So the gCaptain team has been exceptionally busy in the last few weeks and we have the Cosco Busan partially to thank. In addition to the server traffic and time spent researching the incident we were motivated by the events to embark on some new projects. You already now the good news, the successful launch of a new maritime podcast! Unfortunately, however, we also had a time consuming failure.
A little history…. Shortly after the ship allided with San Francisco’s Bay Bridge we pointed you to the amazing website BoatingSF.com. Run by Michael Slater, a former Adobe Engineer, the site uses AIS vessel tracking data taken from VHF radio antennas Michael has erected near the bay and uses this to plot ships to a live interactive map embedded on his site (LINK). The post that day, however, displayed recorded data showing the track of the Cosco Busan during her short voyage. The display was impressive and attracted a considerable amount of attention.
At this point of the story we had just finished reading an amazing article written for Geo: Magazine by John Astad, our friend from Vesseltrax. The subject of the article was Shore-Side Maritime Applications of Google Earth and discussed his ability to visualize 3d images of ships running the Houston Ship Channel. Even cooler was the ability to fly around a vessel as she moved about the bay… in real time! (LINK) So I contacted Michael and asked if he would send the data file to John for 3d conversion!
The stars seemed to be aligning until we discovered a problem (read about it here) that resulted in John not being able to convert the data for use in his program. Discouraged? Yes but in stepped a gCaptain reader who we can’t thank enough. He transposed the timestamps from regional AIS beacons and helped us create a ShipPlotter version (Disclaimer here and ShipPlotter results here) of the events. Not quite accurate but close enough for our next team to start work…
Jakota “is engaged in the development and sale of solutions aimed at the commercial sector and public services, as well as the field of research and science. We supply solutions for tracking, fleet management, positioning and security- and alarm systems.” Translated; they make the best 3d ship graphing websites on the planet. They also provide amazing tools for tracking fleets of ships that are visually stunning, effective and well thought out.
You ask, how did we find Jakota? We asked our friends in silicon valley to search for a company that provides AIS vessel tracking systems that first, have visually attractive solutions, second use the latest tools of web 2.0. The overwhelming response was “Check out Digital-Seas.com“.
Fast forward through the time changes, international calling codes and German accents… we finally got in touch with Lars Krueger, one of the nicest and most professional person we have met. Lars took a programmer off his job to work on our project full time… the results were stunning but the harder we work the more faulty data we found.
The bottom line… we worked hard, had fun, met some amazing people and built relationships for the future. The final result is not 100% accurate and was compressed to meat BoatingSF’s needs but still looks amazing (you should see the original!!) We also started on a new project, global AIS and vessel tracking… but that’s for another post. In the meantime, if your a marine superintendent Lars is a person you need to know. If you’re a mariner interested in tracking ships so you don’t have to spend days in sitting in the union hall… Digital-Seas is the website you will know.
Many thanks to all who helped and stay tuned for more on the amazing people and products we met while working on this project. For a preview visit these amazing sites;
- EarthNC - Digital Chart Overlays for Google Earth!
- ActiveCaptain - Port Information via Google Maps!
- Panbo - Marine Electronics Blog!
- Kurt’s Weblog - AIS Master GURU!
- Navagear -Gear and Gadets for Boaters!
- Vesseltrax - Ship positions on google maps!
- UUPlus - Low Bandwidth Solutions for Boats.
Enough discussion… to see the Cosco Busan’s Track CLICK HERE
Note: The source of our problem was the USCG’s reluctance to release the official AIS data files. If you wish to see the amazing visualizations of Digital Seas… in full size… with accurate data… call your congressman and ask for the file to be released to the public.
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10 responses so far ↓
1 sb // Dec 9, 2007 at 12:55 pm
That is simply stunning. Great work! Given all those course corrections, especially as the bridge drew nearer, it’s really difficult to guess what the pilot was thinking.
Next chart you produce, how showing the currents as well?
2 List Of Country Calling Codes Blogs // Dec 9, 2007 at 1:17 pm
[…] Cosco Busan - Google Earth Tracking 9 Dec 2007 at 7:20pm Fast forward through the time changes, international calling codes and German accents? we finally got in touch with Lars Krueger, one of the nicest and most professional person we have met. Lars took a programmer off his job to work on … […]
3 reader // Dec 9, 2007 at 5:23 pm
ShipPlotter results:
“Yes but in stepped a gCaptain reader who we can’t thank enough. He transposed the timestamps from regional AIS beacons and helped us create a shipplotter version (Disclaimer here and shipplotter results here) of the events.”
You PC drivers may temporarily have to do a right click: Save Target As.. to get the animation to download. QuickTime is a sure viewer. Others work. Time Tags are the hook.
4 Bob Couttie // Dec 9, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I hope it can get adapted for NASA’s World Wind, since I find Google Earth’s licence restrictive (I use my computer in an office. Whether or not I use Google Earth for business I’m supposed to pay a licence because I’m forbidden from using the ‘free’ version in the office.
5 reader // Dec 10, 2007 at 10:08 am
ShipPlotter derived time-tagged animation is said to “run slow”. Exactly correct. It was timed to run in real time, just as the situation evolved. Use the slider on the player for fast scan. Four minutes of real time are depicted.
6 SFist: Dennis Herrera Drops the Hammer on the Cosco Busan // Dec 10, 2007 at 1:18 pm
[…] Also, word comes from gCaptain about a new animation of the path of the Busan. […]
7 John // Dec 14, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Bob,
I found this post about “Free Earth” on Kurt’s weblog… I’ll be sure to pass it on to the guys at Jakota:
http://schwehr.org/blog/archives/2007-12.html#e2007-12-13T11_26_09.txt
8 Robert Lanham // Dec 29, 2007 at 7:51 pm
I crossed the Bay(above Treasure Is. and headed to Pier 45 on the SF waterfront, 24′ skiff with old radar and plotter btw) that morning(7am) and didn’t have a problem. That ship went exactly where it was navigated(i.e.:the Chinese Captain highlighted the tower instead of the midspan) and I find it hard to blame the Pilot 100%.We’re just lucky it ‘touched’ the tower and didn’t hit it headon(the bridge would have come down IMO). Bob
9 admin // Dec 30, 2007 at 12:13 am
Interesting… it sure wouldn’t be the first time a bridge had come down from a direct hit:
http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/may-9-1980-tampa-skyway-bridge-disaster/
10 reader // Dec 30, 2007 at 1:09 am
Mr. Lanham suggests that the tracks of Cosco Busan (presented above) lead to the self fulfilling concluson that the ship ended up where it was directed, allegedly by the error of the Chinese Captain in “highlighting” Pier D as Mid-span.
The Incident Review Committee of the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San
Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun has accused the Pilot of misconduct. Detail of that accusation include:
“During the period … the visibility in the approach to the bridge was reduced to about 0.1 nm, the ship’s radar pictures deteriorated to the point that (the Pilot) lost confidence in them, and he lost situational awareness to accurately assess the vessel’s position, although he had the means to do so.”
” Under the circumstances, prudence and compliance with Inland Navigation Rules 6, 7 and 19 would have dictated that (the pilot) reduce speed and/or proceed to Anchorage 9 rather than
continue to attempt to transit under the bridge between the Delta and Echo towers, which he could
not see on radar and which were not visible due to the dense fog.”
“(The Pilot) failedt o make full use of all available resources, including the tug REVOLUTION, which remained tethered to the stern and thus useless to him, of the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service, which could have provided more information as to his position and heading if he had requested it, and of his ship’s lookout, who could have provided information on the bridge’s fog signals and lights if the lookout had been properly instructed.”
I read this to indicate that the Board holds that determining the location of mid-span and guiding the ship under it is the proper role of the Pilot.
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