Steering Control News

A gas tanker had just left its berth at the Port of Brisbane, Australia, when it lost propulsion for two minutes as two of its three electrical generators were not properly configured, an ATSB final report has confirmed.On March 15, 2025, the 100-metre, Liberian-flagged Gaschem Homer departed the BP Products berth in the Port of Brisbane, under the conduct of a harbour pilot.While it was being turned towards the port’s entrance, it experienced an electrical blackout, resulting in the total loss of all propulsion and steering control.Power was able to be restored after about two minutes…

A steering control system component failure on a multi-purpose carrier resulted in a collision with a bulk carrier in the Houston Ship Channel, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a newly-released investigation report.The multi-purpose carrier BBC Africa lost steering as it was departing the channel on Aug. 25, 2023, and struck the moored bulk carrier Common Faith. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $1.1 million.The crew told investigators they did not find any issues with the steering control systems during the pre-departure tests.

A steering system failure led to a bulk carrier’s contact with a navigational aid in the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.The bulk carrier American Mariner struck the Munuscong Channel Junction Light on March 28, 2024, as it was transiting upbound in the St. Marys River. The Munuscong Channel Junction Light is comprised of a navigational light and signal mounted on a concrete, fixed structure.After the contact the vessel began taking on water but was stabilized using pumps.

New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has released an interim report into the grounding of the passenger ferry Aratere in Titoki Bay, Picton, on June 21, 2024, citing lack of knowledge about the steering system.The Aratere had been in service for about 26 years, and in May 2024, KiwiRail installed a new steering control system in four of the five command consoles on the bridge. It wasn’t installed on the autopilot console, which was part of the original track pilot integrated bridge navigation system by a different manufacturer.

Singapore will seek compensation for the costs incurred in an oil spill last week from the owners of the stationary vessel that discharged the oil, local media CNA reported on Thursday.The Maritime and Port Authority told CNA that the shipowner of Singapore-flagged Marine Honour - which was hit by Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima - is liable for costs incurred in containing and cleaning the oil spill and damage to infrastructure.Reuters has reached out to the port authority for comment.Earlier…

The authorities in Singapore have launched an oil spill clean-up operation after the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima struck a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, causing a rupture of one its oil cargo tanks which released the low-sulphur fuel oil to the sea.Dredger Vox Maxima had reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before its allision with bunker vessel Marine Honour on June 14, 2024.Investigations by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) are ongoing…

An oil spill off southern Singapore has spread to other areas of the island's coast and is threatening a marine reserve, government agencies said, adding that authorities were intensifying efforts to mop up the fuel.The oil spilled into Singaporean waters after a Netherlands-flagged dredger struck a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel on Friday afternoon in the southern port of Pasir Panjang. The dredger Vox Mariner had reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before its allision with bunker vessel Marine Honour.

A fabricated image of characters from the animated television series The Simpsons viewing a collapsed bridge and a large ship has been widely shared on social media with the false suggestion that the show predicted the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.The image shows signs of having been made with AI and an executive producer for the series told Reuters that the image is fake as the show never had an episode where a container ship hits a bridge.The Francis Key Scott bridge…

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.

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…

Anschütz, a brand with more than a century history (since 1905), has a new owner and is part of DMB Dr. Dieter Murmann Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, meaning that Raytheon Anschütz GmbH is to be renamed Anschütz GmbH once the entry in the commercial register has been made.DMB takes over the entire Anschütz Group with its headquarters in Kiel and international subsidiaries in Panama City, Portsmouth (United Kingdom), Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai and Singapore. Anschütz returns to a…

Raytheon Anschütz launched NautoPilot 5000NX, a new autopilot for ships which the company says combines unique algorithms for precise steering performance with a wide range of fuel-saving features. NautoPilot 5000NX displays all navigational information on a 7-inch graphical touchscreen.“Years of experience in the field has shown that autopilots can also help save significantly on fuel,” said Olav Denker, product manager for autopilots and steering control systems at Anschütz.

An electrical generator set (genset) failure and subsequent loss of steering led to the grounding of a towing vessel near Greenville, Miss., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.The towing vessel Marquette Warrior was pushing 35 loaded dry cargo barges down the Lower Mississippi River on Nov. 21, 2021, when several barges grounded on the riverbank. Four barges were damaged, including a hopper barge with bean cargo that partially sank. None of the nine people on board the Marquette Warrior were injured.

A software flaw combined with the captain’s failure to use back-up controls led to the grounding of a passenger ferry last year in New York City, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.The high-speed passenger ferry Commodore, owned and operated by Seastreak, was transiting northbound on the East River on June 5, 2021, when the catamaran lost primary steering and speed control to both of its port hull water jets and then grounded. One minor injury was reported among the seven crewmembers and 107 passengers on board.

A vessel’s loss of steering led to an estimated $6 million in damages when it contacted a barge near New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On July 12, 2021, the bulk carrier Jalma Topic was transiting upriver on the Lower Mississippi River when it lost steering and struck a stationary barge that was being used for office space. No injuries were reported.During the voyage, the rudder became stuck at port 10 degrees. According to the report,…

Like every sector of cargo and passenger shipping, “digitalization”—where computerized processes are replacing onboard routines previously handled manually— is an ongoing trend coastwise, on the waterways and harbors. Regulatory compliance, especially with Subchapter M for towing vessels, has also driven choices of onboard equipment with digital interfaces to software and online platforms for record-keeping and for generating inputs for forms and documents.Improved performance has also shaped the capabilities of equipment in the wheelhouse and the view from the bridge.

The Los Angeles Pilot Service has taken delivery of two new pilot boats equipped with full suites of quality Furuno marine electronics. The 56-foot Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator have been outfitted with complete integrated helm suites designed to assist in their mission of piloting ships in and out of Los Angeles Harbor, the busiest seaport in the western hemisphere. The pair of Camarc-designed boats were built by Vigor Industrial in Vancouver, Wash., and have made their way to their homeport in Los Angeles.The helm suites aboard the Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator feature a Furuno black box NavNet TZtouch2 TZT2BB multi function display connected to both 19” and 24” multi-touch displays, the MU195T and MU245T.

Furuno has acquired Danish company EMRI A/S, founded in 1972 and specializing in autopilots, steering control, joystick dynamic positioning and maneuvering systems.Based in Herlev, a suburb to Copenhagen, EMRI is a provider of steering control systems, autopilots and track control systems. Their autopilots have been well accepted for almost 2 decades, worldwide, and are today in operation onboard 1000+ vessels. Steering control systems have also been a key focus of EMRI’s for many years.

A new 16m uncrewed fire-fighting vessel in Robert Allan Ltd, the RALamander series is designed to attack fires quickly & powerfully in busy ports without risking crews.With high speed capability and pumping capacity rivalling larger fireboats, RALamander 1600 can be brought into action quickly with water and foam to suppress a fire and establish a defensive line while fire crews remain safely outside the danger zone.Like its larger RALamander 2000 cousin, it can be operated from another vessel of opportunity or from a shore-based position. Sophisticated automatic piloting and station-keeping features leave the operator free to focus on fire-fighting.Without crew on board…

Insufficient Training, Inadequate Bridge Operating Procedures, Lack of Operational Oversight Led to Fatal Ship Collision. The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that the Aug. 21, 2017, collision between the USS John S McCain and the tanker Alnic MC was caused by insufficient training, inadequate bridge operating procedures and a lack of operational oversight.Ten sailors aboard the John S McCain died in the accident and 48 were injured when the ships collided in the Middle Channel passage of the Singapore Strait Traffic Separation Scheme.

In an important milestone in the build of the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) Nuyina for the Australian government’s Antarctic Division, Damen Marine Components (DMC) has completed the supply and installation of a number of critical systems. These had to be fabricated to exceptionally high standards to cope with the ice that the vessel will encounter in the Southern Ocean. DMC, under its Van der Velden Marine Systems brand, is responsible for the detail engineering and manufacturing of the rudder and steering gear system.The rudders in particular are unique.

The sole prime contractor for the entire mid-life refit of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, Naval Group, said it has returned the vessel to the French Navy. The vessel will now start ramping up its systems before returning to its operational cycle.Designed and built by Naval Group and entering service in 2001, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, further to its modernization, has now entered the technological era of the 21st century. This mid-life refit included unprecedented renovations and a density of work that gave the project a level of complexity unseen until now.

Norway has been forced to close the Sture Oil Terminal near Bergen and has started closing down the nearby Kollsness gas-and-condensate terminal — a lifeline of heating gas to Europe — after an early morning collision between a $440-million frigate and an oil tanker.The frigate Helge Ingstad, now listing heavily to its port side, is loaded with torpedoes and weapons systems said to be unstable as a result of the collision. Eight navy personnel are said to be injured, including two flown to regional hospital…