Monitor

Ship monitoring and transit corridors

This blog aims to provide a neutral place for all things related specifically to ship monitoring and tracking and related services. Along with a regular flow of articles in the blog, note the pages in the right column.

This blog is dedicated to greater openness in business, that greater information and knowledge sharing in an open forum contributes to better performance and social value. Join the effort!

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ARTICLE from marinelink.com: AISSat-1 & Kongsberg Seatex

AISSat-1 Begins Mission with Kongsberg Payload

Norway's AISSat-1 Satellite recently started its mission with a payload developed by Kongsberg Seatex AS. The AISSat-1 was launched successfully from India on July 12, and has already begun transmitting AIS messages from space to earth via Kongsberg Satellite Services' ground station at Svalbard.

AISSat-1 is an experimental satellite, equipped with a Kongsberg Seatex payload that receives and forwards AIS messages from ships. Using the technology in a fully developed system will improve safety at sea for vessels in Norwegian waters. It will make it easier to identify and coordinate vessels in search and rescue operations as well as assist and monitor the transport of dangerous goods and cargo in the high north.

ARTICLE from 59 56 N blog: 2

Title: Shipping's Domino's Pizza Moment

Service innovation à la "30 minutes or your pizza is free" may be coming to commercial shipping

A US restaurant chain called Domino's Pizza once made a bold promise: It would get your pizza home to you in less than 30 minutes, or you'd get it for free. The offer depended on Domino's vast network of pizzerias, a streamlined ordering system, timing mechanisms and a large courier fleet. Even if its hell bent for leather drivers killed people (forcing the company to water down the guarantee), Domino's Pizza made its name and fortune on this unique promise.

Talking to CEO David Plumer of Pole Star got me to thinking that shipping's headed for the kinds of innovations that made Domino's Pizza great. That is, ship monitoring companies like Pole Star may cut away enough of the grey areas around a charter party agreement to allow transoceanic carriers to make unheard-of promises to shippers.

Think about it. Domino's Pizza's offer stopped people ordering pizzas based on fuzzy ideas about how much pepperoni should be on a pizza, how hot is hot or whether a crust is soggy or not. They let customers ask a simple question: Do I want to make sure I'm eating OK pizza in less than 30 minutes? It turns out that's what people really wanted.

A similar kind of thing affects ship chartering contracts. Today both shippers and carriers waste too many resources quibbling over a voyage; the tone of many charter party relationships is basically adversarial. Shippers throw in claims (like arguing that the ship steamed too slowly based on the weather) just to keep carriers honest. And carriers battle even the most reasonable claims.

With voyage monitoring (and particularly post-voyage analysis). a lot of those disputes look set to dry up. "Both sides [charterers and operators] use our systems to manage vessel performance, each with their own viewpoint. For example, you can now replay any voyage with the observed weather. That could kill a lot of arbitrary disputes over ship operations," said Plumer.

Now everyone can see why a ship did what it did. In fact, the scope for measurement and reporting is huge. Plumer says he and Pole Star have a queue of companies waiting to create and track data from specific ships, components and voyages. Whether a monitoring project goes ahead depends on what makes economic sense to monitor. "We had plans to study ship scheduling, but now it's all bunkering analyses, for example," he says.

The point here is that areas of uncertainty and debate, post-voyage, shrink. Instead of fighting shippers over the bill after the voyage, carriers can focus on the nature of the agreement before the voyage. And this is what innovators in this realm (Plumer cites AP Moller-Maersk and Kristian Gerhard Jebsen, specifically) are able to do.

Don't expect to see carriers promise 30 minutes or less any time soon. But do expect to see an operating scenario with fewer question marks lead to innovation in terms of service agreements.

[Note: This article was republished in Lloyd's List]

ARTICLE from 59 56 N blog

Title: AIS is not foursquare for shipping

They're both about localisation, but that doesn't make them apples and apples

You probably already know AIS. The short-range coastal tracking system identifies vessels near coastlines all over the world's oceans, with information about the vessel's name, speed, destination, heading, etc.

You probably don't know Foursquare. It's one of those facebook-like social networks, except this one makes a big deal of location. It's all about where you're at, where you're going, where your friends/girlfriend/mother are, etc. These social location services are one of the four big tech trends of 2010, along with mobile web, iPad and toilet-training cats.

There are many ways that AIS and Foursquare are alike:

• Marketers are gonzo for the data, so they can target buyers (in shipping's case, agents target ships calling in ports)
• They're all about location; without it, they're pretty much pointless (so many examples of AIS position faults)
• With both, you know who's around you, so you can arrange serendipitous meetings (Foursquare), or avoid them (shipping)
• Both can give away too much information (to house burglars, or pirates)
• Both provide a basic platform that service providers are rushing to build valuable products and services on top of
• People are known to fudge both of them to hide their true location
• Both enable overzealous stalkers; in shipping's case, this would be a charterer wondering why the ship is idling outside port

But they've got at least a few salient differences that prevent too close a comparison:

• Foursquare users opt in. AIS is required by the IMO, at least for most classes of ships
• If you go somewhere in Foursquare, you get a badge. If you go somewhere in shipping, you get money
• Foursquare requires you to check-in at its web-site, or through compatible web services. AIS signals are sent automatically
• Foursquare only gives you access to your friends' location; any inquisitive person can check out AIS-poweredship positions online
• Foursquare makes location a game; AIS has, as yet, few fun-loving sides

At its root, Foursquare only works if those people whose position it reports, like it. AIS, on the other hand, is just there. You ignore it at your peril. Nonetheless, anyone developing AIS-related services would be wise to look carefully at developments on Foursquare. You always want to be working towards the market's wants and needs.

So here's a list of articles about business uses for Foursquare. AIS business developers, dig in:

The NY Times bits blog describes how businesses are using Foursquare statistics.

PBS interviews Foursquare's chief business development officer, on use of the platform.

Location Meme ran an article about how a restaurant guide (shippers, imagine an agent) uses Foursquare.

Inc.com gives a guide to success on the Foursquare platform.

And lest I forget my friends in marine media, here's an article about how the big media brands are using Foursquare, to inspire your creative use of AIS.

Some may want to laugh this off, but the Foursquare/AIS analogies are not so far-fetched. For better or worse, fewer and fewer of us are lost under the great blue sky and it's time to find the costs and benefits of this findability, and manage them.

[Note: This article was republished in Lloyd's List]

TRAFFIC CORRIDOR: Critique of TSS, or not?

A short piece in Lloyd's List draws attention to a specific failing of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the narrow straits between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. With two ships colliding, Lloyd's List asks, in passing, if TSS is flawed. It answers this question in the negative, before nebulously arguing that we should all stay on our toes.

Despite the ace reporting, the reason for the collision remains a mystery. One of the shipowners has quite clearly blamed the other, however, for failing to maintain lane in the channel. Why neither the ships' officers nor the shore-based VTS personnel were able to predict the collision and intervene is still unclear.

USER EXPERIENCE article: Five reasons not to rely on AIS for collision avoidance

In an article written for Sail World and published in April 2010, a master mariner describes exactly why the IMO has stated that AIS is for situational awareness, and has serious limitations for collision avoidance.

The full article can be found here:

http://www.sail-world.com/CruisingAus/AIS:-NOT-the-one-stop-shop-anti-collision-tool/68637

Entry from User Experience DISCUSSION at gCaptain Forum: 3

In response to the comment from John, I asked further:

Aside from crossing the Gulf of Aden or Malacca Straits, when piracy is an issue, when would seafarers want to turn off the AIS?

To which, Conspearasea responded:

OPEN QUOTE

I have used both units that can and cannot be turned off. While at the dock for any extended periods of time, I turned off MY AIS in order to "declutter" the list of vessels in busy ports. It can be very frustrating in a port like Fourchon looking at a list of hundreds of vessels all w/in a few miles of each other. When you are looking for a vessel that is underway near you, yet there are a ton of vessels at the dock w/ AIS, the list can be a pain in the ass to manage.

I love having AIS to work w/ but as with all other aids for navigation, their limitations and susceptibility to errors NEEDS to be realized.

CLOSE QUOTE

Entry from User Experience DISCUSSION at gCaptain Forum: 2

In response to the entry from mercury ballistic, I asked:

Out of curiousity (and ignorance of exactly how an AIS transceiver works), how easy is it to simply turn on and off? Is it just a matter of throwing a switch and you are "stealth"?

John responded to this question:

OPEN QUOTE

On my latest ship they made it "difficult" to turn off the unit, you need a technician password and the power cord is hard wired into the bridge console. On past ships I've worked there was a simple power button.

I'm interested in responses to this question as gCaptain and Maritime Information Systems are currently working on getting global AIS coverage via satellite into our AIS iPhone App gTRAX.

CLOSE QUOTE

Entry from User Experience DISCUSSION at gCaptain Forum

mercury ballistic added a comment to the discussion at gCaptain Forum:

OPEN QUOTE

AIS is overall fantastic, just for the fact that it gets rid of endless "calling the vessel in position xx, cse xx, spd xx" calls. It is nice to know that you can usually call someone by name on the radio. It is a useful backup to what the ARPA is indicating in that I like it when they both tell me similar info on a contact.

On the flip side, there can be a lot of variation in the quality of data that is being broadcasted over AIS, and you have to take everything with a grain of salt. We have all seen that ship icon on the ECDIS cruising along a course of 090 with their heading stuck at 000. Or the ship clearly at the pier loading cargo, but on the screen a few cables inland.

Some of the data seems pretty needless for most users. Why do I need to know the destination of a vessel while on watch? It can somtimes be useful in predicting where a vessel may be about to turn in a busy area such as leaving a port, but of all the misinformation I have seen, destination seems to be the most common. It's also a security risk that some may exploit.

AIS is required for most of us now, but it seems that there is little to no enforcement of making sure it is being used properly. Some ships are great about it, some half ass it, and some turn it on and off at will (MSC). I am guessing it will be integrated into the next STCW changes we are all going to have to face as well.

CLOSE QUOTE

Thanks for the input to the monitoring investigation, mercury ballistic!

Entry from Technology DISCUSSION at Maritime Executive LinkedIn Group

Michael Knudsen, LinkedIn profile here, has added some interesting leads re. ship monitoring technology at this discussion. His comment:

I at one time worked for Lockheed Martin and later for Barco in the maritime surveillance and security business area. While no expert in anything, I do have some knowledge of ports and the potential applications of LRIT and AIS to more than just "safety and security". In my general experience I found the following types of users of AIS and LRIT: Barges and Inland Towing Companies, pilot associations, maritime service companies, ship agents and owners, harbor management and security, terminal operators, tug operators, oil and commodities agents, commercial suppliers and agents, agencies and associations. It has been a while, but I do know of some examples based upon my own experience, but I would suggest you contact companies that provide the hardware and services. They may be able to share quite a bit of knowledge that is non-proprietary. Norcontrol, now Kongsberg Norcontrol IT, is in your "backyard." Shiptracks would be a good company to talk to. I know of others. I don't know how much I can help, but I would be glad to share any information or contacts, I have.

Thanks for the input, Michael!

ARTICLE by Capt. Kelly Sweeney

Capt. Kelly Sweeney has offered an article that he recently wrote about use of AIS data on the Internet. This article was originally published on his blog at Professional Mariner here. Thanks, Capt. Kelly!
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Issue Date: Issue #135, May 2010

Shut down unrestricted public Internet access to AIS data

Capt. Kelly Sweeney
captsweeney@professionalmariner.com

My wife and I were walking along a bluff trail overlooking Washington’s Puget Sound last month with some friends. As we sat there taking a break enjoying some hot coffee from our thermos, an inbound cargo shippassed by. Al asked, “Hey Kelly, what do you know about that ship?” Before I could reply, another in the group blurted out “That’s the North Star. It comes in every Wednesday around this time.” I said, “You’re right, Charlotte, but how do you know that?” She replied, “I’m always looking out at the ships and boats going by with my binoculars or telescope. Sometimes, I then go online and check out www.marinetraffic.com. It gives me all kinds of info.” 

Our friend Charlotte was right. On my computer, at this moment I am checking out Green Point, a U.S.-flagcar carrier. Even though I am thousands of miles away in Seattle, from the information on the Web site I know that just minutes ago the 590-foot by 106-foot ship was at latitude 26.43887 N, longitude 53.35397 E, and averaging 17.2 knots. It is en route from Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, to Karachi, Pakistan; the ship’s ETA is 0800 on Feb. 3, 2010. Green Point is just one of more than 12,000 ships and boats around the world whose real-time navigational information is available on the Web site anytime — day or night. 

All this ship-specific information found online is picked up directlyfrom the Automatic Identification System(AIS) transponders of the vessels themselves. When the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and theU.S. Coast Guard mandated the use of AIS equipment on commercial vessels over 300 gross tons in 2004, they chose a VHF radio-based technology that is not secure and is easily monitored. An inexpensive AIS receiver can be purchased over the counter for only a few hundred dollars. Even simpler and cheaper, anyone with access to the Internet can now go to Web sites and track real-time AIS data from ships and boats throughout the world — like our friend Charlotte does. 

The IMO has publicly denounced the broadcasting of AIS data over the Internet on ship-tracking Web sites, saying that it “could be detrimental to the safety and security of ships.” In a survey conducted by the Nautical Institute, 77 percent of the shipmasters who responded were uneasy about the effect AIS could have on vessel security. An excellent article by two U.S. Navy officers in the November 2009 issue of Armed Forces Journalstates that the operation of AIS “raises security concerns because information is broadcast and made available to anyone, including people planning acts of piracy or terrorism.” Pirates have reportedly used AIS data in successful hijackings — including the supertanker Sirius Star. Considering that a maritime terror incident on a ship just arriving in New York Harbor could make the falling of the World Trade Center seem minor by comparison, is it really wise to give the general public unlimited access to real-time AIS information? 

While I think it’s wonderful that our friend who lives in a house overlooking Puget Sound has an interest in ships, I don’t think she hasany need to know every AIS-transmitted detail of each ship, tug or ferry that passes in front of her home — and neither does any other member of the general public. Personally, I not only consider this uncontrolled, unnecessary and potentially dangerous public access of real-time AIS information a breach of maritime safety and security — but a risk to society at large as well. I believe that AIS-tracking Web sites offering unrestricted access of this information to the general public should be shut down. 

Because AIS has a range of around 30 to 50 miles, the concern about public access to AIS information has thus far centered on coastwise and inland vessels near major ports. That has all changed. The launching of two prototype AIS-tracking nanosatellites, one in 2008 and the other 2009, has now ushered in the era of space-based AIS (S-AIS). Active tracking of commercial vessels’ AIS signals far out at sea has been so successful on a test-scale that plans to establish a satellite network capable of monitoring AIS signals from ships anywhere on the globe are well underway — with full worldwide capability anticipated by 2014. Soon every AIS-equipped ship and boat will be able to be tracked — even when thousands of miles offshore. 

I see tremendous potential for the use of S-AIS in long-range tracking and rescue applications. The Canadian Department of National Defence successfully used S-AIS data for ship surveillance in a test study conducted in 2009, monitoring an almost four million square mile area of the North Pacific for illegal fishing. I have no problem with governments using and sharing confidential S-AIS data, but when it was reported in November 2009 that a private company had signed a seven-year contract to receive access to this information, like many in the industry I became concerned about the potential for its misuse. As a security measure, under the provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, I think that companies or individuals contracting with providers of S-AIS data should not only be required to register and undergo a background check, but also demonstrate a valid “need-to-know” before they have access to this ship-specific information. 

Piracy off Somalia is at a six-year high and has increased in Asia in the past year, with reports that hundreds of my fellow merchant mariners are being held hostage for ransom. In these dangerous times, every effort needs to be made to protect merchant ships, crews and the billions of people living in port cities or coastal areas. The authorities have mandated the use of AIS on thousands of commercial vessels; they now need to ensure that this sensitive information does not get into the wrong hands. 

Till next time I wish you all smooth sailin’. 

Kelly Sweeney holds the licenses of master (oceans, any gross tons) and master of towing vessels (oceans), and regularly sails on a wide variety of commercial vessels. He lives on an island near Seattle. You can contact him at captsweeney@professionalmariner.com.