9/05/2013

Marine Communication Systems Used in the Maritime Industry

Radio telecommunication at sea had undergone a sea change in the last century. After the days of semaphores and flags (which is still relevant today in some cases), radio brought about a drastic change in marine communication at sea.
From the early years of the last century, ships started fitting radio for communicating distress signals among themselves and with the shore. Radio telegraphy using Morse code was used in the early part of the twentieth century for marine communication.
marine navigation
In the seventies, after considering the studies of the International Telecommunication Union, IMO brought about a system where ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore communication was put into action with some degree of automation, wherein a skilled radio officer keeping 24×7 watch was not required.
Marine communication between ships or with the shore was carried with the help of on board systems through shore stations and even satellites. While ship-to-ship communication was brought about by VHF radio, Digital Selective Calling (DSC) came up with digitally remote control commands to transmit or receive distress alert, urgent or safety calls, or routine priority messages. DSC controllers can now be integrated with the VHF radio as per SOLAS (Safety Of Life at Sea) convention.
Satellite services, as opposed to terrestrial communication systems, need the help of geo-stationary satellites for transmitting and receiving signals, where the range of shore stations cannot reach. These marine communication services are provided by INMARSAT (a commercial company) and COSPAS – SARSAT (a multi-national government funded agency).
While INMARSAT gives the scope of two way communications, the Corpas Sarsat has a system that is limited to reception of signals from emergency position and places with no facilities of two way marine communications, indicating radio beacons (EPIRB).
For international operational requirements, the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) has divided the world in four sub areas. These are four geographical divisions named as A1, A2, A3 and A4.
GMDSS Concept
Different radio communication systems are required by the vessel to be carried on board ships, depending on the area of operation of that particular vessel.
A1 – It’s about 20- 30 nautical miles from the coast, which is under coverage of at least one VHF coast radio station in which continuous DSC alerting is available.Equipment used: A VHF, a DSC and a NAVTEX receiver (a navigational telex for receiving maritime and meteorological information).
A2 – This area notionally should cover 400 nautical miles off shore but in practice it extends up to 100 nautical miles off shore but this should exclude A1 areas. Equipment used: A DSC, and radio telephone (MF radio range) plus the equipment required for A1 areas.
A3 – This is the area excluding the A1 & A2 areas. But the coverage is within 70 degrees north and 70 degree south latitude and is within INMARSAT geostationary satellite range, where continuous alerting is available. Equipment used: A high frequency radio and/ or INMARSAT, a system of receiving MSI (Maritime Safety Information) plus the other remaining systems for A1 and A2 areas.
A4 – These are the areas outside sea areas of A1, A2 and A3. These are essentially the Polar Regions North and South of 70 degree of latitude. Equipment used: HF radio service plus those required for other areas.
Marlink Sealink
All oceans are covered by HF marine communication services for which the IMO requires to have two coast stations per ocean region. Today almost all ships are fitted with satellite terminal for Ship Security Alerts System (SSAS) and for long range identification and tracking as per SOLAS requirements.

On distress, Search and Rescue operations from Maritime Rescue Co-ordination centers are carried out among other methods, with the help of most of these marine navigation tools. Naturally, the sea has become a lot safer with these gadgets and otherimportant navigation tools recommended by the IMO and as enshrined in GMDSS.
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As a worldwide marine service agent, Ijin Marine Limited provides ship voyage repair, lifesaving inspection, fire-fighting inspection, radio inspection, and underwater hull cleaning, in more than 3000 ports of 100 countries. Below is a list of world's seaports, arranged by oceans and seas. Ijin has attended many jobs in some of them as below. The lifesaving equipment includes life boat, life raft, which is annually inspected accordingly to class requirement. Fire fighting equipment includes fire extinguisher (dry powder, CO2, foam, etc, hand type or wheeled type), firemen outfitting and cylinder, air breathing apparatus, EEBD, etc. Communication inspection includes GMDSS, AIS, SSAS, EPIRB, SVDR, VHF radio, etc. Underwater service includes inspection, hull cleaning, repairing, plugging, etc.
The list of jobs Ijin attending in the past.
M/V Changhang Xianghai, Turbarao, Brazil, Ship Store Supply
M/V Changhang Bohai, Kandle, India, Motor Rewinding
M/V Changhang An Hai, Amsterdam, Netherlands Or Holland, Store Supply
M/V CF Diamond, Vancouver, Canada, Oil Tank Repair For Life Boat
M/V CF Crystol, Vancouver, Canada, Hatch Cover Repair
M/V LR Lily, Kalimantan, Indonesia, Bearing Replacement For Crane
M/V Sky Jupiter, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Provision And Ship Store Supply
M/V Sky Oceanus, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Provision And Ship Store Supply
M/V Msc Sentosa, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Provision And Ship Store Supply
M/V Man Hai, Jarkata, Indonesia, Life Raft Supply
M/V Jian Hua, Point Comfert, America, Ship Store Supply
M/V Long Hua, Dong Hae, Korea, Spare Part Delivery
M/V Xin Xiang An, Karaikal, India, Ship Store Supply
M/V Xin Bo Lin 3, Mumbai, India, Ship Store Supply
M/V Hui Tong 56, Belawan, Indonesia, Boiler Repair
M/V Zhe Hai 505, Aukland, New Zealand, Fire Fighting Equipment Inspection
M/V Zhe Hai 505, Vitoria, Brazil, Life Raft Inspection
M/V Zhe Hai 505, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Ship Store Supply
M/V Zhe Hai 505, San Lorenzo, Argentina, Ship Store Supply
M/V Da Xin Hua Li Shun, Ulsan, Korea, Fire Fighting, Life Saving And Gmdss Inspection
M/V Ratna Shalini, Gdansk, Poland, Gas Detector Calibration
M/V Cleantec, Casablanca, Morroco, Ship Store Supply
M/V Chang Hang An Hai, Taichuang, Taiwan, Auxiliary Engine Repair
M/V Chang Hang An Hai, Richard Bay, Australia, Ship Store Supply
M/V Rich Sino, Junk Bay Anchorage Of Hong Kong, Underwater Hulls Inspection, Pre Purchase.
Atlantic Ocean
List of ports and harbours of the Atlantic Ocean
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Accra, Ghana
A Coruña, Spain
Port of Albany-Rensselaer, New York, United States
Bahía Blanca, Argentina
Coronel Rosales Partido, Argentina
General Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Banana, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Barranquilla, Colombia
Belém, Brazil
Bergen, Norway
Bodø, Norway
Port of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Bridgetown, Barbados
Brunswick, Georgia, United States
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Calabar, Nigeria
Cabinda, Angola
Cádiz, Spain
Port Canaveral, Florida, United States
Cape May, New Jersey, United States
Cape Town, South Africa
Port of Casablanca, Morocco
Cayenne, French Guiana, France
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Colón, Panama
Cork, Ireland
Dakar, Senegal
Douala, Cameroon
Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States
Ferrol, Spain
Freeport, Bahamas
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Fortaleza, Brazil
Galway, Ireland
Georgetown, Guyana
Port of Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States
Harstad, Norway
Huelva, Spain
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Lagos, Nigeria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Libreville, Gabon
Lisbon, Portugal
Lomé, Togo
Luanda, Angola
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Melford, Nova Scotia, Canada (proposed)
Port of Miami, Florida, United States
Monrovia, Liberia
Montevideo, Uruguay
Nantes, France
Narvik, Norway
Nassau, Bahamas
Port Newark, United States
Port of New York and New Jersey, United States
Paramaribo, Suriname
Pecém, Brazil
Port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Port Everglades, Florida, United States
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Portland, Maine, United States
Porto, Portugal
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Quequén, Argentina
Recife, Brazil
Reykjavík, Iceland
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Salvador, Brazil
San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Port of Santos near São Paulo, Brazil
Port of Savannah, Georgia, United States
St. Augustine, Florida, United States
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Sept-Îles, Quebec, Canada
Setúbal, Portugal
Sines, Portugal
Stornoway, Scotland, United Kingdom
Shannon/Foynes, Ireland
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Tangier, Morocco
Tromsø, Norway
Trondheim, Norway
Port of Vigo, Spain
Vitória, Brazil
Walvis Bay, Namibia
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
Ålesund, Norway
Paranaguá, Brazil
São Francisco do Sul, Brazil
Itajaí, Brazil
Porto Velho, Brazil
Santos, Brazil
Itapoá, Brazil
Adriatic Sea
Ancona, Italy
Port of Bar, Montenegro
Bari, Italy
Budva, Montenegro
Port of Durrës, Albania
Port of Koper, Slovenia
Port of Pescara, Italy
Port of Ploče, Croatia
Port of Rijeka, Croatia
Shën Gjin, Albania
Port of Split, Croatia
Port of Trieste, Italy
Venice, Italy
Port of Vlorë, Albania
Ravenna, Italy
Monfalcone, Italy
Chioggia, Italy
Porto Marghera, Italy
Aegean Sea
Alexandroupolis, Greece
Bodrum, Turkey
Chalcis, Greece
Chios, Greece
Eleusina, Greece
Heraklion, Crete, Greece
İzmir, Turkey
Kavala, Greece
Kuşadası, Turkey
Laurium, Greece
Mytilene, Greece
Piraeus, Greece
Rhodes, Greece
Thessaloniki, Greece
Volos, Greece
Azov Sea
Azov, Russia
Berdiansk, Ukraine
Mariupol, Ukraine
Taganrog, Russia
Yeysk, Russia
Baltic Sea
List of Ports of the Baltic Sea.
Bay of Biscay
Avilés, Spain
Bayonne, France
Burela, Spain
Port of Bilbao, Spain
Bordeaux, France
Brest, France
El Musel, Gijón, Spain
Pasaia, Spain
La Rochelle, France
Les Sables-d'Olonne, France
Santander, Spain
Black Sea
Batumi, Georgia
Bilhorod, Ukraine
Burgas, Bulgaria
Illichivsk, Ukraine
Mangalia, Romania
Midia, Năvodari, Romania
Novorossiysk, Russia
Odessa, Ukraine
Poti, Georgia
Port of Constanţa, Romania
Giurgiulesti International Free Port, Moldova
Port of Erdemir, Turkey
Port of Varna, Bulgaria
Samsun, Turkey
Sevastopol, Ukraine
Sukhumi, Georgia
Trabzon, Turkey
Yuzhny, Ukraine
Caribbean Sea
Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, France
Belize City, Belize
Bridgetown, Barbados
Port of Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic
Cartagena, Colombia
Chetumal, Mexico
Colón, Panama
Fort-de-France, Martinique, France
La Guaira, Venezuela
Guanta, Venezuela
Guantánamo, Cuba
Kingston, Jamaica
Limón, Costa Rica
Maracaibo, Venezuela
Oranjestad, Aruba, Netherlands
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France
Ponce, Puerto Rico, United States
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Port Caucedo, Dominican Republic
Port Rio Haina, Dominican Republic
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Puerto Castilla, Honduras
Puerto Cortés, Honduras
Roatán, Honduras
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Port of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala
Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands
Chesapeake Bay
Baltimore, United States
Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Salisbury, Maryland, United States
English Channel
Caen (Ouistreham), France
Calais, France
Cherbourg, France
Dieppe, France
Port of Dover, United Kingdom
Le Havre, France
Port of London, United Kingdom
Dunkerque(Duinkerken), France
Newhaven, United Kingdom
Ostend, Belgium
St. Peter Port, Guernsey, United Kingdom
Portland Harbour, United Kingdom
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Plymouth, United Kingdom
Ramsgate, United Kingdom
Saint-Malo, France
Shoreham-by-Sea, United Kingdom
Port of Southampton, United Kingdom
Great Lakes
Port of Montreal, Canada
Buffalo, New York, United States
Burns Harbor / Portage, Indiana, United States
Port of Chicago, Illinois, United States
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Duluth, Minnesota, United States
Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Port of Montreal, Canada
Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Port of Oswego Authority, New York, United States
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Two Harbors, Minnesota, United States
Toledo, Ohio, United States
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States
Irish Sea
Barrow-in-Furness, England
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Cairnryan, Scotland
Cardiff, Wales
Douglas, Isle of Man
Drogheda, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Dún Laoghaire, Ireland
Dundalk, Ireland
Ellesmere, England
Fishguard, Wales
Fleetwood, England
Garston, England
Glasgow, Scotland
Heysham, England
Holyhead, Wales
Larne, Northern Ireland
Liverpool, England
Milford Haven, Wales
Mostyn, Wales
Pembroke Dock, Wales
Rosslare Europort, Ireland
Runcorn, England
Stranraer, Scotland
Swansea, Wales
Sea of Marmara
Istanbul, Turkey
İzmit, Turkey
Tekirdağ, Turkey
Mediterranean Sea
Adana, Turkey
Alexandria, Egypt
Algeciras, Spain
Al Hoceima, Morocco
Algiers, Algeria
Almería, Spain
Antalya, Turkey
Port of Ashdod, Israel
Barcelona, Spain
Bardia, Libya
Beirut, Lebanon
Benghazi, Libya
Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
Cartagena, Spain
Ceuta, Spain
Chalcis, Greece
Civitavecchia, Italy
Corinth, Greece
Datca, Turkey
Fethiye, Turkey
Genoa, Italy
Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory)
Gioia Tauro, Italy
Grand Harbour, Malta
Iskenderun, Turkey
Port of Haifa, Israel
Larnaca, Cyprus
Latakia, Syria
Leghorn, Italy
Limassol, Cyprus
Málaga, Spain
Marmaris, Turkey
Marseille, France
Melilla, Spain
Mersa Matruh, Egypt
Mersin, Turkey
Messina, Sicily, Italy
Misrata, Libya
Nador, Morocco
Naples, Italy
Oran, Algeria
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Patras, Greece
Piraeus, Greece
Port Said, Egypt
Sidon, Lebanon
Tangier, Morocco
Tarragona, Spain
Tel Aviv, Israel
Thessaloniki, Greece
Tétouan, Morocco
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli, Libya
Tunis, Tunisia
Valencia, Spain
Gulf of Mexico
Port of Beaumont, Texas, United States
Campeche, Mexico
Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico
Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico
Port Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Galveston, Texas, United States
Gulfport, Mississippi, United States
Havana, Cuba
Port of Houston, Texas, United States
Intracoastal City, Louisiana, United States
Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States
Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, Louisiana, United States
Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba
Port of Mobile, Alabama, United States
Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Panama City, Florida, United States
Pensacola, Florida, United States
Plaquemines Port, Louisiana, United States
Port Fourchon, Louisiana, United States
Progreso, Mexico
Port of Tampa, United States
Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
North Sea
List of North Sea ports
Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
Port of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Port of Antwerp, Belgium
Blyth, England, United Kingdom
Bremerhaven, Germany
Bremen, Germany
Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge, Belgium
Cuxhaven, Germany
Delfzijl, Netherlands
Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
Eemshaven, Netherlands
Emden, Germany
Esbjerg, Denmark
Port of Felixstowe, United Kingdom
Flotta, Scotland, United Kingdom
Port of Ghent, Belgium
Gothenburg, Sweden
Grimsby, United Kingdom
Port of Hamburg, Germany
Harwich International Port, England, United Kingdom
Immingham, England, United Kingdom
Hull, England, United Kingdom
Kristiansand, Norway
Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom
Port of London, England, United Kingdom
Middlesbrough, England, United Kingdom
Newcastle, England, United Kingdom
Oostende, Belgium
Oslo, Norway
Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands & Europoort
Stavanger, Norway
Terneuzen, Netherlands
Sullom Voe, Scotland, United Kingdom
Sunderland, England, United Kingdom
Thamesport, Isle of Grain, England, United Kingdom
Port of Tilbury, England, United Kingdom
Vlissingen, Netherlands
Wilhelmshaven, Germany & JadeWeserPort
Ålesund, Norway
Øresund
Copenhagen, Denmark
Helsingborg, Sweden
Malmö, Sweden
Ottawa River/Saint Lawrence River
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
Bécancour, Quebec, Canada
Gulf of Paria
Pedernales, Venezuela
Point Lisas, Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago - since 1991
Tyrrhenian Sea
Civitavecchia, Italy
Naples, Italy
Livorno, Italy
Arctic Ocean
List of ports and harbours of the Arctic Ocean
Akureyri, Iceland
Arkhangelsk, Russia
Barrow, Alaska, United States
Belomorsk, Russia
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Dikson, Russia
Dudinka, Russia
Hammerfest, Norway
Honningsvåg, Norway
Kandalaksha, Russia
Igarka, Russia
Kirkenes, Norway
Murmansk, Russia
Naryan-Mar, Russia
Severomorsk, Russia
Tiksi, Russia
Pevek, Russia
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States
Vardø, Norway
Vitino, Russia
Indian Ocean
List of ports and harbours of the Indian Ocean
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Cochin, Kerala, India
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Port of Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Durban, South Africa
Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
Haldia, West Bengal, India
Jakarta, Indonesia
Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Krishnapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Kandla, Gujarat, India
Port of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Mundra, Gujarat, India
Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Maputo, Mozambique
Mogadishu, Somalia
Port of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Paradeep, Odisha, India
Portland, Victoria, Australia
Port Hedland, Western Australia, Australia
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Port Lincoln, South Australia, Australia
Port Louis, Mauritius
Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia
Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India
Richards Bay, South Africa
Mombasa, Kenya
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Port of Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, India
Gulf of Aden
Aden, Yemen
Berbera, Somalia
Mukalla, Yemen
Port of Djibouti, Djibouti
Arabian Sea
Gwadar Port, Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan
Karachi Port, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Keti Bandar, Sindh, Pakistan
Port Qasim, Sindh, Pakistan
Port of Ormara, Ormara, Balochistan, Pakistan
Port of Pasni, Pasni, Balochistan, Pakistan
Mundra Port, Gujarat, India
New Mangalore port, Karnataka, India
INS Kadamba, Karnataka, India
Cochin Port, Kerala, India
Kandla Port, Gujarat, India
Mormugão, Goa, India
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Al Duqm Port & Drydock, Duqm, Al Wusta Region, Oman
Port of Salalah, Salalah, Dhofar Governorate, Oman
Port of Bushehr, Bushehr Province, Iran
Bandar-Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran
Bay of Bengal
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India
Chittagong Port, Chittagong Bangladesh
Ennore, Tamil Nadu, India
Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India
Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Mongla Port, Khulna, Bangladesh
Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India
Paradeep, Odisha, India
Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, India
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Gangavaram Port, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Dhamra, Odisha, India
Gopalpur, Odisha, India
Hooghly River
Haldia, West Bengal, India
Port of Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Strait of Malacca
Johor Port, Malaysia
Port Klang, Malaysia
Northport
West Port
Southpoint
Penang, Malaysia
Port of Singapore, Singapore
Tanjung Langsat Port, Johor, Malaysia
Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia
Gulf of Martaban
Yangon, Myanmar
Sea of Oman
Port of Chabahar, Iran
Port Sultan Qaboos, Muttrah, Muscat Governorate, Oman
Port of Sohar, Sohar, Dhofar Governorate, Oman
Khawr Fakkan, Sharjah, UAE
Gwadar Port, Balochistan, Pakistan
Chingari Port, Sindh, Pakistan
Persian Gulf
Bandar Abbas, Iran
Bandar Imam Khomeini, Iran
Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Doha, Qatar
Dubai, UAE
Hamriyah Port, Sharjah, UAE
Khafji, Saudi Arabia
Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Shuwaikh port, Kuwait
Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Hidd, Bahrain
Mina Salman Port, Manama, Bahrain
Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia
Port Phillip
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Port of Melbourne, Australia
Red Sea
Aqaba, Jordan
Ain Sokhna, Egypt
Asseb, Eritrea
Djibouti City, Djibouti
Dubai, Saudi Arabia
Port of Eilat, Israel
Farasan (city), Saudi Arabia
Hurghada, Egypt
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Jizan, Saudi Arabia
Massawa, Eritrea
Port Sudan, Sudan
Rabigh, Saudi Arabia
Suez, Egypt
Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
Pacific Ocean
List of ports and harbours of the Pacific Ocean
Acapulco, Mexico
Auckland, New Zealand
Aurora, Philippines
Buenaventura, Colombia
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cagayan Freeport, Philippines
Caldera, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Callao, Peru
Corinto, Nicaragua
Port of Davao, Philippines
Port of Ensenada, Mexico
Eureka, California, United States on Humboldt Bay
Fraser Port, British Columbia, Canada
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Port of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Iquique, Chile
Port of Kobe, Japan
Legazpi, Philippines
Port of Long Beach, California, United States
Port of Los Angeles, California, United States
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Napier, New Zealand See also: Port of Napier
Mazatlán, Mexico
Panama City, Panama
Port Chalmers, New Zealand
Port Hueneme, California, United States
Puerto Montt, Chile
Port of Napier, New Zealand
Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
San Antonio, Chile
Port of San Diego, California, United States
Surigao, Philippines
Tabaco, Philippines
Tauranga, New Zealand
Timaru, New Zealand
Valparaíso, Chile
Viña del Mar, Chile
Wellington, New Zealand
Port of Yokohama, Japan
Sai Gon New Port, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Columbia River
Port of Longview, Washington, United States
Port of Portland, Oregon, United States
Drake Passage, Beagle Channel and Strait of Magellan
Puerto Williams, Chile
Punta Arenas, Chile
Ushuaia, Argentina
Sacramento–San Joaquin rivers
Sacramento, California, United States
Gulf of Alaska
Port of Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Arafura Sea
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Bering Strait
Nome, Alaska, United States
Bohai Sea
Tianjin, People's Republic of China
Dongying, People's Republic of China
Qinhuangdao, People's Republic of China
Jinzhou, People's Republic of China
Yingkou, People's Republic of China
Hangu, People's Republic of China
Gulf of Carpentaria
Weipa, Queensland, Australia
Coral Sea
Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Port of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
Hay Point, Queensland, Australia
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
East China Sea
Ningbo, People's Republic of China
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Keelung, Taiwan
Gulf of Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand
Laem Chabang, Thailand
Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Kingdom of Cambodia
Korea Bay
Dalian, People's Republic of China
Lushun/Lushunkou, People's Republic of China
Namp'o, North Korea
Sinǔiju, North Korea
Yangtze River / Changjiang
Chongqing, People's Republic of China
Port of Shanghai, People's Republic of China
Wuhan, People's Republic of China
Gulf of California
Port of Pichilingue/La Paz, Mexico (UNESCO Whale Sactuary and Bio-Reserve)
Sea of Japan
Port of Busan, South Korea
Rason, North Korea
Hungnam, North Korea
Gangneung, South Korea
Nakhodka, Russia
Vladivostok, Russia
Vostochny, Russia
Wonsan, North Korea
Puget Sound/Strait of Georgia
Port of Vancouver, Canada
Port of Bellingham, Washington, United States
Port of Everett, Washington, United States
Port of Seattle, Washington, United States
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Port of Tacoma, Washington, United States
Port of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
San Francisco Bay
Port of Oakland, California, United States
Port of Redwood City, Redwood City, California, United States
Richmond, California, United States
San Francisco, California, United States
Vallejo, California, United States
Stockton, California, United States
Pittsburg, California, United States
South China Sea
Batangas, Philippines
Cam Ranh, Vietnam
Cebu, Philippines
Da Nang, Vietnam
Hai Phong, Vietnam
Iloilo, Philippines
Ka-Ho, Macau (People's Republic of China)
Kemaman Port, Terengganu, Malaysia
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon port), Vietnam
Port of Kaohsiung, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Kuantan Port, Pahang, Malaysia
Kuching Port, Sarawak, Malaysia
Miri Port, Sarawak, Malaysia
Rejang Port, Sarawak, Malaysia
Bintulu Port, Sarawak, Malaysia
Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
Port of Manila, Philippines
Muara Port, Brunei
Puerto Princesa, Philippines
Port of Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
Subic Bay, Philippines
Tuen Mun, Hong Kong People's Republic of China
Van Phong, Vietnam
Yantian, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
Zamboanga, Philippini
Pearl River / Zhujiang
Port of Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
Tasman Sea
Botany Bay (Port Botany), New South Wales, Australia* Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Nelson, New Zealand
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
New Plymouth, New Zealand
Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), New South Wales, Australia
Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia
Yellow Sea
Haenam, South Korea
Port of Incheon, South Korea
Qingdao, People's Republic of China
Rizhao, People's Republic of China
Tianjin, People's Republic of China
Weihai, People's Republic of China

9/04/2013

Brief introduction to marine engine cooling system

Engine cooling system is crucial to the normal operation of a diesel engine,especially for the marine application.The basic working principle works for both marine engines and on-land engines.So,that is to say,no matter what type of diesel engines or where you will want the engine to operate,it’s worth reading this article.
There are two types of engine cooling systems,the raw water system and the enclosed cooling system,and the enclosed cooling system is commonly found in large engines.Of all the marine diesel engines,enclosed water cooling system is employed on every ship.
What is raw water cooling system for an diesel engine?
As the words suggests,engines are cooled by the raw water,which is used without any treatment.For on-land situations that could be reasonable since fresh water is everywhere.And the fresh water is harmless to the engine parts.Raw water is drawn in and flow through the internal channel of the diesel engine and then be discharged outside.But for a ship/Drilling platform that would be impossible cause you possess not enough fresh water on the sea,enclosed cooling water system is therefore be applied to this circumstances.
What is enclosed water cooling water system for a marine diesel engine?
Fresh water is circulating around the fresh water part of the cooling system without being discharged,they will be cooled by a device called heat exchanger,that is commonly found on ships.After the fresh water has been cooled to the normal level they will continue to cool the engine.What material will be used to cool the fresh water?Normally,two kinds of mediums will serve this purpose.
1.Air cooled system
There will be a air cooling system,not directly for the engine,is used to cool the fresh water.Very big fan and coiler,fresh water flow through the coiler and the air is forced to cool the water.This air cooling system is not used too much because of the poor efficiency as compared to the sea water cooling system.But for a jack up rig this is not that bad since when the jack up has been jacked up,do you expect it to pump up water through the sea chest?Then there is no way to cool the fresh water,the only way to do it is using the air cooled system,if not,you will otherwise need to purchase extra submerged pump to draw the sea water in the sky!
2.Sea water cooling system
Warmed fresh water is cooled down inside heat exchanger where the cold sea water is warmed up,you can have as much as sea water you want on a sea,sea water is drawn in through a gate called sea chest,through which the debris and fish can be filtered out,preventing the heat exchanger from clogging.
For both of the two kind of marine engine cooling systems,a thermostatic valve is the key component,as the temperature of the inlet cooling water is configured to a certain value,the thermostatic valve is functioning as a temperature regulator where the high temperature cooling water and the feed cooling water can be mixed to the default value,then finally be drawn into the engine to cool the engine parts.
For marine application,both the fresh water cooling system and the sea water cooling system will need to be equipped with extra centrifugal pumps to provide the system with sufficient pump head,especially for the semi-submersible vessels,where th diesel engines are installed on a level of more than 30 meters high,the engine drived cooling pump is not expected to draw water inside from such a height.
Marine engine cooling system is a little bit complex than the normal diesel engine,and the main idea of cooling the engine is to use fresh water to cool the engine parts,and then to use whatever you want to cool the fresh water.That is how a marine diesel engine cooling system works.

9/03/2013

Charge air cooler used on marine diesel engines

Marine diesel engines have a number of parts that require us to have a fully understanding of how they work to help us deal with failures and malfunctions.Air coolers are common engine parts in marine engines which will ensure an effective oil & air combustion inside the engine cylinders.
Why diesel engines need air coolers?
It is well known that for the happening of combustion there will need the oil and air mixture,air is drawn into the engine and will be mixed with the oil mist,diesel engine has very high compression ratio than gasoline engines thus much more air will be needed in order to keep the oil air ratio,which is why air coolers are employed in large marine diesel engines through which the air is cooled down to the operating temperature after it pass through turbo-charger.A diesel engine turbo-charger is a device fitted on the engine for the purpose of providing engine with compressed air by using the energy of exhaust gas.When the air is passing through the turbocharger,both temperature and its density will be growing up,the higher the density the much more mass the oxygen,it is absolutely what the engine needed,however,the higher the temperature of charged air is,the much higher temperature the exhaust gas will be,that is what we do not expect,which will be contributing to the reduce of engine longevity.In order to reduce the charged air temperature the charge air cooler is thus be introduced to the engines.
Normally,there has a higher ambient temperature in engine room than in other places of ship,the temperature of charged air would likely increase due to the higher ambient air temperature,so the charge air cooler is designed as close to the air intake manifold as possible,which will make sure that the temperature of charged air will not increase significantly.
The following pictures present you with a typical charge air cooler fitted on a marine diesel engine.
As the pictures show that this engine is installed with two charge air coolers (Bad photographing,not enough space for me to take full back view photo)on both side of the engine since there are two turbochargers,the pipes go through the charge air coolers are the low temperature fresh water,this is the low temperature part of cooling water system which is different than the jacket water cooling system.The fresh water-out side is fitted with a thermostat valve which is used to keep the temperature of feed water at the set point to ensure the charged air has the same temperature before it goes into the engine.
Charge air cooler is always used for the cooling of charged air?
That depends on the temperature of charged air the engine required,charged air cooler function to maintain a consistent charged air temperature,it will warm up the air if it is too cold whereas it will cool down the air when it is too hot,but in most cases,after the air has been compressed by the turbocharger,the temperature will always be higher than the preset value.

9/02/2013

How to start a marine diesel engine?

I know this topic of how to run a marine diesl engine is certainly not going to interest many people,as in our daily lives the most relative thing we will do is to start a diesl car or a small genset,but if you want to drive a ship,or drive an oil rig,then this article is for you.
There are a great variety of systems on a ship,most of them are vital to the normal operation of the vessel,to both ensure the personal safty as well as the smooth running of the machines,we must always do the right things,as of a marine diesel engine,it is most important part of a ship,so let’s see how to start a marine diesl engine.
There are not many marine diesel engines that I had operated,nothing more and nothing less,is probably in a number of 60,but only a few types.As you know that,for a jack up and semi-submersible drilling platform there will be 4 to 8 main diesel engines that are equipped for the oil rig.The output power ranges from 2000-7000 KW,it seems that it is not too much but when it comes to the combination of eight engines working together,it’s not less.Let’s get back to the topic.
1.I’m not a man that strictly follow the starting procedure,the first thing I will do to start a cold marine engine is to check out the air pressure of the starting air tanks,and if it is of the normal value I will thereafter open the compressed air inlet valve to the air starter of the engine.Often times,the local control panel of the engine is not work since the 24V DC control circuit is offline,so I will need to turn on the switch the 24V is supplied from and wait until the self-check procedure of the engine is finished.
2.Open the ventilation of the engine room in case of poor combustion in cylinders and personal pass out due to short of oxygen,but it is OK not to run for a long period of time.
3.Preheat the jacket water,some types of marine engines has a independent preheater,and the thing you need to do is to turn it on and wait,sometimes you have to deal with the engines that are not equipped with such a thing,then it means it is integrated with a internal preheat procedure,so you can skip this step.
4.Turn on the sea chest valve and have the sea water cooling system running,for air cooling application,turn on the air coolers.
5.Start the fresh water cooling system for purposes of cooling the engine parts.It always consists of two different systems,low temperature cooling system and jacket cooling system.From my experiences it will not do harms to the engines if you forget to run the cooling system if the load of engine is in low level,but if not,it’s still not a big problem since the engine will be automatically shut down,but if a hurricane is coming,then,god bless you.
6.Do not forget the fuel supply system,turn the oil pump to on position,after everything has been done properly,push the start button,you will hear the air starter running to help the crankshaft rotate until fire speed is attained,then,the air motor disengaged and the diesel engine sustains to run.
There are some build-in protection for a marine engine such as the engine speed limitation,when the lubricant and the cooling water temperature are not in the preset value,the engine will not attain the rated speed.I’ve always been confessing that by just pushing the bypass cold engine and some other bypass buttons,engine is reaching the rated speed by no time.Operation procedure varys with different kind of marine engines,but three factors remain the same regardless of the types,the srarting air,the fuel and the cooling water.
Have you ever experienced to start a marine diesel engine?

9/01/2013

How does a rotary compressor works and the usages on a ship

Speaking to the air compressors,there might be many people have experiences of using them,but do all of you know exactly what is a rotary compressor used for on a ship?Let’s start with the working principle of a rotary compressor.
A rotary compressor is as simple as it looks,only a few components but it is a bit of hard to fully understand how the air goes through the rotors and then be compressed.Typically,a rotary compressor consists of two rotors named male/female rotors,kind of like the human being.When the air is drawn into the compressor through the inlet it is then to be compressed as the two rotors continues to rotate,a certain amount of air is trapped in the small space between the male and female rotors and with the continuous process of rotation the pressure of air is growing until it finally get to the outlet and then discharged into the air tank.
What is a rotary compressor used for on a ship?
There are a wide variety of usages a rotary compressor is applied on a marine ship,just like what it does on land,but there’s one thing that still remains uncleared,as we know a marine diesel engine is started by the compressed air but normally there will have an extra reciprocating compressor per engine(For offshore drilling units there are often more than three diesel engines) to help the diesel engine start to run,why wouldn’t the engine use the air from the tank that filled by the service compressors?To answer this question,you must have the basic idea that for a engine to start the required PSI the starting air must has is way higher than the compressed air used for the common air tools,that is why on a ship or a mobile offshore drilling unit there are two types of air tanks,one is for the engine and the other is for the common usages.Let’s break down this question,why a reciprocating compressor for engine start instead of a rotary compressor?In my guess,it is first due to the reciprocating compressor can attain a much higher air pressure than a rotary one,and the second reason is that the former one is slightly cheaper than the latter,am I right?
Regardless of the second question,if the starting air pressure a marine engine must has is as same as the common applications,then there is no need for the extra starting air compressor,that is what it is designed on the jack up I used to work on.There are also some other usages the compressors are applied to on a ship or oil rig which are seldom seen on land,such as air winches and quick ballast system,ballast pumps are seen as the normal ways to pump water in or out of the ballast tanks but for some Special Occasions we use compressed air for quick ballasting,I will write something about this system in the future.
Ijin Marine Limited is a repairing agent in Shanghai, providing all kinds of repair,supply,service etc in more than 300 ports of 80 countries.