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Monday, March 18, 2024
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Navigation News

11 Mar 2024

Furuno Unveils TZtouchXL With Risk Visualizer And AI Avoidance Route

(Image: Furuno)

Marine electronics manufacturer Furuno introduced the NavNet TZtouchXL series, a suite of Multi Function Displays (MFDs) designed to meet the requirements of workboat operators, including ferries and tugboats.The NavNet TZtouchXL series encompasses three large-sized MFDs: the 16” TZT16X, 22” TZT22X, and 24” TZT24X. These MFDs feature super-wide, all-glass displays with exceptional clarity and brightness. The rugged all-glass design is not only functional but also enhances the durability and functionality of the helm.

06 Mar 2024

ClassNK Grants Innovation Endorsement for “ACE Function”

Credit: Tokyo Keiki

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to a straight leg course control called “ACE Function” (ACE: Advanced Control for Ecology), which can be integrated with the autopilot systems, “PR-9000” and “PR-6000” offered by Tokyo Keiki Inc.“ACE Function” can automatically create a straight route and implement navigation at the shortest distance, only by setting the ship's current position and the heading of a destination. While navigating, it constantly estimates disturbances (tidal currents…

12 Feb 2024

Philippines Accuses China of Dangerous Maneuvers Near Scarborough Shoal

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippines' coast guard (PCG) on Sunday accused China of "dangerous and blocking" manoeuvres while its vessel patrolled near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea this month.Manila's coast guard said in a statement that on a nine-day patrol near the shoal by its 97-meter (318-foot) vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, four Chinese coast guard (CCG) vessels had shadowed the boat more than 40 times.Four Chinese maritime militia vessels were also present near the shoal, the PCG said.Located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ)…

29 Jan 2024

New Marine Radar Training Software Launched

(Image: Cambridge Pixel)

U.K.-based Cambridge Pixel has unveiled a new software package to aid in the instruction and learning of the proper usage of maritime radars.SPx Radar Trainer is designed to make it easier for students to familiarize themselves with radar controls by providing a modern simulation of a typical radar display, supported by chart and 3D environment views. It includes custom scenario creation for instructors and runs in a browser window for ease-of-use.Developed by Cambridge Pixel…

23 Jan 2024

Successful FAT of WINBS for UK Royal Navy

The new Type 31 Inspiration Class for the UK Royal Navy. Image UK Royal Navy courtesty Anschütz

Anschütz completed the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) of its Warship Integrated Navigation and Bridge System (WINBS) for the first ship of the new Type 31 Inspiration Class for the UK Royal Navy. Anschütz, as part of the Thales led T31 Missions Systems team, is delivering the first Integrated Bridge and Navigation System for the Babcock Type 31 Arrowhead 140 frigates in the New Year.The FAT was carried out by Anschuetz UK Ltd., who are responsible for the integration, testing and commissioning of the Type 31 WINBS.

23 Jan 2024

AR Simulator Added to Pilot Training at Smartship Australia

Image courtesy FORCE Technology

Force Technology won a deal to deliver its SimFlex4 AR solution as part of an extensive upgrade for the Queensland-based maritime simulation and training facility, Smartship Australia, which focuses on professional pilotage training and development. Smartship's facility in Brisbane includes five marine simulators, including two full mission bridges, one Tug bridge, and two-part task simulators.FORCE Technology’s SimFlex simulator was originally selected when Smartship Australia was first established in 2011.

04 Jan 2024

Researchers Develop New Path-Following Model for Autonomous Ships

© SHUTTER DIN / Adobe Stock

Researchers from the Korea Maritime & Ocean University have developed a new path-tracking technique for maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS).A multi-national team of researchers, led by Assistant Professor Daejeong Kim, has studied the path-following performance of MASS using a free-running computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model combined with the line-of-sight (LOS) guidance system, at low speeds under adverse weather conditions.MASS need to follow a pre-determined path at sea, considering factors such as obstacles, water depth and ship maneuverability.

04 Jan 2024

Collision Between Containership and Fishing Vessel Caused by Failure to Keep Watch

Tremont bow awash during the abandonment as seen from the Atlantis. (Source:
Lance Wills, courtesy NTSB)

A fishing vessel mate not maintaining a proper lookout and conducting maintenance on critical equipment while underway led to the collision of a containership and fishing vessel, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $6.25 million.On October 28, 2022, while the containership MSC Rita was transiting southbound in the Atlantic Ocean, the fishing vessel Tremont was transiting north-northeast in the same area.

22 Dec 2023

Damen Studying Zeabuz’s Autonomous Vessel Technology

(Image: Zeabuz)

Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen said it is studying Zeabuz's cutting-edge technology for autonomous sailing in an effort to enable autonomous vessel operations in the coming years.Norway-based Zeabuz specializes in software for autonomous maritime operations."Autonomy holds the potential to revolutionize vessel operations by enhancing safety protocols, optimizing asset effectiveness, and paving the way for the creation of new business models," Damen said. "The industry's…

19 Dec 2023

Anschütz Advances the Autonomous Bridge System

Anschütz

As part of the Clean Autonomous Public Transportation Network (CAPTN) initiative, Anschütz' research into autonomous systems and assistance systems onboard ships that support navigators has made progress in 2023. In the Remote Operating Centre (ROC) which is set up on land at Anschütz, the MV Wavelab -- a research catamaran that is operating on a maritime test field on the Kiel Fjord in Germany -- is monitored. Part of the ROC is a complete digital twin with all the data provided by the various existing and experimental sensors and systems on board the Wavelab.

06 Oct 2023

Anschütz Delivers Navigation Systems to Multi-Purpose Vessels

Copyright Abeking & Rasmussen

Anschütz is delivering advanced, customized integrated bridge systems (IBS) to three multi-purpose vessels for the German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) built by Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R).The vessels will run exclusively on LNG, with sophisticated systems supporting a wide-ranging mission profile.The IBS consists of six Synapsis NX workstations with chart radar, ECDIS and conning, providing advanced features for precise and safe navigation, while using another ECDIS as a planning station.

27 Sep 2023

QatarEnergy Orders 17 Ultra-Modern LNG Carriers for $3.9 Billion

Credit: QatarEnergy

Qatari oil and gas company QatarEnergy has ordered 17 "ultra-modern" LNG carriers from South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).The deal, signed at a ceremony in Seoul, is valued at 14.2 billion Qatari Riyals (currently around $3,9 billion), and marks the start of the second phase of QatarEnergy's LNG ship acquisition program, which will support its expanding LNG production capacity from the North Field LNG expansion and Golden Pass LNG export projects as well as its long…

18 Jul 2023

Divers Inspect Grounded Ro-Ro

Photo courtesy of CGS Romblon

The 93 passengers and 36 crew on a ro-ro ran aground approximately 100 meters from shore at Barangay Nasunugan in Banton, the Philippines, at midnight on July 16 have now been rescued and refloating efforts have begun.Montenegro Shipping’s Maria Helena was sailing from Lucena Port in Lucena City, Quezon Province, bound for San Agustin Port in Tablas, Romblon, when the incident occurred.The vessel has been listing 10 degrees to portside, and the Captain is reported to have attributed the list to to the explosion of one tire of one of the rolling cargoes onboard…

01 Sep 2023

Change in MENAS Navigational Light Dues

© sghiaseddin / Adobe Stock

Middle East Navigation Service (MENAS), provider of aids to navigation (AtoN) in the Middle East Gulf region, said its is increasing rates and widening the group of ships that will be asked to pay for the service.The group has been providing AtoN in the Middle East Gulf – one of the busiest trade lanes in the world – since 1951, supplying seafarers with information regarding the location, route and configuration of obstacles and hazards.MENAS covers the cost of operating and maintaining such AtoN…

31 Jul 2023

Shipshape: Simplifying Boat Control and Improving Maneuverability

(Image: Emerson)

Any competition requires skill — but when the stakes are high and seas are rough, the right technology can set contenders apart. On the popular National Geographic reality series "Wicked Tuna" and its spinoff, "Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks," commercial fishing crews compete to reel in elusive bluefin tuna. To brave North Atlantic waters off the coast of Gloucester, where the series is set, and bring in fish that are several hundred pounds, it's critical that captains outfit their…

30 Aug 2023

Orca AI to Participate in Second Phase of Autonomous Ship Project

Source: Orca AI

Tel Aviv-based maritime technology company Orca AI is continuing its collaboration with NYK Group subsidiary MTI and partners in the second development stage of the MEGURI2040 project administered by the Nippon Foundation.MTI, alongside sister entity Japan Marine Science Inc, is spearheading the Designing the Future of Fully Autonomous Ships Plus (DFFAS+) consortium comprising 51 Japan-based companies that will work together on the next phase of MEGURI2040.While the OECD projects that maritime trade volumes could triple by 2050, a skilled crew shortage is growing globally.

18 Jul 2023

MAIB Concerned Pilot Ladder Incidents are Under-Reported

© Matvejs / Adobe Stock

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its 2022 annual report which includes details of its investigation into pilot ladder safety.The MAIB canvassed 105 UK Competent Harbour Authorities, and this revealed that almost 700 marine pilots conducted over 96,000 transfers underway using a pilot ladder, during which there were over 400 incidents or accidents.Just over half of these were reported to the MAIB, the most serious of which resulted in the pilot suffering…

30 Aug 2023

Report: Submerged Rock Led to Fishing Vessel Grounding

Challenger courtesy of Alward Fisheries

A captain’s decision to navigate close to shore in an area with uncharted rocks led to the grounding and capsizing of a fishing vessel in Alaska last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The Challenger struck a submerged rock while fishing for salmon along the shore of Kodiak Island, Alaska on August 7, 2022. The vessel began taking on more water than the onboard pumps could handle. The captain and three crewmembers abandoned ship and were rescued by a nearby Good Samaritan fishing vessel, and the vessel capsized soon after.

04 Oct 2023

IFAN Appoints New CEO

Catherine Mulvihill courtesy of IFAN

The Board of Directors of the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) has appointed Catherine Mulvihill as its new CEO.Mulvihill is undergoing a comprehensive management of change process in collaboration with the current CEO, Peter Stanley, and will officially assume full responsibilities as IFAN’s CEO on October 9, 2023.She brings a wealth of experience spanning four decades in the marine industry, including extensive knowledge in container shipping and operations, ports and terminals, and marine insurance within both mutual management and the London and commercial markets.

12 Sep 2023

Watchkeeper Distraction, No Lookouts Led to Fatal Collision

Upturned hull of Karin Høj. Source: MAIB

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the collision between a general cargo vessel and a split hopper barge in the Bornholmsgat traffic separation scheme off Sweden that resulted in the loss of two lives.The UK registered general cargo vessel Scot Carrier and the Denmark registered split hopper barge Karin Høj collided, resulting in the capsize of the barge and the loss of its two crew on 13 December 2021.Safety issues identified in the…

12 Dec 2023

ClassNK Grants AIP for Maneuvering Assist System

Scene of proposing avoidance routes (courtesy of Japan Radio Co., Ltd.)

Classification society ClassNK reports it has issued an approval in principle (AIP) for the “Advanced Maneuvering Assistant System”, the core technology for the autonomous navigation system, developed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Japan Radio Co., Ltd. and YDK Technologies Co., Ltd.The system automatically generates some routes for avoiding a collision with other ships on a monitored route when a collision with another ship due to OZT is predicted and assists the operator in avoiding the collision.

27 Nov 2023

Zaadnoordijk Named CEO of Radio Holland

Sven Zaadnoordijk (Photo: Radio Holland)

Radio Holland Group, part of the Pon Group, has appointed Sven Zaadnoordijk as its new CEO effective January 1, 2024. Sven will replace Kees-Jan Mes, who led the group through an important transformation over the last few years.Zaadnoordijk joined the group in 2012 and brings a wealth of experience in the maritime industry. Having served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Regional Director for both Asia and Americas, stationed in various countries like The Netherlands, Hong Kong…

28 Nov 2023

Simrad Marine Electronics Debuts IMO Approved Solid-State Radar

Source: Simrad Marine Electronics

Simrad Marine Electronics has announced the release of its new HALO 5000 solid-state radar for the commercial market, designed to provide superior situational awareness for commercial vessels, reduced ownership cost and flexible installation.The HALO 5000 has 130W pulse compression featuring excellent visibility in all conditions. Revolutionary target tracking allows users to automatically monitor thousands of radar targets within a 24 nautical mile zone, displaying as many as 100 of those targets on screen simultaneously.

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