoftware, from whichposition and courseinformation are fed intothe ship’s integratednavigation system.

Capt Inkinen recallsthat this aspect of theimplementation wasalso carried out smooth-

ly. “There were no problems during theinstallation process,” he notes.

During the implementation, the masterand crew of the MT Tempera wereinstructed on the operation of themanoeuvring solution and were able tofamiliarise themselves with the new sys-tem. Neste Shipping was pleased with theinitial training that was provided by thesoftware supplier.

“Our staff,” says Capt Inkinen,“received a very comprehensive familiari-sation and training during the installationof the new navigation solution and ourship’s officers had good discussions withthe Fugro service personnel.”

After the implementation, the MTTempera underwent a four month trialperiod during which the double actingtanker performed a total of 19 voyages

MT Tempera is a double acting tanker (DAT) capable of breaking through thick layers of ice

Time is of the Essence

Automatic ship-shore replication of crew and payroll information. For more information, visit www.adonis.no

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:02 Page 13



through the Finnish archipelago, mainly atGulf of Finland, from Primorsk to Porvoo/Naantali, and in the Baltic Sea / North Sea area.

Due to the very short sea voyages (12 to20 hrs.) and 1:1 rotation, the entire crew ofthe MT Tempera was able to familiariseitself with the system, explains CaptInkinen. But despite the fact that theimplementation on the vessel wentsmoothly, the shipping company faced a number of initial problems that were mostly related to software andparameter settings.

“However, we were very happy with the way that problems were dealtwith from the supplier side,” recalls Capt Inkinen.

“Solutions were quickly made availablefrom Fugro’s support. New parts weresent out and received very quickly andsoftware updates were sent almost instantaneously via e-mail. Also, theinstructions from the support were veryclear and precise.”

“The regular support is fast and veryreliable. Updates are usually sent via e-mail within 24 hours from request. Thishas been important to Neste Shipping and we appreciate that we can rely onFugro to be there.”

The crew’s reaction to the new manoeu-vring solution has also been mostly positive.

“The Marinestar MS interface is veryintuitive and ‘windows-like’,” says CaptInkinen.

“It is easy to use, if one has some basiccomputer skills. This fact has had animportant share in the reception of thesoftware through our seagoing staff.”

Benefits of the newsolution

After the four-month trial period wascompleted in October 2011, NesteShipping had established that the FugroMarinestar Manoeuvring System operatedsatisfactorily for its requirements.

“Neste Shipping's overall experiencewith the solution, which we use for navi-gation, docking and dynamic trim, hasbeen very positive,” says Capt Inkinen.

“The implementation has largely ful-filled our expectations and brought mostof the aspired benefits.”

One of the key aims of implementingthe solution was to increase safety throughreliability and redundancy; this has beenaccomplished successfully.

“The biggest benefit en route,” CaptInkinen explains, “is the increasedredundancy.”

“The Marinestar MS device acts as anadditional position device and also pro-vides very accurate heading data (includ-ing rate of turn). This is currently used forreference since the 'compass feature' is notyet fully approved as an official ship’scompass device.”

To further aid the navigation andmanoeuvring processes, the Marinestarsystem presents a range of additional nav-igational information, including groundspeeds and two measures of distance run.

“We appreciate the reliable and accu-rate position reference for ship’s bridgesystems,” explains Capt Inkinen.

“Accurate course information andaccurate position information are among

the main benefits for us.”Fugro’s system uses two GNSS posi-

tions to calculate the heading, speed dis-tance measuring equipment and a rate ofturn indicator. As such it can be used as asubstitute for conventional navigationaids, such as gyro compass, Doppler logover ground and rate of turn indicator,says Capt Inkinen.

The Marinestar MS technology is fur-ther utilised by Neste Shipping to calcu-late and display the vessel’s actual trimwhilst at sea.

The trim of the vessel affects the totalresistance of the vessel through water andthere are different optimum trim valuesfor the various loading conditions andspeeds. If the vessel is not sailing at ornear the optimum trim, it is experiencingmore resistance and thereby using morepower and fuel.

The hull resistance, and consequentlyfuel oil consumption, is influenced by thetrim of the vessel in two ways.

The viscous resistance component islinked to the wetted hull surface, whichvaries as the vessel changes trim. In addi-tion, the wave making resistance compo-nent is linked to the bow and stern wavepattern generated by the vessel. Wavescreated by the ship bow and stern lead tohigher fuel oil consumption.

Fugro’s dynamic trim module draws on the data necessary to calculate thedynamic trim of the ship from the two sensors at the bow and stern. The actualtrim is measured throughout the voyageand compared to the optimum trim, whichdepends on the design, the speed and the draft.

If actual and optimum trim differ sig-nificantly, Neste Shipping can adjustaccordingly and optimise its bunker fuel

oil consumption. The Marinestar displaypresents the actual trim graphically along-side the speed and provides an option toconfigure the optimum trim values.

“The Marinestar trim display,” pointsout Capt Inkinen, “has proven to showaccurate data. Being able to calculate theship’s trim whilst underway at sea is veryhelpful. For us, this is especially useful in

shallow waters.”Currently, Neste Shipping has not

made actual numbers available withregards to fuel oil savings; however Fugroexpects trim optimisation to generate sav-ings of between 2 per cent and 5 per centof the annual fuel costs.

In addition, Neste Shipping is utilisingthe Marinestar docking function, which isdesigned to assist navigators align the vessel by displaying real-time athwartship’s and longitudinal distances to thefinal berthing location from the bow andthe stern.

The shipping company particularlybenefits from the countdown of the dis-tances to the quay side, which offerdecimetre level accuracy, says CaptInkinen. This assists the navigator to bet-ter judge the approach speeds and quaydistances and can help reduce themanoeuvring time.

The software has two alternative waysof calculating the quay distance.

Either the position of the quay isrecorded during the first time the vesselberths at a location with high accuracy,and this information is stored and can bedisplayed during subsequent visits. Inaddition, the recorded information can beshared with other vessels via e-mail andthose other vessels can use it from the firsttime they berth at the quay.

Alternatively, the system can take into

account the coordinates of the quay thatare fed in from an accurate chart, or fromtools like Google Earth. However, whenthis method is used the accuracy is limitedto meter level.

“The docking function,” says CaptInkinen, “supports our bridge staff in theirevaluation of speed forward and exact dis-tance to obstacles, thereby improving effi-ciency and safety in berthing operations.This is especially of benefit for large ves-sels, where the view of the bow from thebridge is not very good.”

Despite the fact that the implementa-tion on the vessel went smoothly, a fewhurdles remain to be overcome.

Among the more pressing issues is thefact that the signal breaks when the vesselpasses under a bridge at the Great Belt,says Capt Inkinen. In addition, NesteShipping has experienced problems withthe navigation system in DAT mode.

“So far, the solution is not working cor-rectly when a vessel is sailing in DAT mode,” Capt Inkinen notes, “but wehope that Fugro will be able to fix thisproblem soon.”

Although Neste Shipping is mostly sat-isfied with the precision and accuracy ofthe information, Capt Inkinen points outthat the manoeuvring solution still needssome improvement. For example, the shipping company would like to see aquicker reaction for sideway speed infor-mation, he says.

In addition, there is still uncertaintyabout the accuracy of the rate of turn dis-play values, which Neste Shipping hopeswill be dealt with quickly.

While Neste Shipping is largely satis-fied with Marinestar’s benefits, the ship-ping company says it has, so far, notrealised the promoted increase in vesselspeed through more precise navigation.

Future requests anddevelopments

Four months of thorough testing have ledNeste Shipping to plan a further imple-mentation of the Marinestar manoeuvringsolution on the MT Tempera’s sister ves-sel, the MT Mastera. Overall, the shippingcompany has expressed satisfaction withthe system.

However, there are a number ofamendments to the solution that NesteShipping would like to see for the future.

The shipping company is hoping thatFugro will improve the reliability of its soft-ware under bridges, as well as adapting thesolution to make it fit for use in DAT mode.

In addition, the quality of the displaysneeds to improve as the currently usedLCD technology offers a limited viewingangle, says Capt Inkinen.

Ultimately, Neste Shipping wouldappreciate if officers on board could set anadditional alarm for changes in the ship’sposition while berthed alongside. Displayand alarm, Capt Inkinen says, should beavailable in the cargo control room, whichis manned during a port stay.

Fugro is currently in the process ofachieving full type approval forMarinestar MS as a transmitting headingdevice, rate of turn indicator as well asspeed and distance measuring equipment.Whether Fugro will also be able to imple-ment Neste’s requested changes in duecourse, remains to be seen. DS

Using both GPS and GLONASS satellites offers redundancy and greater accuracy in positioning

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Digital Ship

The Posidonia exhibition, held every two years in Athens, Greece, is one of the biggest events in the maritimecalendar, with vast halls of exhibitors showcasing every conceivable type of maritime service. A wide range of

IT companies will be among them – Digital Ship asked some of them what they have to offer to visitors

Maritime IT at Posidonia

Aage HempelAage Hempel-Marine Electronics willshowcase its services for maritime naviga-tion, communication and IT equipment atPosidonia 2012.

The company offers sales, installationand repairs of these systems via its officesin Spain, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Malta,Portugal, Morocco and Panama, carryingout more than 9,000 services per year.

Aage Hempel is an official distributorof Thrane & Thrane, JRC, Kelvin Hughes,Furuno, Raytheon-Anschutz and Jotron,and an official service agent for a widerange of manufacturers. It is alsoapproved for GMDSS AnnualPerformance Tests (APT) by major inter-national class societies, and offers VDR,AIS and SSAS services.Visit Aage Hempel in Hall 2, at Stand 103.

ABS Nautical SystemsABS Nautical Systems will introduce itsenvironmental management solutions tosupport Ship Efficiency ManagementPlans (SEEMP) at Posidonia 2012.

The company is offering two new sys-tems which will provide the tools necessaryfor demonstrating compliance with SEEMP.

A new Energy & Environmental soft-ware module allows for the collection,analysis and reporting of a vessel’s per-formance, efficiency, emissions and dis-charges. It is fully integrated into the NS5Enterprise platform or can be used as astand-alone tool.

It offers customised dashboards, ener-gy and environmental KPI reports, emis-sions monitoring and voyage manage-ment capabilities.

Also on show, in partnership withHerbert-ABS Software Solutions LLC, is atrim optimisation tool based on managingtrim and draft as a way to help with thefuel efficiency of a vessel.Visit ABS Nautical Systems in Hall 3, atStand 101.

Benefit SoftwareBenefit Software will present its latestvessel and office applications atPosidonia 2012.

The company offers ERP applicationswith Class NK approval, featuring SOXcompatibility and compliance with TMSAstandards.

Benefit will also introduce Clever-i, anew module allowing users access toinformation otherwise dispersed into theERP system, at a glance. This system isavailable as an iPhone application formobile access.

As a cloud-based platform, Benefit saysthat the system reduces upfront invest-ment, does not involve per-user fees orsoftware installation costs, and ensuresflexible access to major ERP applications.Visit Benefit Software in Hall 4, at Stand118.

DatemaDatema, part of the Nautical SafetyGroup, was founded in 1955 and operatesin the field of nautical data and nauticalsafety equipment.

The company offers electronic chartservices such as Chartplanner, and was thefirst to introduce a pay-as-you-sail ENCdistribution service with the launch ofENCTrack. More traditionally, Datema hasalso developed systems for the automaticsupply of paper charts and publications.

Datema is also involved in the interna-tional provision of safety and fire protec-tion equipment for the shipbuildingindustry, offering additional advisoryservices to create packages suiting specificinstallations.Visit Datema in Hall 3, at Stand 113.

Fortune TechnologiesMaritime software provider FortuneTechnologies will be exhibiting atPosidonia 2012.

Founded in 2004, Fortune Technologiesis a Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics-NAV Solutions partner and offers soft-ware for the management of operationsand specific shipping-business processes.

Among the systems being showcasedwill be a new operations module, newBunkering functionality for the software, aCondition Based Maintenance applicationintegrated with the company's PlannedMaintenance module, and a cloud servicessolution.Visit Fortune Technologies in Hall 2, atStand 525.

FranmanFranman invites visitors to Posidonia 2012to its stand to discuss the latest trends inshipbuilding equipment and services.

The company offers a range of servicesrelated to shipbuilding equipment, spareparts, service, risk management and con-sultancy.

At the stand Franman will introduceexecutives from some of the various com-panies it represents, as well as its threenew partners Korval Co, a maker of cryo-genic safety relief valves, Silla Metal Co, amaker of FPP, CPP and propeller andintermediate shafts, and S & S Valve Co,Ltd., a maker of safety valves.Visit Franman in Hall 4, at Stands 108 & 109.

GL Maritime SoftwareGL Maritime Software will be showcasingits fleet management software GLShipManager at Posidonia 2012.

The company's software systemincludes the use of 3D modelling of a ves-sel to support hull integrity management,with GL HullManager, and an applicationfor analysing incidents, accidents, nearmisses, NCs, deficiencies, and observa-tions, as well as combining data for KPI

monitoring and reporting, with GLFleetAnalyzer.

Additionally, GL SeaScout will be ondisplay, which uses hydrodynamic analy-sis to minimise risk and help operatorstake better care of their vessels.Visit GL Maritime Software in Hall 4, atStand 105.

Hellenic Radio ServicesHellenic Radio Services will be exhibitingits satellite communication services, withproducts from Inmarsat and Iridium aswell as VSAT packages, at Posidonia 2012.

In particular the company will show-case the new XpressLink broadband serv-ice from Inmarsat, with its approved path-way to Inmarsat Global Xpress.

In addition to satcoms the company isalso offering tracking services, viaPolestar, and mobile services fromVodafone. It will also exhibit telecommu-nication equipment and electronic naviga-tional devices such as Bridge NavigationWatch & Alarm Systems and ECDIS.

Hellenic Radio Services has officeslocated in Dubai and Miami, as well as inGreece.Visit Hellenic Radio Services in Hall 1, atStand 451.

IntellianIntellian is showcasing its v110 VSATantenna at the Posidonia exhibition.

The 1.1m (43.3 in) 3-axis stabilised Ku-band antenna is designed to provideaccess to a full spectrum of communica-tions services, and to withstand challeng-ing sea and weather conditions.

Intellian VSAT antennas have an openplatform design to ensure connectivityeven when roaming, as they continuouslyconnect to global data communicationssatellites. Users can monitor and controlthe v110 from any location at any time.

Key features include built-in GPS, apreloaded global satellite library, auto-

matic LNB-pol angle control, and unlimit-ed azimuth to eliminate cable wrapping.Visit Intellian in Hall 4, at Stand 232.

JeppesenJeppesen, a Boeing company, will show-case its C-MAP Professional+ and C-MAPENC services at Posidonia 2012.

The company says that these products,when combined, provide what it calls a"dual fuel solution" for worldwide vectorchart coverage.

Jeppesen also offers flexible ENClicensing solutions, including its upcom-ing Pay As You Sail (PAYS) solutionOpenENC, along with its existingDynamic Licensing and Direct Licensingoptions.

Also on show will be Jeppesen’sVoyage and Vessel Optimization Solution,used to improve ship operation efficiencyand safety, reduce fuel consumption, andimprove ETA predictability, as well as theC-MAP Weather Service, which offersinternational weather forecasting includ-ing real-time weather with tropical hurri-canes, ice fronts and sea conditions.Visit Jeppesen in Hall 1, at Stand 505.

JRCThe JRC stand at Posidonia to will featurethe company’s latest generation multi-function and navigation information dis-plays.

The 4.5-inch displays can be used as aMulti Information Display (MID), speedlog, (D)GPS and GPS compass, with fullNMEA data share available for up to 10displays.

JRC will also introduce a new 4.5-inchClass A AIS in line with this common dis-play series mentioned.

The company’s second generation JUE-251 FleetBroadband system will be dis-played for the first time, featuring a stan-dard interface and an advanced networkrouter, as well as the new JUE-87 Inmarsat

Inspect the latest VSAT antennas at the Intellian stand

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:02 Page 15



Future Events 2012

Digital Ship Limited, 2nd Floor, 8 Baltic Street East, London EC1Y 0UP, UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7253 2700 Fax: +44 (0)20 7251 9179 www.thedigi ta lship.com

DIGITAL SHIP ATHENS 27-28 NOVEMBER 2012METROPOLITAN HOTEL, ATHENS

DIGITAL SHIP HONG KONG 10-11 OCTOBER 2012KITEC, HONG KONG

DIGITAL SHIP KOREA 30-31 OCTOBER 2012BEXCO, BUSAN

Interested in exhibitingor sponsoring? Please contact

Ria Kontogeorgou +44 20 7017 3401

[email protected]

For Korea and Japan-based companies contact:

Youngsuk Park +44 20 7017 3408

[email protected]

C, with an all-in-one messaging unit, anewly designed antenna, added interfacingcapabilities and a new set of accessories. Visit JRC in Hall 1, at Stand 117.

KVHKVH is highlighting the latest enhance-ments to its mini-VSAT Broadband net-work at Posidonia, with the addition ofglobal C-band coverage.

KVH’s Ku-band mini-VSAT Broadbandcoverage, delivered by 14 transponders,has been complemented by three addi-tional global C-band spot beams broughtonline to overlay the Ku-band network,covering 95 per cent of the globe and pro-viding redundant backup connectivity.

To deliver the new service, KVH isintroducing the TracPhone V11 dual-mode C/Ku-band antenna, which will beon display at the exhibition. The companysays that this 1 meter antenna is more than85 per cent smaller than other global C-band antennas, and can seamlessly switchbetween satellites using a single belowdeck unit.

KVH will be making a presentationabout its service in the conference hall at17:30 on 7 June, 2012.Visit KVH in Hall 1, at Stand 332.

MarlinkMarlink will showcase its WaveCall andSealink services at Posidonia, which haverecently been upgraded with the integra-tion of iDirect’s Evolution X5 SatelliteRouter and iDX 3.0 software.

The company says that these upgradesare a key element in addressing customerrequirements for increased bandwidth andmore efficient voice and data connectivity.

Evolution is based on DVB-S2 withAdaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM),providing bandwidth efficiency gainsover legacy systems.

ACM helps to ensure maximum serviceuptime for maritime vessels by automati-cally adjusting signal strength to over-come rain or solar fade outages.

Marlink will also launch a new stan-dard VSAT offer during the Posidoniaexhibition which it says will provideimproved flexibility for customers.Visit Marlink in Hall 4, at Stand 130.

NetUNetU, the Infor partner for Greece andCyprus, will be presenting its softwaresolutions for shipping at Posidonia 2012.

This will include its accounting andfinancial management offeringSunSystems, a combination of accountingand financials software applications.

Also on show will be the company’sfinancial and management reporting sys-tems, including its Query & Analysisreporting software tool which allowsdesktop applications to create and analysereports on targeted information, high-lighting trends and patterns.Visit NetU in Hall 2, at Stand 111.

Netwave SystemsNetwave will showcase its MarLiant8000AS ruggedized redundant on-boardIT server platform at Posidonia 2012.

The fully redundant server includesdouble servers, network switches, UPS’s,battery back-up and solid state disk stor-age management modules enabling auto-matic switch-over.

It can be used to manage local networks

(LAN's) and workstations on the vessel, aswell as offering solid state end-user thinclients.

The company will also display itsVoyage Data Recorder systems, alreadyinstalled on more than 5,500 ships.Visit Netwave Systems in Hall 2, atStand 313.

Otesat-MaritelOtesat-Maritel, a member of OTE Group,will showcase its satellite telecommunica-tions services to the Greek and global mar-itime industries at Posidonia 2012.

The company provides Inmarsat,Iridium and VSAT services, with integrat-ed solutions combining satellite and ter-restrial networks including GSM andother information technologies.

At the exhibition Otesat-Maritel willintroduce its new products and services,including Inmarsat Xpress Link, as well asC-band and Ku-band VSAT services, andthe new Iridium Pilot product.

Also on show will be the company’svalue added services for operations andcrew, including s@tGate and MailOnBoard.Visit Otesat-Maritel in Hall 1, at Stand 201.

Raytheon AnschützRaytheon Anschütz, together with theirGreece distributor Aegean Electronics,will display its range of navigation sys-tems at this year’s Posidonia.

The exhibit features the new genera-tion of Synapsis MultifunctionalWorkstations, including Synapsis (Chart-)Radar, Synapsis ECDIS and SynapsisConning workstations. These systems are

Try Raytheon’s Synapsis bridge at its exhibit

KVH will showcase combined Ku/C-band systems

The Marliant server will be on show at theNetwave Systems stand

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:02 Page 16


Digital Ship

based on a single system architecture toprovide scalability from a stand-alone sys-tem to a fully integrated workplace.

The navigation system includes otherrecently developed functions, such as anew weather overlay for ECDIS.

In addition to the navigation worksta-tions, Raytheon Anschütz will highlightits new CAN-bus based steering controlsystem. NautoSteer AS was developed inaccordance with fail-to-safe principles,with a range of integrated features, allow-ing the fuel-saving Anschütz autopilot NP5000 and the Anschütz gyro compassStandard 22 to integrate into the system.Visit Raytheon Anschütz in Hall 1, atStand 315.

SpecTecThe SpecTec Group will showcase itsAMOS Vessel Management software sys-tem and associated services at Posidonia2012.

The AMOS software allows users tomanage and control all technical and doc-umentation aspects of their maintenance,spare parts and stock control, as well asprocurement, Quality and Safety docu-mentation, voyage management and per-sonnel management.

SpecTec has been in business for 27years, and has more than 6,500 activeinstallations of its systems. These are serv-iced through 24 offices in 19 countries.Visitors to Posidonia are invited to thecompany's stand for a demonstration ofthe software.Visit SpecTec in Hall 2, at Stand 313.

TransasDuring Posidonia, Transas Marine willshowcase its range of ECDIS solutions,including official data, service supportand training through the company’s glob-al network.

The new 4-level ECDIS concept fromTransas includes the IMO compliantStandard, Standard+, Premium andPremium+ product packages, which fea-ture Transas’ Navi-Sailor software. Eachpackage includes a number of standardfeatures, with a range of additionaloptions also available.

The company has also launched a ‘PayAs You Sail’ service for (S)ENCs,approved by PRIMAR and IC-ENC aftersuccessful sea trials and verified by DetNorske Veritas (DNV).

Transas will also showcase its Navi-Trainer Professional 5000 simulator at theexhibition. Visit Transas in Hall 4, at Stand 303.

UKHO The UKHO is bringing its free DigitalIntegration workshops to Posidonia

2012, with the aim of helping shippingmanagers plan for the integration of digital navigation into bridge operationsto meet the requirements of the upcom-

ing ECDIS mandate.The Workshops will take place at the

Main Entrance Meeting Room atPosidonia on the 5th (11.00hrs), 6th(16.00hrs), 7th (11.00hrs) and 8th June 2012(11.00hrs). Attendance is free, but spacesare limited and anyone wishing to attendshould register via the Admiralty website.

The Admiralty team of experts will alsobe available at the company's stand todemonstrate the Admiralty e-Navigatorproduct, and answer any questions on thetransition to digital navigation.Visit the UKHO in Hall 1, at Stand 403.

World-LinkCommunications

World-Link Communications will be

presenting its range of shipboard communications solutions at Posidonia2012.

Among them will be ShipSat, a net-work management system that controlsthe communications link, offering protection for the network as well ascrew communications and entertain-ment capabilities.

World-Link Communications wasestablished in 1989 and is a Gold partner of Inmarsat. The company currently serves a fleet of more than1,200 vessels worldwide, with represen-tative offices in Athens, Cyprus, Miami,St. Petersburg, and Buenos Aires inArgentina.Visit World-Link in Hall 2, at Stand 315.

FURUNO type specific ECDIS training for professional mariners- available at FURUNO INS Training Centers in Denmark and Singapore

FURUNO INS Training Centers assist you in meeting the requirements for FURUNO type specific ECDIS training. At our FURUNO INS Training Center in Denmark we also offer generic ECDIS training in compliance with IMO Model Course 1.27

FURUNO INSTC DenmarkHammerholmen 44-48 • DK-2650 Hvidovre • DenmarkPhone: +45 36 77 40 12 • Fax: +45 36 77 85 58E-mail: [email protected]

FURUNO INSTC SingaporeNo. 17, Loyang Lane • Singapore 508917Phone: +65 6745 8472 • Fax: + 65 6747 1151E-mail: [email protected]

www.furuno.com

also offer generic ECDIS training in compliance with IM

Visit us in Hall 1, stand no. 1202

The Navi-Trainer Professional 5000 from Transas will be on display

p33-52:p15-25.qxd 18/05/2012 12:02 Page 17

KK nowledge that the accuracy andavailability of satellite based posi-tioning systems can be compro-

mised by solar radiation, interference,jamming, ionospheric anomalies andmany other effects has been known eversince the early days of GPS andGLONASS, back in the 1980s.

Consequently, training for profession-al navigators and guidelines for casualusers highlight the problems of over-reliance on GNSS and the strategies thatshould be employed to always maintainsafe navigation. This is true in all sectors,not just maritime.

The lack of significant incidents attrib-utable to these weaknesses, at least to date,perhaps contributes to a low politicalinterest in establishing a technology basedsolution that will remove the need for con-stant user diligence.

In any case, getting agreement on aglobally common system is probably notachievable. The ideal backup heavilydepends on the specific application, therequired minimum accuracy and also onlocal factors, such as the general topologyof the area in which it is to be used.

This is unfortunate for the maritimeworld because a good technological solu-tion that would generally meet its globalrequirements is embedded withinenhanced low frequency (LF) hyperbolicpositioning systems, such as eLoran.

LF hyperbolic systemsThe major advantage of LF is the long dis-tances that can be achieved from a basetransmitter. This means that relatively fewground stations are required – but unfor-tunately hugely more than the few tens ofsatellites required to give global GNSScoverage.

Appropriately enhanced, it can give anaccuracy of 10 metres in critical areas suchas port approaches, around 20-100 metresin non-enhanced coastal areas and gener-ally about 1 NM mid-ocean. All this can beachieved from land-based stations.

Such a performance is very matched tothe practical requirements for a maritimepositional back-up system.

However, its base stations require rela-tively expensive high powered transmit-ters and extremely tall radio masts.Although their spacing could beapproaching 1,000 kilometres, it wouldrequire much international cooperation toget even a regional service underway.

Very importantly, the optimum posi-tioning of transmitting masts may beentirely unacceptable to close-by residentsfor visual reasons and the fear of highpowered electromagnetic radiation, bothpolitically sensitive issues.

Where 10 metres accuracy is required,additional differential stations are needed,although their cost and environmentalimpact is significantly less than that of a

base station.Nevertheless, LF systems are also poten-

tially appealing to many other navigationalsectors because of two particular character-istics. The first is that high accuracy timingis a built-in feature, enabling them to trulymeet the requirements of a position, navi-gation and timing (PNT) system.

Secondly, the low frequencies usedhave quite different strengths and weak-nesses to the microwave transmissions ofGNSS – in particular they are ground hug-ging and can also penetrate buildings, bothaspects making LF systems an attractiveoption for many land-based requirements.

Unfortunately, despite the apparentadvantages of an LF hyperbolic system,

especially for maritime use, it is unlikelythat there will ever be international sup-port for its introduction – it does not solvethe issues for all sectors, the infrastructureis relatively expensive and there are per-ceived environmental issues.

Alternative systemsThe difficulties of getting internationalacceptance of an LF hyperbolic systeminto the maritime world is accelerating theexploration of other potential solutions.

In particular, these include the use ofautomatic radar-based positioning sys-tems and also automatic fixing on ‘signalsof opportunity’, such as existing radio, TVand telecommunications transmissions.

It will be interesting to see if these stud-ies lead to viable alternatives, althoughthere do appear to be significant practicaldrawbacks when compared to an LFhyperbolic system.

Particularly in the military field, thereis an increasing interest in the possible useof high accuracy lightweight inertial sen-sors. They are perhaps poised to providean optimum answer if they can be shown

to give affordable accuracy. For example, the US Defense Advanced

Research Projects Agency announced inApril that they were studying the possibil-ity of using micro-sized ‘atomic’ inertialorientation sensors to work in conjunctionwith existing inertial chips, specifically asa backup to GPS.

Inertial systems are not reliant on anyoutside communications, making themimpervious to jamming and interference.Also, apart from physical damage, theyappear to be very resistant to all naturallyoccurring and human initiated effects.

Unfortunately, it is likely to be manyyears before these can be made viable andavailable to the commercial marine market.

In fact, the timescales to get any seriouspositional backup in place are really quitelong, when taking into account technicalissues and the necessary internationalprocesses.

It would therefore not be at all surpris-ing to find in 10 years time that most shipsdo not have a second positional source,other than a multiple GNSS capability.

What is more likely within thesetimescales is that many ships would havean integrated navigation system (INS) fit-ted as part of the initial implementation ofIMO’s e-Navigation programme. It is thistechnology that may provide the pragmat-ic solution for the immediate future.

E-Navigation INSIn some minds, INS is mainly a system thatcan show various optimally designed dis-plays to suit the immediate navigationalsituation, but a main purpose is to provideintegrity information concerning essentialnavigational data, such as position, speed,course, heading and even depth.

This particular function of an INS effec-tively compares the inputs from all thevessel’s navigational sensors, includinglog and gyro, and highlights any discrep-ancies to the navigator.

It can accept inputs from any naviga-tional sensor, including from future posi-tional systems such as those previouslymentioned.

Importantly, it would immediatelyimprove the integrity and functionality oftoday’s basic navigational fit, withoutneeding additional positional sensors.

A significant GNSS inaccuracy wouldbe automatically highlighted to the userby such a system, although it is true that amore slowly evolving positional errorcould remain undetected.

In fact, using today’s technology andunderstanding it is not particularly diffi-cult for GNSS receivers to be designed to

recognise many of the situations thatcause positional problems, and to auto-matically alert the user – and the INS – toany possible problem.

Perhaps the fitting of such intelligentGNSS receivers should also become ashorter term objective of the legislators.

If GNSS becomes unavailable or veryinaccurate, the system would be able tohelp the navigator maintain safe naviga-tion but it would require regular radarand optical LOPs to be manually or semi-automatically input into the INS.

This is where a second positionalsource would certainly help matters. Itwould also assist the INS to quickly iden-tify discrepancies in position, although thehuman navigator may still need to asseswhich positional source was in error.

The navigator’s roleWith the increased use of ECDIS there is afear that many navigators will accept theship’s indicated position on the chartwithout questioning its veracity.

Ironically, acceptance of this positionwill be an increasingly correct assumptionwhen multi-system GNSS receivers in aredundant configuration are in commonuse on vessels.

This inevitable tendency can be coun-tered by an appropriately designed INSoperating in conjunction with an intelli-gent GNSS, which would generally be ableto automatically alert an unaware naviga-tor to a potential problem.

The INS would subsequently consider-ably help the OOW with the safe naviga-tion of the vessel, using automatic estimat-ed position techniques, assisted by user-provided visual and radar LOPS.

The OOW will have to remain a ‘navi-gating’ navigator and not a ‘monitoring’navigator, at least until there are two back-up sources to GNSS available that coverthe whole route – which is a long way intothe future.

An INS, supplemented by intelligentmulti-system GNSS receivers, certainlyappears to be a viable route for the moreimmediate future. Its implementation istechnically and politically straightforwardand it appears to be generally future proof.

When alternatives to GNSS positioneventually become available, the INS willbe better able to determine whether thereis a positional problem and then continueto provide a useable position to the navi-gator and the ship’s systems.

Conversely, a strategy based on initial-ly achieving a backup system to GNSSappears to have insurmountable prob-lems, at least for the foreseeable future. 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]

The impressive lack of problems over the lifetime of the Global Positioning System (GPS) has encouraged many to relyheavily on the technology. However, satellite-based navigation is inherently vulnerable, and the need for positioning

back-up in critical situations shouldn’t be underestimated. Dr Andy Norris looks at the future of positioning

The future of positioning



The aerial array at Anthorn, UK, site of thecountry’s first eLoran transmitter. Photo ©

Phil Williams

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