Tag: UKHO

From hydrography reunions to Statue of Liberty surveys, these are the stories that caught our eye this week.

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.

This week sees the shipping industry descend on Singapore for Sea Asia 2013, taking place at the Marina Bay Sands.  Getting underway today as part of the renowned Singapore Maritime Week, this is one of the biggest dates in the shipping industry calendar, combining a busy conference schedule with exhibitions, national pavilions and plenty of opportunities for socialising.  Over 14,000 maritime professionals are expected to attend, including the UK Hydrographic Office.

Here at the UK Hydrographic Office we’ve become increasingly concerned at the number of counterfeit versions of our official Admiralty charts and publications that we have recently seen in circulation.

These counterfeit documents not satisfy the carriage requirements of the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (see Chapter V, Regulations 2.2 and 19.2.1.4 of the SOLAS Convention), as they have not been issued officially by or on the authority of a Government, authorized hydrographic office or other relevant government institution.  Their carriage may also fail to satisfy, and may be contrary to, the laws of Flag State Authorities and Port State Control.  Furthermore, carriage of counterfeit documents is against the law in all countries that have signed the Berne Convention on copyright, which includes the vast majority of nations.

The start of 2013 has brought with it a flurry of predictions and aspirations for the year ahead, reflecting both pessimism about the ongoing financial woes facing shipping companies, as well as a more optimist perspective on the opportunities that always emerge during times of change.  We take a look at some of the key themes expected to dominate the shipping world during 2013.

Collaboration and consolidation in a tough market
Leading shipping bank DNB offered a few crumbs of comfort as the shipping industry entered its sixth year of downturn.  It anticipates a recovery in bulk rates in 2013, led by slower growth in the size of the global bulk fleet, which will start to redress the problems of over-capacity.  Chemical and product tanker sectors are also set to recover, according to DNB, but the crude tanker and container sectors are expected to remain flat during the year ahead.

In the face of such ongoing financial instability, Fairplay editor Richard Clayton calls for shipping to be returned to maritime friendly companies that truly care about keeping vessels safe and the oceans free from pollution.  Whilst bank finance will be as hard to obtain as ever and market rates will continue to be determined by the surge in newbuild tonnage, he sees potential benefits from greater collaboration between shipping companies during 2013.  Elsewhere, others argue that certain sectors, such as container shipping, will require not just co-operation, but true consolidation in order to restore market stability in the year ahead.

Dr Hideo Nishida of the Japan Hydrographic Association has been awarded the UKHO’s annual Alexander Dalrymple Award for his outstanding contribution to hydrography.

Dr Nishida has had a long and illustrious career with the Japan Coastguard, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan Hydrographic & Oceanographic Department (JHOD). In particular, his work in reaction to natural disasters, during the tsunami and earthquake that hit Japan on 11 March 2011, was commended. The speedy and professional response of JHOD, under his leadership, was undoubtedly a major contributor to Japan’s remarkable recovery from this awful event.

We recently launched our brand-new Admiralty website, which gives you fast access to an array of information about navigation including a range of products, case studies, news and a chance to talk to our experts.

We’ve also redesigned the blog in line with the design of the new Admiralty website. As regular readers will know, the blog explores the issues the maritime industry faces on its transition to digital navigation; from legislation and communications on-board to crew training and welfare.

From international maritime training exercises to the green ship of the future, we’ve been keeping an eye on the industry’s most interesting stories. Here’s a selection of articles from the past week:

ECDIS training not up to standard – According to Lloyd’s List, there is mounting concern that navigation cadets are not receiving the necessary training for electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS). ECDIS units are becoming mandatory on board all vessels covered by the Safety of Life at Sea Convention of the International Maritime Organization, and all navigators must be fully trained on ECDIS. The article asks how, with training taking place at maritime colleges and on independent courses all around the world, the maritime industry can be sure that all seafarers are adequately prepared?

Earlier this year we spoke to pilot Lou Vest to hear about his passion for photography. Since 2002 Lou Vest has carried his digital camera with him whenever he’s at work at the Port of Houston, the busiest port in the United States.

Vest has recently created a stunning time-lapse video; it was meticulously composed from 2,000 still images taken while on board a Panamax ship entering the Port of Houston.

From fuel costs and consumption to low sulphur fuel availability; we’ve been keeping an eye on all of the most interesting stories from the maritime industry. Here’s a selection of articles from the past week:

Smart ships can reduce fuel consumption by 20 per cent – Fuel is one of the highest single costs for ships. Safety4Sea has reported that ABB, a Swiss engineering conglomerate, is developing a complete suite of software products that will reduce fuel consumption by 20 per cent. This is significant when you consider that reducing fuel consumption by just one per cent would result in an annual saving of £300,000 for a large container ship. The company is close to making these energy savings a reality through its development of software products that will monitor, control and optimise all energy consumption process during vessel operation.

The Admiralty team has recently returned from Asia where our ECDIS experts presented the ‘Are you ready for the new ECDIS regulations?’ workshops.

Captain Paul Hailwood spoke to 85 delegates in Taipei who seemed well informed of the mandatory carriage of ECDIS and its requirements. However, feedback from the workshops suggested that Taiwanese shipping companies are still in the early stages of their transition to digital navigation, in comparison to their European counterparts. Many attendees were particularly interested in hearing about the cost effectiveness of implementing ECDIS on board; a key concern for the region’s maritime industry.