gCaptain has long been a proponent of open information and AIS technology (we even built our own iPhone app once) and in sharing maritime information publicly we have received many angry emails. But one proposal that came across my desk I quickly shut down; the idea was to publish live AIS information from piracy areas. The problem was not the technology – from satellites to UAV and long-range VHF antennas, we had a few great ideas for bringing live ship tracking data from the Gulf Of Aden to the public – the problem was security.

Of the nearly quarter of a million unique visitors gCaptain logged last month a full 1% of visitors read gCaptain from the countries surrounding the Gulf Of Aden. That’s over 2,000 visitors from the region and while most are welcome – visiting with the simple intent of catching up on industry news – it’s likely that a few pirates do read this site. A simple fact we acknowledge when publishing our weekly Maritime Crime and Piracy Update, and a fact we have discussed with Naval Intelligence agencies that monitor gCaptain (among other industry sites). But the information we publish, while accurate, is vetted by gCaptain editors. AIS, on the other hand, is raw data and, for this reason – our lack of control over live data -, gCaptain chooses not to publish live AIS feeds from the Gulf Of Aden.

So it’s with concern we bring news of Maritime Traffic’s latest coverage of ship traffic in the region. gCaptain forum member DeckApe tells us:

I’ve been watching marinetraffic.com for some time now. A few weeks ago a station started reporting on ships in the Gulf of Adan. While I’m glad to see the information is available for an otherwise unreported part of the world I am a little uncomfortable to see it.

Piracy off Somalia is now legend. I wonder if this information could aid the pirates. They can now track shipping from their iPhone.

What I find most odd about all this is it seems the reporting station is the MV Kellie Chouest, a ship leased by Military Sealift Command for rescue and salvage ops.

What on Earth is an MSC contract ship doing reporting the movements of major shipping in the Gulf of Aden?

I could be wrong about the Kellie Chouest. But it seems the bubble of visibility follows her back and forth threw the gulf. Is she acting as a pirate lure? Is someone just not thinking?

OpSec may be dead but this is taking it a bit far. Continue Reading…

gCaptain has long been a big proponent of Marine Traffic, we even broadcast their feed in the tools section of out site, but have they gone too far? Does live AIS data from piracy regions put mariners at risk? Visit our forum to answer these questions and share your thoughts on the subject of maritime security in the digital age: >AIS And Piracy, gCaptain Forum.

Regulation V/19 of the SOLAS Convention sets out navigational equipment to be carried on board ships, according to ship type.  Under the regulation, ships fitted with AIS shall maintain AIS in operation at all times except where international agreements, rules or standards provide for the protection of navigational information.

IMO Resolution A.917(22), Guidelines for the onboard operational use of shipborne automatic identification systems (AIS), states that “if the master believes that the continual operation of AIS might compromise the safety or security of his/her ship, the AIS may be switched off.  This might be the case in sea areas where pirates and armed robbers are known to operate.  Actions of this nature should always be recorded in the ship’s logbook together with the reason for doing so.”

The advice from EUNAVFOR and NATO in accordance with IMO Resolution A.917(22) and as articulated in BMP3 paragraph 7.5 states “the Master has the discretion to switch off the AIS if he believes its use increases the ship’s vulnerability” and until now has recommended that AIS transmission within the Gulf of Aden be left on with restrictions, and outside the Gulf of Aden in other parts of the High Risk Area be turned off completely.

In order that Counter Piracy Naval Operations have the required data from AIS transmissions to track real time positions of merchant ships, thus enabling them to mitigate risk of piracy to merchant shipping, the advice has been revised.

The NEW recommendation is to leave AIS transmitting across the entire High Risk Area as set out in BMP3.  AIS transmission should continue to be restricted to ship’s identity, position, course, speed, navigational status and safety-related information.  As noted, this is a change to the previous guidance which recommended that AIS be left on only in the Gulf of Aden.   The decision on AIS policy remains at the discretion of the Master, however, if it is switched off during transit, it should be activated immediately at the time of an attack.

The R10 SRS can also be professionally fitted to a lifejacket so that it automatically activates whenever the lifejacket is inflated. A flashing LED light aids location at night. The R10 SRS is guaranteed to transmit continuously for 24 hours and has a seven year battery storage life. It is made of ultra durable ABS, and is waterproof to 5 metres.

With dimensions of 0.5” x 1.8” x 4.7” and weighing in at just 4.23 oz, this compact and lightweight search and rescue locating device is the must-have personal device for all safety-conscious sailors.
The SafeLink R10 Survivor Recovery System is supplied with attachment clips and lanyard, it will be available from Q2 2011 with a retail price of 349US$ plus TAX, £199 plus VAT, €225 plus TAX.

This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not and may not be offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

More details on this device over at Panbo!

Discussion has returned on the use of Class-B AIS data by commercial ships. For those unaware of the technology, Class B is an AIS system designed for use by boaters and is compatible with the Class A AIS units of large ships but with limited features.

One of the provisions the IEC, IMO and other regulatory bodies have included in the AIS spec is the ability for SOLAS classed vessels to filter out Class B targets. The general reasoning is that, if a large percentage of boaters adopt this technology then radar and ECIDS screens will become too cluttered to see important targets. Our friends at Panbo are currently figuring out the details but, according to the operating manual, it seems that Furuno’s latest radar units allow Class B targets to be slept (the AIS target is replaced with a less pronounced icon) or removed from the Display and you can also prevent Class B targets from sounding the unit’s CPA warning alarm.

What does this mean for professional mariners? A quick survey reveals that most mariners do not understand the full scope of Class B filtering settings and, therefore, leave these settings untouched. Most of us would agree that leaving settings we don’t understand alone is a good practice. And those that do understand the settings only use them in busy harbors.

This brings us to a word of caution. While Class B data can, and sometimes should, be suppressed in port it is important technology that will help us avoid boats which venture offshore. Therefore deactivating the display of Class-B targets on your ECDIS and RADAR is an action that should be logged and a note should be placed in your passage plan (or penciled next to the sea buoy on the chart) to remind all watchstanders to reactivate the setting once you have set out for sea.

The bottom line is that every watchstander wants to avoid colliding with a boat – but mistakes can happen. As technology improves, so will sound watchstanding practices to assure that navigation displays are sett-up properly. Until then, it is your responsibility to understand your equipment, understand it’s capabilities and potential faults, and create ship specific procedures to assure it is set up properly…. both in port and at sea.

The Nautical Institute’s AIS error reports webpage tells us:

I have observed too many vessels with wrong data transmitted by their AIS. Mostly headings are not correct, but the main problem – is offset correction given by GPS. If GPS has offset correction (set by navigator on bridge) then AIS transmits wrong vessel’s position (equal to offset).

You can watch now on ECDIS some vessel in the harbour is not alongside the berth but e.g. stays in the middle of harbour instead. The greater offset – the greater error. Some of the vessels have offset from 0.02 up to 0.3 nautical mile, and if you meet such vessel in Singapore Strait – then AIS information maybe very dangerous, as you can mistake such target with others.

I like AIS information very much, but when I watch such a picture on ECDIS – I would like to suggest to all navigators not to use on their GPS any offset. Nowadays GPS is reliable information and better to plot position on sea chart manually using satellite-derived calculation instead of inserted offset into GPS unit.

Lesson Learned: check the GPS offsets on your ship and assure you are sending accurate data… or you could confuse surrounding ships. Also keep an eye on NI’s AIS error reports webpage for continuous updates on the reliability of AIS.

Most of our readers are familiar with Search And Rescue Transponders, those devices that look similar to EPIRBs that, when interrogated by X-band radar, produce a line of dots on the radar screen pointing rescuers to your location. These devices are great for Man Overboard scenarios, simply throw them overboard and they drift in relatively the same direction as the victim allowing you to home in on his location after completing a Williamson turn.

For larger incidents, the technology is less impressive.

If my ship is sinking fast I would not bother with the GMDSS DSC autocall buttons as their undesignated distress alerts are often ignored. I would also probably ignore the SART beacon because it’s signal can only be seen a few miles away.  At a close range, marine flares and a handheld VHF would likely be far more effective.  Regardless of whether a ship is close by or beyond the horizon my choice for MAYDAY calls to shore is an EPIRB.

When an EPIRB is triggered, the position is relayed to the Coast Guard or local authorities who will then relay the exact coordinates to any nearby vessels. In addition to a global rescue signal the EPIRB also transmits a homing signal on 121.5mhz, giving rescue aircraft a relative bearing to search on.

At close range the EPIRB and SART perform essentially the same function by providing an electronic trail for rescuers to follow to your location, however a vessel would need a Radio Direction Finder (RDF) to track an EPIRB’s homing signal, whereas SART can be tracked via radar commonly found on all ships and some planes.  Not sure how many vessels these days carry RDFs, but it’s likely a low percentage.

Enter the AIS SART, a technology that has been approved by the IMO (and now even the FCC) to replace traditional SARTS since 2007, but has only recently been fully accepted by manufacturers.  While relatively new, this technology follows many of the same guidelines as traditional SARTS.  For example the units must be watertight at a depth of 10 meters for at least 5 minutes, it must float, and be able to withstand falls into the water from a height of 20 meters.

The future of AIS. The USCG and other IMO signatories have made it clear that AIS technology will play an integral role in the future of marine safety. The May 2010 USCG directive on modernization tells us:

Use of AIS as an Alternative to the 121.5 MHz EPIRB Homing Signal. This proposal has been considered by COMSAR because of its clearly superior performance, but it was not adopted at the last session due to concerns of some administrations that few aircraft were equipped to home on the AIS signal. This enhancement is considered too beneficial for further delay. Because the EPIRB power budget will not economically support both homing options, it is recommended that COMSAR accept the AIS homer as an alternative to the 121.5 MHz homing beacon in the same fashion that the AIS SART was accepted as an alternative to the Radar SART.

Enhancement of Safety Communications for Survival Craft. There have been numerous suggestions that along with GMDSS Modernization there should be an overhaul of lifesaving appliances on survival craft. The voluntary radio equipment carried on large cruise ship lifeboats (especially those used as tenders) already far exceeds the IMO requirements, often including fixed mount VHF radios and radar. It is recommended that…. fixed mount VHF radios and AIS for all self propelled lifeboats and VHF portables with integral GNSS for other survival craft. The option to include a handheld satellite phone should also be included.

Accommodation of e-Navigation in GMDSS Modernization. In addition, the expanding e-Navigation requirements overlap in some cases such as the use of MMSI identifiers. Integration of radar and AIS displays on electronic charts invites further integration of MSI warnings as well. New requirements for cargo security monitoring and special broadcasting services make a strong case for dealing with e-Navigation requirements and GMDSS modernization together.

Recognizing the Needs of Non-SOLAS Vessels in GMDSS Modernization. While GMDSS requirements apply only to SOLAS vessels, it is customary for most administrations to apply some of the GMDSS requirements to non-SOLAS vessels under domestic regulation. This is especially important in the U.S. with the world’s largest fleet of recreational vessels and a rather modest SOLAS fleet.

While this directive only provides guidance to regulators debating future GMDSS mandates, you don’t have to wait for the results.  Here are gCaptain’s suggestions for adding technology to the safety net of your vessel today:

1. Replace your SART’s with AIS SART’s. This suggestion is fairly straight forward. AIS SARTs are now available from well know manufacturers including McMurdo, Alltech (AMEC), and Jotron as well as a half dozen less known manufacturers.
2. Have a PLB’s or, better yet, Portable AIS SARTS on hand to issue out to all persons who need to go on deck during heavy weather.
3. Equip your Fast Rescue Boat with an AIS-B transmitter (our favorite HERE). This will allow you to track it’s movements on the bridge and is helpful in allowing you to set up and monitor SAR grid patterns.
4. Install an EPIRB or PLB in every lifeboat and FRC! This is the only way you are going to be rescued if the lifeboats are separated in poor weather.

While your ship many not be onboard with the latest tech gadgetry it’s only a matter of time before new an innovative uses of AIS are developed. I even hear that AeroMech is testing it’s use on UAV’s to perform SAR operations in weather too severe for traditional pilots. Have you thought of any new uses for the technology or have an AIS related tip you would like to share? If so please leave it in the comments section below.

Click HERE for gCaptain’s full coverage of AIS-SART technology!

The ship tracking technology AIS has spawned innovation well beyond it’s intended use of helping ships avoid collisions. In this AIS data stream HD-SF.com tracks ship movements in time lapse fashion to show a typical day’s big ship traffic in and out of San Francisco Bay.

Click HERE for the Hi-Resolution version of this video.

Today, NOAA has launched an exciting new web tool that offers the general public a glimpse into the information responders to the Gulf Oil Spill are receiving.  Among a number of interactive mapping features, the site offers near-real time (updated approximately every 10 minutes) AIS data from the vessels supporting the largest oil spill response and recovery operation in U.S. history. Using this website, the public gains access into crucial information about the oil spill response. NOAA tells us more:

Originally designed for responders, who make operational decisions, to the oil spill disaster, http://www.GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse (LINK) integrates the latest data on the oil spill’s trajectory, fishery closed areas, wildlife and place-based Gulf Coast resources — such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and daily position of research ships — into one customizable interactive map.

The launch of the public site is designed to facilitate communication and coordination among a variety of users — from federal, state and local responders to local community leaders and the public — the site is designed to be fast, user-friendly and constantly updated.

The site employs the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®), a web-based GIS platform developed through a joint partnership between NOAA and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center, and includes data from Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, NASA , U.S. Geological Survey and the Gulf states.  The site will serve as the official federal source for map-based data.

Check out the tool for yourself at http://www.GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse (LINK) and let us know what you think in the comments.

Special thanks to Kurt Schwehr of UNH for finally spilling the beans on this (oh and thanks for the image). You can read more about this technology  HERE.

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

By Ryan Skinner (email)

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-powered ship 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.

–

Ryan Skinner is a Senior Advisor at Say PR & Communications in Oslo, Norway and blogs at 59° 56′ N. Innovation, technology, media and ideas in the marine realm are his beat.

From prior experience writing about AIS, I know monitoring raises concerns in seafarers. Regulators and owners, on the other hand, are generally positive. In many highly trafficked areas, governments use monitoring to set up and control the flow of ships.

This article kicks off a study into how different companies and nations are using monitoring, to make shipping operations safer, more profitable, more predictable and less likely to cause pollution. How is data being collected, transmitted, shared, purchased and manipulated?

What are the arguments for and against monitoring technology? Which companies are making innovative monitoring-related products and services? And which nations are setting up transit corridors, where are they doing it and where are they thinking about doing it?

Along with my own reports and entries published here, I will also start a series of discussions that aim to address different aspects of this story:

• At the forum, I have started a discussion into how seafarers see ship monitoring, and what they would like to see in future, in terms of technology, regulations or company policy
• At the Maritime Executive discussion group in LinkedIn, I have started a discussion into how technology and shipping companies are making use of new technologies and possibilities with greater monitoring, and
• At the Hydrography discussion group in LinkedIn, I am starting a discussion about how governments are using monitoring and establishing transit corridors to control shipping and its impact.

In order to provide a way for those who are interested to follow all of these discussions simultaneously, I set up a daughter blog called “Monitor” that gathers all input into a single presentation. You can also follow the discussion on 59° 56′ N