Offshore Inspection of Shipping Containers

July 9th, 2007 · Comments - by John -

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Container Scanning

Fred Fry focused our attention on Popular Science Magazine which has a story on a new concept to scan containers before they reach our ports. The idea is that of SeaAway and is called the ‘Prior to Port’ system and it is currently being patented. In this article Pop Science tells us:

The plan calls for pairs of 100-foot-wide platforms anchored outside the world’s major ports. Equipped with an array of sensors and unmanned surveillance drones, the system monitors for chemical, biological and nuclear traces as ships travel between the platforms.

SeaAway proposes a passage fee of $20 per container—roughly double average port fees—to help authorities offset the $100-million cost of each system. Tax breaks for shippers could help curb costs, notes Steve Kroecker, SeaAway’s founder and vice president.

Construction begins this summer on a prototype system. Kroecker won’t disclose specifics but says that SeaAway is in talks with officials from four ports in the Caribbean and one on the U.S. eastern seaboard.

I’m not sure if this idea will work but can assure you it will be at least as interesting as the company’s logo (above right).

Be sure to read the full article HERE and watch the movie below:

SeaAway [4:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

About The Author

Captain John Konrad is co-founder of Unofficial Networks and Editor In Chief of this blog. He is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage and, since graduating from SUNY Maritime College, has sailed a variety of ships from ports around the world. He currently lives in Morro Bay, California with his wife and two children.
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