This paper discusses the main issues of today's maritime navigation and its safety and security systems. Fast development of sciences and technologies, further fast development in the shipping industry, but mainly the appearance of the new very dangerous threats at sea that appeared at the beginning of this century, deeply influence the safety and security of maritime navigation and its systems. These factors are the main reasons for writing this paper.

This study provides both a spherical understanding about autonomous ship navigation for collision avoidance (CA) and a theoretical background of the reviewed work. Additionally, the human cognitive abilities and the collision avoidance regulations (COLREGs) for ship navigation are examined together with water based collision avoidance algorithms. The requirements for autonomous ship navigation are addressed in conjunction with the factors influencing ship collision avoidance. Humans are able to appreciate these factors and also perform ship navigation at a satisfactory level, but their critical decisions are highly subjective and can lead to error and potentially, to ship collision. The research for autonomous ship navigation may be grouped into the classical and soft computing based categories. Classical techniques are based on mathematical models and algorithms while soft-computing techniques are based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The areas of AI for autonomous ship collision avoidance are examined in this paper are evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic, expert systems, and neural networks (NN), as well as a combination of them (hybrid system).

Navigation involves the integration of methodologies and systems for estimating the time varying position and attitude of moving objects. Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) are among the most widely used navigation systems. The use of cost effective MEMS based inertial sensors has made GPS/INS integrated navigation systems more affordable. However MEMS sensors suffer from various errors that have to be calibrated and compensated to get acceptable navigation results. Moreover the performance characteristics of these sensors are highly dependent on the environmental conditions such as temperature variations. Hence there is a need for the development of accurate, reliable and efficient thermal models to reduce the effect of these errors that can potentially degrade the system performance. In this paper, the Allan variance method is used to characterize the noise in the MEMS sensors. A six-position calibration method is applied to estimate the deterministic sensor errors such as bias, scale factor, and non-orthogonality. An efficient thermal variation model is proposed and the effectiveness of the proposed calibration methods is investigated through a kinematic van test using integrated GPS and MEMS-based inertial measurement unit (IMU).

The air pollution caused by the use of heavy fuel oil in shipping is a growing problem that is drawing increased attention. Methods have been developed to reduce air emissions from ships, more or less aimed at the choice of fuel and the related air emissions. However, the emissions of particulates, sulphur and carbon dioxide, which contribute to the greenhouse effect are not only related to the choice of fuel but also to the amount of fuel consumed in the combustion engines. This paper proposes an additional method that can contribute to the reduction of the air pollution from ships by decreasing the fuel consumption. This is done by specifying the amount of fuel that can be consumed on a specific ocean crossing and by computing a minimal-time route for that given amount of fuel, so decreasing the fuel consumption in a verifiable way.

The acquisition of accurate and timely traffic information is a vital precondition to rational traffic decision making. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are bound to be the outcome when modern traffic systems develop to a high degree. In ITS, instantaneous traffic information can be collected by the Floating Car Data (FCD) method. Based on the establishment of the Shenzhen Urban Transportation Simulation System (SUTSS) in China, the authors explored how to use 4000 taxis as the data collection sensors in Shenzhen, a southern city in China which borders Hong Kong. The authors introduce the procedures and algorithms for the computation and map-matching of road segment velocities to a digital road network. To superimpose the near real-time traffic information onto a digital map, coordinate transformation is required and the transformation precision is analyzed using field testing data. Due to the nature of FCD, continuous GPS data such as routing velocities and coordinates can be collected by any GPS equipped vehicle. Therefore, relevant algorithms are developed and utilized for the map-matching according to probability and statistical theories. To evaluate the reliability of proposed map-matching method, the confidence levels are calculated statistically, from which it can be determined whether the positioning data is valid or not with predefined threshold values. Furthermore, road segment velocity matching methods based on the Metropolis criteria is extended and relevant validation is carried out through the comparison of estimated and measured results. The major objective of this method is to obtain more accurate road segment travel time through the combination of those estimated by FCD and historical ones. This can significantly improve the reliability of instantaneous traffic information before its web publication. The final part of this paper introduces the architecture and the realization of a web Geographical Information System (GIS) and FCD-based instantaneous traffic information dissemination system for the whole of Shenzhen City.

Vector based methods applied to navigational problems offer some advantages in the calculation of distance and azimuth. In this paper, the methods of vector analysis are used to develop a variety of expressions for azimuth that are suited to both the syntax of computer algorithms and commercial mathematical software. The solutions presented here do not require recourse to the rules of spherical trigonometry - a distinct advantage when dealing with the spheroid. In the process of preparing this paper, an error of principle that occurred in a previous work was revealed and is repaired here.

Professor Kemp1 has revisited the circumstances in which the Princess Alice crossed ahead of, and was run down by, the oncoming Bywell Castle in 1878. This note focuses on the seamanship of the manoeuvre made by the Bywell Castle in the agony of the moment before collision. This manoeuvre was judged to be wrong at the time. The note concludes by considering how this manoeuvre would be judged today in the light of the seamanship required by Rule 17 of Colregs 1972 and draws attention to proposals made by Captain Phillip Colomb to the Thames Traffic Committee in 1879.

On February, 15th 2005, Gondán S.A. shipyard in the north-west of Spain handed over the escort tractor Voith tug “VELOX” to the Norwegian shipowner Østensjø Rederi AS, the first of this type in the world to incorporate a bulbous bow. After generally making a reference to the benefits obtained by the incorporation of a bulbous bow regarding the reduction of the ship's resistance, we specifically analyse the consequences derived from the incorporation of this appendage in an escort tractor Voith tug concerning its real operating conditions when carrying out escort tasks, especially when using the indirect towing method.

The aim of this paper is to give insight into the day-to-day navigation of a modern day cruise vessel – in this case a state of the art 77,000 GRT vessel – 261 metres long with an 8·0 metre draft, carrying 2270 passengers and 910 crew. The ship operates mainly in the Caribbean in winter and Europe – Mediterranean and Scandinavia – in the summer. The instructions are my own, which supplement the Company's (which at present do not fully cover a full Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) operation) and have been written to ensure all Bridge Officers fully understand how I expect to operate the Bridge at sea and in confined waters using ECDIS as the main navigation system. The paper is presented in its user format and is a copy of my orders as written.

According to the mid-term review of the EU White Paper on Transport, short sea shipping is expected to grow at a rate of 59% in metric tonnes, from 2000 to 2020. If we consider that the overall expected growth in freight exchanges is of some 50%, sea transport is one of the most feasible ways to reduce traffic congestion on European roads. High speed vessels are a possible way to compete with road transport on certain routes; however, these ships are highly affected by heavy weather. This paper analyses the weather influence on several short sea shipping routes to be served by fast ships.

A direct method for obtaining the two possible positions derived from two sights using vector analysis instead of spherical trigonometry is presented. The geometry of the circle of equal altitude and of the two body fixes is analyzed, and the vector equation for simultaneous sights is constructed. The running fix problem is also treated.