Future of ships

LRS is joining the fun with their own set of rules for unmanned ships.
Here from gCaptain Newsletter today: http://gcaptain.com/lloyds-register-announces-new-code-to-certify-unmanned-ships/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+(gCaptain.com)

But is DNV-GL ahead of the game with their cooperation with RRM, NTNU, NMD and the approved test site in Trondheimsfjorden: http://www.maritime-executive.com/features/unmanned-ships-on-the-horizon

[quote=“ombugge, post:427, topic:16030, full:true”]
Here is some predictions on the maritime “fuel” of the future: https://knect365.com/techandcomms/article/ad2c7853-2d17-4d19-b6ac-e3104187c528/what-fuel-will-the-shipping-industry-use-in-2050
There is no consensus among the experts, except that traditional fossil fuels will stay with us for a long time to come.[/quote]

Could LPG also be an alternative fuel for ships?
Some appears to thinks so: http://splash247.com/statoil-astomos-studying-potential-lpg-marine-fuel/

If we could some how harness all the hot air eminating from the hole in your face we could diversify into autonomous blimps.

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I heard the ozzies have said there wont be any mgo in the field where the shell prelude is going

It isc happening in Copenhagen. Harbour tug being remotely operated from the office: http://sysla.no/maritim/slik-satt-kapteinen-pa-land-og-forte-baten-havn/

IMO will have to step up a gear to be on top of what is happening in the world of autonomous ships: http://fairplay.ihs.com/safety-regulation/article/4288086/industry-can-no-longer-ignore-autonomous-ships-says-uk-imo-rep

A word of warning to Shipping re: hackers and “pirates”: http://sysla.no/maritim/advarer-shippingnaeringen-mot-digitale-pirater/?utm_source=pushvarsel
Right up the line of Earl’s warnings in this thread.

More on the testing of remote controlled tug Svitzer Hermod, the Yara Birkeland, the proposed OSV Hronn, on the development of rules and generally the progress for autonomous ships: http://fairplay.ihs.com/safety-regulation/article/4288286/era-of-automated-ships-moves-a-step-closer

Most mariners don’t like to hear about this, but for those who see a future in shipping, it is imperative to keep on top of this development and prepare themselves for the jobs of the future.

For us old farts, we can just keep on as before and complain about the whole thing, or kid ourselves that “it will never happen, at least in our lifetime”.
That depends on how long you are planning to live I presume.

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Back to the future: http://splash247.com/timbercoast-low-impact-sailing-alternative/

More organizations wants to have a word on autonomous ships of the future: http://www.motorship.com/news101/regulation-and-classification/msc-addresses-autonomous-vessel-operations

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Thanks for posting this article. I found it interesting. Ultimately it’s going to be the IMO, who decides on the fate of autonomous shipping. I imagine and hope that they generally follow the same footsteps as the ICAO for aircraft. I would love some of the advanced tech to make its way onto bridges, but you can’t cut out the crewing element of probably 90+ percent of ships.

My strongest argument against it is: how does an autonomous vessel fulfil its responsibility to respond to distress at sea?

The vessel has no responsibility, the legal and moral responsibility lies with the master. Since an autonomous ship is umanned then what is already a very weak collection of law and treaties will become even less effective.

Some of the lawsuits based on failure to assist make for fascinating reading.

This is true, I’ve always seen it as a Moral and Proffesional obligation, though not neccisarily a legal one.

Yes it is primarily a moral obligation which has been brought down among seafarers for generations. The legal obligation is more circumspect and both are not always followed.

In 1979 I was Captain on a Drillship operating in the South China Sea, when the big exodus from Southern Vietnam happened. It was estimated that 40,000 people was afloat in the area in the period between the monsoons.

We were sitting on 8 anchors in the shipping lane in the disputed zone between Indonesia and Vietnam and unable to avoid the refugee boats, while watching ships of all nationalities giving them a wide berth around us.
During a single hitch in June-July 1979 we picked up abt. 2,200 people from boats that came for us like flies to a lump of dung, while other vessels were avoiding them like pests.

Both the Operator and the Indonesia authorities instructed me to not do so, but I insisted on following the time honoured maritime tradition of assisting people in distress, even if it was self-inflicted. (They axed holes in the boat when they got close)

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Statoil is now demanding battery power on vessels to be hired on new 5-year contracts: http://sysla.no/maritim/nye-statoil-kontrakter-forste-gang-krever-hun-batteri-pa-batene/

There is a lot going on in the world to reduce emission from ships.
Will we see large container ships and tankers with sails in the not too far future??: https://www.tu.no/artikler/i-lopet-av-de-neste-fem-arene-er-planen-a-bygge-en-skipsflate-med-15-til-25-kjempeseilskip/396774

The way to go to meet the demand for more efficient and less polluting ships of the future is to cooperate:

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Like in Diner for One - the same procedure as every year, James. Refer to sea-watch.org.
Some folks say it turns out to be a dubios business of escape-help rather than human help. This moral question is not decided between the big ship Captain and the poor guys in their boats with their self inflicted holes.
I was there in the same vicinity of South China sea in 1975 and later. We received orders from the company to avoid those boat people at any costs and alter course as necessary - we obeyed orders.

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Future of drillships?: http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/print/volume-77/issue-7/departments/drilling-production/diamond-offshore-huisman-advance-floating-factory-concept.html

A Drillship that already have a Huisman 12000 “Drilling tower” in place of the traditional derrick is heading for the Black Sea: http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/2017/07/noble-drillship-heading-to-the-black-sea.html

Just wonder if she can pass under the bridges at Bosphorus without removing top of the “tower”??
I was involved in preparing two Jackups for passage under those bridges, which involved not only removing most of the legs, but also top of the derrick.