eylül 2013.pdf

AA n eventful summer atInmarsat has seen the com-pany mix triumph with trep-

idation, as its successful launch of thelatest satellite in its constellation,Alphasat, was preceded by marketworries about the launch provider ithas selected for the introduction ofGlobal Xpress (GX).

To start on a positive note, the I-4A F4 launch of Alphasat, atelecommunications satellite whichwill complement Inmarsat’s L-bandFleetBroadband network, should provide a significant boost to per-formance and availability ofFleetBroadband services in theEurope, Middle East and Africaregion, where traffic is currentlyheaviest.

An Ariane 5 rocket carrying thespacecraft took off on July 25 from theGuiana Space Centre in Kourou,French Guiana, and a successfulspacecraft separation was achieved27 minutes and 45 seconds into themission. The Alphasat MissionOperations Team confirmed that theyhad taken command of the satelliteshortly afterwards.

I-4A F4 was placed in a temporaryposition in the geostationary ring atthe beginning of August, where itdeployed its 11m-diameter mainantenna. The satellite has also suc-cessfully deployed its twin four-panelsolar wings, spanning 40m.

The solar panels rotate automati-cally, following the Sun, whileAlphasat’s attitude control systemtracks its position above Earth.

At the time of going to press thesatellite was scheduled to stay in this

slot for several weeks while Inmarsat,together with ESA (European SpaceAgency), continues testing the tele-com payload, the backup units on theAlphabus platform and ESA’s fourhosted payloads.

Inmarsat, which owns and oper-ates Alphasat, has invested $350 mil-lion into what it calls one of the mosttechnically advanced telecommunica-tions satellites ever constructed forcivilian applications.

The satellite has previously beencalled an ‘I4-and-a-half’, given that itwill be used to augment the existingI4 satellite network used to provideFleetBroadband services since 2009,extending the life of the fleet and pro-viding additional redundancy.

“Alphasat will strengthen ourexisting I-4 series satellite constella-tion, providing coverage overEurope, the Middle East and Africa,”said Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat.

“The launch demonstratesInmarsat’s long-term commitment toL-band services, and marks a signifi-cant milestone in the evolution ofInmarsat’s flagship satellite fleet,bringing new capabilities both interms of performance and resourceavailability.”

Alphasat was designed and manu-factured by Astrium, and Inmarsat

IN THIS ISSUE

September 2013

electronics and navigation

continued on page 2

software

satcomsFlat antenna for maritimesatcoms – 4

Thuraya delivers MBB in Asia – 10

Polar VSAT – the next step inArctic broadband – 16

Maritime bandwidth – full speedahead or steady as she goes? – 20

CSCL equips containershipswith ECO-Assistant – 22

Maritime technology R&D venture in Japan – 29

Steaming into the cloud – 30

Satellite launch to extendFleetBroadband capabilities

ECDIS training – the reality – 40

Getting more from VDR – 44

The importance of BNWAS – 46

The case for early ECDIS – 48

The successful launch of Inmarsat’s Alphasat satellite will see the company able to extend the capacity of its FleetBroadband network – while also providing

a welcome counterpoint to worries over whether a Proton rocket failure couldcause the launch of the company’s Global Xpress programme to be delayed

Ishima International Shipmangement in Singapore operates 27 ships in world wide trade. Captain Victorio Velonza has already installed Dualog Connection Suite on all the ships with a clear plan to move forward. “Our experience with Dualog is a combination of a user-friendly system and people you can trust. As we are now looking forward to introducing Internet onboard, we know that Dualog Connection Suite will provide exactly what we need to manageand take control in an eff ective way”, concludes a smiling Captain Velonza.

“Ready for the Internet”Captain Victorio Velonza, Q.C. Manager, Ishima Shipmanagement Singapore

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www.dualog.com(+47) 77 62 19 00 or [email protected]

Alphasat was successfully launchedat the end of July

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says that it is the largest and most sophis-ticated European telecommunicationssatellite ever built. It is also the largestPublic-Private-Partnership space projectin Europe, notes Inmarsat, which hasteamed up with the European SpaceAgency (ESA) to carry it out.

Commercial operations on theAlphasat satellite are expected to beginduring Q4 of this year.

GX delay fearsThe success of the Alphasat launch pro-vided a timely boost to Inmarsat, comingjust a few short weeks after the explosionof a satellite launch attempt by a Proton Mrocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome inKazakhstan had prompted fears that theintroduction of Inmarsat’s Ka-band GlobalXpress network could be delayed.

International Launch Services (ILS) hasbeen contracted by Inmarsat to providelaunch services for all three launches of itsGX satellites, also using the Proton launchvehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The first of these GX launches is cur-rently scheduled for the fourth quarter of2013, but the failure of this most recentlaunch has led to renewed concerns overthe viability of the Proton rocket forthese flights.

The launch of the Proton M/BlockDM-03 mission with three Glonass navi-gational satellites for the Russian FederalGovernment resulted in a failure when,about ten seconds after lift-off, the rocketveered off of its flight path and returnedto earth.

This most recent failure is the thirdtroubled launch for the Proton M rocket inthe last twelve months.

In August 2012 a mission to launchIndonesian and Russian telecommunica-tion satellites failed to deliver them intoorbit, while a December 2012 launch ofanother Russian satellite was hamperedby a premature separation of the satellitefrom the rocket.

Inmarsat has said that it is currentlyawaiting the outcome of an investigationinto the failure of the Proton launch vehi-cle, and notes that, “while it is too early todetermine any schedule impact of the fail-ure, there is a risk of a short delay to thelaunch of the first Inmarsat-5 satellite, andtherefore, to the start of GX services.”

Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce expressed“disappointment and obvious concern”over the Proton situation, but believes thatthe company can still be positive about itslaunch plans for two main reasons.

“(Firstly), Proton has a very good trackrecord of resolving failures and quicklyrestarting operations with the industrialcapacity to minimise delays - indeed, thisis one of the key reasons why we pickedProton in the first place,” he said.

“After the last failure Proton success-fully returned to flight about three monthslater. If you allow for a normal periodbetween Proton launches then this pointsto a short delay risk for the first satellite ofperhaps a couple of months.”

“Second, as our satellite manufacturingprogramme is very much on track, a delayto the first launch does not mean the samefor the second and third launches. There isstill the expectation that global coveragefor GX can still be achieved on, or veryclose to, plan.”

This uncertainty over the launch of theGX programme led to a drop in Inmarsat’sshare price, which had closed at 695p onJuly 2nd before the news broke but fell to663p by the close of trading on July 3rd – adrop of approximately 4.5 per cent.

However, subsequent positive financialresults as well as an increase in dividendsto shareholders have since more than com-pensated for this drop, with the shareprice having climbed above 720p at thetime of going to press, well above its levelprior to the Proton failure.

GX developmentsDespite the issues with the Proton launchvehicle, Inmarsat has been able toannounce a number of positive recentdevelopments for its GX programme.

The company reported that the firstfully assembled Inmarsat-5 Ka-bandsatellite, which will be used to providethe Global Xpress service, has successful-ly completed mechanical testing atBoeing’s manufacturing facility in ElSegundo, California, and that the satel-lite is now ready to move to the nextphase of testing as preparations continuefor launch.

The recently completed tests included asimulated launch, which was designed toexpose the spacecraft to the environmentalconditions it will be subjected to duringthe actual launch.

“This is a very important and signifi-cant milestone in the construction and testcycle of the spacecraft as we progress withthe test programme and move forward tolaunch day,” said Franco Carnevale,Inmarsat’s vice president for satellite andlaunch vehicles.

“Exposing the satellite to the realities ofthe launch experience allows us to knowwith confidence that it can withstand thereal thing.”

During the testing process, a 'shaker'unit was deployed to simulate the vibra-tions induced by the rocket’s engine thrustand its ‘cut-off’ at stage separation.

Additionally, a concrete reinforcedchamber blasted the spacecraft withacoustic waves, much like those whichwill impact the rocket and its payload dur-ing lift-off.

Following the shaking and blastingprocesses, all mechanical appendages onthe satellite were deployed and tested.

The company says that the Inmarsat-5satellite passed each of these tests and sim-ulations and will now move to the next

phase, where it will be subjected to thevoid of space and the large temperaturevariations it will experience in orbit.

Inmarsat says that these tests aredesigned to ensure that the satellite canoperate reliably for its projected life cycleof more than 15 years.

The second and third Inmarsat-5 satel-lites, currently in development by BoeingSpace & Intelligence Systems, will enduresimilar testing prior to the launch.

“With each passing test, another stepin the process is completed and we moveforward to launching the satellites thatwill power the first global Ka-bandbroadband network over satellite,” con-cluded Mr Carnevale.

Inmarsat has also recently agreed a newstrategic partnership with RigNet, a sat-com services provider to oil and gas mar-kets, which will see RigNet become aGlobal Xpress distribution partner for theglobal energy sector.

Inmarsat says that RigNet has enteredinto to a “significant four-year GlobalXpress capacity pre-purchase” agreementas part of the deal.

As part of the partnership agreementInmarsat has also agreed to sell to RigNetits retail energy operations, currentlymanaged within the Inmarsat SolutionsEnterprise business unit, for a total con-sideration of US$25 million.

The sale will include Inmarsat’smicrowave and WiMAX networks in theUS Gulf of Mexico serving drillers, pro-ducers and energy vessel owners, itsVSAT interests in Russia, the UK, the USand Canada, its telecommunications sys-tems integration business operatingworldwide, and its retail L-band energysatcoms business.

"We are excited about this partnershipas it enhances the strategic positioning ofboth companies as we seek to address thecommunications needs of the global ener-gy sector together,” said Mr Pearce.

“RigNet is the perfect partner forInmarsat, supporting a large customerbase of oil and gas VSAT customers,whom we expect to be at the forefront ofthe transition to Global Xpress services.We also welcome the opportunity to workwith RigNet’s management team with itsextensive knowledge of VSAT operationsand customers.”

“This partnership prepares the way for a fast and successful take up ofGlobal Xpress services in the global ener-gy sector.”

The satellite’s twin four-panel solar wings span 40m. Photo: ESA

DS

continued from page 1

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true broadband to themarine sector,” he added.

Kymeta intends to“work with all the majorsatellite systems opera-tors and their distribu-tors,” he said.

“There are several Ka-band operators already infull operation and severalmore who are launchingtheir constellations now,including Inmarsat, O3b,Eutelsat, and Intelsat. Soit’s a very exciting timeand our product launchschedule lines up verynicely with the existingKa-band operators, as wellas the new capacity com-ing online in 2014-15.”

“Our developmentschedule allows our ini-tial products to be available in the marketplace in the first quarter of 2015,” MrMcCambridge adds.

“Our initial launch is in the Ka-band.But we are not limiting our developmentto the Ka-band. There is a very large installbase of Ku- and hybrid L-band users,especially in the maritime world. And sowe’re very interested in delivering solu-tions that meet the need for customersusing those Ku- and L-band hybrid solu-tions as well.”

“It’s not a difficult process for us todeliver our technology in Ku-band,” he

said, though he notes that Kymeta has notso far committed to a date for the intro-duction of either a Ku- or a hybrid L-bandsolution.

“What we would really like to do is lineup some launch partners for Ku- and L-bands and develop our terminals to meetthe system requirements of those partners.We’re in discussions with Ku-bandproviders now.”

“Although we haven’t set up a date forcommercial availability in Ku- or L-band,it could be as short as a few months afterthe launch of our Ka-band solutions.”

www.kymetacorp.com

American company Kymeta, a developerof flat antenna technology for Ka-bandconnectivity, has announced that it hassecured $50 million in funding and con-firmed that it intends to introduce a high-capacity antenna for the maritime marketwith no moving parts.

Existing Kymeta investors includingBill Gates, Lux Capital and Liberty Globalwere joined in the financing by OsageUniversity Partners and The KresgeFoundation.

The Redmond, Washington-based com-pany has already partnered with Inmarsatto design a flat Ka-band antenna for air-planes, which it plans to launch in the firstquarter of 2015. The goal is to allow airlinepassengers to access broadband servicesthrough Inmarsat’s Global Xpress net-work which is scheduled to be operationalat the end of next year.

However, Kymeta confirmed to DigitalShip that it also intends to make the tech-nology available for the maritime indus-try, initially in the Ka-band, and then pos-sibly in the Ku- and L-bands.

“Merchant ships, cruise ships, andyachts of all sizes are all target markets forus. The technology is incredibly robust,”Bob McCambridge, Kymeta’s presidentand COO, told us.

Unlike typical VSAT satellite communi-cations antennas currently in use in mar-itime, which use a stabilised dish thatmoves to keep the dish pointing at the

satellite in orbit, Kymeta’s mTenna is flatand forms and steers the antenna beamelectronically, which the company sayseliminates the need for moving parts.

Its shape is that of a square tile, whosesides can be 30 to 70 centimetres long, andit is 3 centimetres thick – similar in form toan oversized pizza box.

“What the antenna does is: it creates abeam electronically. The beam then trackssatellites with no mechanical, movingparts,” Mr McCambridge explained, dur-ing an interview.

“That is really what becomes such arevolutionary and breakthrough aspect ofour proprietary technology. It’s a next-generation alternative to expensive,heavy, power-consumptive, mechanicallysteered devices. Our antenna technologyis similar to a flat panel TV display tech-nology driven by electronics and softwarewith no moving parts.”

Kymeta has designed a workingPortable Satellite Terminal prototype thatcan deliver 30 mbps on the receive sideand 3 mbps on the transmit side. The com-pany is confident it can improve thosespeeds further to 50 mbps down and 5mbps up for the maritime segment.

Mr McCambridge also insists thatthe mTenna has a “much lower cost ofusage” than VSAT or Inmarsat’s BGANterminals, the land-based equivalent toFleetBroadband.

“Our technology in combination withthe high-throughput Ka-band satelliteswill be a revolutionary change and bring

Flat antenna for maritime satcoms

New 83cm SAILOR VSAT www.cobham.com

Cobham has announced the forthcominglaunch of SAILOR 800 VSAT, a 3-axis sta-bilised Ku-band antenna system with an83 cm reflector dish, which it says pro-vides the same radio performance as com-peting 1m antennae.

SAILOR 800 VSAT is based on the sametechnology platform as Cobham’sSAILOR 900 VSAT 1m antenna. It can beused on various vessels including work-boats and fishing vessels, notes Cobham.

The manufacturer says that SAILOR800 competes in the 1m VSAT antennamarket. It says that its antenna is lighter

and more compact than thecompetition while offeringequal or even higher RF per-formance (G/T >18 dB/K).

Cobham adds that eachSAILOR 800 VSAT leaves thefactory fully configured, withall RF equipment installed,which reduces the time need-ed on board for installation.

“SAILOR 800 VSAT isdesigned to out-perform com-peting 80-100cm antennae,despite coming in a smaller,more competitive and flexiblepackage,” said Casper Jensen,head of maritime, CobhamSATCOM.“With SAILOR 900 VSAT asour starting point, our in-house engineers have cre-ated an 80cm class antennathat punches well above itsweight.”

Cobham says that it willstart shipping the new SAILOR800 VSAT in September.

Kymeta plans to adapt its flat antenna technology for use inthe commercial maritime market

www.smart.com.ph

Telecoms company Smart in thePhilippines has unveiled a range of servic-es designed to help Filipino seafarers stayin touch with their loved ones throughphone calls, text messages and via theinternet.

Smart says that three services will soonbe made available: Marino Phonepal,Marino Textmate, and Link Plus.

Marino Phonepal will allow seafarerssailing in Australia, the Middle East,Africa, Europe, and Asia-Pacific to calltheir families in the Philippines whileMarino Textmate will allow them to sendtext messages at what Smart says will beaffordable rates.

Link Plus, an online application whichwill have both mobile and desktop ver-sions, will enable users to make calls, sendtext messages, and access the internet.

Charles Lim, EVP and head, WirelessConsumer Business for Smart and Sun

Smart services for Filipino sailorsCellular, notes that the products have asubstantial target market with Filipinosmaking up one third of the global mar-itime workforce.

“As a testament of our support in pro-moting their well-being, we are happy tolaunch Smart Satellite Services, by which acomplete array of mobile services likevoice calls, text, and online applicationsfor smartphones and personal computerswill be made available for Filipino work-ers on deck,” said Mr Lim.

Capt Ronald Enrile, vice president forOperations at Philippine TransmarineCarriers, also commented that “most ofour Filipino seafarers spend around 20 to30 per cent of their earnings in communi-cation. Calling their loved ones using asatellite phone, for example, is stillexpensive.”

“With the new service of Smart, notonly does it offer wider coverage but it istailor-fit to Filipino seafarers’ budget aswell. I believe our seafarers would love it.”

MTN Satellite Communications(MTN) has appointed Mark Walter tothe role of chief financial officer (CFO) inreplacement of Peg Grayson, who hasbeen named president of MTNGovernment Services (MTNGS).

KVH has named Andrew Bush, a for-mer C.A. Clase (UK) executive with 17

years of experience, as its OriginalEquipment Manufacturer/Leisure Marinesales manager for Europe, the Middle East,and Africa (EMEA).

www.mtnsat.comwww.kvh.comThe 83cm antenna is lighter and more compact

than its 1m predecessor

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SATCOMS

www.kvh.com

KVH Industries has announced that it hasmore than doubled the capacity of itsmini-VSAT Broadband network in theAsia-Pacific region. This follows similarupgrades in the Caribbean, EMEA, andAfrican and Brazilian regions.

KVH started increasing its networkcapacity in late 2012. The on-going processinvolves deployment of Variable Coding,Spreading, and Modulation (VCSM) tech-nology provided by its partner ViaSat.

This is part of a strategy that includesupgrading the TracPhone terminals usedto deliver the mini-VSAT Broadband serv-ice, and delivering news and entertain-ment content to seafarers through the IP-MobileCast service which is expected to beavailable later this year.

“Increasing mini-VSAT Broadband net-work capacity in the Asia-Pacific region isa key step in our strategy to providemariners with the connectivity they needat sea,” said Brent Bruun, executive vicepresident of KVH’s Mobile BroadbandGroup.

“This area is a major hub for commer-cial shipping and the vessels travellingthere need affordable, fast, and convenientconnections in order to optimise theiroperations. The mini-VSAT Broadbandnetwork, particularly with the newTracPhone V-IP series terminals andupcoming IP-MobileCast service, providesthose connections at an affordable pricecombined with a number of benefits thatother providers do not offer.”

“There is no denying the importance ofthe Asia-Pacific region to the international

www.speedcast.com

SpeedCast has announced the successfulclosing of a US$55 million Senior SecuredCredit Facility, whose proceeds havefinanced its acquisition of a 100 per centeffective interest in Pactel International.

The new credit facility also allowed thecompany to refinance existing indebted-ness held by TA Associates, its controllingshareholder.

Pactel is a satellite communicationsservices provider headquartered inSydney (Australia). The company offersinternet and voice services to customersthat include oil & gas operators, telecomcompanies, governments and miningcompanies.

The buyout of Pactel follows theNovember 2012 acquisition of AustralianSatellite Communications and the January2013 buyout of Netherlands-basedElektrikom Satellite Service.

The Facility was fully funded by INGBank, Singapore Branch, as mandated leadarranger, facility agent and security agent,and programs advised by Partners Groupon behalf of its clients and SiemensFinancial Services, as mandated leadarrangers.

Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast,said: “We are delighted to have on boardING, Partners Group and Siemens, threetop tier financial partners.”

“Together with TA Associates, thisgives SpeedCast the potential to fund fur-ther growth, both organic and by acquisi-tion, and to take advantage of opportuni-ties as they arise.”

O3b launches first four satellites www.o3bnetworks.com

O3b has successfully launched its first four satellites andsays it should start providing Ka-band services afterplacing another four into orbit in September.

Headquartered on the British island of Jersey, O3bplans on offering a maritime VSAT service aimed atcruise ships and superyachts, with speeds of up to 350Mbps download and 150 Mbps upload.

The coverage area will encompass Latin America,Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, as broad-band connectivity will be delivered within 45 degrees oflatitude north and south of the equator.

Designed by Thales Alenia Space, the eight satelliteswill be in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), some 8,000 kilo-metres from the Earth, as opposed to standardGeosynchronous (GEO) satellites which operate approx-imately 36,000 km away from the planet.

As a result, O3b says that round-trip data transmis-sion times are reduced to approximately 100 millisec-onds and that latency is greatly reduced.

The first four satellites were launched on June 25thfrom French Guiana, aboard an Arianespace Soyuz vehi-cle. After successfully clearing in-orbit testing (IOT) con-trol and operation of the Ka-band satellites was handedover to O3b by manufacturer Thales Alenia Space.

Customers witnessing the event included: RoyalCaribbean Cruise Lines, O3b’s first maritime customer;Telecom Cook Islands, which will receive the first com-mercial signals across the network this summer; and MajuNusa, soon to roll out a 3G backhaul network in Malaysia.

Royal Caribbean has signed two deals with O3b to getsatellite broadband services on board two of its cruise

ships, the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas.One unusual aspect of the system in comparison with

traditional VSAT services is that O3b satellites areequipped with steerable spot beams that are adjustablein space to track a ship.

This means that all of the power available in a beamcan be directed to a specific target, in this case the vessel,to deliver extremely high data rates. Real-time trackingof the ship continues throughout its voyage to maintainthe link.

O3b says that the system supports the handover of aship from one beam to another, but in general this is notneeded as it is envisioned as a regional service. Forexample, a cruise ship in the Caribbean can transit thewhole region and never have to change beams.

O3b says that a second group of four satellites will belaunched on September 30th, completing the first phasein the constellation and ahead of the launch of the com-pany's service in the fourth quarter of 2013. A third four-satellite launch is planned for 2014.

After the successful tests on the first four satellites of theconstellation, Jean-Loïc Galle, CEO of Thales Alenia Space,said: "We are very pleased to celebrate the in orbit accept-ance of the first four O3b satellites. With the upcomingfour additional satellites to be launched at the end ofSeptember, we wish great success to O3b Networks in thedevelopment of its business.”

O3b’s CTO Brian Holz said: "The handover was suc-cessfully completed ahead of schedule. Performance ofall four spacecraft has been outstanding with all linkparameters at or above specification. Thanks to the greatwork of the O3b and Thales teams, we can now look for-ward to our second launch with great confidence."

O3b will follow this initial launch with another at the end of September

KVH doubles mini-VSAT capacity in Asia-Pacific region SpeedCast buysPactel

Telenor and Harris CapRock renew 1° West agreementswww.telenorsat.com

www.harriscaprock.com

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) hasannounced the signing and renewal ofmultiple agreements with Harris CapRockfor the provision of satellite capacity serv-ices from its 1° West orbital location.

Norwegian company TSBc owns andoperates a fleet of satellites while US-based Harris CapRock provides commu-nications to remote and harsh environ-ments. It serves maritime clients in Europeusing TSBc’s THOR 10-02 satellite, whichis positioned at 1° West, and uplinks serv-

ices via its own teleport facilities located inAberdeen (Scotland).

“Over the past two years, TSBc hasbeen working closely with HarrisCapRock to deliver satellite capacity, forservices to some of its most important cus-tomers,” said Morten Tengs, vice presi-dent and CEO of TSBc.

“TSBc holds a strong European mar-itime position at 1° West for the delivery ofsatellite services to the main maritime andenergy satellite communication serviceproviders.”

“With our new satellite, THOR 7,expected to start commercial operation in

2014, we look forward to being able toextend our satellite capacity and relatedservices to Harris CapRock and continueto strengthen our growing partnership.”

Andy Lucas, global operating officer ofHarris CapRock, also commented that“some of our largest customers requireincreased bandwidth to support remotemonitoring, diagnostics and other informa-tion that have a direct impact on how shipsand vessels operate effectively at sea.”

“The satellite-capacity solutions offeredby TSBc allow for continued requirementsthat are intended for both our existing cus-tomers and new prospects.”

shipping industry,” added Mr Bruun.“KVH’s solutions provide outstanding

communications for the mariners who fre-quent these waters, with downloads asfast as 4 Mbps and uploads as fast as 1Mbps, as well as crystal clear Voice over IP(VoIP) telephone lines with optimisedservice and prioritisation of applications.”

“Expanding network capacity andoffering new services like IP-MobileCastwill help these mariners to improve on-board efficiency as well as crew morale.”

KVH says that its four-part strategy forthe mini-VSAT Broadband networkinvolves: deploying VCSM technology toincrease network capacity, upgradingTracPhone, creating a content deliveryservice, and building alliances with appli-cation providers to deliver a variety ofcontent via that service.

p1-20:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 14:28

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www.marlink.com

Simon Møkster Shipping has completeda ‘remote office’ project that has resultedin the company’s 23-strong fleet of off-shore supply and specialist vesselsbecoming fully connected to theMicrosoft Lync platform via its installedVSAT systems.

The Norwegian offshore vessel opera-tor is using Marlink’s customised VSATservice Sealink to roll-out Microsoft’s stan-dardised business collaboration and com-munication platform across its organisa-tion on land and at sea.

The company expects that the projectwill offer a number of operational benefits,in addition to creating substantial savingsin the cost of crew calling.

Using Lync via VSAT will enableSimon Møkster bridge and engine roomteams to access telephony, video confer-encing, instant messaging and data shar-ing capabilities.

Custom dynamic allocation of dedicat-ed bandwidth has also been agreed as partof the Sealink VSAT package for the com-pany to enhance reliability, particularlyfor bandwidth hungry applications.

“Standardised software enables signifi-cant IT efficiencies and through the use ofLync we can collaborate across our wholeorganisation to a greater degree thanbefore, making every one of our vesselsinto a remote office,” explains TerjeGjerde, ICT manager at Simon MøksterShipping.

“The file and document sharing, andcommunication aspects, have providedtangible improvements in ship opera-tions but in order for them to functionfully we need a secure and reliable com-munication network. Sealink providesthis with the added benefit that we canwork closely with Marlink people toensure availability and compatibilitywith our IT infrastructure.”

The Lync platform has been fully inte-

grated with Simon Møkster’s own corpo-rate telephone system, so calls from terres-trial and mobile networks, or from otherLync users, can be made to the vessels andreceived via Lync.

A specific VoIP solution has also beenimplemented for crew members from theFaroe Islands, which reduces their callingcosts by at least 50 per cent.

“With on-going antenna testing col-laboration aboard the Stril Myster, wealready have a strong working relation-ship which gives us insight on SimonMøkster’s, and other operators’ commu-nication needs,” said Tore Morten Olsen,head of Maritime Services at AstriumServices.

“Simon Møkster’s IT standardisationintroduces operational, management and crew welfare improvements.Marlink is well positioned to supportoperators wishing to explore the possi-bilities of this approach to vessel andfleet management.”

SMSGlobal has announced that 3,000 vessels are now equipped with itsCrewCommCenter system.

The Hong Kong company launched themaritime service 10 years ago as a simpletwo-way e-mail and SMS messaging sys-tem. CrewCommCenter has since evolvedinto a larger communications platform.

SMSGlobal says that 120,000 seafarersuse it, sending an average of 2.2 millionmessages a month. Besides e-mails andSMS, they can read News from home in 14 multilingual editions, consult theFleet Announcements Board, browse theinternet, and converse through low data

Instant Messaging.SMSGlobal says that its software-based

solution addresses the concerns of shipown-ers. Cost is predictable as there are fixedmonthly charges for each module and limitsare set for sending and receiving messages.

Security is protected through accessrestrictions, content control, and whitelist-ing or blacklisting of sites, and the systemcan be administered remotely to easemaintenance.

SMSGlobal says that CrewCommCenterwill soon feature Bring-Your-Own-Device(BYOD) environments, seafarer-focusedsocial networking portals, iOS or Androidapps, online gaming, VoIP, video chattingand personalised content.

www.telemar.sewww.nsslglobal.com

From the autumn, BBC World News bul-letins will be available on board commer-cial vessels via Telemar Scandinavia andNSSLGlobal, the three companies haveannounced.

BBC World News will be broadcast sev-eral times daily to all vessels that opt intothe service, providing crews with access toBBC’s coverage of international news, cur-rent affairs and sport.

Telemar and NSSLGlobal says that cus-tomers using their Ku- or C-band networkwill be able to watch the news bulletinswithout impacting on broadband speedsthrough the use of a Multicast service.

“We’re pleased to join together withTelemar and NSSLGlobal to offer BBCWorld News to over 800 vessels aroundthe world,” said Colin Lawrence, distribu-tion director, BBC World News.

“With journalists in more places thanany other global news broadcaster, we’reable to deliver the news that marinecrews need to remain connected to the

wider world.”Tomas Martinsson, general manager

at Telemar, notes: “The importance ofcrew retention for ship owners is crucial.Providing additional TV services willimprove morale for crew and also bedone without amassing an unexpectedairtime bill or imposing on a broadbandpackage.”

Sally-Anne Ray, managing director ofNSSLGlobal, added: “The new service willprovide a great deal of opportunities forthe future and NSSLGlobal and Telemarare pleased to be at the forefront, leadingthe way in satellite communications forour customers.”

BBC World News is already availableon 173 cruise ships.

Telemar is a provider of Inmarsat andother satellite airtime. Telemar ScandinaviaAB specialises in satellite communications,including broadband solutions.

Headquartered in the UK, NSSLGlobalprovides satcom and IT solutions. Its mar-itime customers include Teekay Shipping,BW Gas, and Shell Tankers, to which itprovides hardware and airtime.

CrewCommCenter on 3,000 vessels

CrewCommCenter includes various communications options, including a Facebook chat function

BBC World News for commercial vesselshttp://thenetwork.cisco.com

Cisco has announced that DiamlemosShipping has decided to implement theCisco-based SmartBox-V system for itsvessels’ communications.

SmartBox-V is a bundle of software andservices from Setel running on a Ciscoserver which is hosted within a Ciscomodular 2900 series router. The boxenables WAN/LAN/VLAN architectureon demand.

At the same time, the Cisco IntegratedService Router (ISR) offers bandwidthmanagement, firewall, VPN, proxy andmail server, an internet gateway andtelephony – all on a single platform.

This is meant to simplify on-vesselcommunications equipment, optimisecommunications themselves, and offer aset of crew welfare applications.

Cisco says that the system will help toconsolidate Diamlemos’ IT infrastructureas its Unified Communications Managerwill interconnect offices in Piraeus,London, Arizona and Monaco. Then theSmartBox-V, as the Cisco Cloud

Connector, will be hosted on a 2900 ISRwith the Cisco Unified Computing System(Cisco UCS) E-Series blade server.

Cisco says that the VoIP capabilities of thesystem in this regard will “practically elimi-nate vessel-to-office communication costs.”

“Cisco Cloud Connector helped usincrease productivity both at sea andashore through comprehensive unifiedcommunications, mobility, flexibility,redundancy and high availability,” saidcaptain George Balabanos, managingdirector of Diamlemos Shipping.

“High performance is very importantin our business, because a short delay inmaking a trade can lead to the loss of hun-dreds of thousands of euros.”

Antonis Tsiboukis, Greece, Cyprus andMalta general manager at Cisco, said:“Cisco in collaboration with Setel Hellasimplemented the SmartBox-V CloudConnector with features especially for theshipping market.”

“We will continue working hard towardsthis target: to help organisations in theshipping industry operate more efficientlythrough innovative Cisco technologies.”

Diamlemos implements SmartBox

Remote office a reality for Simon Møkster vessels

www.globecommsystems.com

Satcom provider Globecomm Systems hasannounced that Carrier-to-Carrier andMach 6, two Dutch communication servic-es companies, have merged to formGlobecomm Europe.

Based in the Netherlands, GlobecommEurope is a fully owned subsidiary ofGlobecomm Systems, a publicly traded US company.

Globecomm Europe provides satellite,terrestrial and wireless based communica-tion solutions to customers who includegovernmental organisations, enterprises,and the maritime industry.

“These teams bring their own demon-strated success in the industry to ournewly formed Globecomm Europe,” saysAndy Silberstein, senior vice presidentand general manager of Globecomm.

Dutch merger givesbirth to Globecomm

Europe

p1-20:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 14:28

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p1-20:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 14:28

SATCOMS


Thuraya delivers MBB in Asia www.thuraya.com

Thuraya reports that it has completed thedelivery of its Maritime Broadband (MBB)solution to an offshore company in SouthEast Asia.

The system was installed on a vesselwith an existing VSAT connection, which

had been rendered unstable by unsettledweather in the Gulf of Thailand.

The Dubai-based satcom provider wascontacted by its service partner DevorTechnologies, concerning a company inSouth East Asia that operates more than 100offshore vessels. The unnamed operatorneeded an alternative to its Ku-band VSATto continue providing internet connectionto an anchor handling tug supply vessel.

“The VSAT on board was affected byunpredictable weather in the Gulf ofThailand,” explained Kenny Koh, busi-ness development manager for DevorTechnologies.

“The operator was obligated by theircharter to provide high-speed internet con-nection and even though the speed wasacceptable, the connection was not stableenough to connect to the shore.”

Devor Technologies suggested ThurayaMaritime Broadband (MBB), which pro-vides L-band coverage over Asia, theMiddle East and Europe and offers standardIP throughput at speeds of up to 444 kbps.

Devor arranged for priority shipping tothe customer, and the MBB equipment –comprising the Thuraya IP terminal andSpacecom antenna – reached the vesselwithin a day, with Devor and Thurayaworking on its immediate installation.

Thuraya says that the customer hasreported 85-95 per cent signal strength withMBB and that the vessel hasn’t encounteredany service disruption to date. It adds thatthe crew expressed satisfaction with theuplink and downlink speeds as well.

A senior representative from the mar-itime operator is quoted as saying: “Wewere also impressed by the low hardwarecost, and Devor gave us the chance to testthe system on board our vessel beforemaking the outright purchase."

"That clearly showed the confidenceDevor has in the product's performanceand within a few days of usage, we wereconvinced that the Thuraya solution

could deliver.”Thuraya says that the customer has

placed an order for a second terminal tosupport its business operations.

Kenny Koh, of Devor Technologies,said that other potential clients in the off-shore maritime sector have also expressedinterest in the Thuraya MBB solution.

“There was once a perception thatThuraya products were not designed forthe maritime sector but solutions such asThuraya MBB have proven to be suitablefor a variety of other vessel types,” he said.

“What owners want is a product that iseasy to install and configure, while givingthem reliable throughput speeds. TheThuraya IP terminal is truly plug-and-playand Thuraya’s congestion-free networkensures that we can always be confidentthat our clients will receive what they haveinvested in.”

In other news, Thuraya has alsolaunched a new adaptor to use the iPhone5 with its SatSleeve system, which is nowavailable from all its service partners.

The company says that users can havefull walk-and-talk capability in satellitemode once they slide their iPhone 5 intothe SatSleeve.

An application, available in 12 languages,allows them to integrate their iPhone con-tacts when making satellite calls and SMS.

The SatSleeve works in satellite modeacross the coverage area of the Thurayasatellite network.

A SatSleeve for the iPhone 5 is now available

www.fcc.gov

Further details on the US FederalCommunications Commission (FCC)investigation into allegations of anticom-petitive behaviour in the satellite industryhave been released in a Federal RegisterNotice, outlining some of the specific areasthe Commission is examining.

The FCC is seeking comment onwhether and to what extent incumbentsatellite operators are inhibiting competi-tion in the market for satellite services,particularly in the fixed-satellite services(FSS) arena.

Specifically, the Commission seekscomment on whether FSS operators arewarehousing satellite orbital locations andfrequency assignments, and preventingcompetitors from purchasing capacity onincumbent-owned satellites.

Comments to the FCC are due on orbefore August 19, 2013, and reply commentsare due on or before September 17, 2013.

This Notice of Inquiry results from com-ments submitted in response to twoCongressionally mandated reports, theOrbit Act Report and the SatelliteCompetition Report, which raised two mainallegations of anticompetitive behaviour.

The first of these allegations was thatIntelsat and other dominant satellite oper-ators are warehousing scarce orbitalresources, i.e., hoarding satellite orbitallocations and frequency assignments byfailing to replace aging satellites on a time-ly basis or otherwise failing to providetransponder capacity that reflects currenttechnology.

In this regard the FCC is asking, forexample, whether it should adopt a rulethat declares unused spectrum availablefor reassignment as soon as service is ter-minated, unless an operator can demon-strate that it terminated service because ofan unforeseen catastrophic circumstance.

Alternatively, the Commission askswhether permitting some gap in servicewould strike a better balance between pro-viding an operator flexibility in managingits fleet while still safeguarding againstwarehousing.

The FCC is also seeking comment onwhether lengthy extensions on licences forsatellites nearing the end of their projectedlifespan allow inefficient or partially-func-tioning satellites to block customer accessto newer, state-of-the art satellites.

Additionally, the Commission wishesto elicit comment on whether satellites thatare not operating at full capacity create aconcern that the operator is warehousingspectrum, and asks whether it should pro-

pose a rule that automatically terminates aspace station licence if the percentage ofunused capacity exceeds a certain amount.

Even if the authorisation for an under-utilised satellite is not cancelled, theCommission asks whether, at a minimum,the unused spectrum should be madeavailable for reassignment.

The second major allegation includedin the Notice relates to Intelsat’s status asa vertically integrated company, whichallows it to provide its customers bothspace and ground communications serv-ices. The allegation is that this statusallows the company to discriminateagainst other competitors.

The Notice states that, as a verticallyintegrated company, Intelsat not onlyprovides satellite services to integrators(resellers) who need satellite bandwidthto fashion their own customer-specificservice offerings, but Intelsat also com-petes against integrators because Intelsatis now able to offer its own customer-spe-cific services.

Consequently, some integrators allegethat this dual role has resulted in thembeing vertically foreclosed or barred by Intelsat from securing satellite band-width capacity.

While Intelsat is the only operatorexplicitly mentioned in this allegation, thesame competition logic could be applied toan operator like Inmarsat, which also oper-ates both a satellite network and a directsales channel – so comments on theseissues will be viewed with interest acrossthe maritime satcom sector.

The FCC says that it is specifically look-ing for more details on the nature and scopeof the alleged foreclosure in question, ask-ing that commenters detail the time period,the geographic routes involved, the amountand type of bandwidth capacity (Ku-band,C-band, etc.) involved, and the size of thedisputed business.

Among the further informationrequested by the FCC is data on whetherIntelsat vertical integration was facilitatedby horizontal collusion among satelliteoperators, or whether the vertical integra-tion has enhanced or deterred coordinatedinteractions among potential bidders.

Intelsat has already commented that itis confident that the investigation will findno wrongdoing, having said, when theinvestigation first went public in June, thatit believes that “there is no shortage of evi-dence supporting our view that the satel-lite industry is fully competitive.”

Interested parties can find details onhow to submit their comments on the FCC website.

FCC details satellite inquiry issues

The MBB unit will be used as an alternative to the onboard VSAT system

Digital Ship conferences and exhibitionsgo to www.thedigitalship.com for more details

p1-20:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 14:28

p1-20:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 14:29

SATCOMS


Lord Nelson and Tenacious stay connected www.globecommsystems.com

www.jst.org.uk

Globecomm Maritime has partnered withIridium to install OpenPort terminals ontwo tall ships taking part in challenges forBritish charity Jubilee Sailing Trust.

STS Lord Nelson and STS Tenacioushave both been designed to allow disabledand able-bodied people to sail side byside. The former is sailing around theworld while the latter is heading to theBaltic Sea to run in the international TallShip Race series this summer.

Since Lord Nelson’s voyage includesAntarctica, Iridium was chosen as it is the only satellite constellation that coversthe poles.

Trevor Whitworth, GlobecommMaritime vice-president of sales, AsiaPacific, said: “Staying in touch is a vitalpart of living and working at sea and wewanted to assist in making sure the crewand volunteers could get online andupdate friends and family with the experi-ence of life on board.”

In addition to the Iridium Pilot anten-nas and below decks units, GlobecommMaritime says that it has supplied twocrew phones and a master’s phone alongwith a Wi-Fi access point.

The 55-metre square rigger LordNelson is taking part in the Sail the WorldChallenge, a 50,000-mile journey designedto promote equality and inclusion in every

port of call. Would-be sailors aged 16 andover can take part with no previous expe-rience required.

A ‘buddy’ system on board pairs able-bodied and disabled crew to offer mutualhelp and support during the passage.

Lord Nelson’s Captain, BarbaraCampbell, said: “It is vital that we havereliable communications, not only forsafety and operational purposes but also so that our voyage crew can sharetheir life-changing experiences with the

outside world.”“Both Lord Nelson and Tenacious can

maintain ship-to-shore voice and datacommunication even in the most remoteoceans with the Iridium system’s pole topole coverage.”

Also installed on board is these@COMM communication suite, whichcan be used to configure and controlaccess to the communications system,and Globecomm’s Nimbus networksecurity device.

www.pro-nautas.com

German maritime technology providerPro Nautas reports that it has significantlyexpanded its customer base in Germanyand the Netherlands, having agreed con-tracts to supply 112 vessels in the last 12months.

The new deals cover 18 differentshipowners across the region, for a rangeof vessels including container ships from800 to 8,000 TEU, multipurpose vessels,tugs, bulkers and ro-ro's.

Implemented projects include installa-tions of VSAT, FleetBroadband and otherInmarsat existing & evolved services suchas Fleet 77/55/33, as well as connectivitysystems integrating LAN / wireless LANnetworks with the maritime communica-tion platform.

Pro Nautas has also provided operatorand administrator training to a number ofthese customers, both for onboard systemusers and IT personnel within the ship-ping companies.

The company says that this growth hasbeen influenced by its introduction of aTotal Solution package, combining ship-to-shore connectivity with airtime provision,accounting authority services, radio regis-tration, and service and maintenance for thecommunication and navigation equipment.

Capt Barbara Campbell will use the Iridium Pilot system to stay connected while at sea

Pro Nautas expandsin Germany and the

Netherlands

www.otesat-maritel.com

Greek company Otesat-Maritel hasannounced that it has won new contractswith two shipping companies, Chandrisand EPIC Shipping, to provide their ves-sels with FleetBroadband services.

Headquartered in Singapore, withadditional offices in Athens and Manila,EPIC Shipping owns and operates a fleetof 22 gas carriers.

Besides FB services, it has signed up forOtesat-Maritel’s s@tGate solution to pro-vide crew pre-paid internet access andweb e-mail services, as well as post-paidB2B services.

“Offering the capabilities ofFleetBroadband satellite services and solu-tions, we ensure the simple, high-speedand cost-effective daily communication ofthe vessels with their companies and thecrew with their loved ones,” said GeorgePolychronopoulos, CEO of Otesat-Maritel.

Glen D’costa, managing director atEPIC, also commented: “FleetBroadband

is an optimal solution as it provides thecapacity and reliability we needed, whileenabling us to keep close control of ourcosts.”

“Crew welfare is also important for ourcompany. With this solution we havegiven the capability to our people onboard to communicate better with theirfamily and friends at home.”

Otesat-Maritel has also been chosen byGreek ship management companyChandris to provide FleetBroadband andvalue-added services.

Otesat-Maritel says that the contract,covering business communications andcrew welfare, extends an already success-ful co-operation with Chandris, whichspecialises in the management and opera-tions of tankers and bulk carriers.

“Our long co-operation with Chandrisis a result of Otesat-Maritel’s strategy toprovide top quality, reliable and integrat-ed satellite communications solutions tothe maritime industry,” said MrPolychronopoulos.

FleetBroadband growth for Otesat

Keep your finger on the pulsewith our weekly e-mail newsletter

and our online network for maritime IT professionals

www.thedigitalship.com

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SATCOMS


www.doverport.co.uk

The Port of Dover has gone live with anew free Wi-Fi service at its EasternDocks.

Aimed at ferry passengers, Europe’sbusiest international ferry port says it has already seen almost 4,000 Wi-Fiaccounts created.

“This is a clear and tangible example of how the Port is working hard toimprove the experience of its customersand to provide the quality of service andlevel of facilities that everyone using amajor international gateway in the 21stcentury, such as the Port of Dover, shouldexpect,” said Tim Waggott, chief execu-

tive, Port of Dover.”The Port says it is planning to follow

up with all new Port of Dover Wi-Fi customers to see how well the free serviceis working for them and to find out what further improvements can be made to make the customer experienceeven better.

“This is the first phase of an excitingproject to bring free Wi-Fi to every part ofthe Port,” said Mr Waggott.

“We are working to bring this impor-tant service to our cruise terminals and toour marina later this year, which will ben-efit even more of our customers as wecontinue to drive towards becoming thebest port in the world.”

http://imtech.comwww.furuno.com

Imtech Marine and Furuno signed a three-year extension of most of their exclusivecontracts to mark the 50th anniversary oftheir strategic partnership.

Both companies also agreed to exploreways of extending their cooperation tonew opportunities worldwide.

Over the years, thousands of vessels haveused Furuno equipment that has been sold,maintained and serviced by Imtech Marine.

Imtech Marine, headquartered inRotterdam, exclusively represents Furunoin the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal,South Africa, Egypt, United ArabicEmirates (UAE), Curaçao, Trinidad &Tobago, Hong Kong and in a number ofallocated shipyards in China. Most agree-ments have now been extended until 2017.

Imtech Marine already services parts ofWest and East Africa for Japan-basedFuruno, further cooperation is beingexplored in Africa.

Imtech Marine offers a range of

Free Wi-Fi at Dover Port

Imtech Marine and Furuno extend exclusive contracts

4,000 Wi-Fi accounts have been activated at the Port. Photo: Clem Rutter

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Eric van den Adel, managing directorof Imtech Marine, said: “Furuno is a vitalpart of our portfolio. We not only sell,install and commission the equipment, wealso consult and advise and we service theequipment around the globe.”

Muneyuki Koike, managing director ofFuruno Electric Co., said: “Our products

and solutions together with a powerfulsales force and a fully capable serviceteam of Imtech Marine have been work-ing in tandem on a number of projectsworldwide, and we have succeeded inachieving customer satisfaction from theindustry together.

“Looking back at what we have con-tributed to the industry, it is our naturalselection of the course that the amicableworking relations between the two com-panies should continue and be furtherextended in the future.”

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SATCOMS


Polar VSAT – the next step in Arctic broadband

Shipping routes through the Arctic have always offered the promise of drastically reduced journey times between continents – if the voyagers are willing to brave the often treacherous conditions in this remote part of the world. New plans

are underway to try and make these journeys a little easier, through the launch of a dedicated Polar VSAT service

AA s the polar ice melts, shippingthrough the Arctic is becomingboth more frequent and more

attractive, but its development depends onreliable communications.

At present, only Iridium’s low Earthorbit satellite constellation currently coversthe poles. However, Telenor also has plansto introduce Arctic broadband, and theNorwegian company believes it has foundan effective technical solution – two highlyelliptical orbit satellites. The issues it nowfaces are time and money.

The Norwegian Marine TechnologyResearch Institute (Marintek) has carriedout studies on behalf of Telenor whichhave examined the potential benefits andchallenges associated with Arctic satcoms.

“Arctic has some special challengeswith regard to communications,” notesBeate Kvamstad, researcher at Marintek.

“The most normal maritime communi-cations systems being used in other placeson the Earth are based on satellites orbitingthe Earth around the Equator. However,using such satellites has its limitations upin the North because you can’t read the sig-nal,” she explained during a presentationat Nor-Shipping.

The theoretical limit of coverage for geo-stationary satellites (used by Inmarsat orVSAT systems) is 81.3° north, but instabilityand signal dropouts can occur at latitudes aslow as 70° north under certain conditions.

“Moving up north, especially furthernorth than 75°, communication is a hugeissue because you’re not able to exchangeinformation, you’re not able to downloadthe chart updates, you’re not able to down-load ice maps and so on,” Mrs Kvamstadtold Digital Ship.

“The Iridium system is designed in a waysuch that the signals from an end user might‘jump’ from satellite to satellite until it reach-es either the correct receiver or an earth sta-tion. This way of transmitting signals intro-duces a latency which is acceptable for manyapplications, but not acceptable for othermore time critical applications.”

The Marintek scientist also predictedthat the bandwidth available via the 134kbps Iridium system would not be suffi-cient “as users’ demand for digital com-munications in the High North increases.”

Iridium is in the process of modernisingits system however, with plans alreadyunderway to start launching a new con-stellation called Iridium NEXT in 2015. TheUS-based company says that it will recre-ate the existing Iridium constellation archi-tecture of 66 cross-linked LEO satellitescovering 100 per cent of the globe, butdelivering higher data speeds than are cur-rently possible with OpenPort.

“This will increase somewhat thecapacity,” commented Mrs Kvamstad.

“However, this will not meet the users’needs in the future.”

“We need new solutions in order tomeet future demands.”

HEOSince 80 per cent of today’s ship traffic inthe Arctic takes place in Norwegianwaters, Telenor and the Norwegian SpaceCentre have initiated a new project wherethey want to look into the Norwegian pos-sibilities for launching a new system.

The partners have proposed a new proj-ect based on two high elliptic satelliteswhich will provide continuous communi-cation in polar areas.

The satellites in Highly Elliptical Orbit(HEO) follow a course that has the shape ofa rugby ball. The Earth, inside that rugbyball, is close to one tip of the ellipse and farfrom the other one (see picture below).

The closer a satellite is to the Earth, thequicker it moves. So if it is high up over theNorth Pole, it will stay there for a relative-ly extended period, movingslowly, before moving quicklyaround the Earth and the SouthPole and resuming its positionover the North Pole.

To have continuous Articcoverage, two such satellites arerequired as one of them needs tobe over the North Pole while theother one is doing its quick rev-olution around Earth via theSouth Pole.

Mrs Kvamstad said that herstudies have suggested thatHEO satellites provide the bestsolution for Arctic coverage.

“However, this is not avail-able today for commercial usenor for communications,” shenotes, explaining that the HEOsatellites that already exist aremilitary or weather observationsatellites.

Canada is also contemplatinga similar initiative – its PCW(Polar Communication andWeather) mission is looking atintroducing two HEO satellitesto provide high data rate com-munications and monitor Arcticweather and climate change.

“It will probably be focusingon the Canadian borders,” MrsKvamstad said. She added thatanother HEO system was alsobeing discussed in Russia – “butwe’re not very sure how far they’ve gone into theplanning.”

The Norwegian project oftwo HEO satellites would costbetween 2 and 3 billion kroner

(between US$335 and $505 million), sheestimated. She added that Telenor mostlikely doesn’t have a big enough market tofund this on its own.

“So it should probably be a joined effortbetween governmental institutions, Telenorand perhaps other industry actors who’lldepend on the new system,” she said.

Hege Lunde, business developmentdirector at Telenor, confirmed that this is theapproach that her company is also taking.

“We have initiated a project togetherwith the Norwegian Space Agency to lookat the user requirements for broadband inthe Arctic and also to look at what sort ofsystem would work, define the systemrequirements,” she told Digital Ship.

“We are looking at two satellites inhighly elliptical orbit to cover that region.We haven’t found any other solution thatwe think would work.”

Asked about the advantages and draw-backs of the HEO system, she explained:“The pros are that you can get proper polar

coverage, very similar to what you can getfurther south with the geostationary satel-lites. But you need two satellites instead ofone to have 24 hour coverage.”

“The drawback is that it’s a very highcost investment to get started, and that’swhy we think we need a sort of private-public partnership or some sort of govern-ment financing to do this.”

Mrs Lunde also confirmed that the esti-mated cost of two to three billionNorwegian kroner is in the same range asTelenor’s own calculations.

“That we will verify probably in the fallwhen we go up to the industry and ask fora request for information to verify the fig-ures. But it’s in that magnitude if you lookat a pure broadband system,” she said.

Business caseOne key aspect of the project fromTelenor’s point of view is that it wants todesign a system that wouldn’t require shipowners to change antennas.

“The goal is to beable to roam betweengeostationary sys-tems and this sys-tem,” said MrsLunde.

This view is rein-forced by AstriumServices, and in par-ticular its Norwegianbased Marlink busi-ness unit, which isalso examiningoptions to participatein the project.

“Anything thathas a stabilisedantenna could inprinciple use the newsystem. It should nottake a lot of changesto the technology,”said Tore MortenOlsen, CEO AstriumServices.

Astrium alreadyprovides satellite cov-erage using systemsin the various fre-quency bands cur-rently available (C-,Ku-, L-band, andsoon Ka-band) andsays it is followingthe Arctic coverageplan closely.

“The philosophyis that this would bejust another networkwhere the maritimeclients could roam onto,” said Mr Olsen.

The HEO satellites will follow an elliptical orbit to maximise coverage. Photo: Norwegian Space Centre

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SATCOMS


“That is where the interest from ourside really lies, in being able to provideseamless services not only in the geosta-tionary coverage locations but also forthose who are using the north-eastern andnorth-western passages.”

“For shipping, that is kind of key thatthey don’t need any additional equip-ment. In principle you can say that the sta-bilised antenna systems provided by com-panies like Cobham and Intellian shouldbe able to operate on the HEO satelliteswithout modifications.”

Mr Olsen also said that he believed thata public-private partnership was necessaryto make such a project a reality. The north-ern routes are open during the summermonths, when the ice has melted, but the satellites’ costs will be there for thewhole year.

“It’s that business model that makes it abit challenging in terms of justifying this inpurely commercial terms,” said theAstrium Services CEO.

“There will naturally have to be morestudies done on the cost of the service andthe price per megabit or whatever modelwe want to put in place, because of the sig-nificantly higher cost of this coverage com-pared to the others.”

“But we also know that the shipownersare saving a lot of time by taking this route,versus going through the Mediterranean,through the Suez Canal and around India.They could go from Europe to Asia in twoweeks rather than in four to six weeks. Sothere should also be significant savings forthe shipowners by taking up this route.”

Telenor says that, under current plans,it is contemplating launching the HEOsatellites within six years.

“The early stage would probably be2018-19,” said Mrs Lunde, noting thatoperations would be expected to startshortly after the launch.

Asked whether she was confident thatthe project would be carried out, shereplied: “Personally I believe it will hap-pen. It has to do with financing.”

She said that sources of funding couldinclude the Norwegian military, oil companies – once exploration starts in the Arctic – and government institutionsinvolved in search and rescue or scientificresearch.

Arctic trafficThe potential customer base is rapidlyexpanding, as traffic has been increasingsharply in the Arctic in recent years.

In the summer of 2012, 46 ships used theNorthern Sea Route. By 2050, three of thefour major Arctic shipping routes will befully accessible from July to September toType A vessels, which have limited ice-breaking capabilities, according toresearchers from UCLA (University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles).

In this context, the CEO of AstriumServices is confident that there will bebroadband in the Arctic region.

“I believe it will happen. The question ismore: when?” Mr Oslen said.

“There will be something. Whether it isthis system by Telenor and whatever PPPalliance one is able to find, or whether it issomething else that will come up. But therewill be broadband in the future in theArctic, clearly.”

The Norwegian ShipownersAssociation (NSA) supports this view, con-sidering that it is “extremely important

from a maritime safety perspective” forNorway “to secure a leading position indata, telephone and satellite communica-tions for the High North.”

NSA notes that the volume of goodstransported along the Northern SeaRoute (also called the Northeast Passage)is expected to increase from 3.1 milliontonnes in 2011 to 50 million tonnes in 2020.

This expansion will be boosted by thefact that, while the Northern Sea Route,which hugs the coast of Russia, is the mosttrafficked shipping lane in the Arctic, it isonly one of many possible routes acrossthe High North.

There is also the Northwest Passage,which runs along the coast of NorthAmerica (conditions are more difficult),and the Arctic Bridge, which linksChurchill (Canada) to Murmansk (Russia),and is already reliably open during sum-mer months.

UCLA researchers have also said that a“North Pole Route”, stretching fromRotterdam (Netherlands) to the BeringStrait, would be seasonably accessible toType A vessels by mid-century.

“If you can imagine taking a boat fromEurope directly to Alaska, that would bepossible according to our results for theNorth Pole Route,” said Laurence Smith, aprofessor of geography at UCLA.

Based on climate forecasts for the years2040 to 2059, he also said that the ice sheetwould thin to the point that polar ice-breakers will be able to navigate betweenthe Pacific and Atlantic oceans by makinga straight shot over the North Pole.

“Nobody's ever talked about shippingover the top of the North Pole,” he noted. “This is an entirely unexpectedpossibility.”

However unexpected, shipping linesare already calculating the time – andmoney – they could save by using one ofthese routes.

Norwegian shipping company Tschudiconsiders that “the potential savings aretoo high to be ignored”, with its calcula-tions showing that the Rotterdam toShanghai route is 30 per cent shorter viathe Northern Sea Route than through theSuez Canal, and Kirkenes to Yokohama is56 per cent shorter.

The Norwegian Shipowners’Association notes that “for Yokohama toHamburg, a saving of 40 per cent in dis-tance and around 20 per cent in bunkerscan be obtained by navigating theNortheast Passage compared with sailingthrough the Suez Canal.”

“Experience shows that, fromMurmansk, the Northeast Passage offerssavings over the Suez Canal of 13 days toJapan, 11 days to South Korea and 8 daysto China. The distance between Kirkenes inthe far Northeast of Norway to Qingdao inChina is 6,650 nautical miles via theNortheast Passage, 12,405 nm via Suez and15,842 nm via the Cape of Good Hope.”

Previous successCertainly, the appetite for Arctic shippingis set to continue to grow as more andmore companies successfully completevoyages through these routes and provethe viability of the concept from both atechnical and an operational perspective.

In 2009, Beluga Shipping was the first

Western company to have commercial ves-sels transit the Northeast Passage withoutthe need for icebreakers. It said that it cut4,000 nautical miles off the journey fromSouth Korea to Rotterdam compared withtransit via the Suez Canal.

The two Beluga heavy lift project carri-ers involved in the journey used theIridium OpenPort system, supplied byH2OSatellite, for voice and data linksthroughout their transit of the extremeNorthern waterways.

“By the completion of the NortheastPassage transit, and previously the safeoffloading of the cargo in a rather remotearea in Siberia, we have opened the gateto a seaway which will further gain inimportance in the future,” said NielsStolberg, then president and CEO ofBeluga Shipping, at the end of this land-mark journey.

For the Beluga voyage, planning hadstarted 12 months before, involving con-sultations with meteorologists, safety andsecurity experts, and Beluga’s satcomprovider H2OSatellite.

“We knew that Iridium OpenPort wasthe only choice for full coverage in thoseextreme regions where other systems arepatchy or non-existent,” RobertKenworthy, managing director ofH2OSatellite, said at the time.

“The system allowed Beluga Shippingto stay in constant touch with its vessels,which is essential for safety and security inan area with drifting ice fields, ridges andfreezing temperatures.”

In a few years, however, shipping linesthat want to take advantage of theNorthern routes may have their choicesexpanded to include both the Iridium sys-tem and the HEO satellites.

“Travelling the Northeast Passage is anambitious and worthwhile project since itoffers great advantages for saving time,bunker and thereby money, but also reduc-ing environmentally harmful emissionswhich have to be decreased in the mar-itime sector,” said Mr Stolberg, of Beluga,in 2009.

“The possibility of a direct seaway con-necting the prosperous European and Asianmarkets offers unmatched opportunities forboth strong cargo trade and efficient seatraffic, and Beluga Shipping was deter-mined to make the possibility a reality.”

Mr Stolberg’s views on the potential ofthis sea route have been backed by otherssince, as an increasing number of shipssoon followed the Arctic trail.

Four vessels sailed through theNorthern Sea Route (or Northeast Passage)in 2010, which has grown to 34 vessels in2011 and 46 last year. The trend is unlikelyto reverse.

“The Arctic is now warmer than it hasbeen at any time during the last 2,000years,” according to researchers from theArctic Institute.

“Summer ice extent has declined by 40per cent since satellite observation began in1979. Over the same period, Arctic sea icehas thinned considerably, experiencing adecline in average volume of 70 per cent.”

“Within the next decade this warmingtrend may transform the region from aninaccessible frozen desert into a seasonallynavigable ocean and the Arctic Ocean maybe ice-free for short periods as early as 2015.” DS

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GLOBAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

LTD

Bridging the distance with friends and loved ones has always been a serious concern for anyone working at sea. This is especially true in this age with quicker port turnaround times – more often less than a day – and longer stretches out at sea – sometimes 30 days straight.

Cost affordability of personal communications has always been and still is a big challenge. Seafarers typically spend at least USD 100 per month on personal communications, which for some is already a tidy sum.

Privacy and confidentiality of personal communications is also an ongoing concern for seafarers. Nobody needs the aggravation of having his personal and family matters be the talk of all his colleagues on board the vessel.

The significance of crew retention as a key factor in bottomline results has been growing rapidly the last decade, so much so that crew welfare is now a key focus on any shipping operations mindset. Personal communications by the crew with their loved ones and friends back home is widely acknowledged as the most crucial of all crew welfare initiatives.

While most shipowners have already acceded to providing crew access to personal communications such as E-mail and SMS messaging, many are still concerned with the challenges providing crew Internet access; cost and usage controls, ship operations security and IT compromises, support, maintenance or administrative hassles and costly initial investments or capital outlays.

Three thousand vessels under operation is a solid testament to CrewCommCenter as the crew communications solution of choice.

The whole team with SMSGlobal is proud to reach this milestone and we are excited for the developments ahead.

Much has evolved from the simple 2-way E-mail and SMS messaging system when we started 10 years ago to a full-blown Internet Café facility that it is today; with Fleet Announcements Board, World-News in 14 multilingual editions, Online Instant Messaging with all major networks such as MSN, Yahoo, Facebook, Google and AIM and secured Web Browsing.

While CrewCommCenter is well-equipped to address today's demands, it is as well a dynamic technology that is highly leveraged to meet the growing demands of the continuously evolving “connected” world:

Web-based, client-free interfaces, Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) environments, seafarer-focused social networking portals, native iOS or Android apps, Online Gaming, VOIP, Video Chatting and Personalized Content are just some of the modules that seafarers will soon be enjoying.

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.......................................................................................To download the CrewCommCenter details:http://www.smsglobal.net/filedownloads/CrewCommCenter_presentation.pdf

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..................................................................................SMSGlobal was founded in 2003 when the company introduced the first universal 2-way SMS text messaging and crew E-mail service for seafarers.

SMSGlobal has established offices in Hong Kong & Philippines and works hand in hand with over 800 telecom operators world-wide integrating various state-of-the-art technologies.

CrewCommCenter is offered by some of the biggest maritime industry service providers: Inmarsat Direct Sales, J-Sat Mobile, Beijing Marine and SeaSecure.

For more information: [email protected]

SMSGlobal's success has been anchored on merging these divergent concerns by both the seafarer and the shipowner.

CrewCommCenter provides the seafarer convenient, affordable, private communications with their loved ones and friends, enabling them to send and receive E-mails and SMS, read News from home, read ship manager Announcements, converse through low data Instant Messaging, and Browse the World Wide Web.

While the crew enjoys all these features, CrewCommCenter also strongly addresses the shipowners concerns: limits are set for sending and receiving messages, thus usage is controlled; fixed monthly charges for each module, thus cost is predictable; access restrictions, content control, whitelisting or blacklisting thus security is guaranteed; simple, industry standard protocols and interfaces for system management and remote configurations thus ease of maintenance and administration is guaranteed; and finally; CrewCommCenter is a software-based solution thus no need for costly capital outlays for additional hardware.

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SATCOMS


Full speed ahead or steady as she goes?Excitement has been growing in the maritime market over the potential benefits that the next generation of high

throughput satellites (HTS), set to be launched in the coming years, will offer – but for most shipping companies thesenew services won’t be a viable replacement for current offerings for a long time yet, writes Geoff Davison, Thuraya

TT he launch of HTS services over thecoming decade promises to pro-vide something like communica-

tions nirvana for the maritime industry.The potential increases in bandwidth

capability and available airtime suggestthat where once the maritime industrylaboured to do a fraction of what we takefor granted on land, it would finallyachieve some kind of parity.

In some cases this may be true but it isfar from the whole picture. A comprehen-sive understanding of the maritime sat-coms landscape needs to recognise not justthe changing dynamics of demand andsupply but a clear understanding of cus-tomer behaviour and needs.

Do just that and it becomes immediate-ly clear that the for the majority of ownersand operators, legacy L-band systems willcontinue to command the lion’s share ofvoice and data traffic over coming years.

That may seem counter-intuitive giventhe lower per megabyte costs and packagedeals to be had by upgrading but the fact remains, shipping is only now comingto the end of a seven year down cycle, with some analysts suggesting that anyone imagining a return to uniform pre-2008 business conditions is likely to be disappointed.

Ask the average shipowner how muchhe pays per megabyte and the chances arehe does not know. Ask the same shipown-er how much his communications bill isevery month and he will be able to tell youquite easily.

Look ahead even to the medium termand the drivers to satcoms adoption arelikely to remain focussed on a servicepackage that delivers on price, quality ofsignal, robustness and ease of use andinstallation.

HTS launches – by Inmarsat, Intelsatand O3B for example – make great news;they capture the imagination and givehope to those users who want to see theirships as an extension of the office ratherthan a remote branch where no-oneanswers the phone.

But the fact remains that HTS, excitingthough it is, will be expensive to use andfar more complex in day to day operationthan legacy maritime services.

The demand is certainly there and oneonly need read the pages of Digital Ship tosee that owners of tanker fleets and otherspecialised tonnage are moving ever closerto full VSAT as a prelude to HTS serviceswhen they come on stream.

Even so questions remain. Do themajority of shipowners need a bandwidthpipe that big? Are they prepared for thehigher Capex on ground equipment andmaintenance? Will these services work aswell as L-band in the mobility market?

Even their providers also accept thatthese services are likely to be attractive tocomparatively few high-end users, making

their penetration small as a percentage ofthe addressable market. That’s despite theusers already having in some cases con-tributed to the cost of their development.

But anyone who has spent time in themaritime industry knows that the leadingedge is not always representative of themajority. Shipping’s middle ground is aplace of fragmented ownership and smallto medium sized companies which exist infar lower profile niches than the big fleetsand publicly-listed companies.

Adoption driversThe drivers to adoption of VSAT and high-er bandwidth services also need to beexamined in more detail. As has beennoted by recent research, many VSAT ven-dors are making sales based on theunprecedented demand for crew welfarecommunications.

This is in part because they struggle tomake the case at boardroom level forVSAT or high bandwidth services for busi-ness communications and also because thepromise of a fat pipe that can keep thecrew happy for a fixed monthly fee isalmost too good to be true.

In some cases it is just that. Any com-munications package comes with limits,regardless of what the sales brochures sayand providers will build into contractsclauses covering best effort, committedinformation rates, throttling back and nor-mally some figure covering maximum MBconsumption. Crew use of social mediawill test all those parameters.

Service partners with a solid package ofValue Added Services are best placed tosucceed because even with ‘unlimited’packages, the best use still has to be made

of the bandwidth and user experience.This suggests that the sale of VSAT

services for crew use is distorting thedemand figure. Crew usage may be taking

up the majority of VSAT airtime but thechances are that just like business users,they will not get the advertised rate at alltimes for purely practical reasons.

Equally, our experience is that for themajority of business users a smaller pipewith more reliable throughput works fine,notwithstanding peaks and troughs indemand, during which they can throttlethe crew channel back themselves.

Of course that problem is exaggeratedwhen using L-band broadband. Cynicsmight even question the use of the termbut the reality is that rates of 512 kilobitsper second must be counted as maritimebroadband against the historical through-put rates that shipping has laboured withfor three decades.

What the trend towards HTS overlooksis not just the legacy tonnage that will relyon L-band in future but why it does that.

L-band signals and their associatedshipboard and ground based signals areprized for their robustness, resistance torain-fade and the fact that for the most partthe crew can install, trouble shoot and evenupgrade the equipment, with a little helpfrom a service provider.

Figures from research companyNorthern Sky Research suggest that in-service MSS maritime units will grow from368,000 in 2011 to 955,000 in 2021, the vastmajority of them narrowband.

Revenues from HTS services will beginto emerge by 2015 but still make up a frac-tion of the total, which is predicted toincrease from $1.8bn in 2011 to $3.9bn by

2021. Maritime L-Band revenues will bedouble those of Ku- and Ka-band com-bined by that date, the research suggests.

True, L-band is hardly global. Only oneoperator claims a truly pole to pole serviceand others provide a regional footprint,while the incumbent covers the majority ofports and trade lanes over three oceanregions.

But ‘regionality’ is not limited to L-bandproviders. Most current VSAT coverage is put together from beams operated by FSS providers and coverage is rarely ifever global.

Even when it is marketed as such, VSATsystems require an L-band failover forbackup – seen by some as a source of somecontention and by others as opportunity tooffer price plans tailored for this purpose.

Future marketsThe fact is that maritime has never been aone size fits all market and emerging fromthe worst downturn for almost a genera-tion this is more true than ever.

The successful shipping company in the second third and fourth decades of the 21st century will need to be connected,but it will also need to keep costs undercontrol and take advantage of proven sys-tems and services that are designed to fitits specific needs.

More often than not conversations withowners and managers about HTS follow asimilar pattern – interesting concept,potentially very exciting, but after you…Those banner contracts will come – thegroundwork is already laid and we wouldaccept that the trend is set – betting against bandwidth has been discredited in the past.

But that bet has been won and lost onland. Maritime is a different environment,one where equipment must be designedfor purpose and reliability.

A consistent and reliable service, albeitat unstarry data rates, might be of equalvalue to a mid-sized operator than a highspeed connection that only gives him 70per cent coverage and a high dropout rate.

The price equation will continue to play a key role. Shipowners do not spendtheir hard earned dollars without measur-able and meaningful payback – look at themarket for energy efficiency devices forproof of that – so there is good reason tobelieve that dedicated L-band operatorswho understand their customers and haveclose links to their partners cannot just survive the HTS wave, they can prosper in the niches that a patchwork globalrecovery creates.

About the AuthorGeoffrey Davison is prod-uct manager, maritime, for Thuraya Telecommunica-tions.

L-band’s inherent reliability in difficult conditions will mean that it remains a mainstayof maritime communications. Photo: Jonathan Lally, USCG

DS

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the required documentation, e.g. MaterialDeclarations, Supplier Declarations ofConformity and IHM Documents.

“We have developed the IGS as a smarttool for generating documents which com-ply with the regulations in the most trans-parent and easy manner possible,” saidGerhard Aulbert, GL's head of globalpractice Ship Recycling.

“It facilitates communication betweenthe various parties and will support own-

ers in maintaining high quality ships and aclean working environment on board,while also enabling ship recycling facili-ties to benefit from comprehensive IHMsfor preparing to recycle vessels and moni-toring of hazardous materials on board of ships.”

In other news, GL has also announcedthat it has published new guidelines fordata networks which are implemented onboard ships or on offshore platforms.

The guidelines are available for down-load on the GL website for requirementsthat entered into force on 1 August 2013.

GL notes that as the maritime industrymakes greater use of automated systems,

data networks have become more andmore complex, while also integrating safe-ty-critical and non-safety-critical applica-tion systems.

An increasing number of applicationsystems are connected through data net-works in order to minimise the length ofcabling, and thus reduce the cost andweight of the cabling.

In merchant shipping, more and morevessels are equipped with integratedbridges that link information from thenavigation and automation systems.Integrated systems comprise monitoringsensors, control systems for the propul-sion and power-generating systems, andmonitoring and alarm systems.

GL says that type approval is requiredfor data networks which connect applica-tion systems related to classification suchas: automation system, navigation system,alarm & monitoring system, general alarm& public address system.

Non-class related application systemswould include entertainment systemssuch as: radio, television, audio and videoon demand and private internet access.The required approval would cover theentire network, including routers, switch-es, and process controllers connected withnetwork cables.

In order to follow a risk-basedapproach for the approval process, a so-called Requirement Class is assigned tothe respective data networks. The scope ofdocuments to be submitted for approvaland the required function tests depend onthis assignment.

GL explains that there are five differentRequirement Classes, differentiating theindividual network according to the mag-nitude of the damage which would resultfrom a potential component or system fail-ure and its effect on the persons on board,the environment and the technical condi-tion of the vessel.

This approach follows the same proce-dure as the approval process for computersystems under GL's Rules and Guidelines.


SOFTWARE

www.gl-group.com

Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has announcedthat China Shipping Container Lines(CSCL) has rolled out a trim optimisationsoftware developed by its consultancyunit on eight vessels and has signed anagreement to deploy it on another eight.

ECO-Assistant is the name of the soft-ware developed by FutureShip, the mar-itime consultancy unit of classificationsociety GL.

With trim being a central driver of ener-gy efficiency, the ECO-Assistant deliversan optimum trim angle for a specific shipwith an input of such operational parame-ters as current speed, displacement andwater depth.

GL says that it can help reduce CO2emissions and save enough fuel to amor-tise the initial investment over a relativelyshort period.

During a sea trial carried out on one ofthe eight 14,000TEU containerships oper-ated by CSCL the shipping line calculatedthat it reduced fuel consumption by up to8.2 per cent.

As a result, CSCL has rolled out ECO-Assistant on its entire fleet of eight14,000TEU container vessels. It alsosigned an agreement to expand thedeployment of the trim optimisation soft-ware to another eight 9,600TEU containervessels in its fleet.

Vincent Li, vice president of FutureShipChina, says that ECO-Assistant is easy to install as there is no need to modify the vessels.

“The software itself is also very userfriendly, so the training required is mini-mally time intensive,” he notes, addingthat the system can be deployed not juston containerships but on all types of ves-sels, including multi-purpose vessels andbulk carriers.

GL says that there have been more than300 installations of the tool on board andonshore since it was launched in 2009.

In related news, GL has also developed

a web-based application designed to helpin the preparation and the maintenance ofa vessel's Inventory of HazardousMaterials (IHM).

The IHM Green Server (IGS) aims atsupporting shipowners in managing IHMaspects of the newly adopted EuropeanUnion regulation on ship recycling andthe Hong Kong International Conventionfor the Safe and Environmentally SoundRecycling of Ships.

The new EU regulation is scheduled toenter into force at the end of the year. Itrequires owners of EU flagged ships orships calling at ports within the EU toestablish an Inventory of HazardousMaterials.

GL says that IHM Green Server cangather and process the entire volume ofship component data, which are requiredto be maintained and updated through theship’s lifetime. From the central web baseddata repository all parties involved, suchas shipowners, shipyards, suppliers, haz-mat experts, class societies and recyclers,can work in parallel on the same platform.

IGS also allows for the management of all

CSCL equips containerships with ECO-Assistant

ECO-Assistant will eventually be installed on 16 CSCL vessels

www.palantir.no

Norwegian technology provider Palantirhas announced that Dutch shipping com-pany Vroon has renewed its KeepUp@Seafleet deal, first signed in 2010, for a furtherthree years.

The delivery includes hardware, logis-tics, roll-out and migration services,KeepUp@Sea Antivirus and KeepUp@SeaInventory services.

Vroon operates a fleet of approximately160 vessels, 90 of which are covered by thePalantir solution.

Rob Frenks, group ICT manager, notesthat using the Palantir system has dramati-cally reduced the work required to supportand maintain the networks on those vessels.

“We only require one ICT FTE to man-age and coordinate the installs and ongo-

ing support,” he said.“We had zero impact of viruses on any

of these 90 vessels during a period of threeyears (and) we only had to attend a vesselonce to remediate an issue.”

Vroon signs to KeepUp@Sea for 3 more years

www.crewtoo.com

Headland Media, purchased in May 2013by KVH, reports that its Crewtoo socialmedia site for seafarers has now passed60,000 members in the 12 months since itsintroduction in August 2012.

Membership growth has been steady,with the company having announced thatit had passed 40,000 members in April ofthis year.

“For many of the world’s 1.2 millionseafarers, the initial romantic vision of alife at sea was too soon replaced by thereality of hard work in harsh conditionsand increasing isolation,” commentedMark Woodhead, managing director ofHeadland Media.

“Crewtoo’s unique objective is to com-bat that sense of loneliness and lack of

contact that most people at sea experience,by providing a space where seafarers feelthey belong and can converse. It is also aspace where they can learn and it isbecoming a platform for seafarers to helpand inspire each other.”

“Our company has focused on offer-ing services to improve the lives of sea-farers for the past 60 years. WithCrewtoo, we wanted to create a directrelationship with seafarers so we couldunderstand their situation first-handand ultimately provide services that arebetter designed to suit their needs. It isgratifying to see large numbers of peo-ple joining our site, and exciting to seehow their input and our new relation-ship with KVH are already leading toplans for a new generation of excitingservices.”

60,000 reasons to celebrate CrewToo anniversary

‘We had zero impact of viruses on any ofthese vessels’ – Rob Frenks, Vroon

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www.krillsystems.com

Krill Systems, an American developer offuel monitoring systems, has introduced anew bunkering software.

Krill Bunkering System (KBS-100) usesmass-measuring metres to minimise inaccura-cies found in Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) transfers.

Flow rate, temperature and density aredisplayed in real time and a ‘Bunkers inProgress’ display area shows the total vol-ume of bunkers delivered, ticket number,start time and stop time. A ticket can beprinted as soon as bunkering is completed.

Back-flow oil is measured as a negativeand therefore reflected as bunkers nothaving been delivered.

Bunker history, including aeration per-centage, is also stored.

The software uses Microsoft SQL serverdatabase technology to record sensor dataand storage capacity. Any communicationsystem supporting SMTP e-mail protocolsmay be used to transmit customisablereports and sensor data menus, in Excelformat, to any number of operators, withno monthly fees or charges.

KBS100 can be ordered as a stand-alonesystem or incorporated into an existingKrill system.

“The KBS-100 was developed at therequest of many of our clients, for a vari-ety of applications,” said Brian Staton,vice-president of sales and marketing.

“They told us what they needed andhow they wanted the information to bedisplayed. We have paid close attention totheir input in developing this product.”

SOFTWARE

Krill introduces bunkering software


Dubai maritime authority pays Singapore an IT visit

http://dmca.aewww.mpa.gov.sg

Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA)has announced that it recently completed atechnology benchmark visit to the Maritimeand Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore aspart of on-going efforts to launch a range ofmaritime services using IT and automation.

DMCA and MPA recently renewed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU)between the parties on maritime coopera-tion. During their visit, members of theDubai delegation discussed with theirSingaporean counterparts marine licens-

ing procedures using IT technologies,including vessel licensing and permits,crew assessment, licensing and certifica-tion and bunkering permits.

“DMCA is currently in the process ofintroducing a range of maritime services,many of which are being offered for thefirst time in the UAE and the region aswell,” said Mahmoud Ewidah, seniormanager – IT, DMCA.

“It is imperative that we conduct tech-nology benchmark visits to some of theworld’s leading ports authorities toexplore best practices and technologieswhich DMCA can eventually adopt.”

www.macsea.com

American developer Macsea is rampingup its hull condition monitoring service.Called Hull Medic, the system uses auto-mated, cloud-based data analytics.

Analysis can be done from data alreadycollected or Macsea can provide an auto-mated data acquisition system.

Hull and propeller performance degra-dation can cause a 15 to 20 per cent loss invessel efficiency, with a correspondingincrease in fuel consumption, notesMacsea, adding that ship owners can savemoney through condition-based mainte-nance.

Prices for Hull Medic start at $495 permonth per ship for ten ships or more.

Macsea ramps up Hull Medicwww.amarcon.com

Amarcon, a member of the ABB group,has announced that it has received anorder for two OCTOPUS-Onboard motionmonitoring systems for heavy freightcargo vessels from CJ Korea Express.

Resulting from the merger betweenKorea Express and CJ GLS, CJ KoreaExpress is South Korea’s largest totalcargo delivery company.

Amarcon’s Motion Monitor system(TMS-3), based on three accelerometers,will be installed on two heavy freightcargo vessels, KOREX SPB no.1 & 2. Byusing OCTOPUS-Online, authorised userswill be able to download and display all

measured motions and accelerations thatare collected from the vessel. The integra-tion of Google Maps provides a viewing ofroutes and ship positions.

General manager Leon Adegeest fromAmarcon said: “It is good to see thatOCTOPUS has become such an estab-lished name within the heavy lift cargoshipping sector. In total we have had thir-teen orders for vessels that are involved inthe heavy lift cargo transportation withinthe last two months.”

The OCTOPUS product line is part ofABB's Vessel Information and Control(VICO) systems suite. Amarcon, a devel-oper of vessel motion prediction solutions,was acquired by ABB in August 2012.

CJ Korea Express orders OCTOPUS-Onboard

www.crewinspector.com

CrewInspector, a software provider head-quartered in Latvia, has recently won con-tracts with five crew recruitment and crewmanagement agencies based in Ukraine.

Its software, which is also calledCrewInspector, is primarily designed forcrewing agents and ship managementcompanies. It aims at helping with crewdatabase, scheduling, certificate manage-ment, payroll calculations and customerinvoicing.

The Riga-based provider says that itsfive recently signed Ukrainian clients areKDM Shipping in Kiev, Wellteam Marine

and Sea Gold in Kherson, and Navis CrewManagement (NCM) and Kaas CrewServices in Odessa.

Andy Lipsberg, co-owner ofCrewInspector, explained: “We see thatcompanies are looking for straightforwardsoftware solutions not requiring longsetup and integration.”

“CrewInspector offers a high qualitysolution at a very attractive price andthat’s the main reason why we are so pop-ular among start-up and middle-size crewmanagement agencies. At the same time,we fully satisfy the needs of larger organi-sations as well, thanks to CrewInspector’sscalability.”

5 Ukraine deals for CrewInspector

The CJ Korea Express vessel KOREX SPB No 1 is one of two ships to be installed

www.esrgtech.com

ERSG has announced that its OstiaEdgeanalytics platform now also monitorsemissions, after it struck a partnershipwith WR Systems, the developer ofEmsys.

ERSG’s software OstiaEdge alreadyanalyses the performance and health of shipboard equipment such as engines, generators, fuel metres, torquemetres, ballast systems, and navigationsystems. WR System’s Emsys is a laserdriven system which monitors emissionsand particulate matter (PM). Installedwithin the funnel space, Emsys can monitor up to 10 exhaust stacks with

only one penetration per stack for both emissions (NOX, SOX and CO2) andPM sampling. Monitoring for optionalgases such as CO and CH4 is also avail-able. GPS interface ensures geographicalposition recording for assured compli-ance within ECA zones. Emsys is TypeApproved in line with MARPOL AnnexVI.

Emsys is now part of the collection ofshipboard equipment monitored byOstiaEdge. ESRG says that this combina-tion of emissions data and engine per-formance analytics can be used to tunethe engine and generators to ensureemissions compliance as well as opti-mise the engine for fuel efficiency.

OstiaEdge includes Emsys

Training Matters videohttp://videotel.com

Videotel, a London-based provider ofmaritime training material, has released avideo to demonstrate the importance ofgood training.

Entitled ‘Training Matters’, it showshow ship operators can receive whatVideotel calls a tangible return on invest-ment with more efficient operations; feweraccidents; less off-hire time; lower insur-ance premiums; improved compliancewith legislation and a more motivatedworkforce.

“In today’s tough financial and litigiousenvironment, being trained to minimumstandards is clearly not adequate,” saidNigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel MarineInternational, when introducing the videoto an audience of ship owners and ship

managers in Angola.“Ship owners and ship managers must

comply with increasingly complex legisla-tion, engage crews that are competent tocope with technically advanced equip-ment and deal with an ever growing num-ber of ship inspections and audits.”

“It does, of course, need to be highquality, effective training that results ingood practices. This will reduce claimsultimately directed towards owners,inspectors, charterers, managers, banksand insurers.”

The video was shown at a safety semi-nar organised by Sonangol Shipping, asubsidiary of the Angolan state oil compa-ny Sonangol. The company is implement-ing a fleet-wide policy requiring all man-aged vessels to have Videotel On Demandon board.

p21-30:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 15:06 Page 4

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SOFTWARE


www.napa.fiwww.tidetech.org

Tidetech has announced that it hasreached an agreement with NAPA to sup-ply the Finnish software house with tidalcurrent prediction data for ship optimisa-tion, initially for South East Asia and theUK–Europe.

The agreement follows a three-monthtrial aboard a 8,530 dwt cruise ship usingTidetech’s Singapore and Malacca Straitsmodels. The deal includes developing anexpanded data model to cover the vessel’sfull operating area of Phuket, eastern Thaiwaters, the east side of Malaysia and theMalacca and Singapore Straits.

“We supplied a custom data file which

is pre-defined by NAPA to suit the band-width capability of the vessel,” saidTidetech managing director Penny Haire.

“Integrating our data into optimisationsystems and software is a relatively sim-ple, quick and low-cost way for ships togain demonstrable percentage savings inbunkerage and emissions.”

Napa executive vice president for oper-

www.shipserv.com

ShipServ has announced that BeltshipManagement Limited (BML) has signedup to its TradeNet maritime e-commerceplatform.

Monaco-based BML manages six bulkcarrier vessels for a mining giant, as wellas three self-discharging bulk carriers in atransshipment project in Sierra Leone.

TradeNet connects ship owners andmanagers with maritime suppliers.

Beltship will connect to ShipServthrough the ABS NS5 software suite whichit has already been using for purchasingand planned maintenance.

Marjolijn van Tiel, purchasing managerat Beltship, said: “Beltship is already using

the ABS NS5 software so it was a straight-forward decision to use ShipServ to helpus with our purchasing activity.”

Lars Bratshaug, vice president SalesEMEA for ShipServ, said: “We aredelighted to welcome Beltship to theShipServ community. To bring such a highly-respected manager ontoTradeNet really demonstrates thatShipServ is the preferred partner forshipmanagers.”

Shipmanagement clients includeAnglo-Eastern Shipmanagement, MMSCo Ltd, MK Shipmanagement, BernardSchulte Shipmanagement (Deutschland),Goodwood Shipmanagement, OSMShipmanagement and WilhelmsenShipmanagement.

NAPA to offer Tidetech current data

NAPA will make use of tidal current data from Tidetech for the UK (left) and Malacca Straits (right) under the new agreement

Beltship signs up to ShipServwww.psmmarine.com

PSM, a UK-based manufacturer of marinecontrol instrumentation, has released anew version of its tank gauging systemwhich can take into account a ship’s trimand list.

Two options are available, both usinghydrostatic level transmitters. For draftmeasurement only, two transmitters areinstalled, fore and aft. To also takeaccount of trim, four transmitters can beinstalled, adding one each mid-ship on

port and starboard.PSM notes than when trim and list are

not taken into account, readings of the liq-uid volumes can be inaccurate.

It says that its latest tank gauging systemcombines the level measurement transmit-ters with a display and control system thatis capable of calculating the required cor-rections to take account of uneven keeland/or trim. PSM says that its system thusprovides automatic correction of the tankvolumes based upon measurement of thevessel’s draft and/or inclination.

Trim and list auto-correction for tank gauging

ations Esa Henttinen said: “By addingTidetech’s accurate oceanographic data toNAPA’s voyage optimisation solution, wehave been able to provide our customerswith more precise voyage predictions.”

After the cruise ship trial, NAPA addedTidetech’s North Sea and English Channelmodels to UK–Europe ferry routes.

Ms Haire notes that cruise ships andpassenger ferries were already wellequipped to download data files.

“Passenger vessels in particular usuallyalready have broadband connectionsaboard,” she said.

“With optimisation solutions in place,it’s relatively straightforward to integratethe data once downloaded.”

In addition to expanding its South EastAsia model to Thai waters, Tidetech saysthat it is also developing a 100m resolutionmodel for the Singapore Straits and a 1kmmodel for the South China Sea region.

www.freightinvestor.com

Freight Investor Services, a UK-basedbroker of freight and commodity swaps,has launched a free mobile App thathelps users keep an eye on the markets it covers.

Available for both iOS and BlackBerrydevices, the FIS App indicates marketprices for dry freight, iron ore, steel andscrap, coking coal, fertilizers and fuel oil.It also displays forward curves and histor-ical spot prices, and provides FIS dailyreports, including closing curves, com-mentaries, spreads and ratios.

The App is available in both Englishand Mandarin and users can customise itto deliver the prices, reports and chartdata for the commodities and contractsthat are of most relevance to them.

FIS managing director JohnBanaszkiewicz said: “Today’s freight andcommodity swap markets are unrecognis-able from when FIS was founded 10 yearsago. We have seen the development ofnew liquidity, new products, new serviceslike clearing and new entrants who wantto access information on the move.”

“The FIS App enables these players to keep up to speed with the market, putting our prices, daily reports and for-ward curves on a mobile platform for thefirst time.”

The FIS App can be downloaded forfree by visiting the App Store orBlackberry App World. Links to down-load locations can also be found on the FISwebsite. Users must register for anaccount and will receive confirmation ofaccess on approval by FIS.

Free App to follow freight and commodity swaps markets

The FIS app is free to download for iOS and BlackBerry devices

www.bassnet.nowww.iconoffshore.com.my

Norwegian software developer BASS hasannounced that Malaysian company IconOffshore has decided to install three of itsship management modules on all 34 ves-sels in its fleet.

The deal covers the BASSnetMaintenance, Procurement and HRManager modules.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Icon Offshoreis the holding company of Icon ShipManagement and Icon Fleet. Its fleet com-prises 34 offshore support vessels.

“Prior to the merger, Icon ShipManagement was already using BASSnetsolutions, while Icon Fleet utilised aplanned maintenance system from anoth-er service provider,” said Icon Offshore’sCIO Zaleha Abdul Hamid, who also over-sees the integration of IT solutions.

“After evaluating the two systems, itwas clear that BASSnet has a distinct edge,and we opted to adopt it across the fleet.”

BASSnet fleet management systems arebuilt on the Microsoft .NET platform.

BASSnet Maintenance is designed to

help users plan and execute fleet mainte-nance, manage their global stock of spareparts, and standardise job practices, mate-rial procurement and reporting of equip-ment condition. The module ‘pushes’information, reminders and alerts regard-ing key maintenance issues.

BASSnet Procurement is a purchasingsystem covering the procurement cyclefrom budgeting to electronic approval ofexpenses.

BASSnet HR Manager is a web-basedmodule designed for crew planning andscheduling.

BASS’ vice president of Sales – AsiaPacific Mark Ravi said: “We are verypleased to have won the confidence of IconOffshore as their stringent decision-makingprocess shows that BASS meets the highstandard for cost-effectiveness and produc-tivity gains that companies must have tothrive in the turbulent maritime industry.”

Existing users of BASS software includeNeptune Orient Lines, headquartered inSingapore, South Africa-based linerGrindrod Shipping, French luxury cruiseliner Compagnie du Ponant, IMCShipping, Hapag-Lloyd, NYK and K-Line.

BASSnet for Icon Offshore fleet

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www.rightship.com

Ship vetting company RightShip has chosenIBM’s predictive analytics to upgrade itsonline risk management system SVIS (ShipVetting Information System). SVIS 2.0 willbe launched in the first quarter of 2014.

It will be powered by IBM’s CognosBusiness Intelligence and SPSS PredictiveAnalytics software, and will be designedand optimised for smartphones and tablets.

RightShip’s CEO Warwick Norman said:“Risk management in the maritime indus-try is paramount. In today’s business envi-ronment, marine industry operators mustbe able to efficiently and cost effectivelyassess the suitability of a nominated vessel.RightShip is the first vetting company toharness the power of Big Data and predic-tive analytics will bring a new dimension toour risk management system, includingdeeper and exciting customer insights."

“The system will allow RightShip tobetter target substandard performance andforecast risk dynamically in response tochanging factors and with much greateraccuracy.”

Mr Norman added: “Charterers will bebetter able to predict a vessel’s perform-ance, while seamlessly considering emerg-ing risk factors. A terminal will benefitfrom a more bespoke service and ensurephysical vessel fit. A ship owner can bench-mark its fleet in real time with tremendousaccuracy and access more insightful meas-urement techniques. Banks and insurerscan integrate our data with in-house sys-tems to more precisely quantify risk.”

Alan Morgan, Business AnalyticsSoftware sales manager at IBM Australia,said: “In order to continue to be an industryleader in maritime risk and safety,RightShip was looking to transform theirsystems to deliver greater informationaccess to its customers, enhancing theirlevel of service. IBM's expertise in businessanalytics is a key component of that vision.”

“The integrated IBM solution offersRightShip an agile, scalable and flexiblemeans through which a smarter analyticsapproach can assist them in their on-goinggrowth as a leader in the maritime industry.”

The project will be led by BryanGuenther, who joined RightShip in February2013 and was responsible for the design,development and implementation of BPShipping’s vetting system called iMAS.

SOFTWARE


SVIS 2.0

Westsea Marine installs MPM on newbuild PSVs www.marinesoftware.co.uk

UK-based Marine Software has recentlydelivered Marine Planned Maintenance(MPM) systems for two newbuildPlatform Supply Vessels (PSVs) forWestsea Marine.

Heaquartered inPerth (Australia),Westsea Marine trans-ports large, oversizeand bulky cargos forthe mining, oil and gasindustries.

The contract coverstwo 77m PSVs and fol-lows an earlier contractin 2012 to supply MPMsoftware on four tugs.

Westsea Marine saysthat it chose MarineSoftware because “wefound their product to

be the best cost effective option. (It’s)extremely user friendly, offering an excel-lent product support helpdesk if required.Our engineers on the vessels have com-mented on this fact and the transition timefor implementation was very short."

Two Westsea vessels will be installed under the deal

www.classnk.or.jp

ClassNK has announced the developmentof a new software system, PrimeShip-GREEN/PSTA (Progressive Speed TrialAnalysis), to help shipyards comply withEEDI requirements.

Amendments to MARPOL Annex VIintorducing an Energy Efficiency DesignIndex (EEDI) for the prevention of pollu-tion from ships came into force fromJanuary 2013, enforcing mandatory EEDIcalculation and EEDI regulation values forvessels contracted from 1 January 2013onwards.

The new software from ClassNK isused to analyse the results from speed tri-als and calculates a ship’s speed in calmsea conditions.

When calculating EEDI, external factorssuch as the wind, waves, tides, shallowwaters, and displacement during speedtrials can be corrected for to allow forhigher accuracy when determining aship’s speed in calm sea conditions, soClassNK has also developed the softwareto provide a straightforward method forcompensating for external factors in pro-gressive speed trial analysis.

This analysis method is based on ISOStandard 15016:2002, recognised in theIMO EEDI Guidelines '2012 Guidelines onsurvey and certification of the EnergyEfficiency Design Index (EEDI)'.

PrimeShip-GREEN/PSTA is providedto shipyards free of charge, with applica-tion forms available for download fromthe ClassNK website.

ClassNK releases EEDI calculation software

p21-30:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 15:07 Page 8

Maritime technology R&D venture in Japan

Digital Ship

www.damen.comwww.ifsworld.com

Damen Group, which operates 40 ship-yards around the world, is to roll out auniform Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) system across its various locations.

IFS 7.5 went live at its Romanianbranch in Galati this week, following anearlier implementation at Damen’s head-quarters in Gorinchem, the Netherlands.

Damen explains that with this system,it wants to keep a closer watch on stocklevels, plan more expeditiously and trans-parently, and improve efficiency through-out the supply chain.

The IFS software includes supply chainelements, engineering, planning jobpreparation and manufacturing modules.Galati is now using the Finance, HR,Distribution, Manufacturing and Projectsapplications and will soon implement allother modules.

Damen’s new shipyard in Haiphong,Vietnam, is scheduled to go live in late2013. Damen plans to roll out the IFS soft-ware there and at its various branchesworldwide in the next few years.

“Implementing IFS software across ourvarious branches will make it easy for usto track the entire logistical process,” saidMarc de Thouars, director of Group IT at

Damen Shipyards Group.“By having a better

understanding of the sup-ply chain, we can shortenthroughput times, optimiseprocurement, and drastical-ly reduce the number ofrush orders. Installing astreamlined supply chainsupported by a standardERP solution will bringcalm to the organisation.”

www.mijac.co.jp

A new joint venture to pursue R&D proj-ects on various types of maritime tech-nologies has been established in Japan,featuring a number of the country's ship-yards as well as other leading companiesin its shipping sector, such as ClassNK andNYK (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha).

MIJAC, the Maritime Innovation JapanCorporation, began operations on July 12013, with head offices based in Tokyoand a staff of 14. The full list of MIJACcooperating partners includes OshimaShipbuilding, Shin Kurushima Dockyard,Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and SanoyasShipbuilding, in addition to ClassNK and NYK.

MIJAC was created with share capitalof ¥10,000,000 Japanese Yen (approximate-ly US$100,000), split between the cooperat-ing companies, with Oshima Shipbuilding,Shin Kurushima Dockyard, TsuneishiShipbuilding and ClassNK owning 19.7per cent each, Sanoyas Shipbuilding con-trolling 14.95 per cent, and NYK taking theremaining 6.25 per cent.

These companies will then provide thefunding for MIJAC’s research and devel-opment activities, which will focus ontechnologies in the fields of ship design,ship construction and ship operationstechnology, as well as new innovations toreduce CO2 and other hazardous sub-stances discharged by ships and to pro-mote the efficient use of marine energy.

Masato Nobuhara, general manager ofthe Technical Strategy Group atMonohakobi Technology Institute, a whol-ly owned NYK subsidiary responsible forR&D at the company, has been appointedas the first president of MIJAC.

“With MIJAC positioned at the centre,our vision is to take the state of Japanese

shipbuilding, shipping and maritime tech-nology up to a new level and make themknown to the world as Japanese technolo-gies,” he said.

“Our customers include cargo ownersutilising ocean shipping, maritime ship-ping companies handling ocean shipping,shipbuilding companies that build theships, classification societies that handlethe ship surveys, and marine equipmentmanufacturers that produce major equip-ment for shipboard use.”

“Doing research and developmenttogether with our customers is our motto,and we always make our efforts to put ourcustomers' interests first. We ask cus-tomers directly about what their needs are,and through them we rapidly get a precisesense of global trends and changes that wewill always make our efforts, at full speed,to tackle with the objective of developingtechnologies that are among the best in the world.”

Damen Shipyards rolls out ERP system

‘Our vision is to take Japanese maritimetechnology to a new level’ - Masato

Nobuhara, MIJAC


Damen will roll the system out worldwide

Enhanced Productivity.

www.gl-maritime-software.com

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p21-30:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 15:07 Page 9

SOFTWARE


Steaming into the cloudCloud-based bunkering intelligence can help fleet operators gain tighter control over their fuel budgets and enable

savings of up to five per cent of bunkering budgets, using the latest technology to gain unprecedented levels ofintelligence to inform their decision making, writes Jean-Herve Jenn, Inatech

II n the wake of the global economic cri-sis, competition between operators isfierce and the ability to control costs is

becoming ever more important in the drivefor profit, with efficient fuel procurementbeing one area where cost control cantranslate into financial performance.

While fuel is one of the biggest ticketitems for fleet operators in the shippingindustry, engaging effectively in the $180billion market for bunker fuel is far fromsimple.

Vessel operators are always looking athow to reduce their bunkering costs,which can reach 60 per cent of an operat-ing budget, equivalent to billions of dol-lars for a large fleet.

With this in mind, even a small per-centage improvement can have a signifi-cant impact on a fleet’s financial viability,and using proof-of-concept evaluations onreal-world operational data it’s been esti-mated that savings of up to five per cent ofa bunkering budget are possible.

Taking a holistic view of fuel manage-ment into account, this can equate to sav-ings on the bottom line of up to $630k pership, so it’s well worth the time of any fleetoperator to consider how to use moderncloud-based technology to make the bestpossible use of their resources.

Specialist procurementteams

An operator may well have a fleet of over500 ships, submitting an average of 20fuelling requests per day to a global bunkerpurchasing team of fewer than 10 people.

This small team of experts has the roleof keeping fuel costs down to a minimum,keeping the fleet fuelled and deliveringcargo whilst taking into account manyvariables, including ship speeds, loadingand routes.

Bunker procurement is something of adark art because the market for marinefuels is a complex one, with price and avail-ability of different grades and blends vary-ing widely between ports and port pricesbeing set by local supply and demand.

This leads to low prices for the mostcommon local fuels but ships passingthrough on longer voyages can be stungby an unusually high price for a blend thatits crew can find cheaper at its home port.

Introduced in part to combat the impactof the recession, the practice of ‘slowsteaming’ and ‘super slow steaming’,designed to cut fuel consumption, hasadded an extra layer of complexity inrecent years. By reducing ships’ speedsfrom 25 knots down to 20 knots and 12knots respectively, operators can makesignificant fuel savings.

It’s often the case that while a shipmight secure bunkering in a port, it mightbe worth holding off for a lower price else-where, stocking up on only enough totravel between the two, cutting speed toconserve fuel until reaching a port where

the price for a particular stock is mostattractive, or making the most of fuel tankcapacity by stocking up where the pricesare lowest.

But with ship crews often overlookingthe big picture, they frequently presentpurchasing professionals with last-minuterequests for fuel.

Other issues include vessels having tobunker in ports close to their route,despite fuel prices being held lower else-

where; bunkering more fuel than isrequired; or under-utilising vessel capaci-ty, as well as planning for available timeslots and barge pump capacity.

Old and newWhile the conventional approach has beenfor bunker procurement teams to rely onmanually updated computer spread-sheets, or even on paper-based systems,the advent of live pricing being availableonline has ushered in a new era of cloud-based systems.

It is often the case that while shippingfirms’ existing in-house systems have beendeveloped and tailored to suit, theyrequire manual updates, which can lead toerrors and make it tricky to monitor con-stantly moving fuel prices in real time, cal-culate margins and make the best deals.

A modern system will give today’s pur-chasing professionals better access to mar-ket data than ever before, and when com-pared to real-time information on shiplocation and route, allows procurementteams to build up an accurate bunkeringplan for individual ships and entire fleets.

Analysis of bunker prices at a range ofalternative ports allows shipping opera-tors the opportunity to optimise theirorders for bunker fuel, finding the mostcost effective plan for a given vessel.

By analysing the bigger picture, settingout a bunkering plan and taking control ofbunkering procurement, shipping compa-nies can make significant savings.

Appeal of the cloudMuch has been written about the corpo-rate world’s move to cloud-based systemsin the last few years but only now are cor-porations starting to realise the benefits assuper-fast broadband becomes the norm.

Freeing up businesses from the cost andcomplexity of purchasing and maintainingexpensive IT systems, cloud computinggives the opportunity to subscribe to serv-ices as and when they’re needed ratherthan committing to a long-term solution.

There’s no need to purchase a server ora new licence when storage space can berented in a data centre and the same datacentre can host specialist software solu-tions, to which a company can subscribe inits effort to source competitive intelligence.

A trend towards cloud-based subscrip-tion means that businesses are movingaway from software being an item for majorcapital expenditure (CAPEX) to operationalexpenditure (OPEX), requiring far simplerinternal approval and sign-off procedures.

Bunker purchasing intelligence is onearea that is well suited to being hosted inthe cloud, making it easy to integrate withother standard shipping management sys-tems, as well as scaling up to meet thegrowing and changing demands of a fleet asits operation evolves, either by the additionof more vessels, additional procurementstaff or changes to the operating routes.

Today’s modern bunker managementsystems enable traders to compare pricesand develop scenarios that keep overallcosts down, with interfaces designed tohelp them access, monitor and analyse

huge volumes of rapidly changing data.The simplicity of a single interface pre-

senting this range data helps to informdecision-making.

Cloud-based solutions for bunker man-agement and procurement are likely tochange the game of shipping in the nextfew years. While the traditional approach-es are prone to human error, modern sys-tems are based on live bunker fuel prices,which are fed in from a global network ofsuppliers.

Realising savingsBut while it is claimed that smart fuel pro-curement can save fleets between two andfive per cent of their bunkering budget,how have these figures been established?

In the typical case of a vessel that con-sumes 75 tons of fuel a day at a cost of$625 per ton, the ship’s operator will needto stretch to $12.7 million to keep the ves-sel moving.

By streamlining the vessel’s procure-ment using a cloud-based procurementsystem, the shipping operator can opti-mise fuel consumption and make signifi-cant savings.

This is achieved by – firstly – using asystematic workflow tool that avoids lastminute purchases that force the operator’shand in fuel purchasing.

Secondly, an in-built ‘best buy’ processwill support fuel-purchasing negotiations.

Lastly, the solution that is used must ide-ally integrate operations and claims han-dling as it will help ensure accuracy of dataabout both quality and quantity of fuel.

Predicting the ship’s route while takingfuel consumption, availability and pricetrends into account, it’s possible to make asaving of $40 (or more) per ton of fuelfrom port to port, or even within ports.

By adapting business processes acrossbunkering, operation and supplier organ-isations, companies can achieve the high-er limit of savings but it’s vital to havebuy-in from the very top echelons of man-agement to ensure that the entire fuelecosystem embraces fuel management asthe central tenet of keeping operatingcosts to a minimum.

Ultimately, the overall savings on a fuelbill can reach as high as two to five percent, which translates to savings from$250k to $630k per vessel per year – a sig-nificant figure when an operator mighthave a fleet of 500 ships.

In a business where times are tough,smart bunker procurement may well rep-resent the competitive edge that CEOs areseeking.

Cloud-based systems can offer faster updates to data, allowing for improved planning.Photo: Sam Johnston

About the authorJean Hervé Jenn is CEO ofInatech, a provider of intelli-gent cloud-enabled and on-premise consulting, enter-

prise resource planning services andmarine solutions

DS

p21-30:p1-14.qxd 09/08/2013 15:07 Page 10

What do these market leaders have in common?

www.teromarine.no – [email protected]

TM Master...Fleet Management Solutions

Maintenance & Inventory - Docking Management - Centralised Procurement - Crew Management - Voyage e-Log - HSSEQA

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p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:02 Page 1

ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION


Raytheon for Nor Lines and NSCShipyard, in the Philippines.

They are scheduled to start operating in2014 under a long-term charter withCompania Chilena de NavegacionInteroceanica (CCNI).

Raytheon will supply integrated navi-gation from the Synapsis IntelligentBridge Control series in accordance withIMO’s new INS Performance Standards.

The bridge system will consist of fourSynapsis multifunctional workstations, X-and S-band radar sensors, NautoPilot5300, a steering gear control system, and agyro compass system. Navigation sensorsand a radio communication system arealso included.

A workstation can process tasks suchas Radar, ECDIS, Conning, or third partyapplications simultaneously. Operatorshave central access to the different appli-cations by using the task switch on thescreen.

The workstations are connectedthrough an Ethernet ring network. A soft-ware framework offers the central pro-cessing of formerly local organised tasks.

“Delivering an IMO-certifiedIntegrated Navigation System was surely a key reason for us being selectedas the supplier to this project,” said Jens Falkenberg, sales manager atRaytheon Anschütz.

“Being the first manufacturer whogained IMO type approval for IntegratedNavigation also underlines the innovativetechnology and the high standards we areused to delivering.”

http://ecdis24.raytheon-anschuetz.com

Raytheon Anschütz has won a contractto supply its ECDIS 24 system toNorwegian shipowner Nor Lines, as partof a retrofit programme, and has also hasbeen selected by German shipownerNSC to supply its Synapsis INS(Integrated Navigation System) to aseries of containership newbuildings.

Under the contract with Nor Lines,Raytheon will supply ten ECDIS 24 systems for installation on board fiveships, with MV Cometa the first vessel to be refitted. All five shipsets will be

supplied and commissioned byRaytheon Anschütz’ Norwegian distrib-utor, Syberg AS.

“With ECDIS 24 we can offer customersboth a proven, easy to operate ECDIS soft-ware and a dedicated hardware solutionto meet the particular needs of a cost-effi-cient retrofit,” said Jörn Fischbach, salesmanager at Raytheon Anschütz.

“ECDIS 24 comes as a turn-key solu-tion, easy to install and without any hid-den cost for the shipowner.”

The ECDIS 24 retrofit package consistsof a 24-inch TFT Panel-PC, an interfacebox providing necessary interfaces

required by the ECDIS performance standard IEC61174, a trackball, DVDdrive and cabling. It also includes anintegrated automatic switch-overbetween AC and DC power supply, so an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) isnot required.

The exchange of data, routes and chartsbetween the two ECDIS on board is facili-tated via a LAN network cable.

One ECDIS on each Nor Lines ship willalso be equipped with an integratedweather overlay.

This new feature combines sea chartand weather chart in one display. Allweather parameters are presented as val-ues or symbols on a separate layer and canbe switched on and off at any time.

These parameters include the meanwind (with direction and speed) as well asgusts, wave height, wave direction andswell, period intervals of waves and swell,current, air pressure, weather conditionsand air temperature.

In addition to the ECDIS retrofit solu-tion, Raytheon Anschütz is also offeringapproved manufacturer-specific ECDISonline training free of charge, in cooper-ation with Safebridge. Land-based train-ing courses at training centres aroundthe world will additionally be madeavailable.

German operator NSC will seeRaytheon integrated navigation systemssupplied to a series of 9,000 TEU vesselscurrently being built by Korea's HanjinHeavy Industries & Construction’s SubicRaytheon’s ECDIS 24 system will be installed on five Nor Lines ships

www.sevencs.com

SevenCs, and partner CEACT in the US,have announced the release of version 2.6of the CEACT software system.

The navigation software, specificallydesigned for professional towboats andworkboat operations engaged in inlandriver navigation, willnow be able to read BSBraster charts, NOAA /USACE charts andoverlays as well as allofficial ENC chartsworldwide.

“Since 2002 we haveconstantly developedCEACT in accordancewith our customers’feature requests. Withmore than 50 per centmarket share most ofthe US workboats cannow benefit from thebest CEACT ever,” saidBjoern Roehlich, salesdirector at SevenCs.

“We reduce work-load, improve efficiencyand allow safe naviga-tion for all professionalusers. With multiplechart formats andadvanced CPA calcula-

tion for rivers, along a route and at opensea, CEACT now is expanding into theworkboat market in coastal areas.”

“All CEACT customers will benefitfrom our special update conditions for thenew version CEACT 2.6. New clients canget a free trial to experience the bestCEACT ever.”

Safebridge adds online course forthe Imtech SeaGuide

www.safebridge.netwww.imtechmarine.com

Safebridge, a Hamburg-based trainingprovider, has released its eighth onlinetype-specific training course for theImtech SeaGuide ECDIS.

The Imtech SeaGuide ECDIS works asa generic system but also includes theadditional features of radar overlay,ARPA targets, AIS and Navtex interfaceand integrated conning.

“The Safebridge training course isfully approved by Imtech MarineGermany and in compliance with all relevant regulations,” said JürgenOstrowitzki, head of ProductManagement at Imtech Marine Germany.“The training on our equipment is nowavailable worldwide via the web at aprice that does not have a major impacton the cost of implementation.”

Safebridge says that seafarers mustcomplete an IMO 1.27 generic trainingbefore taking its type-specific courses,which represent 16-18 hours of study in a three-week window. It says thatschedule allows the student enough time to use the “FreePlay” feature to access the ECDIS software in simula-tion mode over the internet and practice real-life scenarios, prior to taking theonline test.

After the release of the ImtechSeaGuide course, Safebridge managingdirector Ulf Steden said: “We are draw-ing closer to our goal of providing a com-prehensive range of flexible, cost-effec-tive, online courses for all major ECDISsuppliers in anticipation of increasingdemand for type-specific training.”

“This was the last of the releases com-pleted in the first half of 2013. The sec-ond half will include the release of onefurther new course and then be followedby a series of updates to those existingcourses, where the manufacturers havereleased new software versions.”

“The phased schedule for mandatory(ECDIS) carriage is still only in its firstyear but we are already seeing growingdemand for our online courses as cus-tomer awareness and understanding of the requirements of STCW 2010increase. The next carriage milestone hasjust come into effect in July 2013 andapplies to new-build cargo vessels of10,000 GT and over. Whilst this will nothave a major impact on the training market immediately, the growth in the installed base of ECDIS equipmenttogether with safety considerations andthe full operational implementation ofexisting ECDIS installations is drivingdemand forward.”

CEACT updated to version 2.6

CEACT can calculate CPA on river miles, route or open sea

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 2

www.totemplus.com

Totem Plus has announced that its ECDISis now compatible with the AdmiraltyInformation Overlay (AIO) provided bythe United Kingdom Hydrographic Office(UKHO).

Seafarers around the world use theweekly Admiralty “Notices to Mariners”to manually update paper charts.

The AIO does this job automatically,

displaying the same information directlyover the ENC. It is a free service toAdmiralty Vector Chart Service (AVCS)customers and it includes worldwideAdmiralty Temporary and PreliminaryNotices to Mariners (T&P NMs) and ENCPreliminary Notices to Mariners (EPNMs).

Dudi Shefer, product manager at TotemPlus, said: “We are delighted that TotemECDIS is now compatible with theAdmiralty Information Overlay (…) By


Totem ECDIS now compatible with AIO

Digital Ship

AIO data can now be displayed on an ENC on the Totem Plus ECDIS

delivering the UKHO’s trusted ‘Notices toMariners’ data in a digital format that canautomatically be integrated with electroniccharts, the AIO is a vital tool in our effortsto support safe, efficient navigation.”

Within the Totem ECDIS, the AIO dis-play is a selectable feature that can beswitched on and off. When passage plan-ning and route checking, the AIO is usedto ensure the Mariner has all the latestinformation.

If there is an AIO object of interest, thiscan be transferred to the ECDIS in moni-toring mode. This process removes thenecessity to turn on the whole AIO displaywhen critical navigation is underway.

Hugh Phillips, head of products atUKHO, said: “We are very pleased to beworking together with Totem Plus in orderto provide Totem ECDIS users with theessential navigational information provid-ed by the Admiralty Information Overlay.”

“We are working closely with leadingECDIS manufacturers like Totem Plus toensure that as many vessels as possible thatare navigating digitally can share the benefitsof the updates provided by our AIO service.”

Based in Israel, Totem Plus says that itsECDIS was the first in the world to pro-vide collision avoidance in the form ofDecision Support Tools.

Implementing a free upgrade policy, itinvites users to get the required softwarepatch that includes the AIO module.

http://jeppesen.com

Jeppesen has launched NauticalCatalog, aweb-based application allowing maritimecustomers to order its ElectronicNavigational Charts (ENCs), PRIMARECDIS Service and Professional+ chartdata.

Users can plot routes from theirECDIS/ECS, automatically selectingcharts that intersect any given route andexporting/importing routes in 18ECDIS/ECS formats. After logging intoNauticalCatalog, they can auto-selectcharts for any route and calculate theaggregated cost.

They may order chart licences fromtheir chart distributor or directly fromJeppesen.

Order history can be saved for laterreference. NauticalCatalog lets usersreview orders for approval, and pro-vides reports of orders and costsincurred.

A Boeing company, Jeppesen says thatthe ability to easily view and renew theentire vessel portfolio is a feature that hasbeen particularly well-received by earlyusers. When using NauticalCatalog, oper-ators have a full overview of availablecharts with an “ordering wizard” to helpselect the right chart for a given voyage or route.

NauticalCatalog toorder Jeppesen ENCs

The Marinestar Manoeuvring System provides high accuracy position, course and speed - both in the forward direction and athwartships.

Marinestar assists manoeuvring in restricted

calculation aids berthing of large vessels.

Marinestar can be integrated within ships bridge systems to provide stable accurate, position course and speed data. This is especially valu-able to ships using electronic charting.

Fugro Satellite Positioning, NorwayTel: +47 21 50 14 00 Fax: +47 21 50 14 01E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fugromarinestar.com

KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING...

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 3



www.nautissim.com

VSTEP has announced that it has suppliednew simulator systems to customers inEgypt and Australia.

Six of its NAUTIS Desktop Simulatorshave been installed at the headquarters ofEgypt’s Regional Institute for RiverTransport (RIRT) in Cairo.

The equipment was purchased by theSTC Group to allow the Egyptian RiverTransport Authorities (RTA) to providecertified training. This is part of TheNetherlands Initiative for Capacity devel-opment in Higher Education project.

The main governmental body supervis-ing transportation on Egyptian domesticwaterways, the RTA provides profession-al education and training through RIRTfor inland navigation personnel andtrainees at its premises in Cairo.

In Darwin, Australia, VSTEP has alsodelivered a NAUTIS simulator to Seafoodand Maritime Industries Training (SMIT)for specialised ship handling, manoeu-

vring and radar training of coxswains.The Rotterdam-based developer says

that its NAUTIS DNV Class A Full MissionBridge simulator allows specialised naviga-tion and ship handling training of coxswainsand maritime personnel alike in full compli-ance with the latest STCW requirements.

The simulator features a 240° field ofview and an additional projected sternview, as well as a Kelvin Hughes Radar sys-tem for radar training. A NAUTISInstructor Station was also delivered toSMIT Australia, which focuses on trainingof maritime personnel aboard fishing andrecreational vessels.

VSTEP’s CEO Cristijn Sarvaas said:“SMIT is well-known for its high qualitytraining of maritime personnel in theregion. We are pleased that our NAUTISsimulators were selected to enhance theirtraining curriculum. We have previouslydelivered multiple NAUTIS simulators tothe Australian Army and Australian vol-unteer Coastguard and are proud to addSMIT to our clients in Australia.”

www.amimarine.net

UK-based marine electronics manufactur-er, AMI Marine, has launched a VHF‘black box’ recorder for small ships and awireless deck intruder alert.

The VHF recorder saves audio and GPStime, date and location on a supplied SDcard that can be replayed on a PC. AMIsays that the SD card has enough capacityfor around 80 hours and individual filesare saved at one minute intervals.

“We have been working with TelemarUK to develop a VHF ‘black box’ recorderthat helps provide small ship and work-boat owners and operators with a meansto verify ship-to-ship and ship-to-shorecommunications together with the time,

www.isro.org

The Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) has launched the first satellite inthe Indian Regional Navigation SatelliteSystem (IRNSS).

The entire IRNSS constellation of sevensatellites is planned to be completed dur-ing 2015-16. IRNSS is designed to provideposition information in the Indian regionand 1,500 km around the Indian mainland.

It would provide two types of services:Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - to allusers - and Restricted Services (RS) - onlyto authorised users.

The first satellite of the constellation,IRNSS-1A, was placed into orbit by ISRO's

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C22,20 minutes after take-off from SatishDhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Thesolar panels of the 1,425 kg satellite weredeployed automatically.

After injection into elliptical orbit,ISRO's Master Control Facility in Hassan(Karnataka) assumed control of the satel-lite. It has since conducted five orbitmanoeuvres to position the satellite in itsGeosynchronous Circular Orbit at 55degrees East.

A number of ground stations responsi-ble for the generation and transmission ofnavigation parameters, satellite control,satellite ranging and monitoring have beenestablished in 15 locations across India.

India’s first navigation satellite launched

NAUTIS simulators in Egypt and Australia

Black box for small ships

India has successfully launched its first navigation satellite. Photo: ISRO

date and location of the vessel at anytime,” said Stuart Newman of AMI.

“This technology is already availableon larger vessels where it is recorded ontheir VDR, but below 3,000gt there is norequirement to carry a VDR.”

“The VHF Black Box recorder is aninexpensive but effective tool to assistowner/operators of smaller vessels to puttogether an accurate history of events,whether it is for evidence or for trainingand education purposes.”

AMI has also launched a stand-alonewireless Deck Guard 1000 intruder alert.It is powered by a re-chargeable batteryand has a remote arming / disarmingfunctionality.

“We have a strong forwardorder book for Deck Guard,”said Mr Newman, “as ownersrealise that the unit can quicklypay for itself by savings of costand time and inconveniencecaused by having to replacestolen goods.”

“We have also developed aconvenient tool for serviceengineers that make it a lot eas-ier to diagnose problems on thebridge. The NMR183 NMEAReader is easy to use thanks toits clear, easy-to-read screenand menu operation, and ishoused in a rugged and com-pact case that allows it to beused anywhere.” The black box is aimed at ships that do not require VDR

www.ses-marine.com

Ships Electronic Services (SES) is to supplyNorth Star Shipping (Aberdeen) with aMachine Alarm and Monitoring systemdeveloped by Netherlands-based bridgesystems manufacturer Praxis.

SES is the UK’s sole supply and serviceprovider for Praxis, and North StarShipping is its first customer for the newproduct range.

North Star’s vessel Grampian Frontierwill be fitted with the new system, sup-plied and fitted by SES. Wiring for thesystem commenced during the vesselsdry dock lay up in July with final installa-tion carried out during August while thevessel is in operation.

“This is a great start for our Praxis rela-tionship, not only are we supplying theadvanced monitoring system, we havebeen able to meet the operator’s require-ments for part installation during drydock and completion of the installation atsea,” said SES director Colin Anderson.

“This has been possible due to our

strategic location and a highly trainedteam of engineers. We are used to carryingout installation and testing around aworking vessel as our engineers’ profes-sionalism ensures there is no interferencewith the ship operations and the systemcan integrate with other ships’ services assoon as testing is complete.”

“Praxis has built an excellent reputa-tion for functionality and reliability andwe are looking forward to carrying out alarge number of installations in the com-ing months.”

In related news, SES has also announcednew relationships with IridiumCommunications and Raytheon Anschütz.

The company has been appointed as awarranty service provider for Iridium’sGlobal Service Programme in the UK andwill provide support services to customersthat are using Iridium Pilot through itseight Service Centres in the major ports ofEngland and Scotland.

Raytheon Anschütz has appointed SESas its sole distributor and service providerfor the UK, effective from August 2013.

First Praxis installation for SES

www.exactearth.com

The Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK)is to work with exactEarth to form a newAlaska vessel tracking alliance, built onthe MXAK PacTracs product offering.

PacTracs is a vessel tracking displaysystem that utilizes the MXAK’s 100coastal Automatic Identification System(AIS) receivers throughout Alaska. Withthis new agreement, users will be able toupgrade their PacTracs service to includethe exactAIS satellite AIS feed fromexactEarth.

This will expand coverage from thecoastal waters around Alaska to includethe entire North Pacific and the Arctic,from 45 degrees north latitude all the wayto the North Pole.

MXAK expects this new hybrid AISand satellite tracking system to address allaspects of the organisation’s mission ofproviding services that aid safe, secure,efficient and environmentally responsiblemaritime operations.

“The Marine Exchange of Alaska pro-vides the Alaska maritime communitywith many valuable services, which nowwill include exactEarth's satellite coverageof vessel movements on the open ocean,”said Chandler Smith of exactEarth-USA.

“We are excited to support the PacTracsvessel tracking application for the Alaskamaritime community. We expect there tobe increasing interest in both North Pacificand Arctic vessel tracking, and are proudto be allied with the Marine Exchange ofAlaska to provide this important service.”

Alaska extends AIS coverage

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:08 Page 4

More than ECDISv

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

Fully in house developed and produced

Almost 25 years of ECDIS experience

Complies with 2014 S-63 Edition 1.1

Meets current IHO standard

Online TST courses available

Support of AIO for AVCS

Close to 10,000 ECDIS TST trained officers

Global support and after sales service

AVCS pre-installed & C-Map e-Token standard

Over 1,000 trained engineers globally

TST training available in over 30 countries

Solid State Drive for OS and JRC software

jrceurope.com

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 5

www.thomasgunn.com

Korea Lines is to upgrade the digital chartmanagement systems on four LNG gascarriers from Thomas Gunn’s Voyager 3 tothe new Voyager 4, with immediate effect.

Cho Han-Ung, principal superinten-dent, fleet management team 2 at KoreaLines commented that, “We needed a nav-igation solution which would best servethe needs of the internationally tradingvessels operating within our fleet.”

“Thomas Gunn’s new Voyager offers arange of options and unique features thatenable us to navigate safely and efficientlyin all areas.”

The new version of Voyager offers acomplete British Admiralty update serv-ice, including key compliance require-ments, Annual and Cumulative Notices toMariners, Navarea Warnings and theAdmiralty Information Overlay (AIO).

The system downloads, updates anddisplays both AVCS (Admiralty VectorChart Service) charts and the AIO.

In addition, the new Voyager offers anumber of additional third party services,such as Regs4ships, findaport, AtoBviaC,Piracy information (via ICC) and Met515,displayed in one single interface.

“This is great news for Thomas Gunn,”says Mike Bailey, Voyager developmentmanager, Thomas Gunn NavigationServices.

“We very much value the long term

partnerships we have built up with ourcustomers, and when the choice is made toupgrade it is a validation not only of theproduct but also of the level of service wehave worked hard to achieve.”

Thomas Gunn says that Voyager 4 hasone of the best data compression ratesavailable, to improve data downloadtimes and reduce costs, and includes a freeVessel Management Service to assist inadministration.

ETC offers SAM and JRC ECDIS trainingwww.etc-training.com

ECDIS Training Consortium (ETC) haspartnered with SAM Electronics and JapanRadio Company (JRC) to provide trainingfor the companies’ ECDIS products.

ETC is a joint venture of training part-ners working under the patronage andcontrol of MSG MarineServe GmbH, a sis-ter company of Safebridge. It comprises 18training centres.

Following the new agreements, train-ing on SAM ECDIS CHARTPILOT andECDISPILOT equipment will be availablein a variety of formats. ETC partners canprovide classroom or on board face-to-face training, while Safebridge offers web-based training (WBT) and an off-line PCsolution for on board usage.

“With a view to the already startedECDIS implementation scheme, SAMElectronics has best positioned itselfstrategically for the upcoming ECDIStraining demand by bundling its trainingactivities with Safebridge and ETC,” saidArne Melzer, vice president Operations -Automation, Navigation andCommunication.

ETC can also provide type-specific train-ing on JRC systems, following its agree-ment with the Japanese manufacturer.

MSG MarineServe has been approvedto run end-user ECDIS training for the JRCJAN701/901-B and JAN 2000 systems, andto act as JRC’s extended outlet for instruc-

tor training under the ETC initiative to its partners.

JRC had already set up a training net-work worldwide, to which this new train-ing capability will be added.

“Adding ETC to our training locationsunderlines our efforts in this direction andmeans a great leap forward in our salesand customer support scheme,” said BasEerden, JRC’s marketing and productdevelopment manager.

ETC says that ECDIS type-specifictraining on JRC systems is now availablein more than 30 countries.

“Ship operators will have the advan-tage of even better geographic accessibili-ty and availability of ECDIS classroomand onboard training worldwide,” saidProf Ralph Becker-Heins, the instigator of ETC.

“All of this will run under assured andmonitored quality standards based on astandardised course structure, uniformcourse material and centralised, strategic,course management but with each localpartner guaranteeing the full range of local support, services and on-site tutorship.”

In addition to SAM Electronics andJRC, other ECDIS manufacturers such asDanelec Marine, Imtech Marine, MartekMarine, Navico Simrad, RaytheonAnschütz, Northrop Grumman SperryMarine and Chartworld are also using theETC training network.



Korea Lines’ navigators will have access toa greater range of data with the new

version of the software

www.eagle.org

software service training consulting integration understanding

NS5 Enterprise: the trusted name in fleet management software.in fleet management softwar

Korea Lines upgrades navigation software

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 6


Digital Ship

www.transas.com

Transas Hellas has announced that it hassigned contracts to supply DynamicPositioning (DP) simulators to COSMOSNautical Training Centre in Greece, andthe Romanian Nautical College.

Transas Class B and Class C DP simu-lators are to be installed at COSMOSNTC. They will expand the existingTransas Full Mission Bridge and the MiniBridge Simulators.

Adding a DP2 station with MT controls

will make it possible to use the FullMission Bridge as a DP simulator Class B.The Mini Bridge Simulators will beextended with two DP1 stations for use asa DP simulator Class C.

Class C DP infrastructure is currentlybeing commissioned, while integrationand commissioning of the DP Class Barrangement will commence by the end ofthe month.

Transas says that accreditation by theNautical Institute is expected soon, withthe DP courses starting at the COSMOS

Nautical Training Centre by the beginningof academic year 2013-2014.

In Romania, Transas reports that it hascompleted an upgrade of the simulatorfacilities at the Romanian NauticalCollege, which will allow the College tobecome the first commercial company to offer an accredited DP training coursein Romania.

As part of the project, Transas upgrad-ed the existing navigational simulator tothe latest NTPRO 5000 software, toensure that training is in compliance withSTCW 2010.

In addition, a DP tutor and a DP simulator class 2 were installed in the college, to meet the requirements of theNautical Institute and correspondingDNV standard.

With this upgrade the college will beable to offer basic and advanced DP cours-es, DP refresher training and conceptfamiliarisation courses.

The Transas DP simulator features adedicated Instructor DP Panel for monitoring and introducing faults to theDP related equipment. The instructor can introduce faults and errors for any equipment, including frozen pitch,poor GPS coverage, low UPS battery andeven blackouts.

All parameters are recorded in a log filefor debriefing and playback, which alsomay include audio and video recording ofthe trainees’ actions.

www.veripos.com

Veripos, which provides GNSS services,has announced that Havila Shipping hasextended its present contract for position-ing services until the end of 2015. Bothcompanies are based in Norway.

Under the renewed arrangement,Veripos will continue to provide itsStandard 2 dual-beam service aboard nineHavila Shipping offshore support vessels.

The service features both GPS andGlonass capabilities in order to increaseobservation redundancy while ensuringpositioning to accuracies of 1m or better.

Ancillary equipment installed aboardvessels comprises a series of Veripos LD2integrated mobile units for generating anyproprietary positioning solution. Veripossays that they are the only ones of theirtype capable of realising 10cm GPS-Glonass solutions.

Transas DP simulators for Romania and Greece

DP simulators will expand the full mission bridge simulators currently in use at COSMOS NTC

Havila extendsVeripos contract

Fast, intuitive route planning and navigation monitoring

www.furuno.comFURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.

Multifunction dislay capability, featuring ECDIS, Conning Information Display,

Radar/Chart Radar and Alert Management

Instant chart redraw delivered by FURUNO’s advanced chart drawing engine,

making redraw latency a thing of the past

Task based operation making the ECDIS operation simple and intuitive

Fast, precise route planning, monitoring and navigation data management

FMD-3200 [19" LCD] FMD-3300 [23.1" LCD]

FURUNO provides thoroughgoing ECDIS training programs:

Proper ECDIS training is available at FURUNO’s own training centers, INSTC and at the NavSkills network of training centers. The training programs consist of:

• Generic ECDIS training in accordance with IMO ECDIS Model Course 1.27. Presently only available at INSTC Denmark.

• FURUNO type specific ECDIS training, available at INSTC Denmark, INSTC Singapore and at the NavSkills facilities: FURUNO Deutschland GmbH, GMC Maritime Training Center (Greece), OCEAN TRAINING CENTER (Turkey), Odessa Maritime Training Center (Ukraine), A.S. Moloobhoy & Sons (India), FURUNO Shanghai (China), COMPASS Training Center (Philippines) and VERITAS Maritime Training Center (Philippines)

Please contact INSTC Denmark at [email protected] for details.

Alphatron Marine Systems hassigned a deal with Net-Logic to distributeNavWatch, a dual compass monitor and selector.

www.net-logic.co.ukwww.alphatronmarine.nl

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 7



www.net-logic.co.uk

Net-Logic has announced the launch of itsnew NavWatch Dual Compass Monitorand Selector for use with gyrocompasses.

NavWatch includes an integratedCourse Monitor which it says providessystem redundancy on any gyrocompasscombination from any manufacturer.

Ships over 500gt are required to carry agyrocompass on board and must employ afail-safe mechanism in case of error. Theseerrors include a streaming error, whererapid changes in a vessel’s course, speedand latitude cause deviation before thegyro can adjust itself.

Net-Logic notes that the best solution to

this problem is to carry two gyrocompass-es in order to comply with the legalrequirements, but due to the high cost ofbuying two with the required pairingcapacity operators often have to rely onother methods.

The company says that NavWatcheliminates this problem by allowing anytwo gyrocompasses to work together,which gives the vessel the opportunity toselect a combination of gyros to suit theirneeds and budget.

NavWatch comprises three functions.The first of these is CompassWatch,

which monitors input from any combina-tion of gyrocompass pairing and alarmswhen a threshold is exceeded.

www.comarkcorp.com

Comark Corporation, an Americandesigner and manufacturer of ruggedizedcustom computer solutions hasannounced the next generation of itsEnduraNode Series, featuring Intel’s i5/i7processing options.

The computer has been tested to meetthe requirements of IEC60945, with typeapproval for marine applications expectedthis summer.

Comark says that its EnduraNode sup-ports up to 16GB RAM, with options forDVD, PCI express and Legacy PCI expan-

sion slots, and operates on either AC orDC vehicle input power. All electronicsare conformal coated to protect againstmoisture.

“Our next gener-ation EnduraNodeE m b e d d e dComputer providesour customers witha current technolo-gy rugged comput-er that meets therequirements ofmarine and vehicleenvironments,” said

business development manager KeithVreeland.

Furuno introduces new ECDIS series

Meridian gyros getChina type approval

Dual gyrocompass solution launched

www.furuno.co.jp

Furuno has introduced its new FMD3x00series of ECDIS systems which it says hasbeen developed based on the insights ofcommercial navigators.

The FMD3x00 uses a task-basedGraphical User Interface and incorporatesan “InstantAccess Bar” to make featuresaccessible. The chart redraw is instanta-neous when panning and zooming, and anew spilt screen mode allows for chart dis-play at different scales on the same screen.The equipment can be networked withFuruno’s FAR2xx7 Radars for target over-

lay, TTM, route and waypoint display onthe Radar screen.

Furuno says that its FMD3x00 ECDISallows for up to five profiles to be cus-tomised by individual watchkeepers. Aplayback function allows the bridge teamto replay a voyage for training or reviewpurposes. Furthermore, a customisableconning display may be utilised by con-necting an additional monitor.

In this series, the FMD3200 includes a19” LCD display, while the FMD3300 hasa 23” LCD display. Also available is theFMD3200BB, which is a Black Box versionthat allows you to connect virtually any

Furuno has expanded training availability for its new ECDIS systems in the Philippines

size monitor. The FMD series ECDIS is fully type

approved with existing MU201CE andMU231CE monitors.

The systems are delivered pre-loadedwith official NOAA S57 ENC and IENCInland Waterways Charts.

IMO (International MaritimeOrganization) regulations already requireECDIS on certain newly built passengervessels and tankers. New cargo vesselswill be required to fit ECDIS no later thanJuly 1st, 2014. Existing ships will begin tobe affected by these regulations at thesame time, with final fitting dates sched-uled for 2018-2019.

Furuno says that it has already sold morethan 5,000 ECDIS units worldwide. Todesign the FMD3x00, its engineers workedwith a focus group comprising experiencedcommercial navigators to identify what fea-tures were essential, which functionsweren’t necessary, and how to make elec-tronic navigation more efficient.

In related news, Furuno says that it hasadded type specific training for the newECDIS FMD-3200/FMD-3300 in thePhilippines.

The COMPASS training centre inManila had training workstations installedin May and its instructors have beentrained through Furuno’s train-the-trainerprogramme.

The training programme for the FMD-3200/FMD-3300 available at COMPASS is

www.teledyne-tss.com

Teledyne TSS, a UK-based manufacturerof gyro compasses, has announced thatthe China Classification Society has grant-ed type approval to its Meridian Standardand Meridian Surveyor gyros.

Teledyne TSS notes that this approvalopens the Chinese shipbuilding and off-shore survey markets for these products.

“The Chinese market is very importantto us,” said Brian Huntsman, vice presi-dent and general manager of TeledyneTSS. “Obtaining type approval for Chinarequired a major investment by our com-pany but I am confident that it will proveworthwhile.”

The Meridian range is already IMO,Wheelmark and Russian MaritimeRegister of Shipping approved. Teledynesays that more than 4,000 gyrocompassesare in use aboard ships, boats and sub-mersible craft.

Positioned at the top of that range is theMeridian Surveyor, which Teledynedescribes as a high-precision gyrocompasscapable of providing dynamic headingaccuracies of ±0.2⁰ even in extreme seaconditions. With a settle time of 40 min-utes, the instrument can maintain headingaccuracies through turn rates as high as200⁰ per second, says its manufacturer.

Meridian gyros – now certified in ChinaEnduraNode supports up to 16GB of RAM

identical to the type specific training forthe same models provided by Furuno’sown training centres in Denmark andSingapore. The syllabus has been devel-oped by INSTC Denmark in compliancewith the STCW and ISM Codes as well aswith all currently known requirementsfrom flag states.

Since COMPASS joined the NavSkillsnetwork in April 2012, it has concludedabout 170 Furuno type specific ECDIScourses for the FEA2107/FEA-2807 andissued just about 1,000 certificates toFilipino navigators.

Furuno says that besides thePhilippines, it can provide type specifictraining for the FMD-3200/FMD-3000ECDIS in Denmark, Singapore, Germany,Greece, and China.

The next is HeadingWatch, which mon-itors vessel course and alarms when a userdefinable threshold is exceeded, and thelast is DualWatch, a combined display ofcourse and compass monitor.

“Installing NavWatch allows the vesselto use any two gyros in combinationregardless of brand or cost,” said JackRobinson, global distribution manager forNet-Logic products.

“We have also added additional fea-tures that monitor your heading whilesimultaneously monitoring any drift inGyros. The system also lets you knowexactly which one of the gyrocompassesproduced the error and a simple switchover can avoid a major incident.”

Next generation EnduraNode embedded computer

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 8

www.ursanav.comwww.gla-rrnav.org

The United Kingdom is to install seveneLoran stations on its southern and east-ern coasts, offering passenger and cargoships sailing the busy waters of theEnglish Channel and the North Sea a back-up to their GPS systems.

The stations will provide alternativePosition, Navigation and Timing (PNT)information to ensure that ships equippedwith eLoran receivers can navigate safelyin the event of GPS failure.

GPS signals are vulnerable to both acci-dental and deliberate jamming – and GPSjammers are available online for as little as £30.

Many devices and applications onboard ships rely on GPS-based informa-tion. ELoran technology is based on long-wave radio signals and is independentand complementary to GPS.

Earlier this year, the GeneralLighthouse Authorities (GLA) of the UKand Ireland tested a prototype automaticresilient PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) system using eLoran. The tri-als were carried out aboard the THVGalatea out of Harwich on several excur-sions between 28th February and 1st Marchthis year.

Following approval by the UKDepartment of Transport, it wasannounced that seven differential eLoran

stations will be installed along the Southand East coast of the UK. The equipmentwill be replaced in two prototype stationsat Dover and Harwich, and five new sta-tions will be deployed in the Medway,Humber, Middlesbrough, Firth of Forthand Aberdeen.

The GLAs have contracted UrsaNav forthe deployment to deliver initial opera-tional capability by summer 2014. Fulloperational capability covering all majorports is expected by 2019.

The UK is the first country in the worldto deploy this technology for shippingcompanies operating both passenger andcargo services.

South Korea, which suffered a 16-dayGPS jamming attack by North Korea lastyear, has expressed its wish to establishan eLoran alliance with the UK while itpursues its own rollout of differentialeLoran stations, due for completion in 2015.

The UK’s Minister of Shipping StephenHammond said: “The deployment ofseven eLoran stations follows the success-ful demonstration of eLoran as a resilientPNT technology and puts the UK at theforefront of developments to improvenavigational safety.”

Martin Bransby, Research &Radionavigation manager at the GLAs,also noted: “(This) announcement is a sig-nificant step towards improving safety atsea, but few vessels currently have

receivers to take advantage of the new sta-tions. We hope that the maritime industrywill respond proactively to the new sta-tions rollout by installing eLoran receiverson more vessels.”

Charles Schue, president and CEO ofUrsaNav, said: “We are very proud to beworking with the General LighthouseAuthorities on this project, which is the

most advanced of its kind in the world.”“The number of enquiries we receive

about eLoran and other resilient PNT tech-nology continues to increase and we arenow approached for further informationon a daily basis. Much of this is testamentto the example being set in the UK, raisingawareness of the need for a robust backupto GPS.”

UK adds eLoran as GPS backup

The prototype eLoran station already providing signals at Dover will get new equipment,and will be one of seven eLoran stations around the UK

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International regulations as well as varying demands by different stakeholders necessitate that shipping companies worldwide provide sufficient ECDIS training for their crew – and type-specific training is becoming one of the most important aspects of a seafarer’s education. Julie Ann Chan spoke to officers

from Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG about their real life experiences of ECDIS training

ECDIS training – the reality

AA ccording to the Manila amend-ments to the STCW Conventionand Code, every officer sailing on

a SOLAS vessel is required to completeECDIS training in the next few years. Pro-visions for this transition time need to betaken according to individual nationalregulations, with respect to both genericas well as type-specific ECDIS training.

The large number of ECDIS-relatedaccidents at sea are the result of a deficit intraining, according to major accidentreports. Crew sailing on ECDIS navigatedvessels agree.

“It is very important to have propertraining for all the instruments used onboard,” notes John Grecia from thePhilippines, third officer for shippingcompany Peter Döhle, who himself is atrainer (navigation, seamanship etc.).

“Without the necessary education,navigators lack the confidence to properlyuse the instrument and are prone to makemistakes, especially since there is notmuch time for trial and error once the ves-sel is under way and little room for cor-recting errors.”

“Operating an ECDIS without the prop-er knowledge can be very dangerous.”

As a consequence of this trainingdeficit, international regulations such asthe Manila Amendments to the STCW setdown competence requirements makingECDIS training mandatory for mastersand officers, coming into effect at thebeginning of 2017.

During the transition period however,there is no binding or even clear interna-tional standard. Different stakeholdershave set down their own varying ECDIS

training regulations, with flag stateadministrations, port state control inspec-tion requirements and vetting inspectionregulations all requiring different levels oftraining to be completed before 2017.

For example, the MCA (Maritime andCoastguard Agency) in the UK stipulatesthat both generic and type-specific ECDIStraining should be completed before 2017.In addition, training has to be approvedby the MCA or an EU Member State andfailure to provide the respective certifica-tion has been known to lead to refusal ofrecognition and imposition of sanctions.

The Australian Maritime SafetyAuthority (AMSA) has also issued aMarine Notice concerning Port State con-trol inspections which says that portinspectors are expected to ensure that bothgeneric and type-specific ECDIS traininghas been undertaken by the master andofficers in charge of a navigational watch.

Today, ECDIS is a topic of concern formany shipping companies, especially theapproval of ECDIS training by the differ-ent stakeholders as experts urge shippingcompanies to carefully assess their crew’sneed for training.

Comprehensive information about therelevant international regulations, set-down both by the flag state and therespective port states, is essential in orderto perform the gap analysis necessary toascertain the shipping companies’ individ-ual ECDIS training demands.

Type-specific trainingThe regulations on ECDIS training and therequirements with regards to approval bydifferent entities can be confusing, howev-

er, most stakeholders accept type-specifictraining that has been approved by themanufacturer.

According to the 2010 ManilaAmendments, masters and officers onships fitted with ECDIS need to fulfilbasic competence requirements. Thisknowledge is conveyed through genericECDIS training.

In addition, the Manila Amendmentsstipulate the need for crew to be ‘famil-iarised’ with safety and navigational equip-ment prior to boarding. This requirement ismet by type-specific ECDIS training.

Accordingly, type-specific trainingshould convey theoretical knowledge andalso include practical exercises to famil-iarise crew with the ECDIS equipmentthey will use on board, including its back-up arrangements, sensors and relatedperipherals. Type-specific training can beconducted on-site in a (mobile) classroomor on board, but also online and via CBT.

ECDIS manufacturer Furuno has beenoffering type-specific ECDIS training forover two years.

In 2011, Furuno set up a type-specificECDIS training course in Hamburg. Sincethen more than 250 trainees from around30 companies, half of which are German,have successfully passed the final exam,certifying that the required competencehas been obtained, and have been issuedwith their certificate.

Trainees come from all over the world toHamburg for the ECDIS training course,although the largest groups of participantscome from Ukraine, Russia and Poland.

Shipping company Peter Döhle hasequipped the largest vessels in its consid-

erable fleet with Furuno ECDIS.Consequently, the shipping companysends its staff to Furuno for type-specificECDIS training.

In order to participate in the type-specif-ic training, officers need to have successful-ly completed a generic ECDIS trainingcourse. Furuno offers type-specific ECDIStraining, but has a BSH-approved coopera-tion agreement with the Department ofMaritime studies at HochschuleWarnemünde in order to provide cus-tomers with generic ECDIS training.

The combined generic and type-specif-ic ECDIS training conducted by Furunocan be completed within five days on thepremises at Hochschule Warnemünde,where all the relevant simulators andequipment is provided.

Although the shipping company has itsown training facility in Manila, wheretype-specific training for Transas andSperry Marine units is completed, it coop-erates with a variety of different trainingproviders, such as Furuno and Safebridge,for ECDIS from other manufacturers.

“Shipping companies should ensurethe quality of the generic ECDIS training,”says Simon Penz, service and trainingmanager at Furuno in Germany.

“We have heard of training institutes inother parts of the world where generictraining is offered for a price that suggeststhat the training is not conducted verythoroughly. I have been asked by cus-tomers if such training is good enough.Well, you will obtain a certificate for yourofficers but don’t expect quality and don’texpect that they know much afterwards.”

“On the German market the averageprice for a generic ECDIS training isbetween €1000 and €1200. If you can get itfor $50 somewhere else, you must askyourself where the difference is. However,although there are notable differencesdepending on where the generic traininghas been completed, we have never had atrainee yet that didn’t pass our type-spe-cific training.”

In addition, it is helpful if the type-spe-cific training is completed soon after thegeneric training, though in practice, thisvaries greatly.

Some trainees, says Mr Penz, have liter-ally just finished the generic training acouple of days before, whereas others,especially the younger ones who completetheir generic training at the Academy,may have a gap of several years.

However, he adds, relevant knowledgefrom the generic course, such as abbrevia-tions etc, is refreshed during the Furunotraining and any trainee with valid certifica-tion can complete the course successfully.

“My generic ECDIS training, which Icompleted in Bombay on a JRC ECDIS, wassix months ago,” notes Kaustubh GawdeJohn Grecia from the Philippines is a third officer with shipping company Peter Döhle, and one of its designated ECDIS trainers

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from India, second officer at Döhle.“I find that there is not such a big dif-

ference between the types of ECDIS that Ihave so far used. Most features are similarand only some, such as the symbols, thedisplay and route planning, are different.”

“I completed my generic ECDIS train-ing three years ago,” adds Mr Grecia, “butI still remember a lot.”

“Ideally, the theoretical knowledgeshould be conveyed by the generic train-ing and the type-specific training shouldfocus more on the practical aspects andgive us more hands-on experience.”

Also, says Mr Penz, it is easier to trainofficers that have not been sailing onECDIS previously.

“We have made the experience thattrainees, who have used ECDIS for awhile, often develop a certain automa-tism,” he explained.

“Then, when they come to the trainingand we show them that operations can bedone more efficiently, they often havetrouble discarding the old work habit andadapting to a new routine, especially sincetwo days is a very short timeframe tochange automatic procedures. On theother hand, trainees with no previousexperience can be guided into the mosteffective use of ECDIS much easier.”

Mr Grecia agrees. “A lot of the informa-tion conveyed by the course was new forme as I have never sailed on an ECDISvessel or attended a type-specific ECDIStraining course, although I have been sail-ing on vessels that use ECS,” he says.

“I am very pleased that I can use ECDIScorrectly from the start. I found the train-ing tremendously helpful and I think itsaved me a lot of time and effort.”

“Sometimes, when trainings are lessthorough, you still need to go back to themanual again and again in order to dou-ble-check some information or correctsome action. This, I think, will be obsoletewith the Furuno ECDIS training.”

Two days, eight studentsand two trainers

Furuno type-specific ECDIS training isconducted by a former engineer, compe-tent in both the technical and operationalaspects of the equipment, as well as MrPenz, who has more than 10 years’ experi-ence in marine software training.

The training is spread over two fulldays and offers a combination of theoreti-cal and practical elements, containingroughly 60 per cent theory. The exactamount however, says Mr Penz, dependson the base knowledge of the respectivetrainees and is adjusted individually ineach class.

Some companies send trainees thathave previously worked with the equip-ment, so the course can be tailored to con-tain more practical exercises.

However, if theoretical knowledge islacking, practical exercises are of very lim-ited use, Mr Penz explains. In this case, theclass focuses on building up the founda-tions on which practical experience can begained.

“Ideally, the course should be a daylonger to give some more time for prac-tice,” Mr Grecia emphasizes, and his col-league from India agrees.

“For a really thorough understandingand some solid practical experience an

additional day for more hands-on practicewould be extremely helpful.”

Mr Penz however notes that Furunoshortened the training from three daysdown to two on customers’ requests.

In general, the training course consistsof five to six trainees but can take a maxi-mum of eight if needed. Some shippingcompanies, like Peter Döhle, wish to booka full course, but it is often difficult toalign crew changes in Hamburg, Mr Penznotes, and most of the time students comefrom different companies. Furuno offersfixed dates for the courses, but is flexible ifcompanies choose to book an entire train-ing course.

“I appreciate the size of the class,”notes Mr Gawde.

“Small classes enable better interactionbetween trainees and instructors and dur-ing this training all questions wereanswered thoroughly. The most importantthing is that each of us had their own com-puter to practise on.”

The course starts with the presentationof the most relevant ECDIS functions.During the first day, trainees are famil-iarised with the ECDIS set up, manuals,documentation as well as chart handling.On the second day, students study sen-sors, alarms and fall back arrangements,learn how to update the software, useplanning tools and finish off with moni-toring the route plan.

The practical training is conducted noton the original ECDIS equipment but onPCs. However, in order to create a nearreal-life experience, Furuno supplies everytrainee with the original input unit, theECDIS control unit, that they will be usingon board.

“It is most important that trainees learnto operate the control unit properly,” saysMr Penz.

“The trainees need to get used to theindividual buttons on the control unit andlearn which function is assigned to whichbutton. We have a maximum of eighttrainees, so that each of them can practiseon their own unit.”

“In our experience the feel and touch isextremely important. The monitor onboard, on the other hand, makes no bigchange to what we use during the training.”

In terms of training material, Furunouses its own paper documentation, whichis issued by the Furuno training head-

quarters in Copenhagen and approved byDNV. As part of the company’s overallcrew training concept, Navskills, allECDIS trainers are trained according tothe same standards and Furuno trainingcentres all over the world use uniformtraining materials and texts.

By conducting the training on originalFuruno software, although not necessarilyexactly the same version as that used lateron board, the company aims to seetrainees gain first-hand experience, whichwill enable them to more easily settle intothe on board handling of the equipment.

Once the training has been completedsuccessfully, trainees should be able to go

directly on board and operate the realequipment, says Mr Penz.

The future of navigationis paperless

Eight Peter Döhle trainees are discussingthe last two days as their course comes to anend. A lot of information has been coveredduring the intense training sessions, allow-ing the students to gather practical experi-ence, and Peter Döhle’s officers feel positiveabout the new means of navigation.

“The future of navigation is paperless,”says Mr Gawde. “And I learnt a lot aboutpaperless navigation in the Furuno ECDIStraining.”

“Things become a lot easier with elec-tronic navigation. Especially the manualcorrections on the paper chart, which Ifound cumbersome, are now much easier.”

“The disadvantage of an ECDIS is, ofcourse, that it can fail any time and if nobackup ECDIS is on board we have toresort to paper navigation again.”

In addition to those mentioned by MrGawde, there are a number of otheradvantages to paperless navigation, notesMr Grecia.

“In my opinion, a big plus of electronicnavigation is that the updating is eatingmuch less into my time. This allows me toconcentrate on other important tasks athand,” he says.

“A CD and a few clicks are enough toensure that I navigate according to themost up-to-date chart, whereas if I usepaper charts I need to manually draw,erase and correct the route. It is muchmore complicated.”

In general, the trainees feel well-pre-pared for their future tasks on board Peter

Döhle’s largest vessels, but say theywould have opted for more practical exer-cises if possible.

“I think I am very well-prepared by thecourse and will not need to do much addi-tional work, although I used my sparetime after the first day to go through thenotes again as there is a lot of informationsqueezed into the two days,” Mr Gawdesays.

“The instruction we received was in-depth and comprised everything I think Ineed to know about navigating with aFuruno ECDIS,” Mr Grecia adds.

“However, I am very pleased that wetake home a comprehensive manual,which will allow me to check up later onboard if I feel the need to.”

His colleague from India adds that,“compared to other manuals I have comeacross the Furuno handout is very thor-oughly prepared. However no manual cansubstitute a knowledgeable instructor.Luckily we have both!”

In terms of the topics covering the dif-ferent functionalities of a Furuno ECDIS,the trainees are confident they have learntwhat they need including backup arrange-ments, sensors and related peripherals.

“An ECDIS unit has more than 600 dif-ferent functions, and although we could ofcourse not cover every single one we havelearned about all the ones that are impor-tant for navigators,” Mr Grecia says.

Mr Gawde agrees: “I feel very confidentthat this course has enabled me to handleany Furuno ECDIS that I might comeacross on board. Especially the most impor-tant functions that are required for day-to-day work, which we have covered verythoroughly during the two days,” he says.

In light of the demands created by thevarious national and international regula-tions on ECDIS training, the course hasprepared the Peter Döhle officers for alleventualities.

“The course has prepared me for deal-ing with different regulations concerningECDIS. We have learned about legalaspects and port state issues, what weneed if we have an inspection and more,”Mr Gawde explains.

“But the most useful aspect of the coursewas undoubtedly the practical experience,especially the route planning, monitoringand the exercises that prepared us for cor-recting the route on the ECDIS.”

From the classroom tothe vessel

Having completed their training duties,the outlook of the students at the end oftheir type-specific ECDIS training courseis thoroughly positive. The students areconvinced they have learned how to oper-ate a Furuno ECDIS safely.

“This course has taught me to recogniseevery button and know its underlyingfunction,” says Mr Grecia.

“But only day-to-day practise will showthe exact benefit of this ECDIS training.”

Indeed, most of them will leave thecourse and make their way to their newplace of work.

“I step out of the Furuno training centreand onto the vessel,” concludes Mr Grecia,“and I am sure that the training willenable me to know what I am supposed todo with the ECDIS and to do a safe andgood job!”

Peter Döhle’s largest vessels all have Furuno ECDIS installed

DS

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 12

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VDR equipment is mandatory on a wide range of vessels, and records a vast array of information – but is the maritimeindustry getting the most out of the information that is provided? A report by OCIMF suggests that

shipping companies could be doing more to maximise the benefits of VDR

Getting more from VDR

TT he Oil Companies InternationalMarine Forum (OCIMF), a volun-tary association of oil companies

with an interest in the shipping of oil andgas, has issued a revised edition of its infor-mation paper on the use of Voyage DataRecorders (VDR), with a number of sug-gestions about how the maritime industrycould improve its use of this technology.

In its Recommendations on the ProactiveUse of Voyage Data Recorder Information,available from the OCIMF website, theassociation outlines a number of ways inwhich it believes that the shipping industrycould make better use of the data collected.

Mandatory regulations concerning thecarriage of VDR are contained in chapterV of the Safety of Navigation of theInternational Convention for the Safety ofLife at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS).

These regulations state that passengerships, and ships other than passenger shipsof 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards, con-structed on or after 1 July 2002 must carryvoyage data recorders (VDRs) to assist inaccident investigations (though certaintype of ships are permitted to carry a sim-plified voyage data recorder, or S-VDR).

The specifications and types of datathat must be collected by the equipmentare set out in a set of performance stan-dards, which state that the VDR should“continuously maintain sequential recordsof preselected data items relating to statusand output of the ship's equipment andcommand and control of the ship.”

These include Date and Time; Ship’sPosition; Speed; Heading; Bridge Audio;Communications Audio; Radar data andEcho Sounder, as well as a range of other sta-tus information about various ship systems.

In theory, this information should beexamined after any accident involving theship, to, as IMO suggests, “permit subse-quent analysis of factors surrounding anincident” and, hopefully, assist the indus-try at large in making sure that any mis-takes that may have occurred can be pre-vented from happening again.

However, in its report OCIMF suggestsVDR data is often found to be “incom-plete” and notes that the potential benefitsof the regulation are reduced as a result.

The association recommends that agreater level of attention is given to the col-lection and analysis of VDR data, and saysthat an opportunity to collect good datashowing how the navigation of the ship isactually performed is being lost.

This data could be analysed to providefeedback learning to prevent incidents,and as such OCIMF is advocating thatsuch data collection should be a normalpart of safety management.

There is plenty of scope for improve-ment – figures from Intertanko, theInternational Association of IndependentTanker Owners, show that collisions, con-tacts or groundings have consistently

made up between 40 and 60 per cent of alltanker incidents each year since 1978,though this figure has remained at under50 per cent in the last five years.

However, OCIMF notes that the pro-portion of oil spills caused by collisionsand groundings is a higher proportion –approximately 64 per cent between 1974and 2010, according to figures sourcedfrom ITOPF, the International TankerOwner Pollution Federation.

Learning from aviationOne of the recommendations made byOCIMF in its report is to learn from theaction taken by other industries in assess-ing accident prevention data, particularlyaviation.

On aircraft, Flight Data Recorders, pop-ularly known as the ‘black box’, perform asimilar function to shipboard VDR sys-tems, collecting a range of data related tothe operation of all of the electronic sys-tems on board as well as audio recordingsof conversations between members of theflight team.

Various different versions of this tech-nology have been in use on aeroplanes formore than 50 years, giving the aviationindustry a significant head start when itcomes to the application of this kind of data.

OCIMF’s report points to a number ofdifferent research projects that helped toestablish a link between proactive analysisof voyage data (i.e. regular analysis takingplace before any incident has occurred)and improved safety.

These research results prompted theInternational Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO) to add an amendment to its ownregulations to require that “an operator ofan aeroplane of maximum certificatedtake-off weight in excess of 27,000kg shallestablish and maintain a flight data analy-sis programme as part of its accident pre-vention and flight safety programme.”

OCIMF believes that the maritimeindustry should consider the possibility oftaking a similar approach, noting in itsreport that while it took the aviationindustry “some 20 to 30 years to fullyappreciate and realise the potential bene-fits from routine analysis of FDR data …similar benefits are available to the mar-itime industry.”

The software used in today’s VDR sys-tems could be programmed to detecttrends or significant events in the data thatis being collected based on a defined set ofparameters, and that the data could helpto identify behaviours that could poten-tially lead to accidents before they occur.

For example, various combinations ofvessel speed and heading could be com-bined with AIS (Automatic IdentificationSystem) and electronic chart data to illus-trate the way a ship is being handled inparticular circumstances, and comparedwith other ships to see if best practices are

being observed.Identification of areas where improve-

ments can be made will allow the compa-ny to provide additional training asrequired – and potentially avoid a costlyaccident in the future.

ChallengesOCIMF does note that there are a numberof challenges still to be overcome beforemore advanced use of VDR data might beseen as a viable option for the industry atlarge, both on the technology side and interms of practical ship operations.

On the technology side, OCIMF’sreport says that “some VDRs only receivedata from a single unit of each type ofequipment, such as one of the radars orone VHF set, when multiple units areinstalled.”

This is obviously a less than optimalarrangement, and OCIMF suggests that“consideration should be given to provid-ing separate feeds to the VDR from eachitem of equipment.”

Also, the report points to the fact thatsince, in most cases, VDR data is notexamined until an incident has occurred,“it is not uncommon to find that the VDRwas not fully operational at the time of theincident and that some or all of the datawas not recorded correctly.”

This problem of lost data can also becompounded by the fact that the perform-ance standards for VDR only require datato be stored for 12 hours – older data maysimply be overwritten and lost forever.

Another OCIMF recommendation isthat shipping companies undertake “acentral assessment of information from allships in (the) fleet (to enable) the correlationof occurrences of events which may be asso-ciate, for example, with particular ports,Masters, pilots or weather conditions.”

However, the association notes that the12-hour data storage limitation would also

hinder any efforts in this regard – if theinformation on the VDR was downloadedonce the ship got to port, any voyage dataolder than 12 hours would be lost.

As such, OCIMF suggests that “the‘standard’ VDR therefore does not lenditself to facilitate the implementation ofcomprehensive voyage assessment andanalysis.”

In an era when digital data storage hasbecome so cheap that a 1 terabyte diskdrive can be bought at a retail computerstore for less than $100, this seems like anunnecessary limitation. If that data couldbe used to improve operations or preventan accident it may also prove to be anexpensive limitation.

OCIMF’s report offers its own potentialsolutions, noting that external units tointegrate with the VDR and extend thedata record to 90 days are available forapproximately $3,000, while modern sat-com systems could also allow companiesto manage the transmission of 20-30 MB ofdaily data required to shore withoutbreaking the bank.

The report also points out that “the reg-ular download of data also has the benefitof providing a check that all data inputsare functioning correctly.”

OCIMF’s list of recommendationsmakes a lot of sense in terms of promotinga continuing cycle of improvement at ashipping company.

An improved level of data gatheringand analysis will certainly help to identifyany areas of weakness, allowing for cor-rective measures to be taken. Continueddata analysis following these correctivemeasures can help to judge their effective-ness, or otherwise – allowing them to berefined and improved.

An iterative process like this would besure to improve safety in shipping – exact-ly the reason why VDR technology wasintroduced in the first place.

VDR systems carry a wealth of information that shipping companies could useto analyse performance. Photo: Hervé Cozanet

DS

p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:03 Page 14

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p31-52:p15-25.qxd 09/08/2013 16:04 Page 15



As mandatory requirements for bridge navigational watch alarm systems (BNWAS) begin to be phased in over the next few years, recent accident reports have shown how this technology could offer a simple, yet effective way

to prevent many maritime accidents

The importance of BNWAS

TT he summer of 2013 marked the firstanniversary of the introduction ofmandatory fitting requirements

for bridge navigational watch alarm sys-tems (BNWAS) on certain types of vessels.

On vessels of 3000GT and above, allnew and existing ships built on or after 1July 2002, in accordance with the amend-ments made to SOLAS Chapter VRegulation 19 through the IMO’s MarineSafety Committee resolution 282(86),were required to have a system installedby 1 July 2012.

A BNWAS is an onboard alerting sys-tem which monitors bridge activity todetect operator incapacity.

An OOW is required to either reset thesystem regularly or operate navigationequipment within certain time intervals. Ifthe system is not reset as required, visualand audible alarms are generated on thebridge.

If the OOW does not respond, thealarm is transferred to other areas of thevessel to notify crew members of theOOW’s incapacity.

The potential safety benefits of such asystem are obvious, in making sure that anactive and attentive watchkeeper is presenton the bridge at all times – and the poten-tial consequences of not having this tech-nology available is clearly illustrated insome recent accident investigation reports.

The excellent reports produced by theUK’s Marine Accident InvestigationBranch (MAIB) have recently included thecases of the vessels Coastal Isle (MarineCasualty Report No 9/2013) andBeaumont (Report No 14/2013), both ofwhich were involved in groundings thatcould have been prevented if an opera-tional BNWAS had been in place.

Coastal IsleAs reported by MAIB, on 2 July 2012,while on passage from Belfast toGreenock, the 89m feeder container vesselCoastal Isle ran aground on the Island of

Bute. The grounding resulted in signifi-cant damage to the forward section of thevessel, including minor breaches to theforward ballast tanks.

At about 0240 the chief officer, who wason watch at the time, had dismissed theordinary seaman who was on lookoutduties; shortly afterwards he left thebridge himself. The bridge was unmannedfrom that time until the vessel grounded at0443. The chief officer was subsequentlyfound in his cabin.

The vessel had two independent bridgewatch alarms, which should have warnedof the fact that the bridge was not mannedfor this period, but neither of them was inuse at the time. The power to the voyagedata recorder had also been switched offnearly two weeks before the accident.

The prescribed performance standardfor BNWAS requires that it should havethree modes of operation: ’manual ON (inoperation constantly), ‘manual OFF’ (doesnot operate under any circumstances) and‘automatic’ activation based on input fromthe vessel’s heading or track control system.

It is also required that access to the sys-tem be password protected, with the pass-word available to only the master.

The MAIB report notes that Coastal Islehad installed a new BNWAS system fromMartek Marine on 14 June 2012, calledNavgard, which complied with theBNWAS requirement. However, duringinstallation, the terminals for connectingto the autopilot system could not be iden-tified and therefore the BNWAS could notbe set up to work in the automatic mode.

The master on board at the time of theaccident did not know how to switch on orset the system. His predecessor hadreceived instruction from Martek Marinetechnicians when the system was commis-sioned, but these had not been passed on.

After successful commissioning, thesystem was not turned on and the original,default password set by Martek Marinewas never changed.

The MAIB carried out function tests ofthe system and established that it workedcorrectly in both the ‘manual ON’ modeand the ‘manual OFF’ mode.

Coastal Isle was originally fitted with awatch alarm that could be set to give analarm after 1. 5min, 3min or 12min of dor-mant time.

MAIB notes that it was a simple on /off system that had no facility to operateautomatically. When the system wasswitched on, the watch alarm sounded onthe bridge after the set dormant time; ifnot cancelled within a certain time, thegeneral alarm would sound.

At the time of the accident, this system,although fully functional, was switchedoff. There were no written instructions onboard concerning its use; it was left to thewatchkeepers to use it at their discretion.

As MAIB describes it, after the lookoutwas dismissed, the chief officer was aloneon the bridge and he could have thenswitched on the vessel’s original watchalarm as protection against the hazards ofsingle watchkeeping; however, he chosenot to use it.

In addition, the new BNWAS compli-ant watch alarm, though functional, wasnot switched on after it was installed.

Both watch alarms were capable ofwarning the rest of the crew if the bridgewatchkeeper was absent or asleep; MAIBsays that, had either been in use, this acci-dent probably would not have happened.

MAIB also notes that it was not possibleto determine exactly why the originalwatch alarm was not used, but it was con-sidered most likely that it was used soinfrequently it had been forgotten.

In light of these circumstances thereport’s conclusion is that the Coastal Isleran aground because there was no one onthe bridge to correct the vessel’s headingwhen it was set off course, and had either

of the watch alarms on the bridge beenswitched on, the absence of the bridgewatchkeepers would have been detectedand this accident could have been avoided.

To try and stop this kind of incidentreoccurring the vessel operators have nowconnected the new BNWAS to the autopi-lot system and set it up so that the pass-word is available only in offices on shore.

BeaumontThe lack of an operational BNWAS wasalso a key factor in the grounding of the2545gt dry cargo vessel Beaumont, whichran aground on Cabo Negro on the northSpanish coast while on passage from LaCoruña to Avilés at 0308 UTC on 12December 2012.

According to MAIB’s report on the inci-dent, Beaumont was sailing with the min-imum permitted safe manning of six. Thevessel’s two navigating officers, the mas-ter and chief officer, shared navigationalwatches equally, with the master on watchbetween 0600 – 1200 and 1800 – 2400.

Following his handover to the masterthe chief officer went below and, ataround 1900, went to bed. By that time thedeckhands had completed their prepara-tion of the cargo holds and at about 1930the master’s night lookout (deckhand 1)joined him on the bridge.

During his watch the master monitoredBeaumont’s progress along the naviga-tional track using an electronic chart sys-tem (ECS), and he plotted the vessel’sposition on the paper chart used for navi-gation every two hours. The vessel’scourse was maintained by an autopilot.

Two radars, one of which was set onthe 6 mile range scale and the other on the12 mile range, were operational but noguard zones had been set. An onboardecho sounder was not switched on, nor,crucially, was the installed BNWAS.The Coastal Isle also ran aground, on the island of Bute. Photo: MAIB

The Beaumont ran aground on Cabo Negro. Photo MAIB

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At about 0055, MAIB notes that thechief officer was required to call the Aviléspilot to provide information aboutBeaumont’s expected arrival time, but itslipped his mind.

Around 0130, the chief officer, like themaster before him, sent his lookout belowto rest in the mess deck. When deckhand 2left the bridge, the chief officer was seatedon what MAIB describes as a “comfortableport side bridge chair” and the starboardbridge wing door was about 75mm ajar.

At 0308, Beaumont ran aground onCabo Negro, at a speed of 11.5 knots.

Following the accident, MAIB reportsthat the chief officer recalled attempting tocall the Avilés pilot at 0155 and againshortly after 0200, receiving no reply,though no calls from Beaumont wereheard by Avilés pilot station.

The vessel’s position at 0200 wasrecorded on the chart, and the report saysthat the chief officer thought he fell asleepshortly after 0200.

Following the grounding the masterran to the bridge, where he found the chiefofficer still asleep. He roused him andsimultaneously placed the engine controlto neutral.

The chief officer awoke confused andwas shocked to find that the ship wasaground, though MAIB notes that therewas no indication that the chief officerwas under the influence of alcohol or anyother narcotic.

MAIB’s analysis of the incident sug-gested that the chief officer fell asleep on

watch due to lack of stimulation and prob-able fatigue.

Lack of stimulation occurred as a resultof being alone in a quiet, cosy bridge envi-ronment where none of the available safe-guards had been utilised. The chief offi-cer’s fatigue would appear to be a result ofthe change to his pattern of work and reston the day preceding the grounding.

MAIB suggests that it is likely that thechief officer fell asleep within two hours oftaking over the navigational watch fromthe master.

Situations such as these preciselydemonstrate the reasoning behind the

introduction of BNWAS, a simple technol-ogy that should have quickly identifiedthe fact that there was nobody on thebridge keeping an attentive watch.

While Beaumont was equipped with aBNWAS, specifically designed and fittedto alert or draw attention to an incapaci-tated OOW, the vessel’s managers did notspecifically require the BNWAS to be inoperation at sea.

Consequently, as MAIB notes, it was seldom, if ever, used by the bridgewatchkeepers.

In addition to BNWAS, MAIB’s analysispoints to the other navigational aids fittedon the ship also featured with alarm func-tions that, if used effectively, could haveprovided additional stimulation to preventthe chief officer from falling asleep.

Both radars had guard zone facilitieswhich could have been set to alarm if tar-gets such as land or vessels came within apredetermined range.

The echo sounder, which the SMS stip-ulated was to be used, was not switchedon. It too had an alarm function whichcould have been set to activate if the underkeel clearance reduced to less than a pre-determined setting, as it would have doneas the vessel approached the shore.

The ECS’s cross-track error facilitydetected when the vessel strayed morethan 1 cable distance from her plannedroute, prompting audible and visualalarms. The ECS alarm was sounding and flashing at the time of the accidentbut the volume had been adjusted to

render it barely audible.MAIB’s report concludes that, in light

of these facts, the vessel operator shouldhave required the appropriate use of navi-gational aids and ensured that theBNWAS was operational at all times whileat sea, to ensure that all the available safe-guards for maintaining a proper watchwere in place.

Consequently, the shipping companyhas now revised its SMS to require the useof BNWAS when vessels are underwayand, where technically possible, linkedBNWAS systems with autopilots so thatthe watch keeping alarm is operationalwhenever the autopilot is in use.

ConclusionsThe two MAIB reports described abovecover just two incidents within six monthsof each other where the application of sim-ple technology systems could have pre-vented costly accidents.

There are undoubtedly many more similar cases around the world that wouldfurther demonstrate the benefit of having a system like BNWAS installed on board a vessel.

By this time next year, in July 2014, allcargo vessels over 150 gt will be required tohave a BNWAS in place by the time theyare presented for their next annual survey.

Hopefully, more widespread use of thetechnology will prove to be a significantstep forward in reducing the frequency ofaccidents such as those that occurred tothe Beaumont and the Coastal Isle.

The BNWAS control panel on the Beaumont – the system was

not switched on. Photo: MAIB

DS

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II talian shipping company Nav-igazione Montanari currently ownsand operates a fleet of 28 vessels,

comprising nine Aframax tankers and 19oil / chemical tankers.

While most of the fleet trades on aworldwide basis, a few are trading withinthe Mediterranean.

The company is currently in the processof rolling out ECDIS to its entire fleet ofships, and reports some significant bene-fits of using the technology via its experi-ences on the vessels installed so far.

“The biggest advantage of havingENCs is the additional and un-interruptedtime available to the navigator for keepinga safe lookout without the need of visitingseparate chart rooms for plotting vesselpositions on paper charts,” explained CaptSavio Fernandes, marine superintendentat Navigazione Montanari.

“This delegation to an electronic systemallows navigating officers to focus onother critical tasks, i.e. collision risk assess-ment and avoidance. This automaticallyenhances navigational safety.”

“Six of our Aframaxes and oil / chemi-cal vessels are fitted with the Transas NaviSailor 4000 ECDIS, on these vessels it isused for primary navigation. As per ourplanned schedule we intend to install theTransas ECDIS on our entire fleet.”

The company’s decision to adopt ECDIShas been driven by a need to keep up todate with the latest navigational technolo-gies, to promote the highest possible levelof safety, according to Capt Fernandes.

He welcomes the mandatory implemen-tation of ECDIS as a positive step from theIMO in enhancing navigational safety, andbelieves it will indirectly improve the per-formance of watchkeeping officers andencourage safe navigational practices.

“ECDIS and ENCs are the future of mod-ern technology aided navigational methods,leading to more safer voyages and replacingthe old conventional methods. This was theforegoing thought for deciding to adoptECDIS and ENCs,” he said.

“Our objective was to identify andimplement the most suitable ECDIS forour fleet. While making the transition toelectronic navigation we had to ensurethat the complete benefits of ENCs wereavailable on a reliable and stable system.”

“Our extensive market research helpedconvince us that Transas were the marketleaders with very few problems experi-enced with the systems even when ECDISwas not made mandatory. We had to how-ever first ensure that Transas was alsoincluded in the list of flag-state approvedECDIS manufacturers.”

Capt Fernandes notes that making thisswitch also introduced significant chal-lenges for the company in training itsseagoing staff, most of whom had neverused ECDIS.

“As per our risk assessment and man-agement of change procedures, any imple-

mentation of new equipment and proce-dures is always accompanied with thetraining requirements for our staff so as toexperience and utilise the full potential ofchanges incorporated,” he said.

“However, easy availability of Transastraining centres both in Italy and India,where all our staff is employed from,helped us resolve this issue. Furthermore,the user friendly interfaces used were anadditional advantage. The Transas train-ing centres help us in complying with bothgeneric and type specific training under asingle schedule.”

“As the Transas ECDIS was installed onboard nine of our vessels prior to yarddelivery, our officers were imparted withthe ECDIS training in the shipyard itself.Subsequent staff were trained in shorebased training centres which wereequipped with Transas Simulators as theirtraining equipment. Effectiveness of thetraining carried out was verified duringship visits by our MarineSuperintendents.”

Capt Fernandes says that thecompany’s goal of improving nav-igational safety has been achievedon the vessels where it has imple-mented ECDIS to date, and pointsto some specific examples ofwhere the technology has been ofbenefit in this regard.

“When a radar image is over-laid on top of an ENC chart image,uncharted hazards such as otherships are shown on the same dis-play as charted hazards such asshoals relative to the ship’s posi-tion. This is a significant help for the watch-keeper in assessing the overall traffic situa-tion in relation to navigational hazards. Inaddition, a radar image of a fixed objectcan be compared with the same chartedobject to confirm the integrity of the posi-tion and heading sensors,” he explained.

“Automatic Identification System (AIS)integration assists in identifying other shipsin the vicinity, plus additional informationthat may be available from electronic aidsto navigation such as virtual buoyage.”

“Also, NAVTEX alerts can be receiveddirectly on the ECDIS display thus alert-ing the OOW, and various navigationalalarms incorporated in the ECDIS help inalerting the OOW thereby enhancing nav-igational safety.”

From a business point of view, CaptFernandes also notes that the switch toECDIS has led to a reduction in costs withregard to navigational charts.

“Changing over to ECDIS and ENCshas definitely decreased our chart expen-ditures, especially when we had to makeavailable paper charts at ports where anauthorised chart supplier was not avail-able, thereby incurring considerableamounts in logistics,” he explained.

“Another important fact is that we are saving a big amount of working hours

on board.”“The Pay-as-you-sail (method of licens-

ing also) appears to be a welcome idea tohelp reduce costs of procuring charts. Thesame shall be considered for the future,beginning with a trial period to confirmour usage costs reductions. We are alreadyapplying it on retrofits.”

Five Star ShippingLike Navigazione Montanari, Five StarShipping Company, based in Mumbai,India, operates mainly on a global basis,and has also decided to equip its vesselswith ECDIS technology.

The company operates a fleet of sevenbulk carriers consisting of cape size andpanamax size vessels. Vessels are on longterm charter, mainly spot trading, carry-ing grain, coal, iron ore and fertilizers, andcover routes worldwide.

One of the most important drivers forFive Star to press ahead with implementa-

tion of ECDIS on its newly delivered ves-sels ahead of the mandatory carriagerequirement was the equipment’s ability tostreamline the chart updating process, asKayhan J Irani, deputy general manager atFive Star Shipping Company, explains.

“Although ECDIS was not mandatory,during our first yard delivery in 2009 wefelt that there was a need to upgradeourselves with the latest technology,” hetold us, “and so we opted to installECDIS as primary and secondary meansof navigation on our vessels.”

“The main business objective was to getup-to-date charts on the go rather thanhaving to procure paper charts from port.”

“With last minute fixtures, ENC chartscan be procured at a click of a button any-where in the world and also can be updat-ed instantly.”

Five Star has also examined the potentialbenefits of Pay As You Sail licensing, andMr Irani notes that for his company, withvessels tramping all over the world onunpredictable trade patterns, it does seemto make economic sense, though savingsare dependent on the actual voyage routes.

Five Star’s ships have been equippedwith dual ECDIS systems, to allow themto sail paperless. Similar to NavigazioneMontanari , the company also opted for

Transas Navi Sailor 4000 as its primarysource of navigation.

“We chose Transas as they are one ofthe leading ECDIS manufacturers with avast expertise and customer experience inECDIS installation and use, which woulddefinitely benefit us,” MrIrani explained.

“Also, since Transas has an office inSingapore where our ships normallybunker, it would be a proper hub formaintenance and upgrade that would beeconomical.”

In addition to its improved chart updat-ing capabilities, Mr Irani has also seen thatthe ECDIS equipment installed on thecompany’s ships has offered a range ofsafety and operational benefits when itcomes to managing vessel voyages.

“ECDIS and ENCs have improved navi-gational safety and risk management as thevessel is monitored in real time and vari-ous alarms warn the navigating officersbefore encountering any navigational haz-

ards,” he said.“Voyage planning using

ECDIS has become more easyand flexible. Additional infor-mation can be obtained easilyat the click of a button.”

“The Radar and AIS targetoverlay on ECDIS makes navi-gation easier in coastal andrestricted waters. The tangiblebenefit of ECDIS is mainly theanti-grounding features and atany given instant tells the navi-gator ‘where you are and howfar you can safely go’.”

In terms of training, Five Starofficers undertake both the standard IMOgeneric ECDIS course as well as type specif-ic training before being allowed to operatethe systems on board the company’s ships.

“Training is very important in safehandling and use of ECDIS, and all ourmasters and deck officers are trained onIMO model 1.27 course from an approvedinstitute,” said Mr Irani.

“Familiarisation on Transas ECDIS isalso done. Since all our vessels have thesame type of ECDIS, the officers in rota-tion are quite familiar with the system.We also send the officers to instituteswhich have the same ECDIS so that theyare more familiar and trained with theequipment and the functions.”

“In addition we have ECDIS familiari-sation training on board which forms partof our shipboard procedure manual.”

In short, Mr Irani believes that imple-menting ECDIS has benefitted the businessin a variety of ways – through efficientroute and voyage planning, better chartmanagement, an improved display of nav-igational information and a higher level ofintegration between bridge systems.

“Our goal to increase the safety of nav-igation and reduce the work load of offi-cers on board is being achieved byECDIS,” he said.

While the mandatory ECDIS implementation schedule is still only in its earliest stages, an increasing number ofshipping companies are getting in early and installing the equipment ahead of the deadline. Two shipping companies

in Italy and India told Digital Ship about why they have moved to paperless navigation

The case for early ECDIS

The Five Star Shipping vessel Maha Anosha has dual ECDIS on board

DS

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Satellite-based augmentation of positioning information has begun to become available across many parts of the world in the last couple of decades – perhaps the time is right for the maritime industry

to adopt this technology, writes Dr Andy Norris

The future of differential positioning services?

II t is interesting to see that the US CoastGuard is analysing the current andfuture user needs of the US Nation-

wide Differential GPS service, as recentlyannounced in the Federal Register.

Differential services are recognised byIMO, with performance standards forDGPS and DGLONASS receivers beingagreed in 2000.

Such systems are not a mandatory fit, except on SOLAS High Speed Craft. It is difficult to estimate the number ofvessels worldwide that actually have sys-tems on board, although it is far frombeing uncommon.

DGPS initially came about becauseSelective Availability was being appliedto the GPS signal, purposefully limitingits accuracy for civilian users to about 100 metres.

However, a ground station with knownposition could readily determine the par-ticular range offset being applied by SA tothe signal of each satellite and transmitthis information to users’ DGPS receivers,enabling an automatic correction of theirGPS position.

This considerably improved the accura-cy of GPS – to generally better than 5metres. But in 2000 the US abandoned theapplication of SA, allowing a modernstand-alone GPS receiver to have an accu-racy typically rather better than 10 metres.

With the removal of SA, differentialsystems started to achieve accuracies ofaround 2 metres, which today can be con-siderably bettered by specialist systems.

By 2000, the other benefits of DGPSwere also being appreciated, not least inproviding greater integrity to positioning.

Ground stations could rapidly identifymalfunctioning satellites and preventreceivers from using data from these intheir calculation of position. Improvedwarnings of possible positional errorscould be given to the user

In addition, differential systems wouldautomatically compensate for inaccuraciescaused by anomalous atmospheric propa-gation, at least for receivers relativelyclose to the ground station.

Part of the good thinking on the mar-itime DGPS and DGLONASS concept wasto choose the 300 kHz LF band for thetransmission of the differential signals.

This band was being used by radio bea-cons in the days before full GNSS cover-age, enabling navigators to obtain direc-tional fixes on their transmissions.

The reuse of this band considerably

helped the cost effective implementation ofdifferential services, as the new system usedthe same coastal masts and other equipment.

Satellite basedaugmentation systems

In parallel with conventional ground-based differential systems, the idea ofusing satellites to broadcast differentialand integrity information was also beingdeveloped during the 1990s.

This concept is now often termed satel-lite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) –with ground based augmentation systems(GBAS) becoming a group name for sys-tems such as DGPS and DGLONASS.

Ground stations are still used by SBASto ascertain positional corrections but theoffset and integrity data is sent to users’receivers by satellite.

Geostationary satellites are typicallyused for this on a carrier frequency identi-cal to that of the main GNSS signal, so thatthey can be picked-up by the same anten-na and receiver as used for the primarypositioning service.

In North America the specific system isknown as the Wide Area AugmentationSystem, WAAS. Europe’s system is knownas the European Geostationary NavigationOverlay Service, EGNOS. Similar systemsare available or under development inother parts of the world, including Japan,China and India.

The accuracy of such systems is typical-ly quoted as 7 metres but, in practice, isgenerally rather better.

Although they have been particularlyattractive to the requirements of the avia-tion sector, they have not been officiallyadopted for SOLAS use.

This initially appears surprising since

SBAS has been designed to be able to pro-vide the extremely high integrity needed inthe aviation field, even allowing it to be usedas the position fix for the auto-landing ofpassenger aircraft, albeit in good conditions.

However, such use of SBAS takes par-ticular benefit from the very clear viewthat aircraft generally have of the sky in allphases of the flight. It means that even athigh latitudes, geostationary satellitesremain in view, except in very special cir-cumstances, such as when landing close toa mountainous area.

Ships also normally have a good viewof the sky. But this is not always the case,for instance, when entering some portsand when operating close to high terrain.

In contrast, the one kilometre wave-length of the 300 kHz maritime GBAS sig-nal enables it to negotiate obstacles partic-ularly well, generally resulting in anextremely reliable differential signal evenwhen there is no line-of-sight.

In fact, many type approved GNSSreceivers installed on vessels today areSBAS enabled. This is because the facilityis embedded into most receiver chipsmanufactured today – although it is notalways activated on particular receivers.

A case to change to SBAS?

From a performance point of view theexisting maritime differential service is cer-tainly excellent but it does come at a cost.

In the US alone there are 49 coastalDGPS stations, each needing an LF trans-mitter and associated mast, in addition toother equipment, such as that needed toascertain the current positional errors.

SBAS also monitors position fromground-based stations but they do not needthe large additional expense of an LF trans-mitter. Fewer stations are required becausethey work as an integrated group. Forinstance, WAAS uses only 25 to give cover-age over the whole of the United States.

Furthermore, the satellite service is nothugely expensive to operate. This is evi-denced by the fact that the first satellite-based differential systems that came intobeing in the 1990s were commercial servic-es offering reasonable subscriber rates to arelatively small number of specialist users.

The user equipment costs for SBAS arealso lower, just needing a relatively stan-dard GNSS receiver and not needing spe-cialist hardware to additionally receive thedifferential signal.

With this in mind, maybe an answer forthe future of maritime services is to go fora hybrid implementation. In SBAS-cov-ered areas and where the augmentationsignal is not obscured by the terrain,

coastal states would perhaps not normallyprovide GBAS signals.

In other areas, GBAS coverage wouldbe maintained as today.

IMO could issue revised standards fornew GNSS receivers, mandating an SBAScompatibility with defined minimum fea-tures. In SBAS coverage areas this wouldgive differential standards of positionalaccuracy and integrity to all ships fittedwith the new equipment, without needinga separate differential receiver.

For coastal areas that are within SBAScoverage but have known issues with line-of-sight to the differential signal, thecoastal state would need to consider main-taining an LF differential beacon and, astoday, vessels could opt to carry a differ-ential receiver to access them.

Where SBAS is unavailable, either dueto fundamental coverage limitations orbecause of screening of the SBAS geosta-tionary satellite, the receiver would appro-priately alert the user.

Potential benefitsBy adopting such a strategy all shipswould eventually have a differential capa-bility in SBAS coverage areas, giving thebenefits of differential GNSS in those areasto all vessels – and not just those fittedwith a GBAS differential receiver.

Since the mandatory requirementswould probably only apply to the fitmentof new receivers, the benefits would effec-tively come at no cost to shipowners, aswell as giving much reduced costs formany coastal states.

Because of the potential cost savings togovernments, not least by recognising thecommon requirements for maritime andaviation, SOLAS adoption of SBAS mayalso serve to increase its coverage intoother national areas.

If adopted, great care would need to betaken in the siting of GNSS antennas onvessels in order to optimise the receptionof the SBAS differential signal.

Also, better consideration of the inte-grated use of two or more GNSS receiversshould be made to ensure that the primaryposition fix at any one time was from areceiver whose antenna was not maskedfrom receiving the SBAS signal by the ves-sel’s infrastructure.

Of course, this would not help whenthe satellite transmitting the SBAS signalis masked by the surrounding geographyof the area.

Solely from a performance point of viewthe retention of GBAS is certainly favouredbut by adopting SBAS it potentially pro-vides substantial savings in overall costand an increased uptake in its use.

SBAS is already in use across the globe. Photo: Persimplex

DS

Dr Andy �orris has been well-known in the maritime navigation industry for anumber of years. He has spent much of his time managing high-tech navigationcompanies but now he is working on broader issues within the navigationalworld, providing both technical and business consultancy to the industry, gov-ernmental bodies and maritime organizations. Email: [email protected]



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