Louisiana DOTD Ferry to Undergo Repairs
Beginning Monday, July 1, 2013, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) will begin new hours of operation temporarily utilizing the Motor Vessel Louis B. Porterie, a medium-sized ferry servicing vehicles and pedestrians, at the Algiers Point to Canal Street route. The Porterie will be in service while the permanent ferry, the MV Col. Frank X. Armiger, is out of service. The Armiger’s generator is currently in need of repair and DOTD is waiting on a second proposal to determine the cost. The Armiger will be the primary vessel once it repaired and cleared for service by the U.S. Coast Guard. As of now, there is no estimated time frame for when the Arminger will return. The Algiers/Canal ferry will now operate Monday-Thursday from 7:15 a.m.
AIS: Getting it Right from the Start
The Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology has received its fair share of critics up to present, mainly due to poor made installations and lack of training. The problems are currently taking the focus from the positive side where is has proven to be a most useful tool in enhancing safety and security. Lets start with going back and reminding ourselves the initial purpose with AIS as it was thought of when implemented by IMO in 1998 (IMO Performance Standard for AIS (MSC.74(69) Annex 3)). 3. as a VTS tool, i.e. These statements are clear and straight forward and should not be misinterpreted. To be able to accomplish the basic goals of the performance standard, the onboard user and operator needs to be involved in the process to secure the data transmitted.
