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Ladies and gentlemen hello. May I introduce myself, I am currently a full time employee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and am studying for an MSc in Maritime Studies at Portsmouth university. My project of study is to ascertain the use of electronic navigation displays in maritime Search and Rescue(SAR). I am specifically looking at whether by the adoption of this fantastic new technology we have had more accidents or incidents down to it’s use/mis-use/failure or limitation. I am looking at the leisure market and the professional mariner in this study. On the flip side I am looking at how SAR Units(both lifeboats and helicopters) use such displays. Do they find them easy to use, greatly assist the search or just another tool to use. I am also asking what information they would like the ‘ideal’ system to display.
I am also looking for incidents where navigation displays played a good or bad role in the situation and lessons that were learned. A few incidents have arisen such as navigating at 21 kts down a river and hitting a sandbank clearly marked with 6 buoys. An explanation to the CG was ‘I was following my waypoints’. I am not trying to ridicule or belittle anyone but am looking for lessons so that others can learn from them. On the flipside the Board of Inquiry into HMS NOTTINGHAM hitting Wolf rock off Lord Howe Island specified that this incident probably would not have happened had electronic charting been in use. Any input will be anonymous and I will be sharing the findings of my project with the RNLI to aid in the saving lives at sea.
My own background was in the Royal Navy spending 13 years as an bridge watchkeeping officer and I have been with the RNLI for the last 4 years as an inspector/manager here in Scotland.
In order to help me compile data I have compiled a survey found here;
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENS_public
If you are willing to help please click on the link and complete the survey. If you wish to discuss this further or wish to relate a specific story to me please contact me here or leave your email address in the survey. I thank you, fair winds and following seas.
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