Pilots will take remote control of the vessel on approach/departure from ports.
Berthing/un-berthing may be by a Mooring/Dock Master via remote control. (Incl. of tugs, if any required)
Mooring will be by pneumatic or electro/magnetic means. (Automated systems already in use)
See my post #627 above
Ships doesn’t only sail to/from US ports.
The Engineers of the future may not be the same as the one you have sailed with in the passed.
The Electricians of the future will be (some already are) Electronic Technical Officers (ETO)
They may sit ashore and trouble shoot via secure internet feed. If it cannot be fixed, he remotely switch to the backup system. (It is already happening)
As I have said MANY TIMES here; Ships of the future will not look like the ships of today, nor will they have the same equipment, or operating procedures. Take away the equipment that is there to keep the crew comfortable and safe and more than half of the problems goes with it.
Here’s an exercise I used to recommend to my junior engineers back when the Futurists were riding high:
To evaluate one of these speculative brochures, first obtain a copy of the “Star Fleet Technical Manual.” Then replace terms in the brochure with terms from the Manual (dilithium crystals, etc.). If the two versions are equally plausible, well, then you know what to think.
Which reminds me: the Futurists were hot stuff in the 70’s and 80’s (Honeywell even had one). Which makes today their Future. I wonder where they all are
Easymax is the newest ship design of the Dutch Wagenborg shipping company with low fuel consumption: 9 tons per day at 11 knots. The video is in English.
I think it will be difficult to attract engineers of the caliber required to an industry which operates 24/7 when they would get top money working 9 to 5.
Where the automated securing systems are used the vessel still runs mooring lines in case of power interruptions.
The late Peter Sellers could have done an excellent impression of a pilot having done a remote transit to the dock on a summer holiday weekend to Seattle, Los Angeles or Sydney and Melbourne.
In my experience that outside the offshore oil industry and cruise industry ship owners are building basic ships without sophisticated engineering.
But you made some good points to an old grey beard.
A lot more than a simple bulker of today, but if you remove the crew and all the systems required to keep them reasonably happy, fed and safe, a lot of cost could be removed.
If you also remove the requirements associated with burning HFO in an internal combustion engine for propulsion, a lot more equipment and potential problems could be done away with.
Nobody is advocating making a “box of tricks” to fit on the bridge and another in the ECR and make the ship sail autonomously across oceans.
I do NOT believe that we will see a mass produced Bulker like today, with traditionally machinery and equipment of today’s standard, sailing unmanned across oceans, or even in short sea/coastal service.
Will there be any need for traditional Engineers on board when this technology comes into being full scale???
Probably not, unless they are re-schooled to serve in similar positions, but with new skills and knowledge.
The mooring arrangement will have fail safe mode w/accumulators to maintain pressure until backup power kicks in.
Here is a description of one such mooring system in use:
I’m sure it would have been hilarious, but reality will be a routine operation, conducted by a Pilot sitting comfortably in a Port Control Centre somewhere ashore.
Once the ship enters the berthing area a Mooring/Dock Master with a portable Remote Control unit will take over to bring the ship safely alongside, using both sensors and eyeballs to guide him.
They will continue to do so for many years, but some adventurous Owners/Operators will take up the challenge and order the first fully autonomous ship sometime in the not too far future. (In fact next year)
Some Governments with a forward looking attitude will sponsor the early development to make it less risky.
Just glad you enjoyed the raving and ranting of a fellow graybeard. Just because we are old doesn’t mean we cannot be interested in new technology and the future, which we may not be around to see.
The first cargo ship on a short run in Norway will be able to operate autonomously sometime in 2020 according to schedule (Lots of info in this thread earlier) A ferry in Finland maybe even earlier.
That will be followed by short sea shipping within EU waters in 5-10 years or so. (China may be earlier, but for coastal trade only)
When will you see the first large commercial vessel in autonomous operation across oceans?
in 10-20 years maybe. (Depending on how fast change in rules and regulations can be accomplished)
If you ask about when you will see it in USA, I’ll go with Steamer’s prediction. (Based on the present political climate and resistance to change in the maritime fraternity)
Alright thanks lad. I am just getting a bit uneasy considering I’m about to transfer over to an academy to get a degree in MT, and have been a bit spooked in relation to automation. I don’t want to have this as my lifelong career, just something I can do for 10-15 years, which by yours and all the estimations I see online, I could probably do.
Don’t worry there will be older vessels with crew on board for a loooong time to come.
That is one of the problems foreseen, a mix of autonomous and manned vessels sharing the same waters.
Even if the on board computers and/or remote operators do everything right, there will still be the human factor on the manned vessel. The problem may best be illustrated here:
I think the unmanned vessel will be run in one countries coastal waters first as its easy to make them legal.
The global trade will have years of legislation to sort out
Autonomous salvage vessels? The reality is that autonomy will only exist in certain sheltered waters, unless autonomy becomes so integrated that the whole world fleet switches over at once. By then all ships will be Chinese anyway.
Even today manned ships with the latest equipment are foundering, despite or because of ECDIS.
Suggest generic announcements and press releases could continue to be posted in this thread but only post technical links or content or discussion of same in the new thread.
