Digital Ship newsletter – software/ internet, navigation / charts, ship shore communications
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Equasis provides
more port state control information
Heidenreich's
Q88.com integrated with Intertanko's services
Singapore
S$20m (US$11m) grant for shipping IT
Tribon.com
releases version 7.0
Lloyd's Register
and VideoTel make class issues CBT for seafarers
RightShip
wins Australia New Zealand e-commerce award
Fidelio Cruise
develops cruise materials management system
Carnival
Corporation uses environmental compliance CBTs
Salamis Shipping
Services uses Softship
Norcontrol
gives information about installations to World VTS Guide
Tideland
Maritime Systems in "teaming agreement" with Norcontrol
Russia's
largest maritime simulator installed by Transas
Transas to
supply vessel traffic services in South Wales
Lloyds Register
sponsors Nautical Institute Human Element Awareness initiative
Working groups
look at future of NMEA standard
Primar and
IC-ENC hold ENC consistency meeting
Norcontrol
completes Mexican AIS network
ChartWorld
supplies Singapore ENCs
Globe Wireless
to offer Iridium services
TEAMtalk
spam filtering for ship-shore e-mail
Tidewater
Inc 2-year contract with Telaurus Communications
Australian
police force using Inmarsat Fleet
Pole Star
UK's 9th fastest growing company
US NMEA to
hold GMDSS forum
http://www.thedigitalship.com/digitalship2003.htm
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Online maritime safety information service Equasis is providing more detailed port state control information.
Lloyd's Register /Fairplay, one of the data providers, has codified an checked all the 30,000 ship mangers and shipping companies worldwide, to improve the accuracy of searching for all the vessels handled by a specific manager. Users can just type in the manager's name to do the search.
The page will show the name of the company on the ISM document of compliance.
Equasis will also publish more port state control data, including certificates of class and flag. This follows implementation of EU Directive 95/21. There had previously been class and flag data available where the specific class societies and flags had given permission; now all class and flag data will be published, whether or not the class society or flag state gives permission, if the vessels are inspected by Paris MoU inspectors (including Belgium, France, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK).
Other information includes whether the inspection is standard or expanded, whether the detention is class related.
Equasis will also show, for liquid and dry bulk cargo, the charterers and type of charter at the time of inspection.
Equasis will shortly also change the ship type information displayed, making it much more specific.
Heidenreich Innovations, the IT division of tanker company Heidmar, has made an agreement with Intertanko to integrate its automatic questionnaire answering software Q88.com with Intertanko's range of services to members, which means Intertanko members will be able to access the service for reduced fee.
Q88.com automatically fills out most of the questionnaires sent to shipping companies by charterers and oil companies, which need to be completed in order to conclude a tanker fixture.
"This agreement with INTERTANKO will almost certainly result in it becoming the industry standard for vessel information and questionnaire completion," says Heidenreich Innovations' Fritz Heidenreich.
"Providing the Q88.com service to the tanker industry creates opportunities to influence the way tanker information is to be shared accurately and efficiently with an increasing number of players in the future," says Svein Ringbakken, Deputy Managing Director of Intertanko.
"Intertanko is pleased to be able to offer this service to our members at reduced prices.”
The Q88.com web site was launched in June 2001. There are currently 255 questionnaires available, which are being used by over 125 tanker owners having an aggregate fleet of over 1,450 vessels.
The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority is establishing a S$20m upgrading program for maritime small and medium enterprises, including ship managers, shipping agencies, hauliers, bunker suppliers, bunker craft operators, towage companies, ferry and launch operators and ship chandlers.
MPA will provide up to 70 per cent of project costs subject to a cap of S$200,000 per project.
MPA has some specific projects it would like to finance mentioned on its website (see http://www.mpa.gov.sg/homepage/pressreleases/031007b.pdf
This includes helping ship managers, shipping agencies and hauliers share documents and streamline document flow.
Also setting up e-commerce websites and supply chain management systems for ship chandlers and bunker suppliers, enabling them to sell products to a wider group of customers and providing new online services to customers such as e-ordering, e-tracking and e-payment facilities.
Also Fleet Management Systems and Ship-to-Shore Communication Systems for Bunker Craft Operators and Towage Operators. SMEs with a fleet of vessels, such as bunker craft operators and towage operators, can better manage and track their vessels for operational planning and deployment, including ship to shore communication and information exchange between crew and offices.
Enhanced Navigational Systems for Ferry and Launch Operators. Enhancing the navigational capabilities and safety of ferry and launch operators by facilitating the acquisition of Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders and Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), enabling them to obtain real-time information on their own positions and the traffic situation around them, as well as anti-grounding and anti-collision warnings.
Tribon.com has launched version 7.0 of its online parts database.
The new system allows products to be searched by free text, rather than just category. Ship designers can define lists of preferred suppliers, creating multiple lists with specific projects.
Product components can have documents attached to them providing further information. The documents can include pictures, certificates and 3D models, some of which can be incorporated directly into the design software.
Lloyd's Register and VideoTel have worked together to make a CD-ROM to trainng seafarers in classification society related issues.
The modules are "An Introduction to Classification," "Personal Health and Safety," "General Ship Knowledge," "Inspections" and "Marine Coatings." There are ship type specific modules covering gas carriers, passenger ships, container ships, vehicle carriers and ro-ro ships.
The program is part of LR's Hull Planned Maintenance Scheme, which aims to help shipboard staff take a role in the classification process.
It enables operators who have already demonstrated a commitment to maintenance management to empower selected accredited seafarers to carry out regular hull inspections themselves, with the results presented to a LR group surveyor for verification during thee annual class survey.
After completion of the distance learning program, participants attend a 1-2 day workshop, either ashore or onboard a ship, which has emphasis on identification of defects, repairs and reporting the inspection. Upon completion of the course seafarers get a certificate of authorisation they can use to undertake hull inspections on the particular ship type they received training on valid for 5 years.
RightShip, with provides ship vetting information online, has won the Lloyds List DCN "initiative in e-commerce award," open to initiatives in Australia and New Zealand that went live before July 2002 and support Australian supply chains and trade.
Key criteria included accessibility, data accuracy, integration with existing systems and processes, and contribution to gains in productivity and customer service.
Fidelio Cruise software has launched Fidelio Cruise Materials Management System (FCMMS), a windows tool to help cruise ship operators manage purchase and inventory control process, covering food, beverage, hotel equipment, shops an technical, from time of purchase to the point of consumption.
The software can also be installed on the shore, "Headquarter Module", communicating with the shipboard system.
Carnival Corporation, owners of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Cunard Line and Costa Cruises, is using computer based training software to train seafarers in environmental compliance, developed by environmental monitoring company CDM.
The software will be used by both shore and sea based staff.
Mediterranean shipping liner agent Salamis Shipping Services is using Softship software, the first customer to install Softship's core products in the area Cyprus, Greek and Israel.
It purchased the liner application LINE, container control CMC and disbursements accounting module AIDA. Further installations at the Salamis offices in Piraeus and Haifa are soon to follow, Softship says.
Vessel traffic systems company Norcontrol is providing information about its VTS systems to the World VTS Guide, the website explaining how seafarers should manage different vessel traffic systems around the world.
The information is provided free to seafarers, but is expensive for ports and authorities to provide; under this scheme, Norcontrol will provide data about its VTS systems directly to the site so that port authorities do not need to.
The site indicates clearly where information has been provided by Norcontrol; the first data Norcontrol has provided is for the Dover Straits between UK and France. Norcontrol has installed 140 VTS systems altogether.
http://www.norcontrolit.com
Tideland Maritime Systems has signed a "teaming agreement" with Norcontrol IT, whereby Tideland will market Norcontrol VTS systems
Tideland Signal manufacturers marine navigation aids, and AIS systems; Norcontrol makes vessel traffic management and information systems (VTMIS).
Makarov State Academy, in St Petersburg, Russia, has installed the largest navigational simulator in Russia.
6 crews can be trained concurrently on the simulator. There are two bridges, one with 225 degrees visual range and one with 135 degrees. There are 4 additional bridges with ECDIS and ARPA / radar.
Transas Marine has won a contract to supply a vessel traffic system for South Wales Ports owned by Associated British Ports (ABP), covering Newport, Cardiff, Barry, Port Talbot and Swansea.
The system will provide the duty Marine Officer with navigational information such as vessel position, movements, timings and speed. It also collects and records data which ABP can use in maintaining emergency procedures and reporting and investigating oil pollution incidents.
The system will integrate four radar systems in each of the ports, along with data from the Port of Bristol's VTS. There are also VHF control systems, eight CCTV cameras in each of the ports controlled centrally from Cardiff, additional VTS displays in Swansea and Barry, a data management database, VHF / telephone recording equipment.
Lloyds Register is sponsoring the human element awareness initiative, run by the Nautical Institute, to raise awareness about how the human element (ie seafarers) fit in the design and operation of ships and shipboard equipment, also covering engineering, regulation and training.
There will be a quarterly newsletter, called "Alert!", with a circulation of 70,000, and a website, both edited by David Squire of the Nautical Institute.
"It is clear that the impact of people on maritime safety is not understood sufficiently by all members of the maritime community," says Lloyds Register. "This initiative will seek to bridge that gap in understanding."
The National Marine Electronics Association will be holding a 2 day working group meeting about the future of the NMEA standard at its annual convention on Oct 22-25, 2003.
Agenda items include; review & revision of the NMEA 2000 Certifying Tool specifications, potential lower cost cabling and connector options, 10 new messages including a comprehensive Route & Waypoint message, future calibration & diagnostics features, and finalization of all necessary items to release next NMEA 2000 Version 1.100.
http://www.primar-stavanger.org
Electronic chart distribution centres Primar and IC-ENC have held a "consistency meeting" at the offices of BSH in Germany, attended by representatives from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the IHO.
The hydrographic offices reported on progress to improve consistency of ENCs. The use of Scamin and the Cscale compilation scale were discussed, and an agreed recommendation was reached.
This proposal will now be forwarded to the IHO TSMAD working group for discussion at its next meeting in Australia.
Norcontrol has supplied Mexican oil company Petroleos Mexicanos Exploration (PEMEX) with 8 AIS base stations, to build what it believes is one of the largest offshore AIS networks in the world, guiding vessels around 150 oil platforms.
PEMEX is installing AIS transponders on supply vessels and other ships serving the oil production facilities.
There are two control centres for the system, one onshore and the other offshore; in future there will be a database with real time data on vessel positions. Also, helicopters will also be fitted with AIS transponders in future, feeding data into the system.
Using AIS, rather than radar, to monitor vessels gets around problems with vessels being hidden in radar shadows and vessel radar readings merging with oil platform radar reading.
Chartworld is now distributing ENCs for Singapore, with the certification from Singapore Maritime and Port Authority.
ChartWorld currently supplies official ENCs from the IC-ENC members (Belgium, Germany, Egypt, India, The Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom) and PRIMAR members (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Russia, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden), NOAA/NIMA and the JHA/JCG of Japan.
Globe Wireless has signed an agreement with Iridium, so that Globe can offer Iridium voice and data services to its customers.
This provides Iridium with a good distribution network into the maritime industry.
http://www.teamtalksatellite.com
TEAMtalk Satellite has installed anti-spam software for e-mails through its Super-Hub
"With the explosion in the volume of spam mail, we felt that we had to be pro-active in protecting our clients from costly airtime bills to collect worthless messages," says TEAMTalk Satellite.
The system is currently blocking in excess of 2MB of illegitimate mail every day, which equates to over 150 minutes of airtime via a mini-M or at least 45 minutes through Inmarsat A/B.
Telaurus Communications has signed a two-year contract to provide communications services to offshore oilfield supply vessel company Tidewater.
Tidewater owns and operates over 570 vessels, claiming to be the world's largest fleet of vessels serving global offshore energy industry.
"Tidewater was approached by virtually all Iridium Tier 1 Providers but chose Telaurus based on pricing and the software assists the se@COMM products enable," says Tidewater.
" After exhaustive testing with competing product offerings, Telaurus pricing and software performance proved to be the winning combination for Tidewater."
Australian police force using Inmarsat Fleet
The New South Wales, Australia, police force is trialling Inmarsat Fleet F33 terminals on a 22-metre craft, "Alert," for shipboard e-mail, web browsing, secure instant messaging, fax and digital image transfer, as well as retrieving real time weather and electronic chart updates.
The data gathered on the vessel will be sent back to police headquarters via Xantic's land earth station in Perth.
Live video streaming gathered on the vessel can be sent back to headquarters for instant analysis.
http://www.fasttrack.co.uk/migration/dbDetails.asp?siteID=3&compID=1087&yr=2003
Pole Star Space Applications has been ranked the UK's 9th fastest growing unquoted technology company by the Fast Track organisation, with a current sales growth of 181.33 per cent per year from £151,000 in 2000 to £1.2m in 2002.
The site notes that Pole Star now has systems onboard 5,000 vessels and expects to break even in 2003.
The US National Marine Electronics Association has announced plans to hold a GMDSS forum at its annual convention in Florida at Oct 22-25.
Issues to be discussed include clarification of the FCC Report & Order on Part 80 Changes - attendees will have the opportunity to address a FCC representative about the recent report.
Also on the agenda is a Coast Guard report on pending GMDSS issues including the upgrade of Rescue 21 programs and recent changes to the AIS regulations, as well as a discussion of VHF-DSC programs and an FCC review of MMSI identification numbers.
"This meeting is especially important for the light commercial recreational boating groups," said Ralph Sponar, NMEA board member and forum moderator. "We will address recent changes to equipment update requirements from the Coast Guard."
Published by Digital Ship Ltd,
213 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9FJ, UK
http://www.thedigitalship.com