In February 1948, the first port control radar was installed at the entrance to the Isle of Man's harbour. However, it was probably the Port of Liverpool which pioneered European Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) when in the same year they set up a radar/radio station, in order to facilitate the boarding of pilots from their cutter. In 1951, Long Beach in California established a similar system to facilitate their port operations. Other major ports in Europe quickly followed.
In 2007 Sydney Ports Corporation undertook a formal marine risk assessment of their Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) requirements, following which they made the decision to replace the existing system with the most up to date technology available from Signalis. This formal approach ensured all aspects of Sydney Ports port area and environment were detailed and assessed.
This article discusses how vessel traffic management in the Port of Rotterdam is about sharing reliable information, about minimizing unnecessary delays along the chain. It is about planning, coordinating and respecting arrangements and agreements. This is not only for the benefit of the port’s clients, but also for the benefit of the port itself.
This article aims to explain the implementation of the e-navigation concept in the Flanders Port Area.
VTS equipment is rapidly evolving following trends set in onboard navigation systems as well as trends expanding from other sectors such as the military and air traffic management.
The Port-to-Port concept is just as complex as it is for an airport. A chain analysis of tasks related to the arrival and departure of a ship gives insight to the stakeholders involved. Factors include the type of ship, cargo and location of berth. The required steps in the process from Port-to-Port can be identified, described and analyzed for improved scheduling.
This report is based on findings of a research project commissioned by the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare (ICSW) and funded by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Seafarers’ Trust. The project ran from January to April 2011.
While health and safety is driven mainly by legal and moral obligations, there is certainly a commercial element too. The major corporations involved in ports, harbors and shipping are very aware of the commercial fallout that will inevitably follow an accident or incident. In the ever more litigious society that we live in, planning and risk mitigation has taken on a whole new importance. Contemporary port and harbor operations demonstrate a classic case of risk and reward. In order to reap the commercial benefits, ports are catering for a higher volume of shipping with far more vessel movements than a decade ago. The associated risk is that with increased traffic, often in a restricted environment, there is a far higher chance of a ship-to-ship or a ship-to-infrastructure collision.
We’ve all heard it’s coming – that epochal sea change in demographics that will see the Baby Boomer cohort retire over the next 20 years, to be replaced by the Busters, Gen-Xers, Echoes and ultimately, Millennials. It is commonly held that the Baby Boom started in 1946 (although some demographers say 1947), so the first Boomers will hit age 65 this year. In some countries, Boomers make up over one-third of the work force. Why should you care?
Marine navigation is currently experiencing its greatest reform since the introduction of radio communications and the development of radar – some argue even as big as the transition from sail to steam. The change is affecting everyone from deck officers to chart agents, fleet superintendents to inspecting officers and crewing managers to pilots.