Electronic Chart System News

The use of a draft voyage planning tool which included waypoint data errors plus an ongoing technical fault with the vessel monitoring and surveillance system for the Great Barrier Reef contributed to a cargo ship’s grounding on a shoal, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has concluded.The 81-meter general cargo ship Trinity Bay grounded on Harrington Shoal, a charted feature with a depth of 0.9 metres north-west of Harrington Reef, on the morning of January 19, 2021 while conducting a regular weekly passage from Thursday Island to Cairns.

The National Transportation Board said Thursday that a Mississippi River towing vessel’s pilot and its captain pushed its tow up against a riverbank too close to a railroad track, leading to a collision and train derailment near Galland, Iowa.Marine Investigation Report 22/22 details the NTSB’s investigation into the Nov. 13, 2021, collision between the towing vessel Baxter Southern and a BNSF coal train transiting the track along the shoreline of the Upper Mississippi River. The train struck a barge that was overhanging the railroad track.

A captain assuming a watch immediately after waking led to a tow striking a lock gate in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its Marine Investigation Report released Tuesday.On March 22, 2021, the towing vessel Ava Claire was transiting westbound pushing two fully loaded tank barges in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Intracoastal City, La. After entering the Leland Bowman Lock, the bow of the lead barge struck a closed lock gate, damaging and disabling the gate. No injuries or pollution were reported.

The contact between a tow and a section of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton, Ill., was caused by the pilot of the towing vessel not effectively compensating for a strong outdraft and wind, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On March 19, 2021, the 177-foot-long towing vessel Kevin Michael was pushing 15 barges down the Mississippi River when the tow struck the bull nose of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam upstream main lock chamber guide wall, resulting in the tow breaking apart and damaging the dam gates. No injuries or pollution were reported.

In November 2019, the Office of Coast Survey (OCS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced the start of a five-year program to “sunset” all raster and paper nautical charts.NOAA has produced electronic navigational charts (ENCs) since 1993. In the 2019 notice, NOAA writes that “ENC sales increased 425% since 2008, while sales of paper charts are now half of 2008 levels.”For NOAA and mariners, a focus on electronic charts and publications promises many advantages. With a singular focus, NOAA can use its resources more efficiently.

USACE and USCG collaborate to make inland waterways safer. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), supported by Alion Science and Technology (Alion), has put forth considerable effort during the last two years to further extend the capabilities of the existing Automatic Identification System (AIS) network to improve the safety and efficiency of navigation along the inland rivers. The USACE works with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and other agencies and stakeholders to operate and maintain the nation’s Marine Transportation System (MTS).

Kelvin Hughes has announced the launch of a new range of radar systems for commercial shipping based on its innovative, solid-state SharpEye technology. Kelvin Hughes has been supplying IMO type-approved radar to merchant ships, fishing boats and workboats since the 1940s, delivering reliability and low cost of ownership together with highly superior detection capability. SharpEye, with its Doppler processing of the radar returns, has taken situational awareness to a new level with its ability to detect more targets, at longer ranges, than conventional, magnetron-based radar systems.

German navigation system manufacturer Raytheon Anschütz has completed factory acceptance tests and delivery of 12 sets of navigation radars for the Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates. The scope of onboard systems covers X-/ and S-Band radars with high-performance detection capabilities. Raytheon Anschütz  said the radars have been enhanced with advanced features in accordance with the Canadian customer requirements, including new radiation control and pulse blanker interfaces…

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) announced today that it developed Hyundai Intelligent Collision Avoidance Support System (HiCASS) for the first time in Korea to ensure safe and optimum navigation of the vessels. The system searches the optimum sea routes and prevents collisions by automatically detecting potential obstacles such as ships and reefs within 50 km. In addition, the enhanced accuracy of the system enables vessels to identify hazards based on the type of vessel, weather conditions, waves and wind.

McMurdo, a business of the Orolia Group, announced that Smartfind M5 AIS Class A Transponder is now available. The Smartfind M5 Automatic Identification System (AIS) Class A Transponder, previewed at Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) 2012 in Amsterdam, is part of McMurdo’s new range of AIS products that reflect its excellence in innovation and advancement in marine technology. The Smartfind M5 AIS Class A Transponder gives mariners the ability to view at a glance the AIS status of vessels all around them and provides access to a host of detailed navigation information.

Marine operators and entities have long struggled with the most efficient, effective means to monitor and manage traffic in increasingly busy ports around the world. The marine industry, unlike the airline industry, is unique in that mixed with high levels of commercial traffic is a broad and ever changing mix of personal watercraft of varying sizes, with equal variables in terms of operator experience. Thus the ability to rapidly collect, compute, disseminate and act on information is central to safe port operations. A U.K.

The new course to follow in controlling port traffic. A step change to enhance safety and improve operational efficiency. Large ships navigating narrow waterways are always vulnerable to accidents – one only has to think of the Sea Empress tanker disaster at Milford Haven, or more recently the wrecking of the Costa Concordia. Managing their progress, usually in and out of ports and in other restricted channels, has understandably assumed a critical role in ensuring their safety.

The Transas Marine 4-level ECDIS concept is designed to provide an IMO compliant solution for the shipping companies. The new range of product packages Standard, Standard+, Premium and Premium+, features Transas well renowned Navi-Sailor software with the best technology applied through all systems. From the entry-level Standard ECDIS to the Premium+ advanced ECDIS Multifunction Display, they all include a carefully selected standard features with an extensive range of additional options. Anders Rydlinger, Transas Marine Product Development Director says: "This concept is truly unique.

Transas Marine releases new 4-level ECDIS concept to suit all types of customers needs. The Transas Marine 4-level ECDIS concept is designed to provide an IMO compliant solution for the shipping companies. The new range of product packages Standard, Standard+, Premium and Premium+, features Transas well renowned Navi-Sailor software with the best technology applied through all systems. From the entry-level Standard ECDIS to the Premium+ advanced ECDIS Multifunction Display, they all include a carefully selected standard features with an extensive range of additional options.

The UKHO today announced another simple way to view the most accurate and up-to-date navigational charts, with the release of SevenCs ORCA Master Electronic Chart System (ECS) compatible with the Admiralty Information Overlay. The Overlay, brings the latest navigational updates from Admiralty to an ECDIS or ECS to help make digital navigation safer, more efficient and fully compliant. Available from Admiralty, the Overlay is now compatible with both Transas and SevenCs systems. Transas was the first to announce availability via the Transas Admiralty Data Service (TADS), and the UKHO is also working with other major ECDIS manufacturers to ensure the Admiralty Information Overlay can be displayed on their systems. Further availability will be announced in the next few months.

The new megayacht Ancora, which recently made its debut from Italy’s Baglietto shipyard in La Spezia, has been fitted with a state-of-the-art integrated bridge system (IBS) supplied by Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) Sperry Marine business unit. The bridge electronics suite is based on Sperry Marine’s VisionMaster FT technology and features an array of TotalWatch multi-function workstations for controlling the ship’s radars, electronic chart system, closed-circuit TV, machinery monitoring and conning displays. The package also includes a gyrocompass, autopilot, steering system and other navigation subsystems and sensors. Telemar Yachting…

John Joseph Cota, the pilot who caused the Cosco Busan, a 900-ft long container ship, to collide with the San Francisco Bay Bridge and discharge approximately 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay, was sentenced to serve 10 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston for the Northern District of California, the Justice Department announced. Cota, who was a licensed bar pilot at the time of the collision, gave commands that caused the 65,131-ton Hong Kong-registered ship to collide with the bridge on Nov. 7, 2007. Cota was sentenced according to an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to negligently causing discharge of a harmful quantity of oil in violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA)…

Modern electronic navigation systems have the potential to improve vessel navigation safety and ruce accidents. The potential of these new systems is unlikely to be realiz, however, if the officers keeping the navigation watch are not fully train and properly qualifi in their use. Thus, fully realizing the potential in electronic navigation will require improv training, a wider spectrum of knowlge across the industry and better procures by vessel owners and managers to assess qualification and proper use. At the same time, as incidents relat to the use of AIS or ECDIS occur, courts are putting owners and managers on notice that such training and monitoring is requir to avoid or limit their liability for accidents.

Delgado Community College became the first major marine training school in the United States to join the TRANSERV program. Delgado's Full Mission Bridge Simulator has been fully upgraded with the very latest Navi-Trainer Professional 4000 simulation software and now boasts the latest Transas industry leading visualization capabilities, as well as newly installed training tools for inland towboat and barge operations. As part of their ongoing marine program development, Delgado will also soon offer several new custom training solutions for the offshore industry that build upon the recently completed simulator enhancements that include visual exercises using the areas of Morgan City, Port Fourchon and other Louisiana and Texas waterways.

A federal grand jury in returned a second superseding indictment charging Fleet Management Limited, a ship management company, with negligently causing the discharge of 50,000 gallons of oil from the Cosco Busan and falsifying documents after the crash to cover-up the company’s negligence, the Justice Department announced today. Fleet Management, the company responsible for operating the Cosco Busan, was charged with six felony counts for making false statements and obstruction justice. According to the indictment, Fleet Management, acting through senior ship officers and shore-based supervisory officials, concealed and covered-up documents with an intent to impede, obstruct and influence the investigation of the spill. The falsified documents include a fictitious passage plan for Nov.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that failure to train a master on how to properly use electronic navigation equipment does not make the vessel owner fully liable for an allision nor does it prevent the vessel owner from limiting its liability when there is insufficient evidence to prove that such failure to train was the cause of the allision. In the instant case, defendant’s fishing vessel allided with plaintiff’s offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The allision occurred at night, after the master (who was navigating the vessel) turned on the lights on the bridge to examine a defective engine part and conduct related administrative activities. The evidence showed that the lights on the offshore rig were not functioning properly.

John Joseph Cota, a California ship pilot, pleaded guilty on March 6 to negligently causing the discharge of approximately 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay in violation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, a law enacted in the wake of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Cota, who piloted the M/V Cosco Busan when it hit the San Francisco Bay Bridge on Nov. 7, 2007, also pleaded guilty to violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the death of protected migratory birds. If the plea terms are accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston, Cota will be sentenced to serve between two and ten months in prison and be fined between $3,000 to $30,000.

Modern electronic navigation systems have the potential to improve vessel navigation safety and ruce accidents. The potential of these new systems is unlikely to be realiz, however, if the officers keeping the navigation watch are not fully train and properly qualifi in their use. Thus, fully realizing the potential in electronic navigation will require improv training, a wider spectrum of knowlge across the industry and better procures by vessel owners and managers to assess qualification and proper use. At the same time, as incidents relat to the use of AIS or ECDIS occur, courts are putting owners and managers on notice that such training and monitoring is requir to avoid or limit their liability for accidents.