Today’s ships navigation is not imaginable without Automatic Identification System (AIS). As almost about half a century ago radar equipment AIS is excellent modern ship masters and their mates best friend.

What is  Automatic Identification System? As stated in Wikipedia

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an automated tracking system used on ships and by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and VTS stations. AIS information supplements marine radar, which continues to be the primary method of collision avoidance for water transport.

An AIS-equipped system on board a ship presents the bearing and distance of nearby vessels in a radar-like display format.

Information provided by AIS equipment, such as unique identification, position, course, and speed, can be displayed on a screen or an ECDIS. AIS is intended to assist a vessel’s watchstanding officers and allow maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements. AIS integrates a standardized VHF transceiver with a positioning system such as a LORAN-C or GPS receiver, with other electronic navigation sensors, such as a gyrocompass or rate of turn indicator. Ships outside AIS radio range can be tracked with the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system with less frequent transmission.

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requires AIS to be fitted aboard international voyaging ships with gross tonnage (GT) of 300 or more tons, and all passenger ships regardless of size. It is estimated that more than 40,000 ships currently carry AIS class A equipment.[citation needed] In 2007, the new Class B AIS standard was introduced which enabled a new generation of low cost AIS transceivers. This has triggered multiple additional national mandates from Singapore, China, Turkey and North America affecting hundreds of

thousands of vessels.

About wonder of sailing later, but this time purely on the matter. I got out of last year Latvia-Poland-Germany-Holland-England sailing remained C-MAP charts. The purchase price was pretty expensive. I think that might be of interest of the sailor or motor yacht owners of the offer. Pricing is currently not name, but it is significantly less than the dealers offer. See detail waypoints and North Europe (#6,7 and 11, May 2009). For details contact me ” andrel@me.com” .

In order to achieve navigational safety conforming to global standards, between 1995 and 1996, the Latvian Maritime Administration, in co-operation with experts of the European Union PHARE programme, formulated a project on the incorporation of Latvian ports into a single sea transport information system for the Baltic Sea Countries. Together with the Dutch firm MARITIME SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY specialists, pre-project research was carried out on the construction of new vessel traffic service centres (VTSC) at Latvian ports. The construction of the VTSC of Riga was commenced on 28 January 1998 under the guidance of Architect J.Gertmanis. The Centre was put into operation in December 1998.

Today the VTSC is equipped with up-to-date navigational and communication systems ensuring the vessel traffic safety conforming to global standards. This facilitates safe entry of vessels into Latvian ports and speeds up Latvia’s incorporation into the Global Marine Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and the Early Warning System, which is of utter importance for carriers of dangerous goods by the Baltic Sea. The new VTSC of the Freeport of Riga houses the port control service, the harbour master, and vessel traffic operators. The staff of the VTSC as well as other structural units of the Freeport of Riga use the information system Velkonis – one of the most advanced IS in the Baltic Sea ports – designed by the Joint Stock Company HMS for vessel movement data processing. The Freeport of Riga Authority is planning to invest another 1.5 million Lats into construction of a pier complex for the needs of the ice-breaker, pilot and port operational services, which will increase the navigational safety in the port aquatorium. The Freeport of Riga Authority has joined the European Sea Port Organisation (ESPO), which, pursuant to formulations of international conventions and the overall EU policies, has set navigational safety its top priority. Ttherefore we have a good reason to believe that an important step has been taken to make the Freeport of Riga more attractive for our clients.

More information about Freeport of Riga

Technorati Tags: Freeport Riga, marine pilot, vts

Dunkerque is the northernmost French ferry port, only six miles from the border of Belgium. The third largest harbour in France, Dunkerque is popular with surfers, windsurfers and kayakers. Less touristy than some of the other French ports, Dunkerque is mostly industrial, producing a substantial portion of France’s oil and steel products.

South of Dunkerque is the port of Calais. Calais is one of the oldest and most popular ports for ferries to France via the English Channel. Only one hour and fifteen minutes from the port of Dover, Calais is also the closest port to the U.K. Like most of the towns on France’s west coast, partially demolished and restored medieval buildings and permanent reminders of World War II abound. Calais is also a gateway to many small and fascinating French towns.

Another popular and well-established ferry port in France is Boulogne. Also reputed to be the largest fishing seaport in France, Boulogne has a great selection of seafood restaurants to choose from. Preserved and renovated, Boulogne’s old walled medieval town contains churches, museums, palaces and restaurants just waiting to be explored. Outside the fortressed town, the Nausicaa Aquariium hosts a wide variety of marine exhibitions and activities to educate and entertain visitors of all ages. For those who prefer to just lounge in the sun, there are miles of long wide sandy beaches.

Once a popular seaside resort, Dieppe is one of the more attractive ports accessible by ferry. Less industrial than some of the other coastal towns in France, Dieppe is known for its delicious scallops and a great Saturday morning market. High chalk cliffs and pebbly beaches enhance the appeal of this small medieval town.

Further south along the coast is the city of Le Havre, which sustained the heaviest damage of any port in Europe during World War II. Reinforced concrete was the primary material used in Le Havre’s restoration, which occurred from 1946 to 1964. Architect Auguste Perret single-handedly planned and organized this colossal task, which resulted in a fascinating and visually compelling mixture of medieval architecture and thoroughly modern structural design that is internationally renowned.

Another interesting place to visit if you’re traveling by ferry to France is Cherbourg. The largest aquarium in Europe, containing 500,000 liters of seawater, can be found at La Cite de la Mer in Cherbourg. One can also visit Le Redoutable, which is the very first French nuclear submarine and also the largest submarine in the world that can be visited by sightseers. Cherbourg is also the home of a luxury umbrella factory, and those fortunate enough might catch a glimpse of them being wind-tested at nearby beaches.

Popular for both day trips and longer holidays, St. Malo can be found further south. Once legendary for corsair, pirates and privateers, St. Malo is now known for its great beaches and resorts. Those planning to visit St. Malo during the summer must be sure to make hotel reservations way in advance.

If war-struck and restored medieval churches and palaces, World War II relics and memorabilia, and aquariums are a bit overwhelming, then Roscoff might be just the place to go. As the southernmost and quietest ferry port on the French coast, Roscoff is best known for quiet nature walks and relaxation. Most of the harbor traffic consists of boats for fishing and for seaweed harvesting. As with most of the French coastal towns, restaurants in Roscoff are known for their seafood. Roscoff has sometimes been called "The Seaweed Capital of the World". This is because of the massive amount of seaweed harvested in Roscoff and the numerous and diverse uses the inhabitants have discovered for it.

The great selection, availability and affordability of ferries to France ensure that surfers, scientists, beach bums, historians, and seafood gourmets will never lack places to explore and enjoy on the other side of the English Channel.

Developments in volcanic ash affecting air travel

The government says that work will take place overnight to see what military and commercial vessels are available for possible deployment to help people cross the English Channel.  

Royal Navy to Ferry Passenger from Spain

The ships HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ocean and HMS Albion are heading for Spain and unspecified Channel ports. On Monday morning, flight restrictions were extended by air traffic control service Nats to 0100 BST Tuesday. 

Volcanic ash continues to wreak travel chaos

It was busy, too, at the ferry port in Calais, France, where passengers were hoping to catch a ride across the English Channel.  

TorreviejaTweets: Royal Navy to Ferry Passenger from Spain

News bites and stories from around Torrevieja. Tweeting what you want to know in English. … The ships HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ocean and HMS Albion are heading for Spain and unspecified Channel ports.  

Latest updates on travel disruption

It has compiled a useful list of ferries, trains, and buses departing for the UK. Brits stranded abroad are advised to contact their nearest British embassy. Helpully they can even advise you on what to do if you’ve run out of cash and … “ 

Technorati Tags: English Channel, ferry traffic, vessel traffic

In the recent years, most of the people are becoming fond of outdoor activities such as boating. It become a widely known adventure. That is why importing a unique type of boat from other countries have grown in numbers. Importing boat from other countries is accompanied with overseas shipping boat, that enables to ship boat from one place to another. Overseas shipping boat to any location in the world has become a much easier task. Shipping companies now have the ability to ship boat of almost any size, weight, and shape.

Overseas shipping of boat is a process of transporting a boat across the sea to be able to ship boat to another place or country. One would think overseas shipping boat would be as simple as sailing off to a destination. Well, that would be a fact if you are used to it. Ship boat across the sea, however, is a growing industry as shipping is often the quickest way to get to a destination. Many shipping companies specialize in this form of transport and utilize some special equipment to get the job done correctly.

The best way to ship boat is through a reputable shipping company. A boat is a valuable investment that usually is the subject of devotion from its owner. Overseas shipping boat companies that have the equipment and the experience in shipping boat are certainly worth investigating if you need to ship your boat. Before doing transaction with a company, determine first the size and weight of the boat. Once you have the details of the boat, contact a overseas shipping boat company to see if they can ship boat. Standard shipping companies have a certain size and weight that they can ship. Costs are determined by the boat’s weight and how far the destination will be.

The procedures in overseas shipping boat normally include: verification if the boat can be shipped, selecting an international service, choosing an international billing option, completion of the required documentation, preparation of the boat, have your boat picked up or dropped off, ship boat, and tracking the boat. Most of the overseas shipping boat company has the tracking device to update their customer of the vehicles condition while in transit.

During the preparation of the boat for transport. The boat shipping company will normally have a checklist of pre-check up of the boat for its condition before they will  ship boat. They will check for preexisting damages. Make sure to be present as well during this time. It will guide you in the preparation of your vessel. These preparations include the removal of all loose items.

Although, most of the shipping companies doing the overseas shipping of boat are competent or expert on the said process, there are still incidents that are out of human control that may take risk for the boat buyer to ship boat across the sea. That is why if it is your first time to do this type of transaction, have first a thorough research on the said process and preferably choose a company that will ship boat with shipping insurance to cover damages suffered by the boat. A poor job could cause damage if wind tears the shrink wrap and allows it to flap and scratch the surface of the vessel.

AIS (Automatic Identification System) equipment are widely available even for pleasure boats and prices are rather friendly.

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There are a great many places on the internet where you can read about and discover what gps tracking is. One of the difficulties is choosing who the best companies are and what is the best system for you to use. This problem is even greater for businesses and commercial groups looking to buy large volumes of this technology.

It is almost mainstream now that gps tracking is a useful technology. It is often featured in films and TV and shows the ability to spy and locate almost anything. In reality this isn’t true as there are some technological barriers to making almost anything trackable in the way you see in the movies.

GPS tracking is now an industry made up of many companies who specialize in particular applications of it. This can include gps vehicle tracking, package tracking and container tracking which are three of the most popular. But it can also involve more sophisticated systems such as offender tracking or ship tracking.

As a potential purchaser of a gps tracking system, you should be careful as to who you are deciding your make your purchase from. You need to ensure that the quality of the tracking device is high and that company has successfully implemented your required type of gps tracking in the past. Many companies may occupy a high position in search engine results on the internet but their quality of business many not equal it. Post implementation support is the most fundamental issue as once the system is up and running you as a new user of this technology will need to be carefully and sensitively supported by your gps tracking service provider. Careful research before purchasing will save you a lot of money and potential problems later.

Matt Holland has been involved in gps tracking systems since 2002 and works with a number of gps tracking solutions providers. He has provided a useful guide at gps tracking marketplace which can be downloaded from here gps tracking buyerguide.

Technorati Tags: gps tracking, ship tracking, vessel traffic service

As stated in IMO (International Maritime Organization) home page-

Vessel traffic services – VTS – are shore-side systems which range from the provision of simple information messages to ships, such as position of other traffic or meterological hazard warnings, to extensive management of traffic within a port or waterway.

SOLAS Chapter V (Safety of Navigation) states that governments may establish VTS when, in their opinion, the volume of traffic or the degree of risk justifies such services.

There are two main types of VTS, surveilled and non-surveilled. Surveilled systems consist of one or more land-based sensors (i.e. radar, AIS and closed circuit television sites), which output their signals to a central location where operators monitor and manage vessel traffic movement. Non-surveilled systems consist of one or more reporting points at which ships are required to report their identity, course, speed, and other data to the monitoring authority. They encompass a wide range of techniques and capabilities aimed at preventing vessel collisions, rammings, and groundings in the harbor, harbor approach and inland waterway phase of navigation. They are also designed to expedite ship movements, increase transportation system efficiency, and improve all-weather operating capability.

VHF-FM communications network forms the basis of most major services. Transiting vessels make position reports to a vessel traffic center by radiotelephone and are in turn provided with accurate, complete, and timely navigational safety information. The addition of a network of radars, AIS, and close circuit television cameras for surveillance and computer-assisted tracking, similar to that used in air traffic control, allows the VTS to play a more significant role in marine traffic management, thereby decreasing vessel congestion, critical encounter situations, and the probability of a marine casualty resulting in environmental damage. 

 I am active vessel traffic service operator in Freeport of Riga, Latvia.  Like many of my colleagues I has a solid marine background. Eleven years I served as merchant marine navigation officer so sitting in my VTS tower and giving advices and recomendations to inbbound or outbound ships masters I allways try to find mutual understanding. 

 I like my job very mach and will share my  experience and stories with pleasure.

By Andris Lee

Technorati Tags: ship tracking, vessel traffic management system, vessel traffic service

One of the fastest and biggest growth areas in marine navigation is AIS. Having a AIS transmitter unit onboard, will turn your boat into a radio beacon continuously transmitting speed and course and your identity. Conversely having an AIS receiver allows you to track a ships, COG, SOG when in VHF range. This can be very important information for navigating in shipping lanes and channels.

What is AIS?

AIS stands for Automated Identity System. The identity is the transmitting vessels MMSI number, current speed and course which are just some of the information you can get. AIS has been developed to help prevent collisions between commercial shipping. AIS has been a legal requirement on ships over 300GT for a while. In US waters it is required by commercial ships over 65ft and tugs over 26ft and over 600 HP.

Vessels with the proper equipment can receive/send the AIS signal over a special VHF radio frequency. The signal includes COG, SOG, CPA, (CPA stands for closest point of approach), MMSI which can then be plotted on a standalone AIS unit or the existing navigation or radar displays. The display shows the AIS target as long triangle symbol depicting vessel and the same symbol is used for a large ship or small fishing vessel. The triangle points in the direction the target vessel is moving. This allows shipping to monitor traffic always knowing what is happening around them at all times.

What are the Benefits of AIS to the recreational boater

Avoiding other vessels on the water, and it is especially in our best interests to avoid the big guys whether in a shipping channel or not. Large ships have restricted maneuverability and stopping range. Having discussed AIS with maritime industry workers including ship Captains and Pilots, I can tell you they really like the system.

Here are three reasons for AIS. One, you are in poor visibility, and are in a channel and suddenly the weather comes in rain, & winds. Now the ships that were once easily seen on deck are now invisible. Two, you are out on the wide ocean when a ship appears on the horizon. The watch is not looking and you have no wind and cannot start the engine. This is a true scenario. In this case your AIS signal would be picked up by the ships radar. The signal would sound an alarm on the bridge. Third, AIS Allows you to see around bends. Imagine a channel where you are coming up to a bend and there is a ship coming your way. You cannot see around the bend due to the raised shoreline, but you would be able to pick up the AIS signal on your chartplotter.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch, MAIB has a report of a mid channel collision between a commercial Ferry and a small sailing vessel which resulted in the sailboat sinking and loss of life. The reports conclusion showed the sailing vessel did not appear on radar and because of the height of the bridge the sailboat was not seen by eye. The recommendation was for better radar reflectors so the sailboat could be seen on the ferries radar and or the use of AIS.

Types of AIS

There are two types of AIS class A or B. Class A is for Commercial shipping and transmits via 2 channels and typically is fully integrated into the ships navigation systems. Class B is for smaller vessels. You can choose to receive only or receive and transmit.

The Class B is nearly identical to the Class A, except the Class B: Has a reporting rate less than a Class A (e.g. every 30 sec. when under 14 knots, as opposed to every 10 sec. for Class A) Class B also does not transmit the vessels IMO number or call sign.

AIS signals are sent out over two VHF channels alternating between the two. Some receiver will pick up both channels and some are single. Single channels miss some information and less often.

Note; in the US the FCC has not yet sanctioned calls B transmitters but is coming soon, probably in the New Year 2008.

AIS and the necessary equipment

To get this signal and make use of it, you will need an AIS engine, a VHF antenna, a GPS signal, power and a display. You can use your existing VHF antenna but will loose some signal strength so it is best to get a dedicated antenna for AIS.

The AIS engine translates the AIS signal before it goes to the display. There are many AIS engines available on the market. Equipment that can show the AIS signal includes, any PC and Mac based navigation system. Most of all chartplotters later models from most manufacturers. These include, Garmin, Furuno, Si-Tex, Standard Horizon, Northstar, Raymarine, and many more. Standalone AIS displays are also available.

You can add a compass if you want to send your rate of turn, which can let another vessel project where you will end up after your maneuver.

You will need to register your MMSI number into the unit so it can be part of your signal. Someone receiving the signal either another vessel or a Coast Guard shore station VTS can see your signal and be able to call you by name and call sign.

How much will this Cost

AIS is not new but it is new to the recreational boater. We are in the 3rd generation of AIS and costs are now under 1,000. This makes AIS affordable for the cruiser. For example take a Furuno class A unit the FA150 which costs $4,000-4500. Compare this to the Furuno AIS receiver FA30 for under $740.

Class A or Class B

My discussions with the Pilots concluded that while they like the system and believe it should be on many recreational vessels, they worry about too many signals in crowded channels. They would have to deal with lots of targets on their plotters which could be confusing. They generally agree that they would filter out much of the class B traffic in crowded shipping lanes but turn it on in open water. So pay attention it’s your responsibility.

Due to the Difference between Class A and Class B transmission rates, it would be useless for fast moving craft like high speed ferries. You will get a ping only twice a minute. At 20 knots the high speed ferry has moved quite a distance and in restricted visibility this could be too late. In this case Class A is for you.

Technorati Tags: fleet management system, gps tracking for cars

One of the essential part of safe ships navigation and successful merchant fleet management system is implementation of appropriate ship tracking services. Satellite navigation and communication systems are used to track ships in oceans and cars on roads and off roads.

One of the great challenges of overseas navigation is the positional fix; what used to be done with a watch, an astrolabe and a sextant is now handled by high technology satellite systems, and rely on Einsteinian relativity for the time compression effects to make it work. As a whole, these systems are called Ship Tracking Systems, and most of them rely on GPS constellations.

A surface ship – whether a cargo hauler or a cruise ship – represents a significant investment, and depending on where your ship goes, that investment may be under risks for weather or piracy. Even without the insurance issues, there are other reasons for ship tracking systems, such as knowing when a given cargo will be delivered, or if a ship is going to be late to port with a perishable load. Ship tracking systems have progressed significantly since the 1980s, when public use GPS systems became available.

Most ship tracking systems use some combination of two satellite constellations; this gives redundant tracking arrays and the ability to correct for different orbital inclinations; the three most common constellations are the US GPS system, the higher resolution French system and the Iridium satellite telephone satellite constellation, which covers areas that aren’t covered thoroughly by the commercially accessible GPS constellations.

A GPS transceiver requires a signal from at least three and preferably four GPS satellites; these satellites have known orbital periods, and they broadcast a signal that identifies what satellite they came from, what their time was when broadcast, and a few other bits of information.

The receiver then compares the amount of time that those signals took to arrive from the three satellites and triangulates the position on a spherical coordinate system (of latitude and longitude). These signals are generally precise to within 10 meters with a three satellite fix, and within a meter with a four satellite fix.

A ship tracking system constantly relays these GPS fixes to a log, and then broadcasts that log (usually by satellite communications) every minute or so. This gives the people driving the ship accurate positional information (for comparison to charts of the sea and hazards, and weather information), as well as allows them to stay within dedicated navigation lanes, be aware of traffic that’s around them and so on. (In a lot of ways, cargo ship traffic isn’t that far off from highway traffic on icy roads – except that the collisions can be inevitable with more than 2 minutes of warning in some cases.)

When correlated with all the ships moving together, this can give an accurate fleet wide picture of where all ships are in relation to each other, and improves the safety of maritime operations. This also maintains schedules, helps identify mechanical problems and slowdowns and helps improve the overall operation of the shipping or cruise business.

Another great ship tracking service tool is Automatic Identification System (AIS) which is a short range coastal tracking system used on ships and by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and VTS stations. Information such as unique identification, position, course, and speed can be displayed on a screen or an ECDIS. AIS is intended to assist the vessel’s watchstanding officers and allow maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements.

More detailed information from personal experience as a daily AIS user in everyday job on VTS tower in next posts.

Technorati Tags: fleet management system, gps tracking equipment, gps tracking for cars, international shipping services, overseas shipping, ship tracking, vehicle tracking software, vts