Friday, November 27, 2009

E Navigation - Shore Side Control on the Way?

VTS Conning the ship from shoreside? (photo from Wikipedia)


e Navigation is, according to the Marine Safety Committee of the IMO:
“the harmonised collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of maritime information onboard and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth-to-berth navigation and related services, for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment”.

At 59-56N - 10 technologies to change shipping - #3 ECDIS Ryan Skinner links ECDIS and e Navigation to integrated operations, -the link is to Wikipedia, the key phrase there is "Splitting the team between land and sea"

At present the process of getting a ship safely into or out of port is a shared responsibility between the bridge navigation team and the pilot while the VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) role is limited (at least in the U.S.) to advising the vessel regarding other maritime traffic. If the VTS had an electronic chart display which included the vessel's planned track line they could take a more active role in reviewing and then monitoring the vessel's progress.

Before entering or leaving port a vessel could be required to electronically create and then transmit a planned track-line. If the shipboard and shoreside displays were synchronized so that during the passage, if the trackline was modified by the pilot or crew, the modifications could be instantly be transmitted and seen by personnel shoreside in real time.

The key to bridge team management is that each team member share the same understanding of the passage plan. The shoreside VTS cannot esily monitor a plan they can not see. These capabilities would likely have prevented incidents such as the Casco Busan or the Exxon Valdez.

K.C.

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