Gone are the days when a ship navigation officer had to take help of unconventional ways to plan and navigate a voyage at sea. Today, a ship officer has myriad of marine navigation equipment which makes his life a lot simpler, thanks to the advancement in technology. Moreover, present-day seafarers are trained so as to know the functioning and operation of all modern day navigational equipment that has made the journey at sea smoother and safer.
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With modern day facilities and automation, a ship today has several advanced navigation equipment systems which give accurate data for the voyage.
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Herein, we have enlisted 30 types of navigational equipment, both old and new, which are present on all merchant ships.
It is used for finding the right direction. Unlike magnetic compass, gyro compass is not hampered by an external magnetic field. It is used to find the correct North Position, which is also the earth&#;s rotational axis to provide a stable directional source. Its repeater system must be present in the steering platform for emergency steering.
Read more about Gyro Compass here
Related Read: Top 3 Free Marine Compass Apps for Android Smart Phones
The seagoing vessels depend on S-band and X-band frequency radar system for navigation as it can detect targets and display the information on the screen such as the distance of the ship from land, any floating objects (an island, rocks, iceberg etc.), other vessels, and obstacles to avoid a collision. It is a rotating antenna which discovers the surrounding area of the ship.
Read more about ECDIS here.
Related Read: 15 Things To Consider While Using Radar On Ships
The magnetic compass work in conjunction with the magnetic field of the earth and is the essential means of the direction indicating device. It is used to get a planned course for the voyage. This ship navigation equipment is usually fitted at the centre line of the ship on the monkey island. A transmitting magnetic type compass is fitted so that the output can be displayed in the bridge panel.
Related Read: What is a Binnacle On Ships?
The ship bridge layout is filled with equipment and tools used for navigation. The autopilot is considered to be one of the most effective bridge navigational equipment as it assists the human operator in controlling the ship by keeping the steering in autopilot, which allows them to concentrate on broad aspects of the operation.
It is a combination of hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical system and is used to control the ship&#;s steering system from a remote location (Navigation bridge).
Related Read: 10 Things to Consider While Using Auto-Pilot System on Ships
Automatic Radar Plotting Aid displays the position of a ship and other vessels nearby. The radar displays the position of the ships in the vicinity and selects the course for the vessel by avoiding any kind of collision.
This bridge navigational equipment constantly monitors the ship&#;s surrounding and automatically acquires the number of targets, in this case; ships, boats, stationary or floating objects etc., and plot their speeds and courses respectively. It also presents them as vectors on the display screen and constantly update the parameters with each turn of the antenna by calculating their nearest points of approach to own ship and also the time before this will occur.
Just like ARPA, automatic tracking aid displays the information on tracked targets in graphic and numeric to generate a planned layout for a safer and collision-free course.
Usually, A large size target measuring 800 m or more in the circumference is considered as a landmass and not tracked. Echoes less than 800 m are deemed as targets to be tracked.
Related Read: 10 Important Things To Do During Ship Collision Accident
This bridge equipment on a ship is used to measure the speed and the distance travelled by a ship from a set point. By calculating the same, ETA of the ship is adjusted or given to the port authority and agent.
There are many modern ship navigation tools present on ship and echo sounder is one of the instruments which has been in the play from almost 100 years now. It is used to measure the depth of the water below the ship&#;s bottom using sound waves which work on the principle of transmission of sound waves and an audio pulse which will bounce off a reflecting layer, returning as an echo to the source.
ECDIS is a development in the navigational chart system used in naval vessels and ships. With the use of the electronic navigation equipment, it has become easier for a ship&#;s navigating crew to pinpoint locations, and attaining directions are easier than before.
Read more about ECDIS here.
Related Read: Pros and Cons of ECDIS Or Paperless Navigation Of Ships
AIS is also among the types of a navigation system which helps to pinpoint the location and other navigational statistics of ships. AIS uses VHF radio channels as transmitters and receivers to send and receive messages between ships which endeavours to fulfil a lot of responsibilities.
As per the regulation enforced by The International Maritime Organisation (IMO), all passengers&#; vessels and commercial ships over 299 Gross Tonnage (GT) sailing in the international to carry a Class A AIS transponder.
Read more about AIS here.
Related Read: Download: The Definitive AIS Handbook
LRIT is an international tracking and identification system incorporated by the IMO under its SOLAS convention to ensure a thorough tracking system for ships of 300 gross tons and above which are on international voyages across the world. This maritime equipment is fitted to improve the maritime domain awareness.
Read more about LRIT here.
Rudder angle indicator, as the name indicates, provides the angle of the rudder. The display is provided on the navigation bridge equipment console so that the ship navigation officer can control the rate of turn and rudder angle of the ship. The indication is also provided in the bridge wing and engine control room.
Related Read: How Does A Rudder Help In Turning A Ship?
A VDR or voyage data recorder is a crucial instrument among the ship navigation equipment list which is installed on a ship to continuously record vital information related to the operation of a vessel. It contains a voice recording system for a period of at least the last 12 hours. This recording is recovered and made use of for investigation in events of accidents. The importance of VDR is similar to a &#;black box&#; installed on an airplane.
Read more about VDR here.
This navigational tool indicates how fast the ship is turning at a steady rate (useful during pilotage and manoeuvring), normally shown as a number of degrees turned. The rate a ship is turning is measured in degrees per minute. This essential tool assists a coxswain in steering a course safely.
A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver is a display system used to show the ship&#;s location with the help of Global positioning satellite in the earth&#;s orbit.
With the record of the ship&#;s positions, the speed, course, and the time is taken to cover the distance between &#;two marked positions&#; can be calculated.
Related read: 5 Best Handheld Portable Marine GPS Devices
This acoustic system is required for a ship with a fully enclosed type bridge. It enables the navigating officer inside the cabin to listen to the sound signals (such as fog or ship&#;s horn) from other ships in the vicinity. This is fitted in ships bridge equipment console and helps the navigating officer to conduct the look-out duty as per the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
Related read: 10 Important Points Ship&#;s OOW Should Consider During Restricted Visibility
All boats &#; whether big or small are required to have night lights as a part of the navigation systems. This system was introduced in the year by the United States and then was followed by the United Kingdom in . In the year , the International Maritime Conference was established by the United States to establish proper guidelines to prevent marine accidents. In the year , these rules were officially adopted internationally. The navigation lights are one of the most critical navigation equipment needed for sailing in high seas as it enables self vessel being clearly visible to other ships in the vicinity.
Read more about navigation lights here.
Related read: How Maintenance of Navigation Lights is Done On Ships?
A ship&#;s horn is known as a whistle and it is generally provided in duplicate. One is driven by air and the other is electrically operated. The whistle should be both manually and electrically operational from the bridge.
Among different instruments used in difficult navigation such as bad weather, fog, poor visibility, high traffic etc., the ship&#;s whistle or horn helps in alerting the nearby vessels.
During an emergency, the horn is used to notify and alert the ship&#;s crew and other vessels nearby.
They are light-signalling devices used for emergency signalling in the day time (and can also be used during the night). Like other emergency ship instruments, the energy source for the lamp is not solely dependent on the ship&#;s main power supply. Also, the lamp enclosure should be weather and seawater- proof material.
It is an informative booklet provided to the ship&#;s pilot. It consists of the dimension, draught, turning circle, manoeuvring, propulsion equipment and other navigation tools and instruments list of the vessel for safe manoeuvring.
Related Read: What Are The Duties of Officer On Watch When Pilot is On Board Ship?
A voyage Plan must be present onboard for referring past voyage plans or planning a future voyage. Among the different aids to navigation carried on a ship, a voyage plan is a tool for the deck officer to ensure the safety of the ship from a commercial and legal perspective too. It is prepared by gathering different information such as weather, meteorological, ship&#;s current and future cargo data, other navigational data etc.
Read more about Voyage Plan here
It is used to mark the presence of the ship in fog or bad weather and sound the alarm in case of an emergency, along with the ship&#;s main horn or whistle.
Related Read: What to do When Ship Encounters Rough Weather?
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In this booklet, the performance of the propulsion plant and the ship during manoeuvring in different weathers and situations is recorded for quick reference. The important content of the manoeuvring booklet are:
Related Read: Understanding Different Types Of Manoeuvres of a Vessel
It is a day time signalling shape used to determine the characteristics of the vessel with a different arrangement of ball shapes. For e.g. a vessel at anchor will show a black ball at the foremost end of the forecastle and a ship not under command shows two black balls in a vertical line on her highest mast.
Related Read: Responsibilities Of Deck Officer During Anchoring Operation
All the navigational activities which are performed by the ship&#;s officers and crew using different navigation equipment on the bridge must be recorded and kept on board for ready reference. This is mandatory and the most important log book.
Related Read: Different Entries To Be Made In Bridge Log Book of The Ship
The hard copy of all the ship navigation system and equipment list must be present as records onboard ships for ready reference of port and regulatory authorities and must be signed by master and duty officers of the ship.
Related Read: Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships
Present in the Navigation bridge, it displays detailed information of manoeuvring characteristics of the ship including turning circle, stopping and manoeuvring characteristics of the vessel.
Transmitting Heading Devise or THD is an electronic device which is used to display the information of the vessel&#;s true heading. The THDs compliance information is provided in chapter V of the SOLAS Convention.
When the ship is being towed or when a vessel is unable to manoeuvres on itself, a black diamond shape is shown during the day time.
Related Read: Preparations For Emergency Towing Of Ship &#; 10 Important Points
Various types of ship flags with different colours and signs are used to indicate a navigation ship&#;s position. Signal flags are they are commonly known, have been used since the ancient times and are still used on all vessels.
These are the different bridge equipment and their uses which are installed on the ship to assist the deck officer for navigating the vessel safely. If we missed any equipment or you want to add more to the list, please comment below.
Related Read: Understanding Nautical Flag Etiquettes
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The Global Positioning System (GPS) enables your Android or Apple smartphone to find your location, powers countless apps for mobile devices, helps your boat's AIS receiver locate an approaching ship, and moreover increases productivity across the global economy, including industries like farming, mining, construction, surveying, freight delivery and supply chain management. We'll walk you through how GPS works and help you give you some options for your boat.
The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based navigation system that provides accurate position fixes 24 hours a day, on land, sea and air, in any weather, with no subscription or fee. Originally built between and for the U.S. Department of Defense with a nominal constellation of 24 satellites (actually 32 satellites as of January , with 31 in use) in medium Earth orbit (MEO) 12,550 miles above the Earth, this multi-billion dollar system is available for all users.
GPS units receive high frequency, low power signals (50 watts or less) from these satellites orbiting the Earth every 12 hours. By timing the signals sent by the satellites (which each carry a highly accurate atomic clock) and by knowing the exact orbital locations of the satellites, a GPS receiver can determine your location to an accuracy within 6 meters 95 percent of the time, and your altitude to within approximately 10 meters.
The GPS constellation contains several generations of working satellites, plus spares in case of failure. (Photo: GPS.gov.)
GPS receivers need to locate three satellites in order to calculate a two-dimensional position, and can develop a three-dimensional fix when they receive signals from four satellites.
Since, in theory, four satellites are &#;in view&#; from every location on Earth, problems with reception are caused by buildings, mountains and forests blocking the line-of-sight signals.
The GPS system transmits signals on two bands designated L1 and L2. Civilian GPS uses the L1 frequency of .42 MHz in the UHF band. The civilian signals were intentionally degraded in accuracy until May , when the military program called Selective Availability (designed to prevent military adversaries from using the highly accurate GPS signals) was discontinued.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have developed the WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) program, which corrects for GPS signal errors caused by ionospheric disturbances, timing, and satellite orbit errors, and it provides vital integrity information regarding the health of each GPS satellite.
WAAS, with about 25 ground reference stations across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data and two master stations on either coast, creates a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, with a fixed position over the equator. Any GPS receiver equipped to receive WAAS (all except the least expensive units) has its accuracy improved to less than three meters.
WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America. There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is ideal for open land and marine applications.
A handheld GPS like a the Garmin GPSMAP® 79sc is a must have for any boater and is a great backup for other GPS systems onboard.
With the ubiquitous smartphone in use by millions of urban consumers, handheld GPS receivers are a great alternative for boaters, hikers, geocachers and others who want a waterproof, off-the-grid navigating device. For small boat outings, dinghy sailing or hiking, one of the many pocket-sized, handheld GPS units is ideal. In addition to being conveniently portable, these battery-operated receivers provide an additional measure of safety should a larger vessel's electrical system fail.
Although you can use your iPhone or Android for navigation, a handheld GPS has some important advantages:
Many boats larger than an aluminum outboard skiff will also have a fixed-mount GPS device. These take the form of a chartplotter, fishfinder/GPS combo or multifunction network display. For help choosing one of these devices for your boat, check out our West Advisor on Selecting Networked Marine Electronics
Non-mapping GPS receivers: All GPS receivers other than the most basic handhelds feature electronic maps, so you can see your position on a detailed chart. If you only want to get position fixes and navigate using just traditional paper charts, a receiver like the Garmin GPS 73 will provide that capability, and will let you plan routes with a collection of waypoints. A few larger fishfinders like the Garmin Striker&#; series likewise include non-mapping GPS as sort of a bonus. They&#;ll help you return to a great fishing location or your home port, but will not let you add maps.
GPS with a basemap only: Most GPS units are pre-loaded with a &#;basemap&#;, with varying levels of detail depending on the individual receiver. Basemaps usually show crude, blocky representations of geography. Luckily, many of these economy-grade GPS receivers allow you to add more detailed maps.
To really achieve the full level of mapping detail, with charts showing information down to the level of a few feet, nearly all receivers use electronic moving maps designed for marine, automotive, off-road or backcountry use that show your position superimposed directly on the chart. There are a couple of ways this digital map data is delivered:
Pre-loaded: A convenient feature provides the data pre-loaded on the receiver, using either flash memory or a hard drive. Worldwide basemaps that are part of the firmware of many receivers also include a reasonable level of detail, so rough outlines of coastlines are still shown when you move out of an area covered by your electronic cartography.
Maps on a microSD card: Many charts are sold on small cartridges containing a regional data file that are inserted into a port on the receiver. To travel to new locations you purchase additional chips for each region with C-Map, Navionics, BlueChart g2 or other charts compatible with the receiver.
Newer Garmin handheld units use tiny MicroSD Cards, which are about 1/4 the size of a postage stamp. These miniscule cartridges, with up to 64GB of storage, have the same BlueChart g2 marine regions as Garmin&#;s larger Preprogrammed Data Cards. More information to help select cartographic charts is available in the West Advisor, Selecting Electronic Cartography.
We offer several handheld VHF radios that include a GPS receiver, adding navigation capability to common boating communication device.
Handheld VHF radios with Digital Selective Calling and GPS: Premium handheld VHF radios now include a GPS receiver, which you can use for navigation, providing your Lat/Long position and allowing you to navigate to stored waypoints. These VHF/GPS combo handhelds include Digital Selective Calling (DSC), which functions as a sort of VHF-frequency emergency beacon. For more about handheld VHF radios with or without GPS, go to our article on Selecting a VHF Handheld Radio.
Other nations have built or are launching their own satellite navigation systems. The Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is fully operational worldwide. There are also the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System covering Asia and Oceania and the Chinese BeiDou-2tf currently limited to Asia and the West Pacific. The European Union and other partner countries are building Galileo, a global system that began operation in (and should be fully deployed by ). Many new GPS receivers connect with both the GPS and GLONASS constellations. This provides improved accuracy and a backup plan in case the GPS system was to ever go off-line.
The U.S. military invested billions of dollars building Navstar (the original official name for the GPS system) for military purposes and created the world&#;s greatest navigation system for civilian use as an afterthought. Okay, it did cost $14 billion to create the system and launch the satellites, but now we get to use the satellites essentially for free.