TAB 6 Navigational Safety - Chapter 29 - Position Reporting Systems.pdf - N. Bowditch - was72

CHAPTER 29

POSITION REPORTING SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION

2900. Purpose

til other aid is at hand or until released by the distressed

vessel. Other international treaties and conventions impose

the same requirement. Position reporting systems permit

determination of the most appropriate early assistance, pro-

vide the means for a timely resolution of distress cases, and

enable vessels responding to distress calls to continue their

passage with a minimum amount of delay.

Other resolutions recommend that governments encourage

participation in position reporting schemes by ensuring that no

costs are incurred by the vessel for participation.

There are currently many position reporting systems in

operation throughout the world. The particulars of each sys-

tem are given in publications of the International Maritime

Organization (IMO). Masters of vessels making offshore

passages are requested by the U.S. Coast Guard to always

participate in the AMVER System and to participate in the

other systems when in the areas covered by them.

The purpose of position reporting systems is to monitor

vessel positions and inform authorities and other vessels of

an emergency or distress at sea so that a response can be co-

ordinated among those best able to help. It is important that

distress information be immediately available to Search and

Rescue (SAR) coordinators so that assistance can be ob-

tained with the least delay. Establishing communications is

sometimes difficult even when automatic alarms are used,

and determination of SAR capabilities and intentions of

vessels is time-consuming, unless the essential information

has been made readily available beforehand by their partic-

ipation in a position reporting system.

The Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) ob-

ligates the master of any vessel who becomes aware of a

distress incident to proceed to the emergency and assist un-

AMVER

2901. The Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue

System (AMVER)

dressed to AMVER Halifax or AMVER Vancouver. This

avoids incurring charges to the vessel.

In addition to the information calculated from sailing

plans and position reports, the AMVER Center stores data on

the characteristics of vessels. This includes the following:

vessel name; international call sign; nation of registry; owner

or operator; type of rig; type of propulsion; gross tonnage;

length; normal cruising speed; radio schedule; radio facili-

ties; radio telephone installed; surface search radar installed;

doctor normally carried. Vessels can assist the AMVER Cen-

ter in keeping this data accurate by sending a complete report

by message, letter, or by completing a SAR Information

Questionnaire available from AMVER, and sending correc-

tions as the characteristics change. Corrections may be

included in regular AMVER reports as remarks.

For AMVER participants bound for U.S. ports there is an

additional benefit. AMVER messages which include the neces-

sary information are considered to meet the requirements of 33

CFR 161 (Notice of arrival).

AMVER, operated by the United States Coast Guard, is

an international maritime mutual assistance program which as-

sists search and rescue efforts in many offshore areas of the

world. Merchant ships of all nations making offshore passages

are encouraged to send movement (sailing) reports and period-

ic position reports voluntarily to the AMVER Center in New

York via selected radio stations. Information from these re-

ports is entered into a computer which maintains dead

reckoning positions for the vessels.

Information concerning the predicted location and SAR

characteristics of each vessel is available upon request to rec-

ognized SAR agencies of any nation or to vessels needing

assistance. Predicted locations are disclosed only for reasons

related to marine safety.

Messages sent within the AMVER System are at no cost to

the ship or owner. Benefits to shipping include: (1) improved

chances of aid in emergencies, (2) reduced number of calls for

assistance to vessels not favorably located, and (3) reduced time

lost for vessels responding to calls for assistance. An AMVER

participant is under no greater obligation to render assistance

during an emergency than a non-participating vessel.

All AMVER messages are addressed to Coast Guard, New

York, regardless of the station to which the message is delivered,

except those sent to Canadian stations which should be ad-

2902. AMVER System Communications Network

An extensive radio network supports the AMVER system.

Propagation conditions, location of vessel, and message density

will normally determine which station should be contacted to es-

tablish communications. To ensure that no charge is applied, all

AMVER messages should be passed through specified radio

403

404

POSITION REPORTING SYSTEMS

stations. Those which currently accept AMVER messages and

apply to coastal station, ship station, or landline charge are listed

in each issue of the AMVER Bulletin, together with respective

call sign, location, frequency bands, and hours of guard. Al-

though AMVER messages may be sent through other stations,

the Coast Guard cannot reimburse the sender for any charges.

3. Arrival Report.

4. Position Report.

5. Deviation Reports.

AMVER permits sailing plan and departure informa-

tion to be combined into a single report. It also accepts

sailing plan information separately.

Only the above five types of AMVER messages require

specific formats. (See DMAHTC Pub. 117, Radio Naviga-

tional Aids ). Other messages relating to a vessel’s AMVER

participation or data, such as facts on her SAR capabilities,

may also be sent via the AMVER communications network.

Additional information concerning the AMVER System

may be obtained by writing to: Commandant, U.S. Coast

Guard, Washington, DC 20590, or by writing or visiting

Commander, Atlantic Area, U.S. Coast Guard, Governors Is-

land, New York, NY 10004. The AMVER System in the

Pacific is coordinated by Commander, Pacific Area, U.S.

Coast Guard, Government Island, Alameda, CA 94501.

Other countries such as Canada are a formal part of the

AMVER System and provide radio stations for relay of

AMVER reports, as well as coordinating rescue efforts in

certain regions. Applicable instructions have been promul-

gated by official publications of the participating countries.

2903. The AMVER Bulletin

The AMVER Bulletin , published quarterly by the U.S.

Coast Guard, provides information on the operation of the

AMVER System of general interest to the mariner. It also pro-

vides up-to-date information on the AMVER communications

network and Radio Wave Propagation Charts which indicate

recommended frequencies for contacting U.S. coast radio sta-

tions participating in the AMVER System, according to the

time of day and the season of the year.

2904. AMVER Participation

Instructions guiding participation in the AMVER Sys-

tem are available in the following languages: Chinese,

Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian,

Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian,

Spanish and Swedish. The AMVER Users Manual is avail-

able from: Commander, Atlantic Area, U.S. Coast Guard,

Governors Island, NY, 10004; Commander Pacific Area,

U.S. Coast Guard, Government Island, Alameda, CA

94501; and at U.S. Coast Guard District Offices, Marine

Safety Offices, Marine Inspection Offices and Captain of

the Port Offices in major U.S. ports. Requests for instruc-

tions should state the language desired if other than English.

Search and Rescue operation procedures are contained

in the Merchant Ship Search and Rescue Manual (MER-

SAR) published by the International Maritime

Organization (IMO). U.S. flag vessels may obtain a copy of

MERSAR from local Coast Guard Marine Safety Offices

and Marine Inspection Offices or by writing to U.S. Coast

Guard (G-OSR), Washington, DC 20593. Other flag ves-

sels may purchase MERSAR directly from IMO.

In connection with a vessel’s first AMVER-plotted voyage,

the master is requested to complete a questionnaire providing

the radio watch schedule, available medical and communica-

tions facilities, and other useful characteristics. Stored in the

AMVER computer, this information can be electronically pro-

cessed in an emergency, while a position is calculated.

Any vessel of any nation departing on an offshore pas-

sage of 24 hours duration or greater is encouraged to

become a participant in the AMVER System by sending ap-

propriate AMVER messages in one of several formats. The

messages may be transmitted at any convenient time as

long as the information is accurate.

There are five types of AMVER Reports.

2905. AMVER Reporting Required

The U.S. Maritime Administration regulations state

that certain U.S. flag vessels and foreign flag “War Risk”

vessels must report and regularly update their voyages to

the AMVER Center. This reporting is required of the fol-

lowing: (a) U.S. flag vessels of 1,000 tons or greater,

operating in foreign commerce; (b) foreign flag vessels of

1,000 gross tons or greater, for which an Interim War Risk

Insurance Binder has been issued under the provisions of

Title XII, Merchant Marine Act, 1936.

2906. AMVER Plot Information

The information stored in the computer can be used to

provide several types of display according to the needs of

controllers at Rescue Coordination Centers. The surface

picture (SURPIC) can be displayed as a Radius SURPIC

(Figure 2906a). When requesting a Radius SURPIC, the

controller specifies the date and time, a latitude and longi-

tude to mark the center (P), the radius (in nautical miles)

that the SURPIC should cover (R), and whether the names

of all ships are desired (or only those with doctors, or per-

haps those heading either east or west).

A Radius SURPIC may be requested for any radius

from 1 to 999 miles. A sample request is as follows:

1. Sailing Plan.

2. Departure Report.

“REQUEST 062100Z RADIUS SURPIC OF DOCTOR-

SHIPS WITHIN 800 MILES OF 43.6N 030.2W FOR MED-

ICAL EVALUATION M/V SEVEN SEAS.”

POSITION REPORTING SYSTEMS

405

Figure 2906a. Radius SURPIC, Area SURPIC, and Trackine SURPIC.

The Area SURPIC is obtained by specifying the date,

time, and two latitudes and two longitudes. The controller

can limit the ships to be listed as with the Radius SURPIC.

There is no maximum or minimum size limitation on an

Area SURPIC.

A sample Area SURPIC request is as follows:

position of an AMVER participant wherever located.

A sample Location Vessel request is as follows:

“REQUEST PRESENT POSITION, COURSE, AND

SPEED OF M/V POLARIS”

“REQUEST 151300Z AREA SURPIC OF WEST-

BOUND SHIPS FROM 43N TO 31N LATITUDE AND

FROM 130W TO 150W LONGITUDE FOR SHIP DIS-

TRESS M/V EVENING SUN LOCATION 37N, 140W.”

A Radius SURPIC as it would be received by a rescue

center, listing all ships within a 200-mile radius of 26.2N,

179.9W, is shown in figure 2906b.

2907. Uses Of AMVER Plot Information

The Trackline SURPIC is obtained by specifying the

date and time, two points (P1 and P2), whether the trackline

should be rhumb line or great circle, what the half-width (D)

coverage should be (in nautical miles), and whether all ships

are desired (or only doctor ships, or just those east or west-

bound). The half-width (D) specified should not exceed 100

miles. When received, the SURPIC will list ships in order

from P1 to P2. There is no maximum or minimum distance

between P1 and P2.

A sample Trackline SURPIC request is as follows:

An example of the use of a Radius SURPIC is depicted

in Figure 2907. In this situation rescue authorities believe

that a ship in distress, or her survivors, will be found in the

rectangular area. The Rescue Coordination Center requests

a listing of all eastbound ships within 100 miles of a care-

fully chosen position. Once this list is received by the

Rescue Coordination Center a few moments later, messag-

es can be prepared for satellite transmission to each vessel,

or arrangements made to contact them by radio.

Each ship contacted may be asked to sail a rhumb line

between two specified points, one at the beginning of the

search area and one at the end. By carefully assigning ships

to areas of needed coverage, very little time need be lost

from the sailing schedule of each cooperating ship. Those

ships joining the search would report their positions every

few hours to the Rescue Coordination Center, together with

weather data and any significant sightings. In order to

achieve saturation coverage, a westbound SURPIC at the

“REQUEST 310100Z GREAT CIRCLE TRACKLINE

SURPIC OF ALL SHIPS WITHIN 50 MILES OF A LINE

FROM 20.1N 150.2W TO 21.5N 158.0W FOR AIRCRAFT

PRECAUTION.”

A Location Vessel is used to determine the location of

a specific ship. It permits a controller to determine the DR

Name

Call

sign

Position

Course Speed

SAR data

Destination

and ETA

CHILE MARU

JAYU 26.2 N 179.9E

C294

12.5K

H 1 6 R

X Z

KOBE

CPA 258 DEG. 012 MI. 032000Z

WILYAMA

LKBD 24.8N 179.1W

C106

14.0K

H X

T V X Z

BALBOA

CPA 152 DEG. 092 MI. 032000Z

PRES CLEVELAND

WITM 25.5N 177.0W

C284

19.3K

H 2 4 R D T

X Z S

YKHAMA

CPA 265 WILL PASS WITHIN 10 MI 040430Z

AENEAS

GMRT

25.9N 176.9E

C285

16.0K

H 8

N V X Z

YKHAMA

CPA 265 DEG. 175 MI. 03200Z

Figure 2906b. Radius SURPIC as received by a rescue center.

406

POSITION REPORTING SYSTEMS

eastern extremity of the search area would also be used.

The Trackline SURPIC is most commonly used as a

precautionary measure for aircraft. Rarely, if ever, is a ma-

jor airliner forced to ditch at sea anymore. But occasions

sometimes arise where a plane loses of one or more of its

engines. A Trackline SURPIC, provided from the point of

difficulty to the destination, provides the pilot with the add-

ed assurance of knowing the positions of vessels beneath

him and that they have been alerted. SURPIC’s have been

used successfully to save the lives of pilots of small aircraft.

Figure 2907. Use of radius SURPIC.

EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIOBEACONS (EPIRB’S)

2908. Description And Capabilities

signed to be detected by overflying commercial or military

aircraft. Satellites were designed to detect these EPIRB’s

but are limited for the following reasons:

Emergency Position Indicating Radiobeacons

(EPIRB’s), devices which cost from $200 to over $1500,

are designed to save lives by automatically alerting rescue

authorities and indicating the distress location. EPIRB

types are described below:

1. Satellite detection range is limited for these EPIRB’s

(satellites must be within line of sight of both the

EPIRB and a ground terminal for detection to occur).

2. EPIRB design and frequency congestion cause

them to be subject to a high false alert/false alarm

rate (over 99%); consequently, confirmation is re-

121.5/243 MHz EPIRB’s (Class A, B, S): These are

the most common and least expensive type of EPIRB, de-

Type

Frequency

Description

Class A

121.5/243 MHz

Float-free, automatic activating, detectable by aircraft and

satellite. Coverage limited (see Figure 2908).

Class B

121.5/243 MHz

Manually activated version of Class A.

Class C

VHF Ch. 15/16

Manually activated, operates on maritime channels only.

Not detectable by satellite.

Class S

121.5/243 MHz

Similar to Class B, except that it floats, or is an integral part

of a survival craft.

Category I

121.5/406 MHz

Float-free, automatically activated. Detectable by satellite

anywhere in the world.

Category II

121.5/406 MHz

Similar to Category I, except manually activated.

Figure 2908a. EPIRB classifications.

POSITION REPORTING SYSTEMS

407

Feature

121.5/406 MHz EPIRB

121.5/243 MHz EPIRB

Frequencies

406.025 MHz (locating)

121.500 MHz (civilian)

121.500 MHz (homing)

243.000 MHz (military)

Primary Function

Satellite alerting, locating, identification of

distressed vessels.

Transmission of distress signal to passing aircraft

and ships.

Distress Confirmation

Positive identification of coded beacon; each

beacon signal is a coded, unique signal with

registration data (vessel name, description,

and telephone number ashore, assisting in

confirmation).

Virtually impossible; no coded information,

beacons often incompatible with satellites;

impossible to know if signals are from EPIRB,

ELT, or non-beacon source.

Signal

Pulse digital, providing accurate beacon

location and vital information on distressed

vessel.

Continuous signal allows satellite locating at

reduced accuracy; close range homing.

Signal Quality

Excellent; exclusive use of 406 MHz for

distress beacons; no problems with false

alerts from non-beacon sources.

Relatively poor; high number of false alarms

caused by other transmitters in the 121.5 MHz

band.

Satellite Coverage

Global coverage, worldwide detection;

satellite retains beacon data until next earth

station comes into view.

Both beacon and LUT must be within coverage of

satellite; detection limited to line of sight.

Operational Time

48 hrs. at -20

Output Power

5 watts at 406 MHz, .025 watts at 121.5 MHz. 0.1 watts average.

Strobe Light

High intensity strobe helps in visually

locating search target.

None.

Location Accuracy

(Search Area) and Time

Required

1 to 3 miles (10.8 sq. miles); accurate position

on first satellite overflight enables rapid SAR

response, often within 30 min.

10 to 20 miles (486 sq. miles); SAR forces must

wait for second system alert to determine final

position before responding (1 to 3 hr. delay).

Figure 2908b. Summary comparison of 121.5/406 MHz and 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB’s.

quired before SAR forces can be deployed;

3. EPIRB’s manufactured before October 1988 may

have design or construction problems (e.g. some

models will leak and cease operating when im-

mersed in water) or may not be detectable by

satellite.

406 MHz EPIRB’s (Category I, II): The 406 MHz

EPIRB was designed to operate with satellites. Its signal al-

lows a satellite local user terminal to locate the EPIRB

(much more accurately than 121.5/243 MHz devices) and

identify the vessel (the signal is encoded with the vessel’s

identity) anywhere in the world. There is no range limita-

tion. These devices also include a 121.5 MHz homing

signal, allowing aircraft and rescue vessels to quickly find

the vessel in distress. These are the only type of EPIRB

which must be tested by Coast Guard-approved indepen-

dent laboratories before they can be sold for use within the

United States.

An automatically activated, float-free version of this

EPIRB has been required on SOLAS vessels (cargo ships

over 300 tons and passenger ships on international voyages)

since 1 August 1993. The Coast Guard requires U.S. com-

mercial fishing vessels to carry this device (unless they carry

a Class A EPIRB), and will require the same for other U.S.

commercial uninspected vessels which travel more than 3

miles offshore.

Class C EPIRB’s: These are manually activated

devices intended for pleasure craft which do not ven-

ture far offshore, and for vessels on the Great Lakes.

They transmit a short burst on VHF-FM 156.8 MHz

(Ch. 16) and a longer homing signal on 156.75 MHz

(Ch. 15). Their usefulness depends upon a coast station

or another vessel guarding channel 16 and recognizing

the brief, recurring tone as an EPIRB. Class C EPIRB’s

are not recognized outside of the United States. Class C

EPIRB’s cannot be manufactured or sold in the United

States after February 1995. Class C EPIRB’s installed

on board vessel’s prior to February 1995 may be uti-

lized until 1 February 1999 and not thereafter.

TAB 6 Navigational Safety - Chapter 29 - Position Reporting Systems.pdf

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