Andrew Rae - Shipping Federation of Canada

E-Navigation Report, Atlantic:
Getting Smarter
Presentation to SFC Mariners’ Workshop
January 27, 2016
By: Capt. Andrew Rae, VP Atlantic
Canadian Marine Pilots’ Association
E-Navigation initiatives in
Atlantic Region
1.
SmartATLANTIC Inshore Weather Buoy Network
2.
MEOPAR’s CODAR Network
3.
Shell Oil deployment of Triaxys buoys
4.
Smart Pilot Boat/Redundancy for Herring Cove Buoy (proposed)
5.
iHeave Measurements study (proposed)
6.
Dalhousie University marine applications for high-resolution,
relocatable ocean/atmospheric model for generating forecasts
7.
Environment Canada World Class Tanker Safety
Marine Observations Requirements Initiative
8.
Canadian Coast Guard AIS Messages User Needs Survey and
Marine Portal
SmartATLANTIC Inshore Weather
Buoy Network is Priory #1

Priority:

Priority: Get a SmartATLANTIC AXYS 3-metre buoy for
Continue to enhance SmartATLANTIC's highresolution modelling and forecasting capabilities. e.g. more
sensors and partnerships with external organizations to share
relevant information/data to enhance high-resolution
forecasting;
Chedabucto Bay (Canso), Nova Scotia;

Priority:
Secure long-term operating and maintenance cost
funding for the SmartATLANTIC Alliance buoy at the pilot
boarding station in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland.
Priority: Users need a fully operational
Environment Canada network of offshore
(deep-water) buoys


Users in Atlantic Canada need:

Offshore and inshore smart buoy data;

Environment Canada to provide a renewed and working offshore buoy network;

Canadian Coast Guard to receive sufficient budget to support it with vessels of
convenience;

Multi-agency co-operation to resolve this issue (Environment Canada, Canadian
Coast Guard, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency).
We have flagged this as a major priority with:

Transport Canada (World Class Tanker Safety)

Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA Review)

Environment Canada (World Class Tanker Safety
Marine Observations Requirements Initiative)

Canadian Coast Guard (E-Navigation User Needs Matrix)
… Here’s why
Actual AIS Vessel
Tracks
The overlay of one year of AIS vessel tracking
(produced at Dalhousie University)
January 2016
Another tanker in distress off coast of Nova
Scotia: M.V. British Merlin (Aframax)

Loaded with crude oil Whiffen Head,
Newfoundland

Outbound from Placentia Bay (Jan.
17) enroute to Philadelphia.

Port of Refuge request received at
Port of Halifax (Jan. 19)

Mechanical failure of main engine
turbo blower. Vessel max speed cut to
3 kts in good weather.

Offshore supply vessel Maersk Cutter
is responding.

Just one-year since M.V. Australian
Spirit (also an Aframax tanker) lost
its rudder off the coast of Halifax
enroute from Placentia Bay to New
York.
Draft: Loaded to 13.6 m
Deadweight: 114,761 mt
Dec. 10, 2014
Call for help comes in from loaded Aframax
tanker M.V. Australian Spirit

Loaded crude tanker
adrift 40 NM from Halifax
with no rudder

Cargo: 775,000
barrels of crude

Approx. 3,000 m3 bunker

Transiting water too
deep to anchor

Weather conditions: Gale
force winds, heavy rain
and heavy seas

Port of Refuge: Halifax
SmartATLANTIC Buoys and highresolution forecasting are critical
tools for “Port of Refuge” Vessel
Operations

High-resolution forecasting
derived using
SmartATLANTIC Herring Cove
Buoy data will find safe
weather window to bring the
British Merlin into Halifax,
Jan. 2016

Same as SmartATLANTIC
forecasting of weather and
sea state identified safe
weather window for
rudderless Australian Spirit
to enter Halifax, Dec. 2015
SmartATLANTIC Buoys and highresolution forecasting are critical
tools for Spill Response & Clean-up

Monday January 4, 2016

Refinery at Come By Chance
reported a crude oil spill into
Placentia Bay, NL caused by a
broken section of pipeline.

Company said leak stopped
within an hour of the discovery
and its response team deployed
containment boom and
immediately started clean-up in
the area.

Estimated spill 1500 litres(10
barrels) of crude

Eastern Canada Response
Corporation (ECRC) was
contacted Monday January 4.

ECRC found oil on the shores
near Bordeaux, which is six
kilometres southwest of the
refinery.
M.V. Miner: 223m bulk carrier
 Grounded Scatarie Island, Nova Scotia Sept. 20, 2011.
It is still here causing problems in 2016.
 Towline parted during a storm while en route from
Montreal to Turkey to be scrapped.
 Clean-up costs already + $11 million
Economic Benefits of
SmartATLANTIC Alliance
Buoys

More effective planning of pilotage resources, tug escort
requirements and dispatching of longshoremen.

Keep principals and customers informed of extreme
weather, action plan for the port during the event and
anticipated time of reopening of the port.

Reduce the costs associated with vessel delays through
better planning of vessel arrivals and departures.

Know weather windows for cargo operations

Enhance safety of navigation

Supports work of outside agencies e.g. Canadian Coast
Guard, Transport Canada and Environment Canada.
SmartATLANTIC is a Network
of Sensors Working Together
High Resolution Forecast
Environment
Canada
Offshore Buoys
SmartATLANTIC
Herring Cove Buoy
SmartAtlantic
Newfoundland Buoys
SmartATLANTIC
Saint John Buoy
SmartATLANTIC
Chedabucto Bay Buoy
CODAR
Sensors in Ports
Oil & Gas
Offshore Buoys
Smart Pilot
Boats
Smart Atlantic Alliance:
SmartATLANTIC (NS and NB) inshore weather buoys
+ Marine Institute's Smart Atlantic (NL) inshore weather buoys.
Also shown: Environment Canada’s 9 offshore weather buoys (red dots) and Shell Oil’s 2 new
Triaxys buoys (yellow hexagons)
SmartATLANTIC Chedabucto Bay
Buoy (Proposed)
SmartATLANTIC Buoys’
Sensors Collect Real-Time Data
Maximum wave,
wave height,
wave direction
and wave period
Water
temperature
Current speed
and direction
Wind speed and
direction
Air temperature
Air pressure
(barometric
pressure)
Amec Foster Wheeler builds the models and generates
the high resolution weather, wind and wave forecasts
SmartATLANTIC Saint John:
Expanding the Network
3-metre buoy deployed by CCG March 14, 2015
Website launched June 25, 2015
www.smartatlantic/saintjohn.ca
SmartATLANTIC Saint John Buoy location
45⁰ 11.85’N, 066⁰ 05.90’W
SmartATLANTIC Halifax:
Expanding Capabilities
Two anemometers installed in 2014 (Pier 31 and Pier 9).
HPA funded.
Third anemometer operational Nov. 26, 2015 (Fairview
Cove Container Terminal). HPA funded.
One new tidal station

Upgrade AtoN system to broadcast the Halifax Harbour
Bridges Air Gap System and the 3 new anemometer
stations.

Plan to include wave period and wave direction in the
forecast, in 2016. Amec Foster Wheeler.

Plan to provide a wave height distribution field, in 2016.
Amec Foster Wheeler.
Port of Halifax Upgrades AIS

The "Big Lift" (replacing
of decking on Halifax
Harbour Bridges)

Created the need to
upgrade the AIS portion
of the Air Gap measuring
system for the bridges

Created opportunity to
connect the Port's 3 new
anemometer stations
into an AIS network.
As the bridge deck sections are removed from the centre span (between the towers), the
profile of the bridge will change and the high point of the bridge will vary. During the
construction phase between the towers, Halifax pilots will use an AtoN and visual
reference for the high point of the bridge.
Navigation Corridor
Work-in-Progress:

SmartATLANTIC Modelling & Forecasting

Add wave height data from Shell Oil’s 2 new Triaxys buoys
recently deployed 145 nm south of Halifax. These buoys were
deployed to support the drill ship STENA ICEMAX

Add wave height data from MEOPAR CODAR sites

R & D: Smart Pilot Boat Project to develop wave height sensor
for APA pilot boat (in Halifax) - sponsored by Institute for Ocean
Resource Enterprise (IORE) – (proposed)

R & D: Develop marine applications for high-resolution,
relocatable ocean/atmospheric model for generating forecasts
(from global scale down to harbour scale) – Dalhousie University
Continued on next slide
Work-in-Progress (continued
from previous slide):

Canadian Coast Guard, Atlantic Region


Working on getting AIS met/hydro data from
SmartATLANTIC Herring Cove and Saint John buoys visible
at CCG’s MCTS Centre (Halifax).
DUKC (Port of Halifax)

iHeave Measurements study (proposed)
Shell Oil: Sharing data with
SmartATLANTIC from new buoys
in Shelburne Basin, Nova Scotia
MEOPAR CODAR Network,
Nova Scotia

New CODAR site at Clam Harbour, NS - January 2015

New CODAR site at Sandy Cove, NS - November 2015

CODAR shore-based facilities will measure wave heights up
to 100 NM (185 km) offshore. Significantly extending the
range of the SmartATLANTIC Herring Cove Buoy for wave
heights and surface currents.

Additional information for masters approaching/departing
Halifax

CODAR sites operated by MEOPAR (Marine Environmental,
Observation, Prediction and Response Network)
Coastal Ocean Dynamics
Application Radar (CODAR) is the
new kid in Atlantic Canada
Definition:

CODAR describes a type of portable, land-based, High
Frequency (HF) radar developed between 1973 and 1983
at NOAA's Wave Propagation Laboratory in Boulder,
Colorado.

CODAR is used to measure and map near-surface ocean
currents and wave heights in coastal waters.

It is transportable and offers output ocean current maps
on site in near real time.
MEOPAR’s
CODAR Network
superimposed over
AIS tracks
Coastal Ocean Dynamics Application Radar
(CODAR) shown in red
Extends from Shelburne to Sheet Harbour, NS
Smart Pilot Boat project
(Halifax) - proposed

Date: 2016

Project to develop wave
height sensor for APA
pilot boat (in Halifax) sponsored by Institute for
Ocean Resource
Enterprise (IORE)

Purpose: to investigate if
pilot boats equipped with
sensors could be used to
accurately measure wave
height / act as backup
for SmartATLANTIC buoys

Supports SmartATLANTIC
Herring Cove Buoy.
iHeave Measurements Study
(Halifax) - proposed
Portable
carry
aboard
system
(7kg)

Supports the operational realities of piloting large ships.

Provides critical information for quantifying safe operating
parameters for underkeel clearance in varying sea states.

CMPA is investigating funding sources.

Target date: Winter 2016
iHeave Video Clip
Note: Dynamic Under Keel Clearance (DUKC) readout in upper left-hand corner
(green text)
New Project: Dalhousie University
High-resolution, relocatable ocean/atmospheric
model for generating forecasts
What is being developed:
1)
A new real-time “pre-operational” atmosphere-ocean forecast system that downscales
forecasts of the global atmosphere and ocean, across the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of
Maine, to major coastal centers such as Halifax Harbour and the Port of Saint John.
Forecasts will reach up to five days into the future;
2)
A new real-time atmospheric downscaling system that will provide wind forecasts for the
GoMSS region with an unprecedented horizontal resolution of order 1 km;
3)
Potential practical applications for marine users:
1)
High-resolution surface currents (down to 1 km grid)
2)
High-resolution winds (down to 1 km grid)
3)
Sea-level predictions (down to 1 km grid)
4)
Improved storm surge forecasting (% of probability)

Data from SmartATLANTIC buoys is assisting in the modelling

Principal Investigator Dr. Hal Ritchie, Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie
University

Outcome: potential new capabilities for SmartATLANTIC websites
National E-Nav. initiatives the
Atlantic Region participated in
during 2015

Environment Canada World Class Tanker Safety
Marine Observations Requirements Initiative

Canadian Coast Guard AIS Messages User Needs Survey

Canadian Coast Guard Marine Portal user assessment of
test site
Next Meeting
of CCG E-Nav.
Committee,
Atlantic
Region
Week of
February
8, 2016,
in Halifax
Q
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