Navigation – Professional Mariner

03 Mar

New lake to help Panama Canal weather future droughts

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, shipping

(PANAMA CITY, Panama) — The Panama Canal board of directors has approved the necessary resources for the construction of a new lake in the middle course of the Indio River watershed. This is part of the Water Projects Program, created to guarantee water supply for over 50 percent of the country’s population, nearby communities and canal operations, as well as…

30 Jan

New data system improves navigation on upper Hudson

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, NOAA

(WASHINGTON) — Navigating New York waterways just got a bit easier. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have announced the establishment of the Hudson River Estuary Physical Oceanographic Real-time System (PORTS). The system delivers real-time oceanographic and meteorological observations that can improve maritime safety and inform coastal resource management in…

13 Dec

Coast Guard updates website for mariner safety information

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, safety, U.S. Coast Guard

(MIAMI) — The U.S. Coast Guard recently updated the user interface to the local notice to mariners (LNM) and light lists in an effort to modernize and improve the accessibility, accuracy and overall user experience for mariners and stakeholders. This update was released the week of Dec. 2. The upgrades are designed to improve accessibility, accuracy and efficiency for mariners…

10 Sep

R.M. Young to unveil new all-in-one weather station

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsNavigation, technology

(VIENNA) — R.M. Young Company will unveil its newest weather sensor, the ResponseONE-PRO, at the Meteorological Technology World Expo in Vienna on Sept. 24, 25 and 26. This newly designed all-in-one weather station allows users to easily access the internal weather sensors and filter for quick, convenient and cost-effective maintenance. The YOUNG ResponseONE all-in-one weather station allows users to gather…

02 Sep

Study to analyze feasibility, safety of remote pilotage

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, Pilots, safety

(LONDON) — The International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA), which represents over 50 member countries, is partnering with the Canadian National Center of Expertise on Maritime Pilotage (NCEMP) and the Canadian Coast Guard to explore remote pilotage to determine its feasibility, readiness and impacts on safe navigation practices and systems. The work aims to provide authoritative insights into the current and…

08 Jul

Problem with a moveable bridge? The AWO wants to know

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & TowingNavigation

(ARLINGTON, Va.) — The Moveable Bridge Quality Action Team – a cooperative initiative of the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership's Mid-America Regional Quality Steering Committee – is working to prevent bridge allisions and other incidents by investigating and documenting issues encountered by mariners when calling or transiting moveable bridges. Beginning July 1, the American Waterways Operators and partners, including the Gulf…

27 Jun

Panama Canal increases draft limit, daily transits

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsClimate change, Navigation, shipping

(PANAMA CITY, Panama) — The Panama Canal Authority celebrated the eighth anniversary of the waterway's expansion program on Thursday by announcing an increase to its draft and daily transits, all while continuing to manage the impact of climate variability and the challenge of securing water for the future. Through an advisory to shipping, the authority announced that the maximum authorized…

29 Feb

Safety alert: Keyed VHF radios may block AIS reception

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsElectronics, Navigation, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A very high frequency (VHF) maritime radio transmission on one’s own vessel, or even transmissions by a nearby vessel a football field’s length away (about 445 feet), may block AIS reception for the duration the radio is keyed. An analysis of the relevant standards has shown that this may impact all classes of AIS equipment regardless of how…

26 Feb

C-MAP updates marine cartography for North America

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsElectronics, Navigation

(VIAREGGIO, Italy) – C-MAP, a leader in digital marine cartography and cloud-based mapping, has announced a major update to its North America charts, introducing detailed data for hundreds of lakes, improved satellite imagery, enhanced shaded relief and more. “We are thrilled to roll out this new update to our C-MAP users in North America, significantly transforming their navigation experience,” said…

01 Feb

Coast Guard proposes shipping safety fairways on Atlantic coast

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On Jan. 19, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for a system of shipping safety fairways along the Atlantic Coast. This NPRM is posted to USCG-2019-0279 and is open for public comment through April 18. The rulemaking proposes 18 fairways providing space for safe, unobstructed vessel traffic along the Eastern…