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 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com

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“A bulk carrier’s switchboard was shut down because of ransomware

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4th Quarter 2017
volume 11 issue 4

Regulars 4th Quarter 2017

3 COMMENT volume 11 issue 4
4 ON THE AGENDA
7 OPERATOR FEEDBACK Editor: Martyn Wingrove
39 TALKING TECHNOLOGY t: +44 20 8370 1736
43 BEST OF THE WEB e: martyn.wingrove@rivieramm.com
44 FORESIGHT
Sales Manager: Paul Dowling
t: +44 20 8370 7014
Satcoms e: paul.dowling@rivieramm.com
8 ITC Global CEO Ian Dawkins talks exclusively about technology and strategy
Sales: Jo Lewis
11 IoT at sea and container monitoring will revolutionise global supply chains t: +44 20 8370 7793
12 Cobham: Terminals developed for merging communications technologies e: jo.lewis@rivieramm.com

Head of Sales – Asia: Kym Tan

MEC Ship of the Year t: +65 9456 3165
14 Cruise ship MSC Meraviglia is named ship of the year for breaking satcoms record e: kym.tan@rivieramm.com
16 Ship of the Year runners up named for technology innovations
Group Production Manager: Mark Lukmanji
t: +44 20 8370 7019
Safety & security e: mark.lukmanji@rivieramm.com
21 The maritime industry is moving from awareness to action on cyber security
Subscriptions: Sally Church
22 Operators respond with intelligent cyber defence t: +44 20 8370 7018
23 UK unveils new maritime cyber security code of practice e: sally.church@rivieramm.com

Chairman: John Labdon

Bridge & automation systems Managing Director: Steve Labdon
24 Shipowners cannot afford to neglect their vessels’ nervous systems Finance Director: Cathy Labdon
27 Wärtsilä develops hardware and software for its integrated bridge platform Operations Director: Graham Harman
Head of Content: Edwin Lampert
Executive Editor: Paul Gunton
Voyage planning Head of Production: Hamish Dickie
28 Analysis of whether owners have done enough to comply with ECDIS rules Business Development Manager: Steve Edwards

Published by:
Ship digitalisation Riviera Maritime Media Ltd
Mitre House
30 Shell, Varamar and V.Group discuss the benefits of optimising ship operations
66 Abbey Road
through the digitalisation of their fleets Enfield EN1 2QN
UK
Computer-based training
33 Advances in simulator modelling deliver fresh methods of teaching ship
manoeuvring and towage operations
35 Kongsberg Digital supplies new Simwave maritime training centre
www.rivieramm.com
Fishing vessels
36 A Spanish fishing company explains how L-band enables new online applications ISSN 1756-0373 (Print)
37 Innovations in fishing vessel bridge systems and propulsion control ISSN 2051-0586 (Online)

Offshore vessels ©2017 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd

40 CWind has invested in vessel monitoring and motion stabilisation control

41 Owners turn to VSAT for real-time monitoring and IP-based communications

Next issue
Main features: Special report: Asian shipowners and managers, satellite
communications, bridge systems
Ship type: passenger ships

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More still needs
to be done for
autonomous shipping
M
uch has been achieved on the
development of autonomous ships
and remotely-controlled surface
vessels, but we are way behind
on regulation and insurance changes that are
needed for their commercial implementation.
We have seen a number of advances in
ship design, connectivity, remote monitoring
and control of vessels and system engineering
that will drive maritime industries towards
autonomous ships. But will all this be in vain
if shipowners cannot get insurance and
Martyn Wingrove, Editor reassurance from regulations?
Advances in engineering and design have
been propelled by Rolls-Royce and Kongsberg,
while different developments have come from
Wärtsilä and others. In September, Rolls-Royce
unveiled plans for larger autonomous naval
vessels that could be used for mine detection,
patrol and surveillance and fleet screening, with
a range of 3,500 nautical miles.
At first this looks like a leap in technology.
However, the Danish Navy has been using an
unmanned mine sweeper for several years.
Rolls-Royce is also working with Scandinavian
passenger vessel operators to develop and
commission remotely-controlled or semi-
autonomous ferries.
As we have highlighted in previous issues
of Marine Electronics & Communications,
Kongsberg is working with Yara to build a semi-
autonomous feeder container ship for a local
transport project. Yara Birkeland is expected
to sail in 2019 and be tested in autonomous
“THE SHIPPING mode in 2020. Kongsberg is also working with
Bourbon Offshore and Automated Ships on
INDUSTRY CANNOT designing an autonomous offshore vessel for
WAIT 10 YEARS supporting remotely-operated vehicles and
FOR IMO TO REACT conducting light utility work.
TO TECHNOLOGY And in August, Wärtsilä successfully tested
remote-controlled operation of a platform supply
TRENDS” vessel in the North Sea from a control room
in San Diego, California, using a satellite link.
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
COMMENT | 3
Engineers controlled the dynamic positioning
and manual joystick on GulfMark Offshore’s
Highland Chieftain from a distance of 8,000 km,
proving the viability of this concept.
These demonstrations and developments
show how far we have come as an industry
towards bringing what many once called science
fiction into industry fact. But so much more
still needs to be done to ensure international
maritime laws are in place and that vessel
owners can get insurance cover.
Insurers at Lloyd’s of London and lawyers
around the capital think IMO regulations
will need radical changes and updates to
incorporate unnamed ships, not least the
Colregs and Solas (see page 5). If ships are to
be remotely controlled, then there is wiggle
room, to move requirements for watchkeepers to
be present to a control room.
But, it is widely recognised that major
changes to regulations will take perhaps a
decade to implement through IMO. So what
happens in the meantime, say when newbuild
feeder ship Yara Birkeland sails on its maiden
semi-autonomous voyage and accidentally
strikes another vessel? London maritime lawyers
think Yara will need to self-insure against any
accident. But future owners will most probably
want hull and machinery and liability cover,
which would rely on maritime laws for the duty
of care and watchkeeping requirements.
The shipping industry cannot wait 10 years
for IMO to react to technology trends. It needs
the framework of regulations to be in place,
well before Yara gets to sail its new ship in
an autonomous mode. And especially before
anyone is allowed to sail unmanned ships in
international waters. Shipping needs support
from regulators and insurers to proceed with
introducing ocean-going autonomous ships.
Otherwise who will be liable if an unmanned
ship crashes into another ship or a reef,
destroying cargo and causing pollution? MEC
4 | ON THE AGENDA
AUTONOMOUS SHIPS
NEED CHANGES TO IMO
RULES AND INSURANCE
D
iscussions at Lloyd’s of London,
during a public forum at
London International Shipping
Week in September, examined
the insurance implications of a maritime
accident involving an unmanned ship.
Chubb Global Markets head of marine
Mark Edmondson explained that the
technology needed to construct and operate
remotely-controlled and semi-autonomous
ships is available. However, he said there
would need to be major changes to
regulations and insurance cover.
By 2020, there are likely to be semi-
unmanned ships operating on localised
routes. For example, Norwegian groups
Yara and Kongsberg are working on a
semi-autonomous bulk carrier for a shortsea
project in Norway. Yara Birkeland could be
in service by the end of 2019.
Mr Edmondson said affordable
insurance cover would need to be
developed by modifying existing cover for
maritime liability. He expects hull and
machinery cover to be straightforward
but he said providing “liability cover may
be challenging, depending on the size” of
the requirement.
In a presentation, he reviewed the
positive and negative changes to insured
Autonomous ships could be
operating within a decade with
insurance cover (credit: Rolls-Royce)
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
Changes will be required
to ship regulations
and insurance terms if
autonomous vessels are
developed and introduced
risk that are likely to arise from unmanned
shipping. Mr Edmondson suggested that
there could be reduced risk of maritime
accidents, since more than 50% – perhaps
up to 80% – of all accidents are caused by
human error. That risk would be reduced
because early adoption of the technology
would be on vessels serving localised
and scheduled routes. Risk could also be
lowered by installing less moving machinery
on unnamed ships.
LAW AND ORDER
However, risks could be increased by the
lack of any person on board these ships to
swiftly intervene to prevent an accident and
because unproven technology will need to
be used on the early remote control and
autonomous vessel projects.
Risks of a collision were presented by
lawyers from Holman Fenwick Willan
(HFW) at a separate forum at London
International Shipping Week. HFW
partner Tom Walters said that it would
“take time for trust to build before
autonomous ships were introduced.”
However, it would also take time before
IMO regulations, such as in Solas, the
collision regulations (Colregs) and STCW
(Standards for Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping), can be revised.
For example, there are a number of
rules in the Colregs that determine that
seafarers are in control of ships, that they
are lookouts and someone is able to act to
prevent accidents. Mr Walters questioned
whether the rules can be changed to
include shore operators or computers
linked to sensors. There is also a question
of whether autonomous surface vessels
can be described as ships in maritime law
and for insurance.
HFW senior associate Matthew
Montgomery described a hypothetical
casualty involving an unmanned ship
being compromised by a cyber attack
and then grounding, causing flammable
cargo to catch fire and cause damage to
the ship structure and other cargo. He
said there would be questions as to who
was responsible for the accident: the
vessel owner, control room operator or IT
department for not updating software.
Mr Montgomery said there would
have to be changes in the way an accident
was investigated as “there would be no
one to interview and unlikely to be any
documents on the ships as these would
be at the shore base.” He concluded that
a casualty involving an unmanned ship
would result in lengthy legal and insurance
discussions over who was responsible, but
ultimately it would likely be the owner,
who has a duty to ensure the vessel was
seaworthy, including ensuring software was
patched and updated. MEC
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Teekay LNG prepares
to navigate the Arctic
Teekay LNG is breaking new ground in
training and equipment, with six LNG carrier
newbuildings to deliver cargoes from the Russian
Arctic. Karen Thomas visited the company in
Glasgow to find out more
N
ext year, Teekay will
start to operate the first
ship in its new fleet of
icebreaking liquefied natural gas
(LNG) carriers. Eduard Toll is the
first of six Teekay LNG co-owned
vessels built to transport cargoes
from the Yamal LNG production
plant in northern Russia to
markets in eastern Asia.
They will make up a fleet
of 15 Arc7 ice-class Azipod-
propelled LNG carriers that
will plough through the Port of
Sabetta’s icebound waters to
deliver Yamal LNG cargoes all
year round.
Teekay expects all of
these 172,000m³, ice-class
LNG carriers to be in service
in 2020. All are being fitted
with advanced ice navigation
systems and enlarged
and enhanced satellite
communications equipment,
according to Teekay Gas fleet
director James Thomson.
Eduard Toll has left the
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine
Engineering (DSME) shipyard
in South Korea and started
sea trials on 19 August. It is
scheduled to enter service
in January.
Teekay expects to take
delivery of its second Arc7
ship, Rudolf Samoylovich,
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
in November next year and
two more newbuildings are
scheduled to enter service in
the last six months of 2019 and
the final two in January and
February 2020.
The six icebreaking LNG
carriers face some very specific
challenges, when it comes
to keeping communications
channels open in the remote
Arctic waters. Some satellite
constellations do not have
sufficient coverage in this
terrain so Teekay Gas plans to
fit larger VSAT antennas on the
six icebreaking LNG carriers to
tackle potential outages. The
TEEKAY LNG’S YAMAL
NEWBUILDINGS
• 6 Arc7 icebreaking
LNG carriers
• Built by DSME
• 172,000m³ LNG capacity
• 34 crew
• Transas bridge systems
• VSAT + Iridium satellite
communications
• Eduard Toll on sea trials
• Rudolf Samoylovich due
in November
• 2 ships to be delivered
in 2019
• 2 more in 2020
Eduard Toll was launched from DSME in January 2017
ships will also rely on Iridium
OpenPort L-band services as a
failover communications system
for areas of minimal VSAT
satellite coverage.
Teekay ships that are
operated from the Glasgow
office are fitted with VSAT and
L-band back-up communications
by NSSLGlobal. In comparison,
ships operated by Teekay’s
Norwegian office have VSAT
services from Marlink. VSAT
should provide enough
communications capacity
for voice, email and online
applications for the operational
and crew networks.
The icebreaking LNG
carriers feature Transas
integrated bridge systems with
multipurpose workstations
for ECDIS, conning and radar.
Bridge systems also have
GMDSS communications,
speedlogs, autopilot and bridge
alarm systems. There are also
specialist propulsion and engine
controls as each ship will be
fitted with three high-powered
OPERATOR FEEDBACK | 7
Azipod propulsion systems.
Choosing Transas bridge
systems means that Teekay has
adjusted its simulator training
set-up, having previously
modelled it on Kongsberg Digital
equipment. Teekay used its
own Glasgow-based suite of
simulators to train LNG carrier
crew to navigate Arctic waters,
said Mr Thomson.
Teekay compiled a polar
water operating manual that
details how ships and crew will
operate in Arctic waters, and
used this to set up a certified
training regime.
That was certified by
the ship’s flag state, the
Bahamas Maritime Authority,
as meeting the requirements
of IMO’s Standards of Training,
Certification and Watchkeeping
(STCW) Code. It has launched a
specialist Arctic survival training
course for seafarers – the only
one outside the Russian Navy.
Crews are trained for Arctic
operations in South Korea,
Russia and Finland. MEC
8 | SATCOMS

Delivering high
throughput VSAT
services and technology

I
ITC Global chief an Dawkins has been ITC Global
chief executive since April 2017
executive Ian and has already made an impact in
Dawkins explains the company’s restructuring. He is
driving the company to increasingly use
the restructuring the VSAT satellite and teleport network
programme and that its parent company Panasonic has
secured, through leasing and capacity
future technology utilisation contracts, to deliver more
developments after six solutions for maritime, offshore and
cruise ship operators.
months in his role “Panasonic’s ambition is to use high
ITC Global VSAT delivers Ku-band connectivity on ships and rigs
throughput satellites that are coming online,
to build the largest Ku-band network
and apply this globally in maritime,” Mr
Dawkins explained exclusively to Marine
Electronics & Communications. ITC Global
can then use this network to deliver VSAT
connectivity and enabled services, such as
crew welfare packages, remote monitoring
and video streaming.
“A year from now [September 2018],
we will be more aligned with Panasonic so
that we are fully using its comprehensive
network infrastructure to quickly respond
to what is happening in the [maritime]
market,” he said. There could also be
opportunities for growth as Mr Dawkins
expects some companies could be up for
sale after sector mergers, while others
could be struggling to remain in business.
“We are in a position in maritime and
energy to pick up new business,” he said.
Part of the strategy is to have
redundancy in the satellite and teleport
network so users are unaffected by any
faults. “We have a recovery process to
reposition to other teleports or other
satellites in case there is a failure,” Mr
Dawkins explained. “We have to provide
near 100% uptime to clients.” ITC
Global’s worldwide mobility network is
comprehensive enough “to offer multiple
coverage options in case of beam failures.”
Part of his VSAT strategy is to deliver
services through channel partners, such
as Radio Holland. ITC Global is able to
build this distribution network because it
has access to high throughput satellites,
such as Intelsat’s EpicNG constellation
and its ground stations. “By taking on the
capital expense requirements associated
with the networks, we remove a critical
barrier to entry for our partners and we
are developing that further,” he added.

Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com

 SATCOMS | 9

CREW WELFARE
ITC Global launched a new crew Ian Dawkins: “Our
welfare solution, CrewLive, in the ambition is to build
middle of last year and has since seen the largest Ku-band
significant growth in its usage. There are network and apply this
globally in maritime”
now more than 25,000 registered users
globally and CrewLive needs at least
1.8Tb of data per month to keep seafarers
connected. Average download speeds are
between 4-8Mbps.
“Taking that much data off of our
customers’ corporate networks makes a
huge difference,” Mr Dawkins explained.
“Some customers have seen considerable
savings in monthly corporate network
bills because crew are no longer making
personal calls using corporate bandwidth.”
CrewLive removes crew devices from the
corporate network, improving security. It
is used for social media, communications
with family and friends, entertainment
and conducting personal business. This
can include online banking, educational
training, online shopping, and live video
streaming while on board.
VIDEO STREAMING significant performance gains, compared
REMOTE MONITORING Video streaming is also becoming an to legacy modem platforms, in terms
Remote system monitoring is also a key important application of ITC Global of keeping pace with satellite network
reason for vessel operators to use ITC VSAT services, especially for offshore innovations and being able to fully
Global VSAT. Mr Dawkins thinks there oil and cruise customers. “We have support high throughput satellites.”
are many benefits that come from these been seeing demand for remote video These developments will further align
applications. “When equipment is linked streaming to support subsea monitoring,” ITC Global with Panasonic’s aim to grow
for remote monitoring in real-time, then he explained. “Being able to deploy these VSAT business in maritime, offshore and
shipowners can optimise maintenance, services quickly and effectively to deliver passenger shipping. MEC
reduce expensive downtime, and handle 24/7 live video is going to be key.”
upkeep and support before equipment In the cruise sector, video streaming
failure,” he explained. enables the live feed of events, such as
Ship operators can monitor key major sporting events, on cruise ships.
parameters and investigate issues that are Or it can be used for streaming guest
identified by the monitoring tools. For
example, “vibration alerts can indicate
videos on to social media. “It is all about
enhancing the customer experience and
Ian Dawkins
issues with equipment performance and enabling streamlined connectivity and ITC Global
provide an early warning of failures.” entertainment,” said Mr Dawkins.
By downloading equipment data, vessel ITC Global is continuing to introduce Ian Dawkins has over 30 years
operators can also analyse performance new technology to enhance crew welfare, of industry experience. He joined
trends and the ability of crew to navigate video streaming and remote monitoring. ITC Global on 1 April 2017 after 23
ships effectively. “Data can be fed back to In 2018, it will introduce the Newtec years at Airbus, six years at a joint
shore managers to reduce the risk of costly high bandwidth satellite modem platform venture with Airbus and time in
incidents and can also be used for training,” to maritime customers. “We anticipate private equity organisations.
Mr Dawkins said. the new modem technology will deliver

“WE HAVE A RECOVERY PROCESS TO REPOSITION TO OTHER

TELEPORTS OR OTHER SATELLITES IN CASE THERE IS A FAILURE”

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017

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IoT at sea will revolutionise
global supply chains
S
atellite tracking
technology has
evolved over the last
decade and a half so
that a cargo owner can track
the position of a container
and the ship it is on, while
monitoring the condition
of the cargo. The tracking
technology uses sensors,
wireless networks, transmitters
and constellation of satellites,
such as those operated by
Orbcomm, which provide ship
tracking and machine-to-
machine (M2M) connectivity.
Orbcomm vice president
Sue Rutherford predicts that in
the near future shippers of fresh
produce would be able to use a
Container ships are at the centre of monitoring networks and supply chain digitisation
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
Technology based on the ‘internet of
things’ (IoT) will ultimately allow maritime
supply chain members to track individual
container consignments precisely
smartphone application to check
on the location and condition of
a single pallet of fruit inside one
of 2,200 refrigerated containers
on a 22,000 TEU container
ship, in the middle of the
Atlantic Ocean.
“The latest developments
hold out the promise of true
end-to-end supply chain
visibility across land and water,”
she told Marine Electronics &
Communications. It is a far cry
from the early days of ship
tracking using the Automatic
Identification System (AIS),
which became a mandatory
requirement under IMO rules
in 2002.
“The digitalisation of global
shipping is well and truly
underway, and the impact will
SATCOMS | 11
be felt well beyond the high
seas,” said Ms Rutherford. This
is driven by the convergence of
satellite, wireless and cellular
communications for remote
and real-time monitoring, she
explained. “The internet of
things (IoT), tracking devices
and sensors, cloud platforms
and big data analytics will
transform ship management
and operations.”
This couples broadband
connectivity with onboard
GSM wireless networks, IoT
telematics and advances in
sensors for monitoring of
individual containers, trailers
and their cargoes. “The
potential impact on global
maritime supply chains is
tremendous,” she added.
Developments in container
tracking have already saved
shippers money in terms of
preventing loss of perishable
cargo. Maersk Line has
already equipped nearly
300,000 refrigerated containers
with remote tracking and
temperature control devices
and has outfitted its ships with
cellular networks for onboard
monitoring of these boxes.
Regional US carrier TOTE
Maritime has extended smart
reefer box monitoring by
equipping its ships with the
latest GSM wireless network
technology for monitoring
containers at sea.
Costs of this connectivity
are falling as ship operators
can use VSAT, L-band,
AIS and M2M satellite
connectivity. “The new breed
of on-vessel GSM networks
deliver connectivity at a
significantly lower cost than
earlier generation technology,
and give visibility both to
crew and shore-side staff,”
said Ms Rutherford. MEC
12 | SATCOMS
Terminals developed for merging
communications technologies
Shipping is demanding faster and cheaper
communications regardless of whether this is
delivered through VSAT and L-band satellite
services or radio and cellular networks.
Cobham Satcom chief executive Casper
Jensen expects multi-access terminals will be
developed that will enable vessels to access
multi-band VSAT, mobile satellite services and
networks used by mobile devices.
“It is all about rising amounts of IP data in
maritime as there are exponential increases
in bandwidth demand for daily operations,” he
told Marine Electronics & Communications.
There will also be greater integration between
satellite communications and the terminals
needed for the Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System (GMDSS).
Mr Jensen expects there will be
“modifications to existing platforms for improving
operations on ships as we [further] introduce
IP on ships to reduce costs.” Ship connectivity
will also enable more applications such as
equipment monitoring and e-learning. The costs
of remote monitoring could be reduced further
when Cobham Satcom migrates the machine-to-
machine and multi-access terminals it offers for
land services in maritime.
He expects there will be greater focus on
developing 4G or 5G cellular networks and long-
term evolution technology for maritime. Current
technology enables vessels to use coastal 3G and
4G networks to a range of 20km from shore, or
around oil production platforms that have these
transmitters. Mr Jensen expects these ranges will
increase and more advanced 4G/LTE and satellite
Casper Jensen: “Service providers have enabled
vessel operators to use 60cm Ku-band VSAT”
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
communications terminals will be needed.
Cobham Satcom is at the heart of
developments in communications terminals
by developing what Mr Jensen described
as “the best terminals in weight, size and
performance.” More incremental developments
are likely to come in 2018: “We are focused
on optimising our terminals to reduce the total
cost of ownership by lowering the weight and
installation costs,” he said.
In June this year, Cobham Satcom introduced
the Sailor 600 VSAT Ku, a 1m diameter Ku-band
antenna that is similar in design to its Ka-band
variants to enable smaller ships to access VSAT.
“Service providers have enabled vessel operators
to use 60 cm VSAT with similar performance as
using 1m Ku-band,” Mr Jensen explained. “A lot of
customers are happy with this as the installation
is often easier and less costly.”
NEW L-BAND TERMINALS
Also in June, Cobham Satcom unveiled its first
terminal for the new Iridium Certus L-band
satellite communications service (Marine
Electronics & Communications, Q3 2017). The first
versions of these are being tested on vessels in
the North Sea and Mr Jensen expects to ship-
out the first units by the end of this year. “Then
production will ramp up in early 2018,” he said.
Iridium Certus will use the Iridium Next
satellites that are being launched and
commissioned over Q4 2017 and during the
first six months of 2018. It will be an alternative
to Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband for L-band
communications and as a back-up to VSAT.
These terminals will include GMDSS provision
as Iridium is waiting for approvals from IMO. “We
are also working with Inmarsat to get GMDSS on
to FleetBroadband,” said Mr Jensen.
Cobham Satcom is also developing more
advanced VHF, UHF and fire-fighting radios for
maritime. “We have developed new product
lines that are software-defined,” he said. “And
navigation lights with AIS and differential GPS.”
These new radios have improved graphical
user interfaces and tighter integration with other
bridge equipment. “Our focus is on providing
black-box solutions with multiple functions and
displays that link to maritime computers,” he said.
There is a new range of fire-fighting radios
that are intrinsically safe and will be mandatory
in July 2018. “We expect a lot of orders as
shipowners need to meet the new IMO rules for
fire-fighting radio,” said Mr Jensen.
All these developments mean there are
challenges ahead for Cobham Satcom. “Our
main challenge is where we put the investment
as we cover all sectors with good business
opportunities in the years to come.”
Satcoms
round up
• Inmarsat has chosen
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’
H-IIA vehicle to launch the
first of its sixth generation of
satellites into geostationary orbit
in 2020 to boost its L-band and
Ka-band services that are both
needed for Fleet Xpress.
• South Korean satellite
operator KT Sat has signed a
partnership agreement with ship
network supplier Hun’s Corp
to distribute maritime VSAT to
Japanese ship operators. Hun’s
provides services to more than
900 vessels.
• SES has introduced plans to
increase bandwidth available
to shipping using a new O3b
mPower constellation of
satellites that will be built by
Boeing Satellite Systems. The
first of these medium Earth
orbit satellites is scheduled to
be launched in 2021.
• Speedcast International has
introduced Go4Speed, a new
service that uses 4G mobile
phone networks to offer
download speeds of 100 Mbps
to vessels up to around 15km
from any coastline.
• Globecomm Maritime has
installed a VSAT and Iridium
Pilot L-band system aboard
the newbuild specialised
heavy cargo roro Baltic, the
latest ship to join the Global
Seatrade fleet.
• Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is
upgrading communications
systems on its fleet of four
cruise ships by merging VSAT
and wifi technology with 4G
mobile phone connectivity.
• Brazil’s Mareste
Equipamentos e Serviços de
Telecomunicação has taken
capacity on Intelsat’s Galaxy
28 satellite to offer Ku-band
VSAT to fishing vessels and
coastal shipping around South
America. MEC
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www.navico.com/commercial
14 | MEC SHIP OF THE YEAR
MEC Ship
of the Year:
MSC Meraviglia
MSC Cruises’ new cruise flagship MSC Meraviglia
is the winner of our inaugural Ship of the Year
after breaking the bandwidth-at-sea record
R
ecord-breaker Mediterranean
Shipping Co (MSC) Cruises’
new flagship MSC Meraviglia is
named as Marine Electronics &
Communications’ Ship of the Year. It was
the clear winner because of its achievement
of breaking the bandwidth-at-sea record in
June this year on its maiden voyage.
Its superior satellite communications
systems delivered unprecedented
bandwidth to passengers and crew. The
largest cruise ship built for a European
operator so far was nominated alongside
several other passenger ships, tankers,
gas carriers and offshore support
vessels. These were whittled down to a
top five, of which MSC Meraviglia was
chosen as the winner because of its
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
record-breaking VSAT systems.
To achieve bandwidth of up to 300
Mbps, MSC involved service provider
Marlink together with Intelsat’s latest
high-throughput satellite and a new VT
iDirect modem.
MSC Cruises used a stacked series of
iDirect 9350 modems that were linked to
Marlink’s Sealink VSAT. Marlink worked
with Intelsat to provide data connectivity
using Ku-band spot beams from an EpicNG
satellite. Marlink provides widebeam
C-band and Ku-band, plus spot beams,
from Intelsat 29e and Intelsat 33e EpicNG
satellites for MSC’s cruise ships.
The connectivity was dedicated to the
315 m long ship as it sailed along the Atlantic
coast and into the Mediterranean following
its christening at STX France shipyard. The
ongoing Sealink service will provide fast
data, voice and video connectivity for more
than 5,700 passengers and 1,500 crew.
The onboard equipment was designed
to manage the predicted high uplink and
downlink data rates during cruise voyages
around the Mediterranean.
It is not just the satellite
communications that sets this Bureau
Veritas-classed cruise ship apart. The
entertainment suite and interior design
includes the world’s longest dome of light-
emitting diodes (LEDs) at sea. The 80m
LED sky screen broadcasts atmospheric
images and entertainment.
MSC Meraviglia is also the first in
the fleet to feature the operator’s digital

innovation programme MSC For Me.
MSC Cruises chief executive Gianni
Onorato explained to Marine Electronics
& Communications’ sister publication
Passenger Ship Technology the features
that MSC For Me has. He said it was
developed following feedback from
passengers that they wanted to use their
smartphones and tablet computers to
access social media during voyages.
MSC For Me was developed following
feedback from passengers that they
wanted to use their smartphones and
tablet computers to access social media
during voyages
MSC worked with Hewlett-Packard
Enterprises, Bosch, Deloitte Digital and
Samsung to create MSC For Me and its 130
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
MSC Meraviglia was chosen
as the winner because of its
record-breaking VSAT systems
smart features. Among them is a navigation
feature to provide guests with guidance
and routes to locations and information of
events and ship entertainment.
On board MSC Meraviglia there are
33,000m2 of public space, a theatre,
casino, cinemas, restaurants, bars, Cirque
du Soleil, two Formula One simulators
and a space flight simulator, plus the MSC
For Me virtual reality app for guests to
experience shore excursions in advance.
MSC For Me also has an event planner
for guests, a concierge and a digital data
capture for use with social media, enabling
passengers to share their experiences
in real-time. Guests have interactive
bracelets that will connect them to the
ship’s services through a network of 3,050
MSC MERAVIGLIA
FACTS
Owner: MSC Cruises
Shipbuilder: STX France
Classification: Bureau Veritas
Passengers: >5,700
Crew: >1,500
Digital innovation: MSC For Me
Satcoms: Marlink VSAT
Band: C, Ku and spot beam Ku
Lighting: 80,000 LEDs
Display: 80m LED sky screen
Propulsion: 2 ABB Azipods
with electric drives
Bluetooth beacons. These bracelets will
also automatically open cabins and track
passenger’s locations on board and record
when they disembark.
MSC Meraviglia is the first of a
five-ship Vista-class of cruise ships. It is
powered by an all-electric plant powered
by four diesel engines. The propulsion
arrangement and its controls are based on
two ABB Azipods with electric drives. MSC
Meraviglia was built in accordance with
the Ecorizon programme that reduces the
environmental footprint of ships.
Overall, MSC Meraviglia is an
impressive vessel, but its satellite
communications systems that broke the
bandwidth-at-sea record set it apart as the
MEC Ship of the Year. MEC
16 | MEC SHIP OF THE YEAR
Ship of the Year: Runners up
Beothuk Spirit
Beothuk Spirit is one of three
new Teekay Offshore shuttle
tankers that were ordered to
transport crude from offshore
oil fields in the iceberg-prone
waters of the Grand Banks, off
eastern Canada. This tanker
has the latest innovations in
ice radar, dynamic positioning
(DP) and vessel automation,
which is why it was nominated
as a contender for Marine
Electronics & Communications’
Ship of the Year.
Along with shuttle tanker
newbuildings Norse Spirit
and Dorset Spirit, Beothuk
Spirit will operate at the
Hibernia, Terra Nova, White
Rose and Hebron oil fields,
off Newfoundland. These
tankers were built by
Samsung Heavy Industries
shipyard in South Korea and
christened in August.
Beothuk Spirit is
scheduled to enter service
in Canada in November
2017 after sea trials and DP
testing, while Norse Spirit
is due to be commissioned
Beothuk Spirit will shuttle crude from oil fields offshore Newfoundland, Canada
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
in the shipyard in October
and Dorset Spirit is set to be
delivered in January 2018.
For safe navigation and
offshore operations, Teekay
chose Kongsberg to supply
the bridge, automation and
ship monitoring systems,
making Beothuk Spirit a fully
integrated ship with suites
of interlinked Kongsberg
equipment. This is all co-
ordinated through a K-Chief
700 automation system, said
Teekay Offshore project
manager Terje Rusdal, who
manages the newbuilding
programme for the east coast
Canada shuttle tankers.
Bridge teams can use
K-Bridge multifunctional
workstations for ECDIS,
radar, conning and radio
operations. Kongsberg
supplied the e-navigation
system and multi-band
radar with wave and ice
identification and tracking.
Mr Rusdal told MEC that the
bridge also has a Kongsberg
voyage data recorder, gyro
compass, autopilot and
loading computer.
There is also a redundant
K-Pos DP2 that is used
for positioning the tanker
at offshore loading and
floating production storage
and offloading facilities
on the Grand Banks. Mr
Rusdal said Kongsberg also
supplied the cargo tank level
monitoring system, which
uses radar technology and
overfill alarms. Kongsberg’s
KIMS provides officers
and managers with ship
performance information.
For communications,
Beothuk Spirit, along with its
sister tankers, has Marlink’s
Sealink VSAT. In February,
Teekay Offshore extended
a six-year contract it had
with Marlink for VSAT across
its shuttle tanker fleet to
include premium services on
these three shuttle tankers.
Marlink president for maritime
Tore Morten Olsen said
it introduced “significant
bandwidth increases across
the fleet to support more
connected applications”
onboard the shuttle tankers.
“With advanced DP and
offshore loading systems
among others, these latest
ships reflect Teekay’s
commitment to using the
most advanced on board
technology for safe and
efficient operations,” said Mr
Olsen. Teekay has invested
in an always-available
connectivity platform and
integrated ship systems to
ensure its newbuild shuttle
tankers operate effectively on
the East Canada oilfields.
Christophe
de Margerie
Sovcomflot’s (SCF’s) new
ice-breaking liquefied natural
gas carrier Christophe de
Margerie has completed its
first Arctic voyage in record
time using the latest navigation
technology. The 172,600m³
capacity Arc7 LNG tanker was
built to serve the Yamal LNG
project in the Russian Arctic. It
is named after project partner
Total’s former chief executive
Christophe de Margerie who
was killed in a Moscow plane
crash in 2014.
The vessel has three
azimuth propulsion units,
ABB’s Azipods, providing
its high ice-breaking
capability and significant
manoeuvrability. SCF said
the ship is able to use the
stern-first principle, double-
acting tanker function, which
allows it to overcome ice
ridges or thick rafted ice
fields. In particular, because
it can move both forward and
aft, the vessel has two fully
integrated bridge systems.
Transas – a key supplier to
all of the SCF fleet – supplied
all of the bridge systems to
this record-breaking ship.
Christophe de Margerie’s
bridge consists of 12

workstations with Transas
multifunctional displays.
It includes Transas ECDIS
and Navi-Planner 4000 for
advanced route planning,
Navi-Radar 4000, Navi-
Conning 4000 and a bridge
alarm management system.
All workstations installed
on both bridges are fully
integrated into a single
complex system, “which
allows for duplication of the
main operational functions
for improved safety of
navigation” SCF said. All
equipment on board is
fully compliant with the
requirements of the Russian
Maritime Register of Shipping
and Bureau Veritas. It is
designed and tested to
operate in heavy Arctic ice
conditions at temperatures
down to -52˚C.
Transas has provided
suites of simulators based
on these bridge systems to
SCF’s training centre in St.
Petersburg, Russia. These
cover the entire range of
marine operations in the
Arctic. A special course was
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
developed that simulates
real-life conditions at
Sabetta Port on the Yamal
Peninsula so that when SCF
officers board Christophe
de Margerie they are fully
prepared to operate a ship
in and around the port,
including the difficult-to-
navigate seaway canal.
Christophe de Margerie’s
design also includes advanced
automation and control
systems, propulsion controls
and power management
systems, supplied by ABB.
SCF said the ship was “highly-
digitalised” with access to
various external sources of
detailed environmental data
over a redundant satellite link.
During voyages the vessel will
have access to Russia’s Arctic
and Antarctic Research Institute
ice condition information that
can be overlaid on its digital
sea charts.
All vessel systems have
a double failure redundancy
and some equipment has
treble redundancy, such as the
Azipods and diesel generators,
of which six were installed.
MEC SHIP OF THE YEAR | 17
Christophe de Margerie completed the Northern
Sea Route across northern Russia in record time
Each of these generators can
provide electrical power to any
of the Azipods. SCF employs
a remote diagnostic system
that tracks the performance of
key pieces of equipment and
prevents any problems before
they have a chance to occur.
This allows SCF to arrange a
service engineer visit before
the ship enters the Northern
Sea Route.
Deep Explorer
Technip’s new dive support
vessel (DSV) Deep Explorer
has an advanced dynamic
positioning system and
a 400-tonne offshore
construction crane. It has a
DP3-class system supplied by
Kongsberg and a wide variety
of reference sensors. It was
built by Vard Tulcea shipyard
in Romania and completed in
Vard Langsten in Norway.
Deep Explorer is
specifically built for offshore
construction and subsea
maintenance in the North,
Norwegian and Barents seas
and offshore Canada. It is
described by Technip as the
most advanced DSV in the
world as it can operate in
extreme weather conditions,
thanks to the crane’s active
heave compensation system,
which counters sea swells.
The DP3 system includes
a K-Pos dual redundant main
system and single K-Pos as
a back-up. The reference
system includes three
gyros and three differential
GPS units. Kongsberg also
supplied three high precision
motion reference units
and two Seapath position,
attitude, time and heading
sensors. These use the
optimal combination of Global
Navigation Satellite Systems,
such as GPS, Glonass, Galileo
and Beidou signals and
inertial measurements.
Kongsberg also supplied
two hydroacoustic positioning
reference units, which have
a hull-mounted transducer
and one subsea transponder
to establish a 3D position of
the vessel. Guidance Marine
supplied a CyScan laser type
reference system. The vessel
also has two tautwire systems
18 | MEC SHIP OF THE YEAR

These include electronic

Technip's Deep Explorer DSV has a Kongsberg DP3 K-Pos for fully redundant dynamic positioning
and three wind sensors.
Deep Explorer has a
24-man twin-bell saturation
dive system rated to 350m,
which was designed, built and
commissioned by JFD, part
of James Fisher and Sons. It
also has accommodation for
150 people and a working
moonpool, a dive moonpool
and two 3,000m-rated Perry
XLX workclass ROVs. Sepro
was selected to provide
the launch and recovery
systems for the saturation dive
chambers and the ROVs.
The ship’s power plant
includes a quartet of 3.3MW
Wärtsilä 6L32s and two 4.4MW
Wärtsilä 8L32 engines, which
provide a total of 22MW. The
propulsors take the form of
two 3.5MW and a single 3.6
MW Rolls-Royce Azipull aft,
complemented by a pair of
2.4MW tunnel thrusters and
two 2.2MW retractable azimuth
thrusters forward.
class of purpose-built SOVs
with a walk-to-work capability.
It was built to support
construction of offshore
windfarms and maintaining
shallow water platforms. Bibby
WaveMaster 1’s first project
will be supporting offshore
construction work on Innogy’s
Galloper offshore windfarm
off the east coast of England.
In early in 2018, it will be
transferred for offshore gas
platform maintenance as it
will be chartered to Total to
provide accommodation for
gas platform maintenance
teams in the Dutch sector.
Bibby WaveMaster 1
is one of the first ships to
have Alphatron Marine’s
ergonomically-designed
AlphaBridge integrated system
and dynamic positioning.
navigation units, radar and
propulsion controls that are
mostly manufactured by Japan
Radio Co.
Alphatron also installed
a comprehensive IT and
entertainment package for the
90-person accommodation on
board the vessel. All the living
quarters are equipped with
television and wifi to enable
crew and offshore engineers
to use their own devices while
on board.
The vessel has a height-
adjustable walk-to-work
gangway with a six-stop
elevator for completely stepless
access. Bibby Marine Services
chief executive Stephen Blaikie
told Riviera Maritime Media’s
Offshore Support Journal
that Bibby WaveMaster 1 was
custom-designed for a variety
of offshore operations. “The
vessel is built on a stable DP2
platform, so it offers a very high
level of operability,” he said.
“It will provide safe offshore
transfers for personnel by way
of a motion-compensated
access system. Equipment
will be transferred by way of a
heave-compensated offshore-
rated knuckleboom crane.” MEC

Bibby WaveMaster 1
Offshore service
operations vessel (SOV)
Bibby WaveMaster 1 was
commissioned in August 2017
after being built by Damen
Shipyards Galaţi in Romania.
It is the first of Damen’s new Alphatron Marine supplied bridge systems to Bibby WaveMaster 1

Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com

FB Terminal GX Terminal
 SAFETY & SECURITY | 21

Maritime industry moves

from awareness to action
on cyber security
The maritime incident. At this event, Danish Maritime
Authority special adviser Erik Tvedt said
industry is starting to shipping boardrooms should take cyber
security seriously and incorporate it into
get the cyber threat corporate risk management structures.
In a video interview on the side of
as our conversations the summit he told Riviera head of
with operators, content Edwin Lampert that cyber risk
management will become mandatory for
class and maritime the industry. “It is important for safety
and security to understand cyber risk
management. It is an important risk factor
for modern shipping. Shipowners should
take this seriously for business reasons
as cyber risk management improves the
bottom line.”
He explained that IMO is adopting
cyber risk management in the safety
management ISM Code from 2021. He
warned “If you do not comply, then port

insurers reveals

C
yber risk management should
be a top priority for shipping
company boardrooms as a
successful attack can lead
to serious financial losses. This was
dramatically demonstrated by the recent
cyber attack on AP Møller-Maersk, which
shutdown IT networks, logistics platforms
and terminals.
This was also highlighted by top
shipping IT experts at Riviera Maritime
Media’s European Maritime Cyber Risk
Management Summit*, which took place
on 20 June – a week before Maersk’s Philip Roche (Norton Rose Fulbright): “CEOs need to be part of the team”

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017

22 | SAFETY & SECURITY
state control can award points and if you
have too many, ships can be detained.”
Ship operators will be expected to
conduct cyber risk assessments, he said.
“They will evaluate which risk to do
something with and do something about
the important risks.”
In another interview during the event,
Norton Rose Fulbright partner Philip
Roche said it was important that chief
executives are involved in cyber security.
“If there is a major attack and ships
cannot sail, it would be a problem,” he
explained. “Chief executives need to be
part of the team doing practical drills.”
Otherwise, he said, “all the efforts are
wasted. We need to spread the message to
those that are not engaged.”
He explained that the prevailing view
is that small cyber risk issues, such as
ransomware, can be dealt with “day-to-
day.” But this leads to a large number
of organisations not engaging with the
problem. And in organisations that do
engage, it is not the senior people who get
involved because it is seen as “an IT thing,”
he said. “But it is a risk important enough
to get a decision from the top.”
Operators respond
For the tanker and gas industries, cyber
security will become a key risk management
requirement from the beginning of next
year as it becomes part of Oil Companies
International Marine Forum’s Tanker
Management and Self Assessment 3
(TMSA 3) best practice programme. For
this reason, the subject has travelled up
management levels in companies such as K
Line and MOL LNG Transport.
K Line’s Derek Darwin said cyber
risk management messages needed to
reach a wider audience to ensure shipping
companies were not affected by future
cyber attacks. OCIMF was leading the
way in this: “TMSA 3 will be enforced,
driving us to look at cyber security [and]
involve a lot more people that just the
IT department,” he said. Mr Darwin
thinks shipping will need a number of
significant cyber attacks before it learns
to deal with the issue as an industry. He
sees parallels with how the industry only
reacted to physical piracy a decade ago
after a number of successful hijackings.
“There was a lack of reporting, so no one
knew what was going on,” he commented.
“This is relevant now with cyber security
as we do not know how or why ships have
been attacked.”
MOL LNG IT manager Pete Adsett
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
explained how his organisation prevents
cyber issues and protects ships from
malware. He said his ships had malware on
board in the past but this was cleaned off.
There are also what he called ‘sheep dip’
computers on board that are used to scan
any external memory sticks for malware
before seafarers, port inspectors and service
engineers can use them on the ships.
Other shipowners also provide
computers on vessels purely for seafarers
to use for their own media usage. Navios
Group IT manager Katerina Raptaki
explained at a Riviera- and Speedcast-
run seminar in Norway in June that these
computers were deployed across the fleet to
prevent seafarers from infecting other ship
computers with malware.
Malware is prevented from being
transferred across satellite links by firewalls.
It is thought Maersk Group reacted
rapidly to isolate its ships on 27 June
when the whole company was attacked by
destructive malware. According to a satellite
communications provider, Maersk quickly
deployed firewalls to the ships, offshore
support vessels, tugs and drilling rigs to
prevent the malware from infecting their
IT networks, enabling marine operations to
continue unaffected.
But these measures do not always
prevent ships from being infected by
malware that can sometimes shut them
down, said DNV GL maritime cyber
security manager Patrick Rossi. He said
problems have been found on board
Patrick Rossi (DNV GL): A bulk carrier‘s switchboard was shut down because
of ransomware
container ships, bulk carriers and tankers.
In one example, he said “a bulk carrier’s
switchboard was shut down because of
ransomware on board and the vessel was
rendered inoperable. This could have
quickly escalated if the vessel had been
involved in critical operations.”
He said shipping could learn lessons
from the offshore oil industry where there
have been advances in cyber security.
“Offshore is more mature in managing
cyber threats. There has been a strong
push to do FMEA [failure mode effect
analysis], much more than in maritime.”
DNV GL is working through IACS
to set up a platform for communicating
anonymously incidents that happen
in maritime. Mr Rossi described it
as “a platform for sharing data, the
lessons learnt and how to fix issues
confidentially.” Satellite operator Inmarsat
is also working with IACS on this
platform, as its vice president for safety
and security, Peter Broadhurst, explained:
“As an industry, we are coming together
to set a framework that will set principles
for moving towards a set of standards.
And should regulations be required, we
could move towards regulations.”
Intelligent defence
Delegates at the conference heard from
John Boles, a former assistant director of US
Federal Bureau of Intelligence’s international
operations, about mitigation methods for
preventing and dealing with a cyber attack.
 SAFETY & SECURITY | 23

He is now director of global legal up resilience to attack, making cyber

technology solutions at Navigant and said
controlled networks should be separated
from unsecure ones, software should
be patched and crew trained to prevent
unintentional malware infections. He said
shipping companies should have layered
defences to isolate protected data from
the internet, implement multi-factor
authentication and retain outside security
experts to help plan for a cyber attack.
Speaking to MEC after the Maersk
cyber attack, Mr Boles said it could have
been avoided by applying Microsoft
security updates that addresses ‘server
message block’ (SMB) vulnerabilities.
“Fixes for the SMB vulnerability were
available, Microsoft even released patches
for its out-of-service operating systems
after WannaCry,” he said, referring to a
global ransomware attack in May.
More prevention methods could also have
been performed. “Even if a company did
not patch, performing regular back-ups of
data and isolating those back-ups from the
internet would at least make it possible to
reload company data and continue business
operations, while minimising the data loss.”
Shipping companies should also do
cyber risk assessments, but these bring
their own challenges. Moore Stephens
partner Steve Williams explained that
it was difficult to assess the impact on
John Boles (Navigant): Shipping
companies should have layered defences
confidentiality, integrity and availability of
cyber threats. “It is hard to determine and
impossible to quantify the cyber risks, hard
to price the risk and difficult to manage,”
he said.
North P&I Club deputy director for loss
prevention Colin Gillespie said the key to
cyber security is to assess the vulnerabilities
and take measures to make them less
vulnerable. “Cyber security is about building
incidents less likely and better enabling
companies to respond to, and recover from,
an attack,” he explained. Although ship
connectivity creates vulnerabilities, some are
more human-related.
North P&I Club is part of the ‘be cyber
aware at sea campaign’ which seeks to raise
awareness of cyber risks amongst shipping
companies and seafarers. “The first step
in best practice is to develop an easy to
follow policy and raise people’s awareness
around the common issues,” Mr Gillespie
said. “The human factor is the cause of the
majority of incidents but it is also a risk
that can be reduced relatively quickly and
cheaply.” Training can help to tackle that
aspect of the problem, he suggested.
Given what was to happen just a few
days later, his concluding advice was
timely: “The level of disruption a cyber
incident can bring can put a business at
risk,” Mr Gillespie said. “So the more
resilient a business is, the less it runs this
risk. The first step is to recognise the
potential risk and prioritise cyber security
as a board level risk.”
*Riviera Maritime Media’s European
Maritime Cyber Risk Management
Summit was held in association with
Norton Rose Fulbright in London
on 20 June

UK unveils new cyber security code of practice

UK’s Government has introduced new guidance on how shipping
can deal with the growing cyber threats. Transport Minister Lord
Callanan unveiled the Department for Transport’s new Cyber
Security Code of Practice for Ships during London International
Shipping Week.
During the unveiling, Lord Callanan said the aim of this
document was to minimise the risk of cyber threats to shipping and
minimise the impact of any cyber attack.
He said the “guidance is aimed at ship operators, shipowners
and crew members.” It should help businesses to:
• Develop a cyber security assessment and plan.
• Devise the most appropriate mitigation measures.
• Ensure the correct structures, roles, responsibilities and
processes are in place.
• Manage security breaches and incidents.
“It also highlights the key national and international standards
and regulations that should be reviewed and followed,” he said at an
event in Inmarsat’s offices on 13 September.
UK’s Department for Transport commissioned the Institution
of Engineering and Technology to produce the code of practice.
There was also input from various organisations, including the
Maritime Coastguard Agency, Maritime Accident and Investigation
Branch, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the
National Cyber Security Centre.
Lord Callanan said the guidance would complement the
work being done by IMO and other shipping organisations to
raise awareness of cyber threats and vulnerabilities. “This code
of practice explains why it is essential that cyber security be
considered as part of a holistic approach throughout a ship’s
lifecycle,” he said.
“As well as setting out the potential impact if threats are
ignored, the code of practice is intended to be used as an integral
part of a risk management system to ensure that cyber security is
delivered cost effectively as part of mainstream business.”
This latest code of practice follows on from last year’s
publication of the Department of Transport’s Cyber Security Code
of Practice for Ports and Port Systems.
Lord Callanan said work will continue to improve the cyber security
of British ports and shipping. “We will continue to work with you all
and seek to ensure that the UK’s transport sector remains safe, secure
and resilient in the face of cyber threats, and able to thrive in an
increasingly interconnected and digital world,” he said. MEC

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017

24 | BRIDGE & AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
Shipowners cannot afford to neglect
their vessels’ nervous systems
Ship automation provides the network for measuring vessel performance, propulsion
efficiency and emissions while controlling cargo and auxiliary systems
I
f the bridge of a vessel is its brain, then its
automation system is its nervous system,
carrying information between the brain and
other organs – the propulsion system, cargo
management system, and auxiliary systems. As
data gathering and analytics further develop,
bridge systems are getting smarter. However, less
care is being given to the automation systems
that carry signals around the ship, Høglund
Marine Automation chief executive Børge
Nogva explained.
This is partially because naval architects and
shipyards have a limited understanding of the
electronics involved and partially because they are
low-cost items compared to other systems, such
as cargo management or propulsion. As a result,
“specifications for automation systems are not
drawn up with as much detail, meaning most will
settle for established package solutions, rather
than bespoke automation systems more suited to
their individual vessels,” Mr Nogva told Marine
Electronics & Communications.
He thinks this causes overall standards of
maritime automation to lag behind those of the
automotive or aerospace sectors. “Frequently, users
will ignore systems designed to make processes
more efficient,” he continued. “Systems fail and,
instead of being repaired, manual workarounds
are found.”
At best, this results in lost opportunities
to find efficiency savings through optimised
automation. At worst, this can result in mission-
critical delays. “For us, this is unacceptable. We
take a ground-up approach to creating systems at
the newbuild or retrofit stages,” Mr Nogva said,
adding that these provide the performance and
reliability ship operators need for the long term.
For each vessel project, Høglund creates a list
of which hardware and software go together, which
reduces headaches when it comes to maintenance
or upgrades. All its systems are based on hardware
that it believes will still be available in 15 years’
time so that ship operators are assured that spares
and replacements will be available in the future.
“This contrasts with other approaches, which
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
involve frequent updates to both software and
hardware,” Mr Nogva explained. That approach
“Systems fail and, would mean that, in the event of an upgrade or
replacement of one element to the system, an
instead of being entire system may need to be overhauled.
repaired, manual Ship automation systems are not just for
workarounds supporting onboard operations, he said. “Automation
systems are a potential goldmine of data to be
are found” analysed for insights and optimisation.” This can
take the form of a playback capability, which uses
records of up to a year of all the inputs and outputs
for a system, allowing users to play back events
and analyse any faults, “which is invaluable for
diagnostics and bug-fixing,” he added.
Data gleaned from automation systems can be
used for ship performance monitoring, combining
fuel and power consumption alongside vessel data,
such as average speed, distance sailed, wind speed
and direction, draught and trim. It can then be
used for calculating emissions information.
For vessels with conventional propulsion,
it is also possible to use sensors to measure
propulsion efficiency. “By measuring the shaft
torque and comparing it to engine power,
Børge Nogva: “Automation the system can show whether the propeller
systems are a potential is performing optimally, or whether power is
goldmine of data” being lost to cavitation,” Mr Nogva explained.
This information can be captured in the ship
performance monitor and displayed on the bridge.
Recorded data can be used to create automatic
reports showing compliance with EU’s monitoring,
reporting and verification regulation requirements.
GPS data, tank soundings and the dates and
levels from bunkering reports can also easily be
incorporated in the automation system. “This reduces
the reliance on numerous systems that all need to be
interfaced and maintained,” Mr Nogva said.
Automation systems create feedback loops that
are essential, both for daily vessel operations and for
building smarter ships and achieving data-driven
optimisation. “As digitalisation accelerates in the
industry, it is time for yards, owners, and designers
to start paying attention to automation to ensure
their vessels are ready to maximise the benefits this
transformation will bring,” Mr Nogva concluded. MEC
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KEY FEATURES
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LED Backlight Technology
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Multi-Touch Option
Superior Optical Bonding Option
Resolution at 3840 x 2160 (4K)
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WÄRTSILÄ SET TO UNVEIL
NEW BRIDGE SYSTEMS
W
ärtsilä is enhancing the Nacos
Platinum integrated bridge
system hardware and software,
two years after gaining this technology
through the acquisition of SAM Electronics
from L-3. The upgrade work involves adding
voyage planning stations and solid-state radar.
Wärtsilä is also updating the software
on this bridge system’s platform with more
radar applications and algorithms as it helps
the industry develop intelligent shipping.
In an exclusive interview, Wärtsilä
product manager for navigation products
Eberhard Maass told Marine Electronics
& Communications that new integrated
products will become available through
these developments.
“We are currently improving the
platform by introducing new monitors for
the integrated bridge for use by all types
of applications, such as radar, ECDIS,
conning, automation and engine controls,”
he said. This includes introducing high
definition 32 in and 55 in monitors to
complement existing 22 in and 24 in
displays currently offered.
“There will be voyage planning stations,
or tactical tables, incorporating more
functionality to ease route planning and
monitoring,” said Mr Maass. These stations
will incorporate further layers of information
on electronic navigational charts, including
weather and environmental data, such as
wind, current, sea state and air pressure.
“Three-to-seven day weather forecasts
can be used to optimise voyages, to organise
pilots and route around bad weather, then
optimise the speed over the route,” Mr
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
Wärtsilä is developing new
hardware and software for its
integrated bridge platform for
voyage planning, ice operations
and collision prevention, writes
Martyn Wingrove
Maass explained to MEC. Wärtsilä is
also adding small monitors to navigator,
master and pilot chairs so that other bridge
systems and external applications can be
operated from those positions.
Wärtsilä is also developing radar
technology. “We are working on solid state
S-band radar that will be available at the end
of 2018 and working on functionality that
we are calling intelligent radar merging,” said
Mr Maass. This will allow two X-band and
S-band radar feeds to be merged into one
image, which enables bridge teams to use the
advantages of both bands, such as the long
range of S-band and short-range and high
definition of X-band.
“There are also plans to incorporate
radar applications that come with non-
SOLAS radar, such as wave radar, ice and
oil detection and video analytics,” he added.
Radar can be used for multiple target
detection and analytics and for measuring
wave height, period and direction. This
comes from advances in algorithms to
detect the different types of target, which is
useful for Polar navigation.
BRIDGE AUTOMATION SYSTEMS | 27
Wärtsilä is also developing methods
for incorporating infrared camera images.
“This is useful to cruise ships operating in
East Asia where there are many wooden
boats, which cannot be easily detected by
commercial navigation radar,” Mr Maass
explained. This is because wood is not as
radar reflective as metal, but heat traces
from these boats can be tracked.
For the longer term, Wärtsilä is planning
e-navigation and intelligent applications for
bridge systems, such as its Smart Predict
application. It is participating in the Sea
Traffic Management (STM) project for
voyage planning and execution and connected
logistics chains. This is being administered
by Swedish and Danish maritime authorities
with the aim to include up to 300 ships, 13
ports and five shore centres.
Wärtsilä’s main part of this project is
delivering bridge systems for the ships
involved and Mr Maass explained how
information is exchanged with all the
main partners in the project. “Route plans
and schedules are communicated by ships
to ports so arrivals can be planned, pilots
can be made available and there will be
fewer vessel queues,” he said. “Ship masters
can plan more optimised schedules with
information from the shore.”
He added: “We are working on
intelligent vessels with more functionality
and packages such as anti-collision or
anti-grounding features and functions for
ECDIS and automatic docking.” These
advanced software features should provide
more information to bridge teams and
improve navigation safety. MEC
28 | VOYAGE PLANNING
Have owners done enough
Port state control officers
S
hipowners rushed to upgrade their
safety navigation and voyage planning
are in the middle of a equipment, to meet the updated
standards requirements. They needed to
concentrated inspection ensure their ECDIS met new standards from
campaign covering safety the International Hydrographic Organization
(IHO) and International Electrotechnical
navigation equipment Commission (IEC) by 1 September or run the
on ships as new ECDIS risk of ship detentions.
Maritime authorities under the Paris and
standards come into force Tokyo memorandums of understanding
(MoUs) of port state control had announced
that inspectors would mount a concentrated
inspection campaign (CIC) focusing
on navigation safety from September
to November this year and would be
compelled to detain ships if equipment was
not compliant with IEC 61174 edition 4 and
IHO S-52 Annex A edition 4.0.
ANALYSIS BY NUMBERS
4.0 174,559
edition of
deficiencies for safety of
IHO ECDIS
presentation library navigation (2009-2016)**
10,000 27
predicted inspections by Paris and participating
maritime
Tokyo MoUs during CIC**
administrations
in Paris MoU
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
Some authorities, such as the
Australian Maritime Safety Authority,
said they would take a zero-tolerance
approach to breaches of these
regulations, while others may be
more lenient. All this put pressure on
shipowners and the e-navigation sector
to ensure all onboard equipment was
updated. At the time of writing, there was
no available data on whether any ships
had been detained or deficiencies had
been discovered in the first week
of September.
Exclusive interviews and analysis by
Marine Electronics & Communications,
as part of a campaign to raise awareness
to shipping, revealed that the majority of
shipowners were prepared, but it had been
a rushed process. There were proposals,
15.3%
of all deficiencies
for safety of
navigation**
20
participating
maritime
administrations in
Tokyo MoU

to comply on ECDIS?
even in August, to delay the CIC or have
vessel exemptions.
ECDIS installation and service
company Telemar technical director
Pasquale Golia said “getting the industry
ready for the 1 September deadline had
been hectic.” Electronic navigational
specialist Nautisk confirmed that ship
operators were aware of their obligations
and updated their ECDIS systems ahead
of the deadline but its project manager
John Dawson said many shipowners had
turned to ECDIS leasing or passed the
responsibility for chart management and
compliance to providers.
ECDIS suppliers Kongsberg Maritime
and Wärtsilä told MEC that shipping
had proposed an agreement that port
state control would temporarily exempt
US$20,000
upper amount
for ECDIS upgrades
9,680
dry cargo ships
>20,000 gt use an
ENC service*
*UKHO data as of July 2017
**Credit – Paris and Tokyo MoUs
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
certain ships. Kongsberg Maritime
bridge systems product manager Borre
Flaglien argued that ships should not be
detained “if the owner can prove that an
agreement to upgrade has been made
with an ECDIS supplier.”
Wärtsilä product manager for navigation
products Eberhard Maass said some owners
were late updating onboard ECDIS as it
represented an unwanted expense. “Owners
were trying to blame the manufacturers.
But they have had time to update and
be ready.” Another element to this task
was getting verification from classification
societies that ECDIS had been updated. A
shortage in bridge system engineers and
class specialists could delay the compliance
process, Mr Maass explained.
Costs for updating ECDIS equipment
12
questions PSC officers
ask about navigation
equipment**
3,828
dry cargo ships >20,000 gt
are yet to use ENCs*
VOYAGE PLANNING | 29
depended on the age of the original
devices and the availability of software
patches. Telemar’s Mr Golia said some
ECDIS hardware could not be upgraded,
in which case owners were forced to
seek replacements. “This can lead
to unavoidable costs up to around
US$20,000 per vessel,” he said.
However, he said that these costs are
relatively low when compared with “the
risk of being detained in port due to not
meeting the new regulations.” The port
state control CIC finishes at the end of
November, when we will should find out
how many ships have been detained. MEC
For more information, please read our
The Complete Guide to ECDIS:
http://bit.ly/ECDISguide
72%
of dry cargo
ships >20,000 gt
ECDIS ready*
9
months before ECDIS
carriage rules extend
to dry cargo ships
>10,000 gt
30 | SHIP DIGITALISATION
Digitalisation
will revolutionise
ship operations
and chartering
S
hell has transformed its maritime and shipping business
through digitalisation, but still faces challenges. The
energy giant is ahead of others in shipping in analysing
large data packages from its fleet of ships to make
smarter decisions and integrate logistic chains. It operates a large
fleet of 10 crude and product tankers and 40 liquefied natural gas
carriers (see box).
Ships operated by Shell have more than 500 data points and
connections to shore, providing information to ports and terminals
and enabling Shell to enhance its operations, said general manager
for shipping and maritime Carl Henrickson.
Shell has invested in data analytics to “optimise performance” of
ships and make changes in real-time to vessel operations. “We are
creative with data analytics and creative in interventions and have
automated our systems,” he said at a seminar in Inmarsat’s head
offices during London International Shipping Week in September.
But digitalisation presents issues. Mr Henrickson counted these
as the cyber risks that come with connected ships, concerns about
the transition from physical-based to cyber-based business practices
and what he called “a rush to digitalise.” He urged other shipping
companies to “embrace change to make it happen” and to have
“strong leadership towards digitalisation.”
As shipping becomes more digitalised there will be winners
and losers. The conference delegation identified shipbroking and
ship chartering as the main segments of the industry that are the
most vulnerable to digital disruption. However, shipping needs to
flow with the changes, said Mr Henrickson. “Technology change is
already happening so you need to be ready and doing this,” he said.
“Technology change is already
happening so you need to be ready.
You have to have different mindsets
and change company culture”
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
Shipping companies,
including Shell,
Varamar and
V.Group discussed
the benefits of
optimising ship
operations through
the digitalisation of
their fleets during
London International
Shipping Week
“You have to have different mindsets and change company culture.”
In the panel discussion, Lloyd’s Register vice president for digital
commercialisation David Ryder said internal friction to change in
organisations was the biggest challenge to the adoption of digital
practices. He encouraged shipping companies to “employ chief
technical officers to adopt digital change, engage with customers,
invest in IT and learn from digitalisation of other sectors.” Mr Ryder
said smaller shipping companies could use cloud computing and
online applications to compete with operators that have larger funds.
CHARTERING PLATFORM
Shipping should adopt new technology platforms to remove routine
operations and reduce the deluge of data that managers have to
process, said Varamar Group founder and chief executive Alexander
Varvarenko. During the panel discussion he urged shipping to
employ these platforms to improve transparency. “Shipping is global
so we need a platform for everyone to interact,” he said. “Shipping
needs to be transparent, but it is a grey business and this stops
digitalisation. But this will be the next step.”
Mr Varvarenko is also founder of ShipNext, which has developed
software that rapidly processes emails. He told Marine Electronics &
Communications that this software should revolutionise the process
of shipbroking and chartering, similar to the way Uber has changed
taxi hiring globally. During an exclusive interview he said that in
the first phase the software “uses processing and machine learning
technology and maritime trading experience” to process thousands
of emails per day.
ShipNext reads the emails that Varamar receives from cargo
owners looking to charter vessels and automatically sends a reply
with information on the nearest available ships for the cargo
loading date and time. “Everytime there is a change in cargo details,
ShipNext will show the closest available ship and calculate the most
efficient in fuel,” said Mr Varvarenko.
He added that ShipNext would send an email to operators of
these ships with a description of the cargo, port of discharge and
loading date. “By the middle of March 2018, we will be able to
automatically generate quotations from the available ships and
send them to the cargo owner.” In a second phase of development,
the software could become a trading platform for banks and
trading houses. These organisations could generate a request in
 SHELL
SHIPPING FLEET
40 LNG carriers
A-Class (Brunei to Japan/S Korea)
B-Class (Brunei to Japan)
NLNG-Class (Nigeria LNG)
G-Class (global trading)
Nakilat Q-Max
Nakilat Q-Flex
NWS-Class (NW Shelf Australia)
10 tankers
A-Class (small product)
B-class (MR product)
O-class (VLCC)
T-class (LR product)
ShipNext with a cargo sold in a particular port and the program
would provide ship-available information. “We could synchronise
ShipNext with bank payment systems. Thus, once a deal is done
online, ShipNext could instantly generate a charterparty,” Mr
Varvarenko explained.
“We will create a transparent platform with cargo and ships fixed
online. It could become an online auction with ships being offered
on time charter and there could be valuations of ships.” Time
functions could be included in another phase of development. Mr
Varvarenko has spoken to Inmarsat about developing an operating
platform that would produce fuel-efficient route plans that could be
updated when ship and voyage details change. This could then feed
into the details of the available ships for cargo owners.
SHIP CONNECTIVITY
This takes into consideration that ship connectivity is a key enabler
of the digitalisation of shipping. Inmarsat provides that through the
use of Fleet Xpress, its hybrid Ka-band and L-band service (Marine
Electronics & Communications, 3Q 2017). Inmarsat Maritime
president Ronald Spithout expects this connectivity will enable
software and hardware on ships to be interconnected. “In three to
five years, ships will be connected to logistics and end-users will
demand integrated networks and more information,” he predicted.
“It is coming together and shipping will change.”
In a video interview with Marine Electronics & Communications,
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
SHIP DIGITALISATION | 31
Shell operates LNG carriers
that load from the Australian
Northwest Shelf project
Mr Spithout said there would be dedicated bandwidth within Fleet
Xpress for providers of smart shipping solutions. This will include
bandwidth for engine monitoring, ship optimisation and crew
welfare applications.
In September, Inmarsat signed a memorandum of understanding
with Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea to provide bandwidth
for smart shipping applications. This will result in new ships being
installed with Inmarsat-approved terminal hardware for operators
to use a range of applications. These would cover remote machinery
diagnostics, weather information and security camera services using
Inmarsat’s satellite, from the moment the ship is delivered.
Shipmanagement group V.Group plans to introduce an
application of its ShipSure program for mobile devices on 1 January
2018. This will enable its clients to download information they need
regarding marine operations, procurement, finance and crewing onto
their tablet or mobile phone.
The app uses GPS to monitor vital data such as fuel
consumption, sailing speed and conditions at sea to deliver data
in real-time. Preference settings allow users to decide how much
information they receive. They can also use in-built messaging
systems to request additional information.
Customers will be able to check whether planned maintenance
is overdue and to request copies of test certificates. The app can
generate critical spares alerts or compare budgeted running costs
against real costs and generate PDF invoices for procurement. MEC
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SIMULATOR ADVANCES
IMPROVE SHIP
HANDLING AND SAFETY
S
imulation software is
being developed to
teach best practice
for ship manoeuvring
and improve vessel handling.
Advances in the software are
delivering fresh aspects to
training, such as multi-vessel
operations and equipment
interaction. Hydrodynamic model
manoeuvring simulation and 3D
physical models are part of the
next generation of simulators.
Kongsberg Digital vice
president for maritime
simulation products Jan Ståle
Kauserud said that simulators
are increasingly used for
modelling ship manoeuvring
operations in new terminal
and waterway developments
or extensions. He added that
simulation can also help improve
procedures for manoeuvring
ships and for emergency
preparedness training.
“With unparalleled data
capture, replay, and playback
capabilities, modern simulators
provide a flexible tool for testing
and validating new manoeuvring
procedures and concepts,” Mr
Kauserud said. He highlighted
some of the benefits of this
approach, mentioning greatly
enhanced physical modelling
of tug connection mechanisms,
winch performance and line
characteristics, adding that this
can support effective testing of
innovative and non-conventional
methods of tug employment,
and mooring configurations.
He expects more advances
will enhance tug operations
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING | 33
ADVANCES IN simulation further. “The
use of object-oriented and
SIMULATOR scenario-centric simulation,
MODELLING ARE using physical 3D modelling
DELIVERING techniques, will further
expand the ability of towing
FRESH METHODS companies, marine pilotage
OF TEACHING SHIP groups and port authorities,”
he explained. Object-oriented
MANOEUVRING simulation focuses on the
AND TOWAGE accurate physical simulation
OPERATIONS of all components that are
important to the simulation.
The objects are all the
elements that compose
the simulation scenario
and create an environment
that is comprehensive and
completely interactive.
OBJECT SIMULATION
In this way all objects are
simulated by the program.
For example, the fluke of
an anchor can get caught
on an underwater cable
or another obstruction, all
of which can be modelled
objects. These objects can
be physically connected
together and separated from
each other in a simulation
model. In the program, these
object interactions could be
“SIMULATORS deliberate actions such as
ARE A TOOL FOR releasing a crane hook from a
load, or accidental separations,
TESTING AND which could include the
VALIDATING NEW breaking off of a fuelling hose.
MANOEUVRING Objects can include:
• Lifeboats
PROCEDURES • Deck cranes
AND CONCEPTS” • Fuelling hoses
• Hatch covers
• Fenders
• Anchor chains
• Shackles
• Couplings.
“The next generation
of simulators will combine
all the positive aspects
of a hydrodynamic model
manoeuvring simulator with
3D physical models and a
powerful physics engine,”
said Mr Kauserud. The
physics engine will simulate
mechanical forces that are
applied to a tug by other
objects, such as ships, locks
and harbour walls. The
impacts will be simulated in
more realistic terms.
“The external forces
are computed and applied
to the ship, tugs and lines
in a correct and empirical
manner without the need
for instructor-controlled
interpretation or subjective
judgements,” Mr Kauserud
added. An example of this is
the dynamic force calculation
on tug tow lines. This will
incorporate factors such as
line length and vertical angle,
along with their influence on
the actual towline loads and
the lateral forces applied to
the ship.
Rival training systems
supplier Transas
Academy has developed
advanced simulation
software and delivered
complete simulation
suites. Its vice president
Ralf Lehnert explained
to Marine Electronics &
Communications that
34 | COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING
Kongsberg Digital developed full mission fore and aft bridge simulators for ship navigation and handling training
manoeuvring activities are
having a growing impact on
safety and on commercial
factors in modern port
operations because the
sizes of ships is increasing
and tugs are becoming
more powerful.
As a result, ports are
putting more focus than
in the past on providing
advanced training systems,
he suggested. “Team training
behind tug operations is
a critical factor for safe
and efficient berthing” in
all weather conditions, Mr
Lehnert said. The team
should include the ship’s
crew, pilots, the local vessel
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
traffic management system
and up to five tug masters.
Training should involve
scenarios based on various
weather, tidal and current
conditions that will be
expected in the port and
which would influence
berthing or unberthing
operations. To achieve this,
Transas has developed
sophisticated hydrodynamic
models for all types of
conditions with help and
support from global tug
handling experts. This means
an individual tug master or
a full team can be trained in
these simulated environments
before they are attempted in
the real world.
Transas uses mathematical
and physical models
to program tug-to-ship
interactions, which includes
high-fidelity modelling of the
towing ropes. The simulators
can offer up to 360 degrees
of visualisation, said Mr
Lehnert, allowing “a realistic
view of the operational
scenery, which is based on
the 3D virtual reality of ports
and mooring areas.”
The simulation model is
also based on specific tug
types and various ships to
tow. “Altogether, it makes it
difficult to decide whether it
is a simulation or a real-world
scenario,” said Mr Lehnert.
The model is loaded into
a physical simulator that
replicates tug bridges by using
consoles that have specific
tug controls. “This makes
the simulators an extremely
realistic and cost-effective
training tool,” said Mr Lehnert.
In March of this year,
Transas signed a global
strategic partnership with
Alphatron Marine and Japan
Radio Co to incorporate
software into integrated
bridges and training
simulators. This combines the
realistic 3D modelling with
actual tug bridge consoles for
training centres.

Meanwhile, VStep has
integrated third party
engineroom simulator
software with its own
Nautis programs for a
project in southeast Asia.
This combination enables
thousands of students to
practice operations on bridge
and engineroom equipment
simultaneously on simulators
at the Ho Chi Minh City
Maritime Vocational College
in Vietnam.
This centre was equipped
with a Nautis full mission
bridge simulator and desktop
trainers in 2014. This year,
the college chose to expand
the existing capacity with
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING | 35
Kongsberg Digital is supplying a suite of bridge
and engineroom simulators to a new maritime
training centre that Simwave is building in
Barendrecht, the Netherlands.
2 x K-Sim Navigation full mission bridge
simulators DNV GL Class A with 360 degree
field of view projector configuration
2 x K-Sim Navigation full mission bridge
simulation with 180 degree field of view
8 x K-Sim Navigation part task
simulators for navigation proficiency
1 x K-Sim Offshore simulator with
KONGSBERG K-Pos DP2 NI Class A and
360 degrees field of view, configured for
tug and support vessel training
1 x K-Sim Navigation full mission bridge
simulator with 240 degrees field of view
and 1 x K-Sim Navigation part-task bridge
simulator with integration to K-Sim Engine
for inland waterway training
1 x K-Sim Engine full mission
engineroom simulator
1 x K-Sim Engine high voltage
10 engineroom desktop breaker interfaced to DE22-III
simulators, a full mission and DEDF 21 LNG carrier
engineroom simulator and an
instructor station.
VStep simulator engineer
8 x K-Sim Engine desktop
and former maritime
engine room simulators
instructor Bert Tuijl sees
the benefits of integrating
software and simulators.
“The synergy between 8 x K-Sim Cargo simulators (LNG,
bridge and engineroom Product, Chem, Crude, LPG models)
is a new requirement for
students and the safety at
sea,” he said.
12 x GMDSS desktop simulators
“The co-operation
between VStep and other
maritime software companies
makes sure that trainees 8 x K-Pos DP Basic dynamic
are able to practice the positioning simulators
emergency situations.” MEC
36 | FISHING VESSELS
Fishing vessel catches the
benefits from Inmarsat L-band
Fleet One enables Spanish fishing company Vidiña Pesca to negotiate catch prices, use online
applications, download weather forecasts and comply with EU reporting requirements
F
ishing vessel owner Vidiña Pesca, which operates close to
one of the world’s busiest fishing ports, deployed Inmarsat’s
Fleet One satellite communications to enable online
applications, efficient routeing and remaining compliant with
European fishing regulations. It enhanced vessel connectivity and
halved its monthly airtime costs by using the service.
The company operates out of the port town Riveira near the
fishing terminus of Vigo in northern Spain, which is home to the
European Fisheries Control Agency. Company owner Manuel
Laranga Sanles said the satellite connectivity is required for
internet, email and speaking to fish buyers at local markets.
Fleet One was installed by Spanish distributor Satlink on 28m
trawler Rinchador in February this year. Since then, Capt Sanles
has used the coastal service for downloading weather forecasts,
uploading catch information and negotiating deals on catches by
contacting the market before returning to port. He said satellite
connectivity is indispensable because marine radio and cellular
networks do not have the range and reliability when sailing in the
North Atlantic.
Vidiña Pesca uses Fleet One to submit
electronic catch information from Rinchador
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
Vidiña Pesca wanted a flexible and cost-effective solution for
seasonal, low-data users. “We were looking for a terminal with
enough bandwidth but with a lower monthly fee,” Capt Sanles
explained. Reliability of the network was also important, which was
why he chose Inmarsat’s L-band coverage.
Constant connectivity allows him to meet EU fisheries’ control
regulations that require vessels to report catch, landing, sales
and transhipment data. This is done through the electronic
recording and reporting system (ERS), a key element of which is
the electronic logbook where the master of a fishing vessel keeps
a record of fishing operations. The record is then sent to national
authorities, which store the information in a secure database. ERS
rules state that a daily catch estimate must be transmitted before a
vessel docks.
Vidiña Pesca halved its monthly airtime bill by having Fleet One
prepaid plans that minimised the use of mobile phone network
roaming charges. Satlink installed the 32cm diameter antenna
and compact below-deck unit of Fleet One. This took two hours
and enabled Capt Sanles to instantly connect to the internet
for applications including voyage planning. The vessel owner
commented on the advantages of using the local distributor.
“Satlink is always available should I need support, with a technical
service distributor network all along the Spanish coast if I need
spares,” he said.
Fleet One is used by crew of Rinchador to contact family and
friends when outside coastal mobile networks. Satlink regional
sales manager Javier Andrés Lois said a built-in wifi device enables
seafarers to use their own smartphones and other mobile devices
over a satellite link protected by a firewall. “Relieving the isolation
so often felt by seafarers is a key benefit of improved satellite
communications,” he said.
Mr Lois also explained that Fleet One has safety functions,
including Inmarsat’s 505 distress calling service that directly links
to a Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre, which would
organise response groups in an emergency.
Fleet One is Inmarsat’s entry-level satellite communications
service. It delivers simultaneous voice and IP data at up to 100kbps
to vessels when they move outside medium and high-frequency
radio and mobile phone coverage. The commercial L-band service
is delivered using Inmarsat I-4 satellites. Inmarsat said the Fleet
One coastal service is available to vessels under 500gt in key
coastal regions. It does not commit owners to lengthy contracts
and enables occasional users to suspend services when vessels
are temporarily laid up. MEC

Fishmaster brings together navigation with engine, rudder and thruster controls
An influx of fishing vessel newbuilding orders has led to contract awards
for innovative propulsion control and bridge systems
K
ongsberg Maritime
has developed its
Fishmaster to provide
fishing vessels with more
operating efficiency and
simpler controls. It combines
vessel manoeuvring with fish
finding, catch monitoring and
ship equipment control.
It is an integrated
bridge system that brings
together navigation with
engine, rudder and thruster
controls, automation and
fishing equipment controls. It
incorporates advanced human-
machine interfaces that are
based on large presentation
displays, of up to 55in. These
will provide an overview
of all the vital navigation,
manoeuvring and fishing tools,
depending on which vessel
operation is being carried out.
Vessel captains can use
the bridge workstations to set
different operational modes,
such as transit, towing or hauling,
giving them flexible control of the
required power and equipment
from a single location.
Kongsberg vice president for
fishery and aquaculture global
sales and marketing, Espen
Liset said the integrated vessel
concept will simplify operations
from the bridge. “Our goal is
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
Kongsberg
unveils integrated
fishing vessel controls
to provide the customer with
operational benefits through
fewer components, possibilities
for multi-functional equipment
use and advanced support
tools, resulting in more efficient
fishing,” he explained.
The consoles can be
electrically adjusted in height for
seated or standing operators,
while the displays can be tilted
and adjusted. Fishmaster has
levers for propulsion, thruster
and rudder controls and
Fishmaster links
• Vessel navigation
& manoeuvring
• Fishing equipment
control
• Advanced human
machine interfaces
• Propulsion system
controls
• Connected to
Kongsberg’s K-Chief
600 automation
• Displays up to 55in
• Workstation trackballs
• Different operating
modes
• Electrically adjusted seat
trackballs for controlling tools
such as ECDIS and radar. There
is also a 13in touchscreen to
operate bridge devices from
the master chair. All the bridge
products are linked through a
local area network that enables
switching between different
video feeds. Fishmaster would
be connected to Kongsberg’s
K-Chief 600 automation system.
In August, Kongsberg
won a contract to provide a
Fishmaster integrated vessel
system to Havyard Ship
Technology for a pelagic trawler
that is being built for fishing
company France Pélagique.
The 80m trawler is expected
to be delivered in December
2018 to replace one of the two
French-flagged trawlers that
were built in the early 1980s.
Havyard has an option to
build another similar vessel for
France Pélagique.
The period between June
and August was a good time
for suppliers of propulsion
controls to fishing vessels.
Wärtsilä gained a contract to
supply propulsion solutions to
two new fishing trawlers being
built in Russia. These trawlers
are being built by PJSC Vyborg
shipyard for Russia-based
Nord Pilgrim.
FISHING VESSELS | 37
They will be 80m long
and reinforced to Ice3 class
with Wärtsilä engines that are
compliant with the IMO’s Tier II
emission regulations. Wärtsilä
will also supply each vessel
with a ProTouch propulsion
control system linked to a
controllable pitch propeller
and a transverse thruster.
Rolls-Royce won a contract
to supply propulsion controls,
ship design and equipment
to a purse seiner and pelagic
trawler being built in Norway.
This 75m vessel was ordered
by Gunnar Langva from
Westcon Yards in Norway for
delivery in Q3 2019. Rolls-
Royce will supply a Promas
integrated rudder and
propeller system, a B33:45
Bergen diesel engine and
hydraulic winches.
That order came on the
heels of another for a stern
trawler that is being built in
Astilleros Armon in Spain for
Icelandic fishing company HB
Grandi. This 82m vessel will
also have a Bergen B33:45
diesel engine together with
Promas integrated rudder and
propeller system and electric
driven winches, including
permanent magnet driven
electric trawl winches. MEC
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SEANERGY MARITIME
MIGRATES SHIPS TO FLEET XPRESS
GREEK SHIP OPERATOR SEANERGY MARITIME
IS FULFILLING ITS VISION OF HAVING ALWAYS-
CONNECTED SHIPS AND CREW IN AN INNOVATIVE WAY
Fleet Xpress hybrid VSAT and Otesat-Maritel’s services are deployed on bulk carriers
S
eanergy Maritime Holdings Corp
is considering migrating its fleet of
bulk carriers to Inmarsat’s hybrid
satellite communications solution,
Fleet Xpress. According to Seanergy
Maritime IT manager Stavros Vafeiadis,
Otesat-Maritel has activated two vessels
and completed pre-installation on two
more ships. There are discussions to further
extend that partnership.
“We are an adaptor of new and
innovative technologies and it is our goal
to get the most out of this new greater
bandwidth and global mobility,” he said.
Seanergy Maritime is using Ka-band
VSAT and Fleetbroadband L-band backup,
with hardware supplied by Cobham
Satcom, for both operational and crew
communications. It is using Otesat-
Maritel’s s@tGate platform to enhance and
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
compliment the satellite connectivity.
Mr Vafeiadis said this enables Seanergy
Maritime “to improve in areas such as
business intelligence, operational efficiency
and fleet performance” when ships are in Ka-
band coverage, and when this connectivity is
transferred to L-band backup. Mr Vafeiadis
told Marine Electronics & Communications
that so far four ships have been transferred
to Fleet Xpress, with the rest of the fleet to
follow at a later date.
Otesat-Maritel is also helping Seanergy
Maritime to protect its ships from potential
cyber threats by providing its s@tGate
centralised intrusion detection and prevention
system. “We feel confident that with the fully
owned private and secured redundant network
and s@tGate that Seanergy Maritime is
safeguarded against potential cyber threats,”
said Mr Vafeiadis. These include s@tGate’s
TALKING TECHNOLOGY | 39
real-time systems and data traffic monitoring
and alerting services.
For crew communications there are voice,
data and email systems on the bulk carriers as
part of Otesat-Maritel’s tailored information
and communications solutions, which also
help the shipowner’s onshore staff remain in
communication with the vessels.
Mr Vafeiadis said the migration process
so far has been smooth as Otesat-Maritel
is able to complete the transition on each
ship in a day. This includes hardware
installation and software updates without
any major disruptions.
“Having undisrupted, secure and highly
efficient communications and services on
board is vital for a shipping company,”
he explained. “There are three directives
that are difficult to achieve and even
more difficult to maintain.” According
to Mr Vafeiadis, these are selecting the
right partner; getting the right plan and
service that meets the requirements of a
bandwidth-hungry shipping fleet; and
managing the amount of data transmitted
between ships and shore.
He said Seanergy Maritime had
experienced the benefits of Fleet Xpress,
the leasing equipment and service plans.
“The Fleet Xpress service is an end-to-
end and fully managed service,” said Mr
Vafeiadis while explaining the benefits.
“It is a hybrid technology with a failover
solution providing almost undisrupted
communications and high global bandwidth
without any caps or limitations.”
To achieve this, Seanergy Maritime relies
on Otesat-Maritel’s services to repair any
system, service or hardware faults, as he said
these do fail eventually, adding that “having
the best team to support you is crucial.”
Mr Vafeiadis is looking ahead to the
future connectivity of the fleet and services
that will be required. New applications
will be available through Fleet Xpress in
the months and years ahead as Inmarsat
develops these gateway services. “I think
that more and more services will be
implemented to ensure that companies are
well protected,” said Mr Vafeiadis. MEC
40 | OFFSHORE VESSELS
CWIND USES VESSEL MONITORING
TO IMPROVE SAFETY
UK-based CWind has invested in vessel monitoring
and motion stabilisation control for its fleet of offshore
windfarm maintenance support vessels to improve
safety and extend operating capabilities
C
Wind operates a fleet of 16
crew transfer vessels that
transport maintenance engineers
to offshore wind turbines in
the choppy seas of northern Europe. Its
multipurpose catamarans and small water
plane area twin hull (SWATH) vessels have
motion controls, bridge communications
and monitoring capabilities, according to
managing director Lee Andrews.
He told Marine Electronics &
Communications that the technology is
combined in these vessels to improve safety
for the personnel that they transport to
remote working areas. The catamaran and
SWATH hulls are designed for comfort
during transits, which reduces crew fatigue
and technician sickness during long and
difficult transits.
“Motion stabilisation control and live
monitoring systems expand our capability
to service the offshore wind and renewables
industry,” Mr Andrews said. The vessels’
CWIND FACTS:
• 16 crew transfer vessels
• Part of Global Marine Group
• Three cable installation and
repair vessels
• Experience at 40 offshore windfarms
• Operates in Irish Sea, North Sea,
Baltic Sea
• Works with Dong Energy, E.ON
and Vattenfall
• Operates the UK’s National Offshore
Wind Farm Training Centre
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
design and technology is backed up by a
strong training programme for their crew,
including simulator practice to extend their
experience and competence.
“Safety is our number one priority,”
Mr Andrews continued. This approach
“is underpinned by adopting industry best
practice, our can-do attitude and delivering
customer-focused services with continued
dedication to engineering innovative
solutions,” he said.
Bridge workstations have controls for
Rolls-Royce waterjets that increase vessel
manoeuvrability and responsiveness to sea
conditions when approaching the turbine
transition piece.
Once there, one of the biggest
challenges for these vessels is providing
a safe transfer for crew to the transition
piece’s landing platform in rough seas.
CWind’s SWATH vessels have stabilisation
controls for fins with multi-axis capabilities
that reduce pitch, roll and heave motions.
CWind Endurance has Intellian
satellite communications and
Simrad radar equipment on board
There are also controls that are specifically
configured to reduce bow heave motions at
vessel speeds of zero and near zero, which is
a crucial element for ensuring safe transfers
to offshore turbines, said Mr Andrews.
CWind’s vessels, such as CWind
Endurance, pictured, can also transport
cargo to offshore windfarms and provide
other operations and maintenance support.
This flexibility is supported by their
moveable wheelhouse and modular storage
pod system.
Mr Andrews said the bridge
communications technology on the company’s
16 vessels enable real-time monitoring from
shore. CWind Endurance has Inmarsat L-band
satellite communications that includes
antennas supplied by Intellian Technologies.
The vessel also has Simrad radar for
navigation and operating close to offshore
wind turbines.
Vessel operations benefit from
downloaded information on imminent
weather, sea conditions and turbine
movements. The vessel crews also send
daily reports to shore managers covering
weather conditions, hours at sea, breakdown
assessments, vessel trends, turbine motions
and wave levels. Mr Andrews said customers
benefit from these reports through reduced
vessel downtime and having more control
over work rotas. MEC

Owners seek VSAT
benefits for offshore vessels
VSAT provides the
conduit for real-
time monitoring and
improving IP-based
communications for
offshore support
vessel owners
S
eacor Marine is installing VSAT
and a back-up L-band service
on a fleet of 30 vessels that
operate in the North Sea and
off west Africa. UK-based AST Group is
supplying the VSAT hardware, the back-
up communications, voice over IP (VoIP)
and data services over multiple satellite
networks. AST is also providing its Integra
network devices that enable Seacor to
monitor and control bandwidth usage on
the vessels.
This allows Seacor to ensure bandwidth
is used efficiently and securely on board these
offshore support vessels for both operational
requirements and crew welfare. Seacor
internal communications manager Richard
Marshall said the satellite connectivity enables
more IP-based applications.
Topaz Energy & Marine is integrating
its offshore support vessels’ IT and
onshore operations with a new hybrid
communications platform. Under a three-
year deal, A fleet of up to 110 vessels will be
connected with Orange Business Services’
Maritime Connect solution, which includes
VSAT, L-band back-up, onboard wifi and
links to coastal cellular networks.
In June, offshore support vessel operator
Companhia Brasileira de Offshore (CBO)
ordered VSAT and satellite TV antennas
from Cobham Satcom for six newbuildings.
These vessels are being built at the Oceana
Shipyard in Itajaí, Santa Catarina in Brazil
to fulfil development contracts offshore Brazil.
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017
Cobham is supplying the satellite
communications terminals to these anchor
handlers this year and in 2018 through its
Brazilian partner Inovsat. Equipment has
already been installed on the first of the six
newbuildings, CBO Bossa Nova. Another
newbuilding was fitted out in August, while
the rest are due to be delivered to CBO
through Q4 2017 and Q1 and Q2 2018.
GulfMark Offshore and Wärtsilä
have successfully tested remote control
of an offshore support vessel’s dynamic
positioning (DP) system using a VSAT
link. Wärtsilä was able to manoeuvre the
80 m platform supply vessel Highland
Chieftain, which was stationed in the
North Sea, from an office in San Diego,
California, USA.
This involved driving the vessel
through a sequence of manoeuvres using
a combination of DP and manual joystick
control on 21 August. This was the first test
of a remote control capability that Wärtsilä
developed in 2016. Highland Chieftain has
a Wärtsilä NACOS Platinum package for
navigation, automation and DP.
Additional software was temporarily
added to the DP system to route data over
OFFSHORE VESSELS | 41
Highland Chieftain was
controlled remotely in the
North Sea from an office in California
the vessel’s satellite link to the workstation
in California. The test was conducted in four
hours, during which the vessel was driven at
high and low speed and all the procedures
reportedly went as planned. Wärtsilä’s
development of remote access to vessels could
enable virtual service solutions for shipowners
who need their DP systems tuned or tested.
In West Africa, Total Exploration
& Production is using satellite
communications and Opsealog’s software
to improve fuel efficiency for a fleet of 15
vessels. During a proof-of-concept test,
Total achieved fuel savings of 11.5% for the
fleet over a six-month period.
Total used a marine logistics program
from Opsealog to control vessel schedules
during operations in Angola, where the
French oil company supplies several
deepwater oil production, storage and
offloading vessels. Opsealog provides a
data analytics platform that has a set of
decision making tools for the performance
management in an offshore supply chain. MEC
To see a video of the remote control of
Highland Chieftain, use this link:
http://bit.ly/OSVremote
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 BEST OF THE WEB | 43

BEST OF THE WEB marinemec.com

Marine Electronics & Communications’ website covers the latest technology developments, contracts and
deployments. Our news coverage is exclusively online and free to read. Here are some of the most popular
articles covered over the last month.

Transas develops survival
craft simulator
Transas has taken maritime safety to new
levels by introducing a survival craft simulator
to prepare crew for ship evacuation and drills.
It hopes this simulator will reduce the risk
of accidents while conducting lifeboat drills,
which are one of the highest sources of crew
injury. Shipping companies can shift some
elements of training from practice drills to
a simulated environment. Transas expects
this to minimise the risks and enable crew to
focus on procedures that will increase safety
when operating the real lifeboat equipment in
an emergency.
http://bit.ly/MECSurvivalsim
First type-approval issued for
cyber-enabled components
Lloyd’s Register has released the shipping
industry’s first set of type-approval
requirements for cyber-enabled systems
and components on board ships. The
classification society said the type-approval
procedure applies to networks and
network-related devices and will assess
production quality in the supply chain, test
cyber-enabled components in a marine
environment and verify system functions
including cyber security.
http://bit.ly/MEC_Cyber_LR
Were darker forces involved
in destroyer accidents?
Editor Martyn Wingrove speculates on
the reasons why two US Navy destroyers
were holed by a tanker and a container ship.
Why were two US Navy destroyers holed
by merchant ships in separate maritime
accidents in Asia this year? Earlier in
August, warship USS John S McCain was
struck by product tanker Alnic MC off
Singapore. And in June, USS Fitzgerald and
NYK Line chartered container ship ACX
Crystal were involved in a ship collision.
Why did these accidents happen?
http://bit.ly/MEC_Destroyers
HMM ‘pioneers’ blockchain
tech with pilot voyage
Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) has
successfully completed its first blockchain
technology pilot voyage. HMM completed
its pilot voyage from Korea to China
(Busan to Qingdao) with containers from
24 August to 4 September. HMM applied
blockchain technology to this voyage, from
shipment booking to cargo delivery. The
combination of blockchain technology
with internet of things technology was
tested and reviewed through real-time
monitoring and managing the reefer
containers on the vessel.
http://bit.ly/MEC_HMM_Blockchain
World first as drone scans
entire rig for first time
A drone has accomplished a world first
by scanning an offshore drilling rig. Texo
Drone Survey and Inspection (DSI)
completed the world’s first integrated laser
scan survey on an offshore asset owned by
Paragon Offshore. Texo DSI carried out the
unmanned aerial vehicle survey-grade light
detection and ranging (Lidar) scan of an
offshore asset, combined with ground-based
simultaneous location and mapping. This
was conducted on Paragon’s HZ1 jack-up
rig out of the Port of Esbjerg in Denmark.
http://bit.ly/MEC_RigDrone

To view more whitepapers visit the Knowledge Bank on

www.marinemec.com

To upload a whitepaper to the Knowledge Bank, please

email Steve Edwards at steve.edwards@rivieramm.com

www.marinemec.com/s/knowledgebank

Editor’s selection: Editor’s comment:

An Investigation into Connectivity at Sea
by Nautilus International
This paper provides the results of a survey of seafarers
covering their connectivity requirements compared with
the actual access they get for ship-to-shore telephone
communications, email and internet.
Crew communications and access to the internet
should be made available free on ships, although
there are good arguments for controlling access
to times when seafarers are off duty. It seems the
industry is moving towards improving onboard
welfare services for their seafarers, but more still
needs to be done.

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017

44 | FORESIGHT
AUGMENTED REALITY IS
COMING TO SHIP BRIDGES
A €6.5M EU-FUNDED PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND TEST AUGMENTED REALITY BRIDGE
SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE NAVIGATION SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY IN ARCTIC SHIP OPERATIONS
A
ugmented reality (AR) will be
coming to ship bridges in the
next three years to enhance
navigational safety. Some of the
main integrated bridge system suppliers
have considered using this technology for
providing greater amounts of data than
has previously been possible and in more
imaginative ways to bridge teams.
So far, AR, which involves projection of
information on a visual display to augment
what the user can already see, has only been
proposed or incorporated in bridge design
concepts. However, a €6.5M (US$7.6M)
study was started in June this year that
promises to progress AR proposals to the
testing phase.
Developing advanced bridge systems is
only one aspect of the three-year project. The
Sedna study will address safety and efficiency
in Arctic ship operations, including ship design
and maritime operations, as well as navigation.
Sedna is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020
programme and led by BMT Group of the
UK. It was started in response to the increasing
requirements for ships to use Arctic regions,
including the sea route across northern Russia.
Project partners want to address the
challenges of Arctic navigation, including
Rolls-Royce is working on
introducing AR to ship bridges
Marine Electronics & Communications | 4th Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
SEDNA PARTNERS
The Sedna project is led by BMT Group
(UK) and brings together 13 partners
from six countries, including China.
The partners are:
• University College London (UK)
• Chalmers University of Technology
(Sweden)
• Oslo School of Architecture
and Design (Norway)
• University of Southampton (UK)
• MET Office (UK)
• Cork Institute of Technology (Ireland)
• Aalto University (Finland)
• Lloyd’s Register (UK)
• Aker Arctic Technology (Finland)
• Stena Rederi (Sweden)
• Dalian University of Technology (China)
• Harbin Engineering University (China)
voyages through ice. They believe there is
a lack of Arctic-specific training for bridge
crews that can be tackled by redesigning the
bridge. The Sedna team said in August that it
would “develop a Safe Arctic Bridge that will
be a human-centred operational environment
for ice-going vessels.”
Bridge design and layout will focus on the
navigational requirements of Arctic conditions
and the challenges that come from a lack of
chart data. The Sedna partners expect the
Safe Arctic Bridge to use AR to improve
situational awareness and to support the crew
in their decision making. It said this will
be developed and tested in a virtual bridge
prototyping system.
Sedna will also integrate dynamic
meteorological and oceanographic data with
real-time ice movement predictions and
ship performance data. This will be used in
new regional weather and sea ice probability
forecasts and ship-based ice monitoring
systems that provide intelligent decision
support to navigators. Sedna expects these
developments will enable navigators to
optimise Arctic voyages for fuel efficiency and
improve safety.
Bridge manufacturers have worked on AR
for their systems. For example, Rolls-Royce
worked with VTT Technical Research Centre
of Finland to develop a futuristic ship’s bridge
concept, known as oX, that incorporates AR
displays on the windows. These could display
information about the vessel’s surroundings,
including visualisation of potential hazards,
such as ice or other vessels that would
otherwise be invisible to the human eye.
Rolls-Royce hopes to have oX bridges on
commercial ships by 2025.
Wärtsilä is taking a different approach
towards AR. Its navigation products manager
Eberhard Maass told Marine Electronics &
Communications that there are other ways to
display information on the bridge. “We are
talking about different operating ideas… such
as specialist glasses, or intelligent windows,”
he said.
Augmented reality will be deployed in
bridge systems of the future, but the medium
and where to display the information are not
finally decided. MEC