Almost 90% of everything we buy arrives via seaborne trade, which consists of over 55,000 merchant ships, registered to 150 nations. With statistics like this, it is no wonder that “ship-tracking” and “vessel-tracking” have become far more prevalent in today’s business world. So, what exactly is vessel tracking or a vessel tracking system (VTS)?
Automatic Identification System, otherwise known as AIS, is a ship tracking system used by various maritime stakeholders around the world. It uses a VHF radio transmission to broadcast the ships location to other ships, VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) stations, terrestrial and satellite receivers. All vessels over 300 gross tons, or any passenger ship, is required by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) to have a working AIS unit operating at all times. What was originally meant to help improve safety efforts on the waterway has turned into an incredibly power tool for small and big businesses alike. To learn more about the history of AIS vessel tracking and how it works, read our blog post What is AIS Tracking and Why is it Important.
Early Saturday morning, a US destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, was hit by a container ship just off the coast of Shimoda, Japan. The collision claimed the lives of seven US Navy Sailors. In the aftermath of this tragedy, both sides are trying to figure out exactly what happened.
Earlier this month, Pemex, Mexico's state-owned petroleum company, started importing LNG from Cheniere Energy's export terminal in Sabine Pass to Mexico's Altamira import terminal. These deliveries were the product of scheduled maintenance on the NET Mexico pipe in Texas, which starting during the holy week of April 9 - 15.
Over 450 icebergs have drifted down into the North Atlantic shipping lanes, 363 of which have arrived over the past 7 days. This is forcing vessels to either dramatically lower their speed to navigate the icebergs, or take detours which can add up to 400 miles to the trip.
As first reported on Tuesday by The Maritime Executive, the Ronald H. Brown has returned to her home port of Charleston, South Carolina after being deployed for 1,347 days. This was longer than any other NOAA research vessel has been away from home.
Last Friday night, at approximately 1800 CST, a cargo ship sank in the southern part of the North Sea, about 35 nautical miles NE of Ramsgate.
Last month, a ship transiting the English Channel accidentally cut internet cables, used by network company JT, that connected Jersey to the UK. This resulted in dramatically slower internet speeds for residents on the island, who had to rely on a single cable connected to France.
The Florida Gulf Coast is preparing for the arrival of hurricane Hermine. Hermine has just been updated from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane. Hermine is expected to make landfall sometime late Thursday night to early Friday morning.
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