Ships of the future could be made of plastic and controlled from land – At the latest Lloyd’s List Summit, audiences were told that vessels will look very different within 20 or 30 years’ time, with widespread use of alternative materials and sweeping advances in automation that will see remote-controlled ships come in a matter of time. Rolls-Royce marine vice-president of innovation Oskar Levander said that although change was inevitable over the next decade or two, it would not come in one large increment but step by step. Skyrocketing fuel prices were likely to encourage innovative ideas. These include developments in wind power and in harvesting wave energy. The industry was encouraged to look at ways to make shipbuilding a continuous process, rather than the multiple discreet processes it currently takes. In a later contribution, Mr Levander highlighted the need for greater automation and maybe even remote control. He said there was no reason why simple ships, such as cross-river ferries, should not be operated remotely. International Association of Classification Societies chairman, Tom Boardley pointed out that although technology had relieved airline pilots of the need to undertake routine navigation, passengers took comfort in having a human presence in the cockpit. Mr. Levander argued that automation did not necessarily mean removing the human element.

Call for Abstracts announced for Digital Hydrography on the Maritime Web – The Hydrographic Society UK (THS UK), supported by both the International Federation of Hydrographic Societies (IFHS) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is seeking expressions of interest from potential speakers who wish to take part in the Digital Hydrography on the Maritime Web – Embracing the challenges and opportunities conference, taking place in October this year. Abstracts for presentations fitting one of the following themes are especially welcome:

• Operational Survey Techniques
• Charting and Data Quality
• Innovative Data Processing and Products
• The ‘End User’s Perspective’ – the contribution of the Maritime Web to all aspects of enhanced safety at sea, and intelligent exploitation of the marine environment and ‘The Blue Economy’.

The key objective of this event is to stimulate debate, and help inform key decision makers within the International community about real-world issues and user requirements for digital hydrographic data. Abstracts must be received by the end of July 2013. For more details, please visit the THS UK website here.

Royal Navy takes part in huge multinational minehunting exercise – Six ships and more than 600 sailors from the Royal Navy are taking part in the fortnight-long test of the response of the world’s nations and navies should anyone try to interfere with the sea lanes using mines. The Royal Navy has said that thirty-five ships, diving teams and mine warfare experts from across the world accepted the invitation to the second IMCMEX – International Mine Counter-Measures Exercise – which is being staged from the Gulf to the Arabian Sea. The aim is to show that mines pose a real and present danger to the safe passage of shipping. Although still focused on Mine Countermeasures, it also includes Maritime Security Operations and Maritime Infrastructure Protection events, recognising that maritime security for trade, energy and commerce extends from the port of origin to the port of arrival. The exercise is being led by Royal Navy Commodore Simon Ancona, who is also the United Kingdom Maritime Component Commander and Deputy Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces. Commodore Ancona said: “This exercise will allow the Royal Navy to operate with partners, practising skills that are among those that define its role. “Mine countermeasures and Maritime Security Operations are about the freedom of the seas, the arteries along which the life blood of global commerce and energy flow.” As a further aid to supporting maritime security, the UKHO has this month published two new Maritime Security Charts. Taken together with three existing anti-piracy and security charts, this creates the world’s first suite of Maritime Security Charts, which seafarers can use as a vital voyage planning tool to protect their vessels from an array of security threats, including mines. Free downloadable versions of these charts are available here.

Please tell us about the interesting shipping and maritime stories you’ve been reading this week.

Surge in Orders for New Cargo Vessels – A recent surge in new orders for some of the world’s biggest cargo ships has provided a glimmer of hope for the global shipping market, according to the Wall Street Journal, which has suffered from excess capacity and decline in trade. This week, China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) signed a US$683 million deal for five new container ships. When completed, the ships will be the largest of their kind afloat, with a capacity to carry 18,400 standard container boxes. Whilst there will be concerns that further new orders will exacerbate the problem of excess capacity, Lloyd’s List reports that CSCL is seeking to increase vessel size to reduce costs, whilst holding down total capacity by returning or scrapping older, less fuel efficient vessels. The agreement follows recent orders from China Shipping’s sister company for six natural gas carrying ships, as well as U.S.-based shipowner Seaspan Corp.’s plans to buy as many as 14 large container ships. Tim Huxley, chief executive at Hong Kong shipper Wah Kwong Maritime Transport, expects an upturn in the shipping market starting in 2014. The shipping industry has seen container freight rates stabilise on routes between Asia and the U.S. and within Asia, emphasising the strength of those regions. China recorded a 71% year-over-year jump in new ship orders in the first quarter, recovering from the industry’s 44% fall in new contracts in 2012, according to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry.

Scientists map global routes of ship-borne invasive species – The BBC has reported that scientists have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species. The researchers examined the movements of cargo ships around the world to identify the hot spots where these aquatic aliens might thrive. Marine species are taken in with ballast water on freighters and wreak havoc in new locations, driving natives to extinction. There has been a well-documented boom in global shipping over the past 20 years and this has led to growing numbers of species moving via ballast tanks, or by clinging to hulls. Now, scientists from the UK and Germany have developed a model that might help curb these unwanted visitors. They obtained detailed logs from nearly three million voyages that took place in 2007 and 2008.”Our model combines information such as shipping routes, ship sizes, temperatures and biogeography to come up with local forecasts of invasion probabilities,” said Prof Bernd Blasius from the University of Oldenburg. “It is called ecological roulette,” said Dr Michael Gastner from the University of Bristol. “The probability of winning from the perspective of the invader is really tiny – but because the number of attempts are now growing with more and bigger ships, you play this roulette so often that you become a likely winner sooner or later,” he added.

Britain’s Atlantis: Archaeologists Reveal Remains Of Medieval Dunwich – A researcher from the University of Southampton has carried out the most detailed analysis ever of the remains of an ancient medieval city labelled “Britain’s Atlantis,” says Red Orbit. Professor David Sear has created the most accurate map to date of the lost medieval town of Dunwich. His map includes the town’s streets, major buildings, and even ruins on the seabed. Sear worked with researchers from the University’s GeoData Institute, the National Oceanography Center (NOC), Wessex Archaeology and local divers from North Sea Recovery and Learn Scuba to create the map. The town suffered extreme storms that forced coastal erosion and flooding, nearly wiping out the town over the past seven centuries. Dunwich now lies collapsed 10 to 32 feet below the surface of the sea just off Britain’s coastline. Peter Murphy, English Heritage’s coastal survey expert said the techniques developed by Sear and his team will be valuable to help understand submerged and eroded terrestrial sites in other places. “It is a sobering example of the relentless force of nature on our island coastline. It starkly demonstrates how rapidly the coast can change, even when protected by its inhabitants,” Sear said. A team of scientists from Brazil and Japan also announced this week that they discovered “Brazil’s Atlantis.” They discovered a granite artefact more than 8,000 feet deep off the coast of Brazil. This ancient artefact could have formed on the ancient supercontinent Pangaea.

Please tell us about the interesting shipping and maritime stories you’ve been reading this week.

The UKHO organised a series of workshops over the course of Sea Asia 2013 and it proved to be a popular ticket, with a great turnout at each one.  The topic for the workshops was the ‘Admiralty Guide to policy and procedures for the operational use of ECDIS’ and it quickly became clear that many shipping companies are wrestling with the details of how to go about meeting and documenting their SOLAS carriage obligations.

Captain Paul Hailwood led all of the workshops during Sea Asia, supported by members of the Singapore-based team.  Speaking to Paul at the end of the conference, he explained that the latest workshops were a natural progression from the UKHO’s Digital Integration Workshops, held last year.

“Last year’s workshops focused on the nine stages in the ECDIS transition and based on the feedback that we received from those events, we decided to focus on two specific topics for these latest workshops.  First, the legal aspects of ECDIS and how to prepare for an audit or an inspection of an ECDIS ship.  Second, how to develop procedures for the use of ECDIS.”

The workshops make a great effort not just to guide delegates through what needs to be done, but to actually provide them with practical advice and material to help them to fulfil those requirements.  As Paul explained, “we provide them with a detailed UKHO check sheet on the items that they should consider when preparing for an audit, as well as supporting information.  So, for example, we don’t just tell them to check that their ECDIS Presentation Library is up to date, we provide them with a lot of reference material to help them to achieve this.”

Paul also described the non-prescriptive approach taken to helping shipping companies to develop procedures for their use of ECDIS, which places the emphasis on incorporating ECDIS into their current operating practices and procedures, rather than suggesting that they need to tear up their existing practices and start from scratch.

According to Paul, the Singapore workshops were able to allay some of the concerns of delegates over how best to prepare for a third party audit or port state inspection by addressing some of myths about what can trigger the detention of a vessel.  As Paul put it, “there are a lot of horror stories out there and a lot of worried companies, but if the procedures are in place and your crew do things properly, rather than trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, they’ll be fine.  So, if the inspector comes on board and asks a straightforward question about your Presentation Library, you just need to ensure that you give him a straightforward answer.”

The questions from the delegates attending the UKHO’s workshops were many and varied, but Paul was encouraged by the fact that most of them were practical, applied questions about the use of ECDIS from shipping companies that were already some way down the road of planning for, or delivering, the transition to digital navigation.

The discussions continued long after the formal end of the workshop, with Paul and members of the Singapore-based team able to provide practical advice on a whole host of issues, ranging from the management of Temporary & Preliminary Notices, the role of the Admiralty Information Overlay, the accuracy of ENCs and lots more detailed questions, such as whether or not it is safe to navigate the ship inside the safety contour, how to increase the margins of safety, the relative merits of ENCs and paper charts, and so on.

Paul also noted that despite Singapore being a mature market for ECDIS, the delegates remained sensibly focused on the importance of getting the basics right, in order to ensure that their vessels remain safe and without problems arising during inspections:

“Singapore is an advanced market with a number of early ECDIS adopters, but it was notable that they weren’t getting too excited at this stage about what future generations of this technology might be able to do for them.  Instead, they remain focused on getting the basics right; how accurate is my chart, how do I know the corrections are on there, how can I focus on ensuring safe navigation to a high standard and how do I avoid any problems during port state or vetting inspections.”

Overall, it was clear to Paul that the delegates in attendance got exactly what they were looking for from the workshops, whether they already had practical experience with ECDIS, or were preparing to take their first steps towards its adoption:

“What the delegates were fundamentally looking for – and what they got – is good, sound advice from an authoritative, reputable organisation, such as the UKHO, that gives them the confidence to build their ECDIS procedures based upon that advice.”

The UKHO will be holding more ECDIS workshops throughout the rest of the year, with the next stops expected to be in India, Japan and China, so keep an eye on our booking page for more details.

Antarctic islands named after hydrographers  – According to Hydro International, the UK Antarctic Placenames Committee has named islands in the British Antarctic Territory after well-known hydrographic surveyors active in the IHO, like Willett Island, Gorziglia Island and Lambert Island. Also Taunton, hometown of the UKHO, has been honoured with an island being named after it. With so much to discover, hydrographic surveyors are making major contributions to maritime exploration and mapping. This is a wonderful way of recognising all their hard work. Other islands have been named after Bath and Cricklewood, towns with UKHO history, as well as Queen Elizabeth II and Neville Mann, a South Pole surveyor. For the full list and explanations, please visit the UK Antarctic Placenames Committee’s website.

World Hydrography Day – Maritime Journal has reported that the International Hydrographic Organisation has chosen ‘Hydrography – Underpinning the Blue Economy’ as the theme for this year’s UN World Hydrography Day on 21 June. Mindful that the seas and oceans occupy 71% of the world’s surface area, the Monaco based agency points out that the so-called global blue economy extends far beyond traditional core maritime activities of fishing, commercial and passenger shipping. Other activities with a call on hydrographic expertise typically involve disciplines such as aquaculture, cables and pipelines, coastal zone management, defence and security, energy and minerals, ocean science and observation, telecommunications, offshore platforms, weather and climate science. Against a background where there are a greater number of higher resolution maps of the Moon and Mars than there are of most of the world’s seas and oceans, the IHO is calling for increased public awareness of the vital role that hydrography plays in everyone’s life. National hydrographic services and organisations in Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, North and South America, Scandinavia, the UK and US are among those expected to host commemorative events.

Earliest satellite maps of Antarctic and Arctic sea-ice – The BBC has published images of the earliest satellite maps of Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice. The images, assembled by scientists, were made using data from NASA’s Nimbus-1 spacecraft, which was launched in 1964 to test new technologies for imaging weather systems from orbit. The satellite’s old pictures have now been re-analysed to determine the extent of the marine ice at the poles in the September of that year. One key finding is that marine floes around the White Continent in the 1960s were probably just as extensive as they are today. The new snapshot helps put current ice conditions into a longer-term context, say researchers at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC). Regular mapping from space did not begin until 1978. Transmissions from the Nimbus-1 satellite were photographed on to 35mm film and archived. The NSIDC team had to pull the canisters containing the original film out of storage to perform the re-analysis. “The canisters were kind of forgotten, almost lost in time, until about four years ago when they were found and it was realised they might contain some useful, interesting data,” explained the NSIDC’s Dr Walt Meier. Scientists on the project caution that the Nimbus-1 data represents just three weeks in one year but nonetheless underscores some interesting observations. The research shows, for example, that sea-ice extent in the Antarctic in 1964 reached at least 19.7 million sq km. It also gives scientists something to ponder as they try to explain the recent year-on-year growth in winter ice cover recorded in the Antarctic.

We’d love to know about the interesting shipping and maritime stories you’ve been reading this week.

Ocean Exchange seeks entrepreneurs to submit solutions – Hydro International has reported that the third annual Ocean Exchange has selected the theme of LEAP TO ZERO+ as it continues its search for entrepreneurs from around the globe with innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Solutions submitted should have the potential to generate economic growth and increase productivity while reducing the use of nature’s resources and waste production. This year’s competition boasts two monetary awards—The Gulfstream Navigator Award and The WWL Orcelle Award, both of which offer a USD100,000 award. The Gulfstream Navigator Award 2013 will be given to the solution that best demonstrates the greatest potential to LEAP TO ZERO+ with applicability across multiple industries generating positive impact on the environment, economics, and health while respecting cultures around the world. The WWL Orcelle Award 2013 will be given to the solution that makes shipping and logistics more sustainable by advancing zero-emissions marine transport and technologies that are commercially viable. For more details on how to enter, visit www.oceanexchange.org.

Who, what, why: Why build a ship tunnel? – The Norwegian government has backed a plan to create the world’s first ship tunnel, according to the BBC. At 45m high and 36m wide, the 1.7km long Stad Ship Tunnel will be the only one of its kind – a passage through solid rock able to accommodate 16,000 tonne freight and passenger ships. Ship canals have long been used to make journeys more direct and safer but the Stad peninsula is a mountainous divide, peaking at 645m, between the Norwegian Sea to the north and the North Sea to the south. Instead of carving out a slice of the landscape for a canal, engineers will drill and blast through the rock at sea level before removing the dams so the sea can flood a 12m deep channel for ships to travel in. The Stad peninsula on Norway’s western coast is notorious for heavy weather that can endanger ships – the country’s highest wind speeds are commonly recorded on the promontory and ships are routinely delayed by stormy conditions. A recent review also found 46 accidents and near-accidents and 33 deaths had occurred in the waters since the end of World War II. Randi Humborstad, project leader at Nordfjord Vekst, the organisation behind the tunnel plans, cites a 161-passenger cruise ship that was almost shipwrecked in 2004 as further evidence of the area’s fierce conditions. The tunnel is not to save time. It will take as long to go through it as it would take to go around, admits Humborstad. But taking the weather out of the equation will improve safety and trade links in the area.

Plans unveiled for Swansea Bay tidal lagoon – Maritime Journal has reported that plans have been released for the world’s first, purpose-built, tidal lagoon power plant that will be capable of generating electricity equivalent to the entire domestic consumption of Swansea in South Wales. The proposed 250MW power plant will produce predictable, base load electricity for 16 hours each day, using both the ebb and flood tides. According to Tidal Lagoon Power, the development company behind the scheme, it will save over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per year for its design life of over 100 years and is a significant opportunity for Wales to take the lead in the tidal industry for the UK. The power plant could be connected to the National Grid and be ‘power ready’ in 2017. Landfall points will be located at or near Swansea Docks, but the lagoon will not obstruct the entrance to any rivers or marinas, nor adversely affect the operation of the port.

We’d love to hear about any shipping news stories that you’ve been keeping up with lately.

Mediterranean blue economy: enhancing marine and maritime cooperation – This week Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Philippe de Fontaine-Vive, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), and Andrew Winbow, Assistant Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), met in Athens, Greece, for the 12th Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and Investment (FEMIP) Conference. They affirmed their commitment to work in partnership to support a blue and sustainable economy in the Mediterranean region and to maximise maritime cooperation across all bordering countries. The IMO has a worldwide mandate to provide for the adoption of the highest practicable standards in maritime safety, security, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution caused by ships. Andrew Winbow of the IMO stated: “It is clear that maintaining and enhancing, where possible, the quality and sustainability of the environment is a key issue…Two key areas of action seem to be vital: education, training and promulgation of information and some form of monitoring and oversight to ensure that the policies and practices required to be met are adhered to and implemented effectively. In this regard, the greater use of technology: satellite surveillance and data collection and the upcoming implementation of e-navigation are both resources that might be used in support of protecting the environment. In conjunction with the relevant EU organisations represented at the conference, IMO stands ready to provide its support to the States in the region to ensure the sustainable future we all seek.”

Scientist unravels mystery of Coral Sea’s ghostly Sandy Island – The Washington Post reports that Maria Seton, the scientist that “undiscovered” Sandy Island, has published an obituary of Sandy Island in EOS, the journal of the American Geophysical Union. Her research showed that the island appeared on the 1908 edition of a nautical chart, which indicated that Sandy Island had been discovered in 1876 in French territorial waters by the whaling ship, Velocity. The location and shape of the island on the 1908 map corresponds to what can be seen in the modern, erroneous databases. Seton’s research found that there were errors in new, digital charts. Experts in cartography say that the craft is, like any other human endeavour, vulnerable to error. Although the planet has been studied from space and, in some places, charted all the way to the bottom of the ocean, “very little of it is surveyed to modern hydrographic international standards,” said Christine Phillips, spokeswoman for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. But how did Sandy Island come into being? It’s suggested that what the whaling vessel saw in 1876 was a floating raft of stone — a “pumice raft.” “In volcanic terrains you can get islands that are temporarily there and then disappear. I have seen floating mats of pumice that form and drift around for several years after a marine volcanic eruption,” said Bruce Molnia, a research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey.

Liverpool Bay Sediment Dynamics Discovery Could Save Millions – Hydro International reported that new research tracking the movement of dredged sediment around Liverpool Bay could save millions of pounds, according to scientists at the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool, UK. Each year, sediment has to be dredged from the port and deposited elsewhere to maintain access for commercial vessels. But the dredged material reappears in the port within just a few weeks of its removal, carried by sea currents. Repeatedly dredging the same material is costing a lot of money, but the savings in environmental costs could be greater. The costs of dredging are not just economic. Concern has also been expressed about the disturbance of contaminated materials and the damage they could cause to the environment. Dr Souza and his team are working with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) to look for areas within the Mersey Estuary where the material could be safely disposed.

We’d love to hear about any shipping news stories that you’ve been keeping up with lately.

Conference: Digital Hydrography on the Maritime Web – According to Hydro International, The Hydrographic Society UK, supported by both the International Federation of Hydrographic Societies and the International Hydrographic Organization, is arranging a two-day conference on 29 and 30 October 2013 in Southampton, UK. The conference aims to dispel persisting myths and emphasise the considerable efforts of the global hydrographic community to improve the quality of the wide range of digital products utilising digital hydrographic data. In particular, the conference will focus on the advances the international hydrographic community has already made in gathering and managing the data required by the full spectrum of end users. The conference will look to future needs and showcase innovations and techniques in survey, chart production and associated technologies. It will demonstrate that safety at sea, our understanding of the marine environment and intelligent exploitation of ‘The Blue Economy’ can all be enhanced by the wealth of hydrographic data embedded in the most up-to-date products, ranging from charts to 3D visualisations.

NOAA Starts 2013 Post-Sandy Surveys at Statue of Liberty – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will kick off its spring season for post-Sandy hydrographic work on April 11, as a navigation response team — equipped with high-tech surveying equipment — searches for underwater storm debris and maps the depths surrounding Liberty Island, reports Maritime Executive. Navigation Response Team 5, with NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, was one of the first in-water responders to help re-open the Port of New York and New Jersey immediately after Hurricane Sandy hit last year. They are returning now at the request of the National Park Service, which is working to re-establish safe navigation and docking at the Statue of Liberty, in preparation for its planned re-opening on July 4, 2013. Dr. David Conlin, chief of the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center, said: “The Park Service needs highly qualified hydrographic assistance as we move forward with repairs to Liberty Island’s permanent docks and as we make sure surrounding waters are safe for passenger ferries and private vessels. We are very pleased that Coast Survey is stepping up to help re-open this icon for the American people.”

New chart shows the entire topography of the Antarctic seafloor in detail for the first time – Reliable information on the depth and floor structure of the Southern Ocean has so far been available for only a few coastal regions of the Antarctic. Explorers Web has found that an international team of scientists under the leadership of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, has for the first time succeeded in creating a digital map of the entire Antarctic seafloor. The International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO) for the first time shows the detailed topography of the seafloor for the entire area south of 60°S. The IBCSO data grid and the corresponding Antarctic chart will soon be freely available on the internet and are intended to help scientists, amongst others, to better understand and predict sea currents, geological processes or the behaviour of marine life.

UK Mapping and Charting Chiefs Unite to Discuss Future of Mapping – The British Cartographic Society blog reports that the five British mapping and charting agencies will come together to discuss the future of mapping in front of an audience of cartographic professionals and enthusiasts. The British Cartographic Society is celebrating its 50th Annual Symposium as part of a year-long celebration of mapmaking. The theme of the anniversary Symposium is ‘Today, Tomorrow and Beyond,’ reflecting the Society’s forward looking vision for the future of cartography, with Ian Moncrieff CBE, Chief Executive of UK Hydrographic Office attending. The event is being held at the historic Hothorpe Hall, Leicestershire from 3-6 September 2013. “In our 50th Anniversary year it is a pleasure to return to Leicestershire as this was where the first Symposium was first held back in 1964,” commented Mr Peter Jones MBE, President of the British Cartographic Society. “It is also a huge honour to welcome senior executives from the five British Mapping and Charting agencies to discuss how their organisations have changed over the past fifty years and highlight what they see as the key elements of the future of mapping. This is the centrepiece of our Anniversary Symposium and emphasises how important maps are today in our rapidly changing and increasingly digital society.”

To find out more about this and other events in the 50th Anniversary Calendar, follow the society on twitter at @bcsweb, facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bcsweb or visit www.cartography.org.uk

We’d love to hear about the shipping news that you’ve been reading this week.

The Conference is focusing on many of the topical issues currently driving discussion in the shipping industry, including the importance of China in the world shipping market, Asia’s role in liner and bulk shipping, the challenge of maritime financing, LNG/LPG transportation and the ‘green’ ship debate.  Of course, maritime navigation and the transition to ECDIS is also among the big issues facing many shipping companies and the UKHO will be leading the conversation over how best to manage this transition process through a series of workshops.

We are holding a free workshop on each day of Sea Asia 2013 on the ‘Admiralty Guide to policy and procedures for the operational use of ECDIS’, taking place in Basement 2 of the Marina Bay Sands.  Our first workshop took place this afternoon and we have two more scheduled for the following times:

Wednesday 10 April: 12:00 – 13:30

Thursday 11 April: 16:00 – 17:30

Our workshops provide expert guidance on the regulatory requirements governing the adoption of ECDIS and the policies and procedures that are required to fulfil SOLAS carriage obligations, including any necessary amendments to bridge procedures and on-board safety management systems.  All workshops are led by Captain Paul Hailwood, an internationally respected expert on ECDIS and integrated bridge operations, with plenty of time provided for questions from delegates and discussions with the UKHO team.

If you are attending Sea Asia 2013, we’d love to see you at one of our workshops.  They are free to attend and places can be booked online at:

http://www.admiralty.co.uk/Pages/events-admiralty-workshops.aspx.

We’ll be reporting back on our experience at Sea Asia very soon, so watch this space!

Future Prospects to Sail Maritime ‘Trains’ Through the Suez Canal - One of the world’s biggest shipping companies, Maersk Line, recently announced its intention to sail more of their ships through the Suez Canal, instead of the Panama Canal. According to The Maritime Executive, ongoing developments in international trade, such as construction of newer and larger ports in India and Sri Lanka, are affecting international transportation and increasing the amount of maritime tonnage that would sail through the Suez Canal. Interesting, the article also explores the concept of technology that allows multiple ships to be coupled into oceanic ‘trains’.  Aided by the lack of locks, extended trains of coupled ships could increase the tonnage and cargo volumes travelling through the Suez Canal, with ‘super-tugs’ simultaneously pushing one ship and towing a second ship of equivalent size.  The article suggests that one possible train could be a combination such as ship-tug-ship-tug-ship, whereby two tugs would guide a train of 3-post Panamax size ships.

Royal Navy ship HMS Scott docks in Plymouth after Red Sea mission – Royal Navy survey ship HMS Scott has returned after more than three months on deployment, according to This is Plymouth. The ship docked in Devonport yesterday after conducting survey work in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The ship, which has a crew of 78, supported maritime security operations and surveyed more than 7,200 square miles of the sea floor. The ship’s commanding officer, Commander Pat Mowatt praised his ship’s company and emphasised the ongoing need for surveying the poorly known sea floor. He said: “The Royal Navy’s deep water ships and deep-working submarines operate worldwide all the year round and therefore, we need to continue our important work ensuring the charts which use our data are up to date and provide safe navigation during their vital deployments and exercises.” You can find more details on the ship here.

The Emerging Arctic Maritime Region – Captain Jonathan Spaner, U.S. Coast Guard director, Office of Emerging Policy, has written an informative article on the future of the Arctic environment in the United States, including the impacts displayed by the latest satellite observations. According to Captain Spaner, coastal villages have experienced environmental changes that make their communities more prone to storm surges and coastal erosion and although winter sea travel is still limited, maritime navigation is becoming more feasible. Economic development, including resource extraction, adventure tourism and trans-Arctic shipping, is driving much of the current activity in the region.  Captain Spaner emphasises the maritime risk associated with these factors, which need to be managed through appropriate maritime governance.  He concludes that whilst economic growth and development are shaping the future of the Arctic region, modern technology, improved governance and broader partnerships will be important in ensuring that this takes places in a deliberate and responsible fashion.

We’d love to hear your views on the shipping news that you’ve been following this week.

Shipping confidence levels hit two-year high – Confidence levels across all sectors of the shipping industry are at their highest level in two years, according to the latest survey from international accountant and shipping advisor Moore Stephens.  The survey revealed improved expectations of increased freight rates across all sectors in the next 12 months and greater likelihood of new investment.  The reasons behind this improvement in industry confidence are varied, but include older tonnage leaving the market, a slow-down in newbuild orders, improved demand for seaborne trade and competitive finance, where it is available.

A positive outlook on Cypriot shipping – Despite the major financial difficulties facing Cyprus, the country’s shipping community has offered a positive ‘business as usual’ assessment.  In a recent statement, the Cyprus Shipping Chamber explains that it has worked closely with the Cypriot Government and other authorities to offer its knowledge and support, particularly in order to alleviate any operational problems for shipping.  This has allowed shipping companies in Cyprus to trade as normal and to meet all of their obligations to their seafarers and other stakeholders.  The Chamber also points out that the overall operational and taxation infrastructure for shipping in Cyprus remains intact and that the Cyprus Flag Administration is working normally and without any interruptions or restrictions. The Cyprus Shipping Chamber’s membership includes all major owners, ship managers, charterers and other shipping companies, who collectively employ 4,500 people onshore and over 55,000 seafarers onboard their vessels.

Marine Accidents – A Good Cause for study – According to Maritime Professional, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) in India views marine accidents as opportunities to provide valuable information that can improve the quality and effectiveness of ship management systems. The DGS Director General, Gautam Chatterjee, pointed out that marine accidents are learning opportunities as they provide realistic views of ship operations. The article summarises case studies presented by both DGS and shipping industry representatives and includes step-by-step accounts of several incidents that have occurred over the last 2 years. Capt Harish Khatri emphasised that the intention is not to propagate a blame culture but to strictly encourage ship manning agents, ship owners, seafarers, training institutes and other related companies of the shipping industry to cultivate a proactive and constructive approach to preventing accidents at sea.

 We’d love to hear your views on the shipping news that you’ve been following this week.