FCI Watermakers Upgrades Its V4 Controller
Like any other modern shipboard system, watermakers rely on electronics for continued trouble-free operation, monitoring and automated self-maintenance. FCI Watermakers said it has enhanced its V4 Controller, upgrading the controller's firmware. The improvement increases screen response speed and provides an enhanced graphics-based visualization, or HMI (human machine interface), the manufacturer said. Using the V4 Controller is simple with its intuitive menu. Accessed through a hi-res 7" or 4.3" HMI touch screen…
CMR Instrumentation, Sensor Control for French Navy Newbuild
CMR GROUP, the marine automation and instrumentation specialists, has supplied the French Navy’s latest maritime patrol vessel with advanced marine condition monitoring and sensor equipment. The deal sees a fully integrated instrumentation and sensor control platform specified for the Light Patrol Vessel La Confiance, in a move that reflects CMR’s continuing expansion in the sector as one of the leading designers and suppliers of next generation marine technology. Built at the SOCARENAM shipyard, the vessel is the latest addition to the French fleet and will undertake operational activities and patrols throughout the Caribbean from its permanent base in French Guiana.
Jeppesen Simplifies Routing, Chart Management
NauticalManager from Jeppesen allows mariners to easily plan, generate and document routes using an ECDIS and onboard PC. It also makes it simple to create the reports required by port state control and class auditors for checking a vessel’s ECDIS compliance. NauticalManager eases the bridge-side burden of ENC management by making it simple to order Official ENCs, review the chart portfolio and integrate temporary and preliminary Notices to Mariners. NauticalManager was developed…
Communications & Single Point Failures: What’s Your Back-up Plan?
How well prepared is your company for a natural disaster? How quickly could you get your operations up and running after the storm or other event hits? How about your vendors and suppliers? Emergency contingency plans (aside from vessel emergencies where oil has entered the water – that merits its own article and won’t be covered here) can start with a streamlined communications process. For emergencies ashore, how are you set up to handle business if the office is no longer accessible? Having people work from home can be an effective plan, but have you considered how communications will work?
Scanjet Macron completes challenging Hanseatic tank level retrofit
Scanjet Macron has completed a challenging tank level gauging system retrofit onboard Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ MS Hanseatic during the 18-year old vessel’s 13-day dry docking at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg. The 184-passenger ship Hanseatic is classed as the world’s only Five Star expedition ship, according to Berlitz Cruise Guide 2011. The work was part of a comprehensive refit covering more than 780 items, including renovation and modernisation of two cabin decks, the buffet restaurant, sauna, and pool area on the 8,378 tons gross vessel. “We knew the existing system quite well, but we had no possibility to be onboard before the docking to check what was working and could be used…
Radio Holland Debuts Sailor 6248
The VHF Sailor RT-2048 VHF that has been in the market since 1987 and of which more than 100,000 units have been sold, is reaching its end of life. Radio Holland, Sailor distributor in The Netherlands and several other countries around the world, introduces its successor, the Sailor RT-6248 VHF, which will become available in the second half of this year. The Sailor 6248 VHF will include all the well-known, reliable features of the Sailor RT-2048, and more. This non-class VHF is based upon the new Sailor 6222 VHF DSC Class A. Amongst others, the Sailor 6248 will include both the Sailor Replay function and the LAN option for ThraneLINK, a uniform communication protocol that connects all Sailor equipment in a network.
MARAD Releases Report on E-Seals
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) released the voluminous two-part report evaluating electronic seals for use on cargo containers. The analysis was conducted on behalf of the Cargo Handling Cooperative Program and evaluated the operation of four selected radio frequency (RF) based e-seals and one non-RF e-seal. The goal was to develop a technical baseline that could help stakeholders select appropriate solutions to security, operational, and economic requirements. The e-seals tested were widely divergent and represented trade-offs in areas of frequency, communication protocol, reader infrastructure, and seal location. The report recognizes that e-seals alone will have only a limited impact on improving container security and future efforts should focus on the entire container.
