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An important activity of observing whales has developed in the St-Lawrence River at Quebec province in Canada. The voices of whales and the measured telemetry data can be received from a buoy. Measured data can be sent by using the radio communication system from a slave buoy to the master buoy or from master buoy to main station on ground. The measured data is archived and is published by using Internet site to access and to analyse the measured data by anyone in the world. The internet based remote monitoring and remote control system is demonstrated by using Labview software. The advantages of this method are that it is easy to construct web site using off-the shelf software and the measured data can be shared anywhere in the world through existing internet web site. The archived data can be easily retrieved and analyzed by using existing tools. This demonstrated test bed can be used by any similar marine project to collect information and control the remote installed system.

The new research and development project SHOPSY is based on the very successful German Ship of the Future Project (SdZ). The main aim of SHOPSY is to reduce the workload for the remaining crew and change the ship's automation into a highly intelligent monitoring system. The six development topics are described by emphasising the following items; application of knowledge-based systems; decision support instead of alarms; general database and documentation; advanced nautical systems; condition oriented maintenance systems; energy management systems. Computer Aided Decision Support and Information System for Ship Operation (RESI) is also discussed. Development targets and programs are described and examples of the diagnostic and decision support system are given.

Following the oil spill that occurred at the single buoy mooring at Port Stanvac in South Australia on 28 June 1999 an inquiry was undertaken to investigate the reason for the spill and whether any corporation or individuals were responsible for the spill and should be prosecuted. This investigation is separated from this report. The subject of this report is an incident response analysis, responsible for the analysis of the management of the incident from an oil spill response perspective and to assess any deficiencies in the National Plan or in the actual response.

The application of conventional shore-side management principles to marine engine room operations has resulted from the redefinition of ships as strategic units in an increasingly regulated business environment. The use of engine room simulators in training marine engineers to apply these principles to engine room management is discussed with attention to simulator types and features of course design: the advantages and limitations of using simulators are also considered as is the effectiveness of the training. An illustrative example describes the Engine Room Management course offered on the full-mission simulator at the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) Warsash UK. Potential future developments are outlined.

In the geologically complex deepwater areas of the GoM (Gulf of Mexico) ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) play an increasingly important role in site investigation operations. They play a central role in details environmental site assessments to establish the existence of sensitive marine seabed growth and assure that proposed drilling operations have no adverse impacts on the local seabed environment. ROVs also play a key role shallow geohazard monitoring at the wellhead to identify the onset of hydrocarbon release and-or shallow water flow. Shall oil and shallow water flow deposits in the shallow overburden and are often difficult to identify with conventional 3D and high-resolution seismic data even if offset well data is available to guide the interpretation. Case studies are presented to illustrate how ROVs can be effective in environmental site assessment and well monitoring applications. These case studies were taken from a series of exploration and development wells in the Keathley Canyon and Green Canyon protraction areas of the GoM.

Average adjusters like cargo surveyors are interested both in the accurate calculation of losses which occur and with the containment and prevention of loss. However while the surveyor may seek to minimise or prevent loss to a particular interest the average adjuster must consider the welfare of all parties involved in the common interest. Also it is the surveyor rather than the adjuster who is the man on the spot. A look is taken at the appointment/training of average adjusters their nature and function who is their principal collaboration with representatives of other interests and joint appointments.

The Brigade Training Officer of the Tyne & Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade examines the role of the on-shore fire brigade in fighting shipboard fires The legislative position and interaction with other civil Search & Rescue agencies is examined with reference to the UK Fire Services Act of 1947 the 1994 CACFOA Memorandum of Understanding the CACFOA document "Offshore Procedures between coastal Fire Brigades" the Health and Safety at Work Act and the 1997 "Confined Spaces Regulations". Difficulties of fighting shipboard fire with limited ship personnel are considered. The apportionment of responsibility once the master has requested external help is stated with the importance of co-operation stressed. Initial response procedures developed by UK coastal Fire Brigades are discussed for both offshore and in port incidents appropriate training is detailed with reference to the specialised training centres and marine courses available.

The assessment of an adequate air-gap beneath the deck of an offshore structure is influenced by two issues - the elevation of the local mean water level on which the waves ride and the height of large crests. This second question the height of large crests is tackled in this paper with a novel approach. The non-linearity of steep waves is modelled using the Creamer-transform and a spectral response method is used to analyse the model and deduce the statistics of the extremes of the resulting process. The non-linearity modelled by the Creamer-transform makes extreme crests higher. Also the average shape of these large crests is different from the average shape of an extreme linear crest (NewWave) there being a more important contribution from high-frequency components.

A brief history of the tanker industry from its early beginning up to 1985 is given. After this crude oil tanker demand in 1985-1994 is reviewed followed by crude oil tanker supply. Next the impact on the tanker market of US Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) and IMO regulations is looked at. The industry's performance/clients relations the technical development the shipyard situation and threats to a tanker market recovery are each considered in turn. Lastly the present tanker market and prospects for the coming decade are discussed.

The Ormen Lange gas field is located within the scar created by the Storegga Slide. This gigantic submarine slide occurred about 8200 years ago and caused a tsunami that also reached the surrounding coasts. Extensive work has been carried out to explain the prehistoric sliding and to evaluate the present stability conditions in the vicinity of the Ormen Lange gas field. Geotechnical parameters from a number of geoborings together with seismic reflection data and slope geometry are used to calculate the present stability of the steepest slopes in the vicinity of the field development area. Potential slide triggers like earthquakes and high pore pressure have been included in this calculation. Based on the stability calculation and the geological model the risk for new sliding in the area is considered very low. However work is still ongoing to verify the final conclusion of the risk analysis. Conclusions are listed.

A pressure armour layer is an essential feature of un-bonded flexible pipes. During pressure armour layer manufacturing (a cold forming process) the armour wire is subjected to a sequence of cyclic bending and twisting deformations which take it beyond its material elastic limit. This paper presents FE structure models for investigating the detailed local and residual stress variation during the forming process and the subsequent stress relaxation as a result of the factory acceptance test (FAT). A study case is presented for illustrating the typical stress and strain behaviour after FAT pressurization. The paper also introduces X-ray diffraction technology as a method for residual stress measurement on full scale samples.

Ocean data assimilation systems allow combining remote-sensing and in-situ ocean observations with primitive equations ocean general circulation models (OGCM). They thus provide initial conditions for short-term ocean currents forecasts (ten day to one month) and boundary conditions to nested high-resolution models of coastal seas and can be operated in hindcast to reproduce past events over long periods. At the time when the offshore activities are moving toward deeper waters and ice-covered seas accurate monitoring and forecasting of the environment (particularly ocean currents and sea-ice) cannot be neglected. this paper presents the TOPAZ system being the Arctic component of the MERSEA integrated system and one of the contributors to the GODAE international initiative. The system is based on the latest scientific developments in terms of ocean modelling with the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and data assimilation with the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF). The paper presents validation results of the system and applications in nested regional models.

Ocean data assimilation systems allow the combination of remote sensing and in-situ ocean observations with primitive equation ocean general circulation models (OGCM). They thus provide initial conditions for short-term ocean currents forecasts (ten days to one month) and boundary conditions for nested high-resolution models of coastal seas and can be operated in hindcast to reproduce past events over long periods. At a time when offshore activities are moving toward deeper waters and ice-covered seas accurate monitoring and forecasting of the environment (particularly ocean currents and seaice) cannot be neglected. This paper presents the TOPAZ system being the Arctic component of the MERSEA integrated system and one of the contributors to the GODAE international initiative. The system is based on the latest scientific developments in terms of ocean modelling with the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and data assimilation with the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF). Validation results of the system and applications in nested regional models are presented.

The Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations (SI 1992 No 2885) are the first of new 'goal setting' regulations under the Health and Safety at Work Act; they have a broad set of objectives and are supported by an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP). Safety cases are concerned with potential major accident hazards and should include sufficient particulars to demonstrate that all hazards have been identified and that the risks have been evaluated and minimised. Once a Safety Case had been accepted it becomes the formal management document for the Offshore Safety Division of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Safety Case submissions should include descriptions diagrams the philosophy behind the final layout evidence of stability and watertightness details of the mooring system the risks involved with shipping water on deck details of cargo offloading systems details of structures and materials and accident and incident history.

The uni-fuel system is reviewed. Subjects considered include the principal economic parameter the generation of onboard electrical energy the uni-fuel concept's basis with its effects on the cost of electricity generation and the fuel oil system. The main design features of Sulzer's S20 diesel engine are discussed from the point of view of heavy fuel operating capability and service experience of the S20 is described.

Many circuits within warships are arranged with dual sources of supply so that should the preferred source fail a transfer switch will automatically switch the supply to the alternative source. On modern warships many systems are computer controlled and the traditional switching times of 50-100msec are unacceptable so the computer systems are supported by an uninterruptible power supply unit with battery back up. The introduction of the Static Automatic Bus Transfer (SABT) Solid State Three Phase Transfer Switch has a transfer time better than 4msec and allows for the elimination of the UPS units and associated battery banks. This paper describes the technology and operation of the SABT and identifies how it can be used in a warship application using the UK Royal Navy T45 Destroyer as an example. The recent UK proving trials are also described and the results presented.

The use of synthetic components particularly polyester in deepwater MODUs (mobile offshore drilling units) mooring systems has become a viable option to extend the mooring capabilities of a MODU. To date the use of synthetic components in MODY moorings has mostly been limited to polyester with few exceptions. This paper focuses on an alternative synthetic mooring component HMPE (high modulus polyethylene) for use in deepwater MODU mooring systems. The report highlights key aspects of MODU mooring system performance when analysed with HMPE components. As a benchmark the performance of other systems including conventional catenary mooring systems and polyester mooring systems are compared with the performance of HMPE mooring systems. The mooring systems considered in this study range in water depths up to a maximum of 10000 feet. MODU and mooring system responses were analysed for the survival condition or draft with GOM (Gulf of Mexico) hurricane metocean conditions. The limiting line tension use and FOS (factor of safety) values from the survival analyses are compared for all mooring system types showing the range of survivability or performance between these different systems.

For many years age length weight and sexual maturity statistics for North Sea sole have been routinely collected at Lowestoft and other fishing ports along the east coast of England as well as on research vessel surveys. This data was used to investigate the factors that influence sexual maturation such as body size age geographical distribution and their seasonal and annual trends. The reliability of using market-sampling data to generate maturity ogives to estimate spawning stock biomass is discussed. After a look at materials and methods results are considered addressing sampling sex maturation cycle and factors influencing sexual maturity. This is followed by discussion.

Risk assessment is increasingly important in considering the safe evacuation of passengers. Traditionally assessment of evacuation/abandonment arrangements has focused on the physical layout of a vessel and its equipment. Simulation models have added additional factors such as the environment (fire smoke flooding heel trim and rolling etc) and human behaviour (age familiarity searching for relatives etc). The BMT (British Maritime Technology) Group can provide initial risk assessment use their ProModel simulator to examine vessels such as the Class V passenger ships and the Marine Exodus for larger vessels such as ferries and cruise ships. Both the ProModel and the Marine (Maritime) Exodus simulators are outlined. Includes copies of OHP slides.

Adhering to the guidance of good mooring practice should generally ensure safe mooring of ships. Computer predictions in combination with scale model tests for validation may be helpful in cases where it is difficult to stipulate accurately the external loads acting on the moored vessel. A mooring system should resist forces due to wind and current surges from passing vessels and the effects of waves swells seiches and ice and tides. The layout of a pier or sea island to permit safe berthing and mooring is specified by the spacing of breasting dolphins the location of mooring dolphins and the placement of spring line bollards. Mooring equipment includes wire mooring lines winches (including winch brakes) chocks and pedestal rollers. Prediction of moored ship behaviour can be made using mathematical models. First- order ship responses at wave frequencies are modelled as linear responses to harmonic waves using response functions due to waves of unit amplitude for the six degree of freedom motions of the ship in waves. Low-frequency ship motions in surge sway and yaw are modelled as responses to wind current and wave drift forces. Comparison of computer models with full-scale observations and measurements should continue.