Traditional Methods to Determine the Ships’ Position and Navigation Safety
Abstract:
The Russian-Ukrainian military conflict has shown the vulnerability of ship electronic navigation systems used in navigation. The Global Positioning System(GPS) may incorrectly display the vessel’s coordinates both due to blocking of satellite signals by means of electronic warfare and due to cyber-attack, spoofing attack on the satellites themselves. The Electronic Cart Display Information System(ECDIS) coupled with the GPS will also incorrectly display the vessel’s position and area around. The same problems we can occur with Automation Information System (AIS) data. Therefore, proper training of future navigation officers in traditional methods of determining the ship’s position is gaining new momentum. The STCW Code includes celestial navigation, visual methods of determining the vessel's position and dead reckoning among the mandatory competencies for officer in charge of a navigational watch: • Celestial navigation – Ability to use bodies to determine the ship’s position • Terrestrial and coastal navigation – Ability to determine the ship position by use of: landmarks, aids to navigation, including lighthouses, beacons and buoys, dead reckoning, taking into account winds, tides, currents and estimated speed. • Thorough knowledge of and ability to uses nautical charts, and publications, such as sailing directions, tide tables, notices to mariners, radio navigational warnings and ship’s routing information. However, the sextant, as the main instrument of celestial navigation, is not a mandatory navigational instru ment according to the SOLAS Convention. The widespread use of ECDIS has led to the fact that junior deck officer cannot determine the ship's position using traditional navigation methods. This paper highlights the relevance of traditional navigation methods, such as celestial navigation and visual orientation using coast al landmarks, as essential backup tools for maintaining the safety of maritime operations. The necessity of preserving and developing these skills among navigators and cadets in maritime educational institutions is emphasized.
