Deck Officers Research Articles

Holistic collision avoidance decision support system for watchkeeping deck officers

The paper presents a 3-stage synthesis-based Decision Support System for watchkeeping deck officers. Its functional scope covers conflict detection, maneuver selection, and maneuver execution, all phases supplemented by collision alerts. First, a customized elliptic ship domain is used for checking if both OS and TS will have enough free space. A survey-based navigators’ declarative OS arena is then used to determine the time at which OOW would like to take evasive action. Next, a safety level is assigned to the current situation based on the predicted violations of the ship domain and the declarative arena. The safety levels are also attributed to potential evasive maneuvers (single actions combining course alteration and rudder deflection). For a selected maneuver, Collision Avoidance Dynamic Critical Area (CADCA) is displayed, which informs OOW about the time window when the maneuver remains feasible. All of the above contribute to a holistic system of multi-level safety assessment utilizing: empirical ship domain, survey-based declarative arena, and ship dynamics-based CADCA. These, in turn, take into account navigators’ knowledge and preferences, ship maneuverability, and the impact of environmental conditions. The system is presented in three real-life scenarios located in the southern part of the Baltic Sea around the Danish straits.

Exploring maritime safety and risk management practices among STIP Jakarta graduates

This qualitative study addresses the urgent need to enhance safety and risk management practices among graduates of the Maritime Institute Jakarta (STIP Jakarta), including deck officers, engine officers, and shipping professionals. The research objectives are to investigate current safety and risk management practices, examine factors influencing safety culture and risk perception, and assess implications for organisational safety and sustainability. The study employs a qualitative approach, utilising semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis. The sample comprises 70 graduates of STIP Jakarta, with data analysed thematically. Results indicate a strong commitment to safety culture and high compliance with IMO-STCW standards. The study highlights the importance of safety culture, regulatory compliance, and professionalism for ensuring the safety, competence, and sustainability of maritime operations. The findings have significant implications for organisational practice, education, and future research in the maritime industry.

Exploring the influence of seafarers’ individual characteristics on the perceived risk in Maritime emergencies: A simulator study

The perceived risk experienced during the operation of a ship varies among seafarers, likely due to individual differences and variations in task requirements. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impacts of seafarers’ individual characteristics on their perceived risk under various emergencies by conducting a high-fidelity ship-handling simulator experiment. A linear mixed effects model is built to assess the impact of individual characteristics (e.g. age, navigational experience, profession, professional level) on the perceived risk of seafarers. Results show that the perceived risk of maritime pilots is significantly higher than deck officers under three emergency situations. The lower perceived risk is found from seafarers with higher navigational experience or at a higher professional level in situations involving poor visibility or an emergency incident. Additionally, the seafarer’s age could affect the perceived risk only in the circumstance of an emergency incident. Another finding is that seafarers at a high professional level (i.e. first mate, second-class pilot) exhibit higher perceived risk than those at a low professional level (i.e. second mate, third-class pilot) under the emergency of close encounters. Seafarers’ individual characteristics have different impacts in various emergency situations, with the influence of their profession being particularly significant. Maritime administrations were suggested to develop diverse training programs for various seafarers in order to reduce the occurrence likelihood of human errors in maritime accidents.

Maritime decision-makers and cyber security: deck officers’ perception of cyber risks towards IT and OT systems

Through a quantitative study of deck officers’ cyber risk perceptions towards information (IT) and operational (OT) systems, this paper contributes to substantiate the importance of considering human behaviour within maritime cyber security. Using survey data from 293 deck officers working on offshore vessels, statistical analyses were conducted to measure and predict the participants cyber risk perceptions towards IT and OT systems. Performing a Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a significant discrepancy in the levels of cyber risk perception between the system categories. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to develop statistical models, considering multiple independent variables, including perceived benefit, cyber security training, experience with cyber-attacks, and trust towards various stakeholders. Key findings revealed distinct results for IT and OT systems, and the regression models varied in both predictive power and significance of the independent variables. Perceived benefit positively predicts deck officers cyber risk perception for both IT and OT systems, while trust, which included measures of social trust and confidence, was not found to be significant. Cyber security training and experience with cyber-attacks only influence deck officers’ perception of cyber risks related to operational technology. Practical implications of this work provide actionable recommendations for the maritime industry, including tailored risk communication tools, training programs, reporting systems, and holistic policies.

Assessing Computer Literacy and Socioreligious Perspectives among First-Year Cadets in International Maritime Education at Maritime Institute Jakarta (STIP Jakarta)

This academic research delves into the critical examination of the computer literacy and socioreligious perspectives of first-year cadets enrolled in the International Maritime Education programme at Maritime Institute Jakarta (STIP Jakarta). The study focuses on 200 randomly selected cadets who represent a diverse range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds within Indonesia. As future global officers, these cadets are integral to the maritime sector's international landscape and are expected to communicate fluently in English, adhering to the standards set by the International Maritime Organization's International Maritime Education and Training (IMO-STCW) guidelines. The research is centred on the first semester cadets, freshly graduated from senior high school, enrolled in three majors: Nautical, Technical, and Port and Shipping Management. These majors collectively contribute to the production of qualified seamen, deck officers, and engine officers. The investigation employs qualitative research methods and descriptive analysis to comprehend the cadets' competences in computer literacy. The focal point is the introductory study of computer science and maritime technology tailored for the Nautical and Technical majors. Moreover, the research incorporates an examination of the socioreligious dimensions influencing the cadets' perspectives on their educational journey. Given that the cadets hail from diverse regions of Indonesia, they bring with them a rich tapestry of linguistic and cultural practices, utilising both Bahasa Indonesia and their traditional languages in their daily lives. The study aims to understand how these socioreligious factors intertwine with their academic pursuits and adherence to international standards. In conclusion, this research contributes to the broader discourse on maritime education by providing insights into the intersection of computer literacy, socioreligious perspectives, and international competencies among first-year cadets. The findings are expected to inform educational strategies and policies to better prepare cadets for the evolving demands of the global maritime industry.

Exploring Social and Religious Dimensions: A Qualitative Analysis of Computer Literacy and Motivational Empowerment among Maritime Cadets in an International Programme

This study delves into the intricate interplay of social, religious, and academic facets within the Maritime Institute Jakarta (STIP Jakarta), specifically focusing on Semester 1 cadets enrolled in the international programme. The research centres on the competencies of 200 randomly selected cadets, examining their proficiency in computer literacy while scrutinizing the influence of social and religious perspectives on their pursuit of an international maritime education. This investigation aligns with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) framework, emphasising the paramount importance of English communication skills for future global officers. Maritime Institute Jakarta (STIP Jakarta), renowned for producing a substantial number of qualified seamen, deck officers, and engine officers, offers applied bachelor's degrees in Nautical, Technical, and Port and Shipping Management majors. Cadets, hailing from diverse regions across Indonesia, incorporate Bahasa Indonesia and their traditional languages into their daily lives. However, the demand for international and global proficiency necessitates fluency in English communication. The research methodology adopts a qualitative approach with a focus on descriptive analysis. By investigating the social and motivational empowerment aspects, the study aims to uncover the intricate dynamics that influence the cadets' journey. Attention is given to the prayers and expectations of parents, reflecting on the cadets' plans and aspirations to become exceptional seafarers. The qualitative lens employed in this study allows for a nuanced understanding of the cadets' experiences, exploring the multifaceted dimensions of their educational journey. This research not only contributes to the understanding of computer literacy among maritime cadets but also sheds light on the socio-religious context that shapes their educational pursuits. The findings are anticipated to inform educational policies, curriculum development, and support systems tailored to the unique needs of maritime cadets in an international setting.

Deck officer drowsiness detection based on Improved GhostNet-SSD and grey correlation analysis

Deck officer drowsy driving has become a major cause of shipping accidents, while traditional drowsiness detection methods have struggled to cope with the complex detection environment of a ship's cockpit. In this paper, we propose a deck officer drowsiness detection method based on the improved GhostNet-SSD.A multi-scale feature extraction network is constructed on the basis of lightweight GhostNet to generate redundant feature maps by depthwise separable convolutions. Extracting features of small targets at multiple scales facilitates that the model can be deployed on shipboard low-performance devices and enhances the detection accuracy of the model at the same time. In the inference stage, an improved soft-NMS algorithm is proposed to optimize the process of removing overlapping prior bounding box, reduce the miss rate of overlapping targets, and boost the detection speed of the model.

Seafarer market structure analysis of Korean merchant shipping in COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrates that seafarers are essential for sustaining world shipping services and global supply chain. Understanding the characteristics of supply and demand in seafarer market will be a solution for the bottleneck issues of seafarer change and shipping services. This paper explores the supply and demand of seafarer market in Korea and evaluates the effects of COVID-19 on both supply and demand sides of Korean seafarers by adopting regression models with panel data for the supply and time series data for the demand. First, this paper finds that the effects of COVID-19 are negative in the demand of Korean seafarer market even with the wider increase of tonnage of the Korean flagged ships in 2020. The demand shock seems to be resulted by the traveling restriction and stricter immigration measures to travellers after the announcement of COVID-19 pandemic. Second, supply in the regression models of panel data is affected negatively after declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic may trigger the hesitation of seafaring due to the travelling restriction and bottlenecks from seafarer changes onboard. Besides these findings, the correlation coefficients between the number of Korean seafarers of merchant ships and merchant fleet illustrate a diverse relationship between the two. The expansion of Korean ocean-going fleet is accompanied by the decrease of Korean seafarers on the Korean flag. The employment of foreign seafarers since 1992 has resulted in the continual decrease of ratings employment in the Korean flagged ships. The inflow of foreign deck officers in the Korean flagged ships after 2005 could lessen the officer deficiency caused by high separation rate of Korean deck officers. This inflow implies that seafarer market in a country not only affects global seafarer market in the world through the changes of seafarer supply and demand in the country, but is affected by the global market. The dual markets of Korean seafarers in ocean-going and coastal shipping present the following phenomena: severe aging of seafarers in coastal shipping and wider difference in welfare level of seafarers between the two. Further research on wage and career advancement of Korean seafarers would widen and deepen our understanding on seafarer market both for Korea and the rest of the world.

Composing a Standard for Electronic Chart Display and Information System Type Specific Training

Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) training is accepted as extremely important for safety in modern navigation. At present, two types of training are required for deck officers. Operational use of ECDIS is mandatory training for deck officers and it is conducted according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Model course 1.27. This course provides general knowledge about ECDIS. Type specific training is indispensable for the officers to know all the capabilities, functions, and limitations of the ECDIS used onboard. The lack of regulations for this type of training allows the manufacturers of ECDIS to apply their own requirements. This can result in improper and insufficient training. Based on research of the opinion and experience of deck officers, the authors of the paper propose a model of a standard for type specific training.

The Importance and Effectiveness of the Teaching of Maritime English in a Merchant Maritime Academy: Investigating the Opinions and Points of Parties Involved

It is widely known that the English language is the working language of shipping industry. In 2001, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted the Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP) and via one of its major Conventions, STCW 95, the teaching of Maritime English – a core competence of all Deck officers used to minimize communication problems onboard vessels – has become a mandatory part of the education of officers in every white-listed training institution. The focus of the present study was the evaluation of the importance and the effectiveness of the teaching of Maritime English as seen by the students of a Merchant Marine Academy in Greece. The adopted research design was a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research so as to reach a better and more objective understanding of the research problem. However, it has to be mentioned that due to their bulk, the data collected by using structured interviews (qualitative method) were not analysed due to time limitations – their analysis, though, is to be conducted in the immediate future. The results of the quantitative leg of the research are extremely interesting, providing food for thought while at the same time creating space for further research.

Maximizing Students’ Learning in Maritime English Online Course

The current appeal within MET to design effective online courses has arisen from the necessity to develop flexible learning environment to reinforce student background knowledge and widen student access to information. The paper presents ways for maximizing students’ learning in Maritime English online course under conditions of permanent online learning and teaching. The participants in this study are students of the Navigation Faculty and teachers of the English Language Department for Deck Officers at Kherson State Maritime Academy, Ukraine. The study examines students’ engagement and teachers’ experiences while learning and teaching Maritime English via virtual platforms. Online surveys have been designed to investigate the effectiveness of tailor-made e-books and supplementary e-courses on the LMS Moodle platform to enable communicative interaction and provide communicative proficiency development at online lessons on Zoom. The survey has explored students’ advancements in the online course and the areas for further instruction upgrading to reinforce personalized and active learning.

Examining the distance education process in terms of professional competencies of maritime students

ABSTRACT Measures were implemented between 2020 and 2022 to encourage people to stay at home in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of these measures was the transition to remote and virtual education in many countries’ educational institutions. This study aims to predict the professional competencies of final-year undergraduate students selected from five maritime faculties in the spring semester of 2020-2021. To make this prediction, a survey was conducted with 52 inexperienced deck officers, and the data regarding their self-efficacy beliefs were collected. The officer's questionnaire answers were entered into the Orange data-mining program, and the decision tree learning algorithm was obtained to quantitatively evaluate the pupils’ professional competencies. The student's future professional performance was predicted thanks to the algorithm that was developed. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the most challenging competencies are Cargo Handling, Maritime English and Ship Handling. Furthermore, according to the decision tree learning algorithm, the distance education process has been determined to influence students’ future professional performance negatively. As a result of the study, a unique method application has been brought to the literature for evaluating self-efficacy belief levels. Finally, suggestions have been made regarding the deficiencies observed in education.

Liferaft Operating Procedures as A Support For Crew Safety In KM. Mulya Sentosa II

Liferaft is a safety device on a ship in the form of a boat equipped with a roof in the form of a tent and inside there are tools to survive in an emergency. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that caused the lack of understanding of the operating procedures of the liferaft in KM. Mulya Sentosa II, to determine the effect of a lack of understanding of optimal liferaft operating procedures on the MV. Mulya Sentosa II. The results showed that the factors causing the lack of understanding of the optimal operation of the liferaft in KM. Mulya sentosa II is the lack of implementation of emergency drills, the absence of information in written form regarding the procedures for operating the liferaft , the lack of responsibility for the Deck Officers for the implementation of the exercise and the lack of information on the procedures for operating safety equipment, especially regarding the liferaft on board the ship in accordance with the provisions or guidelines that have been set, giving strict sanctions to Deck Officers, and providing information in written form regarding the procedures for operating the liferaft properly and optimally and then posting it in a place that is reached by all ship crews.

The Use of the K-Sim Polaris Simulator in the Process of Automatic Assessment of Navigator Competence in the Aspect of Anticollision Activities

Very high safety standards set for modern sea shipping are a big challenge both for the navigators themselves and training centers. Practical training, which gives the possibility to practice any typical and unusual sea situations, unexpected events and failures, rescue operations, or maneuvering in restricted areas, is very important. Full mission bridge simulators are widely used in this field. The aim of this conducted research was to verify the usefulness of a multitask navigation bridge simulator in the process of automatic evaluation of anticollision actions executed by a navigator. To achieve that, the available literature was analyzed, several simulations were carried out, and expert studies were performed. The simulations were carried out in the K-Sim Polaris simulator with the participation of students, deck officers, and captains. Expert research was carried out with a group of navigators with different professional experiences. This allowed for verification of the used evaluation criteria and their mutual relations. The results analysis concludes that properly programmed scenarios of testing navigator competence led to an objectivized assessment, which is its important element. However, the key is both the proper programming of the testing scenario as well as the correct selection of the criteria for the assessment itself. Therefore, during test scenario creation, it is necessary to use both the knowledge of experts and a multistage modification of the applied evaluation parameters.

Technology and training: How will deck officers transition to operating autonomous and remote-controlled vessels?

The introduction of autonomous and remote shipping is set to be complex and disruptive.It will question many of the legislative and training frameworks within the maritime industry. Despite the lack of legislation, development of autonomous and remote fleets is ongoing and as a result the new role of a Remote Operator has emerged. A Remote Operator is expected to be responsible for the safe navigation of an autonomous vessel remotely, either through monitoring or controlling the vessel from a Remote Operations Centre. Current Deck Officers are expected to transition to this new role, however the skills and training required to make the transition has not yet been identified. This thesis investigates the transition of skills and training from Deck Officer to Remote Operator, by identifying a Remote Operator skillset and skill gaps. Further investigation is conducted into the perception of autonomous and remote shipping among qualified Deck Officers and what opportunities and barriers they foresee. The project evaluates data from research conducted so far, specialist interviews and a Deck Officer Questionnaire. From the data collected Remote Operators will need a collection of seafaring experience, situational awareness and safety awareness to support the new role. Deck Officers opinions from the questionnaire were split between opportunity and threat, with many concerned for job loss but support the modernisation of the maritime industry. This investigation highlights the key role humans, in particular Deck Officers, will play in partnership with new technology and the importance of ensuring the work force is ‘future proof’.

RedNavi: Building a 3D Scene of the Current Sea from AIS Data

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a kind of navigation equipment that exchanges a wealth of essential information among vessels and between ships to shore through Very High Frequency. Currently, identification and other navigational information can be obtained in real time with AIS data integrated into other shipborne systems, such as the Electronic Chart Display and Information System and radar. However, at present, AIS information is represented in a two-dimensional (2D) way, which is not the same as the three-dimensional (3D) world people perceive visually. In this paper, we introduce RedNavi, a sustainable computer 3D scene building system that visualizes the current sea, specifically the environment and traffic conditions around the ownship, using received AIS data. RedNavi has a wide range of application scenarios. Applying to the maritime education and training field, it can serve as a bridge between the 2D and 3D worlds, helping less experienced trainees build up their capabilities. Applying to actual navigation, it can provide the deck officer with another visual aid to their lookout in addition to existing 2D information systems. In addition, given the microservices architecture RedNavi adopts, the development, deployment, and maintenance processes become relatively lighter, faster, and easier, and therefore more sustainable than traditional monolithic systems.

ADTIDO: Detecting the Tired Deck Officer with Fusion Feature Methods.

The incidence of maritime accidents can be significantly reduced by identifying the deck officer’s fatigue levels. The development of car driver fatigue detectors has employing electroencephalogram (EEG)-based technologies in recent years and made it possible to swiftly and accurately determine the level of a driver’s fatigue. However, individual variability and the sensitivity of EEG signals reduce the detection precision. Recently, another type of video-based technology for detecting driver fatigue by recording changes in the drivers’ eye characteristics has also been explored. In order to improve the classification performance of EEG-based approaches, this paper introduces the ADTIDO (Automatic Detect the TIred Deck Officers) algorithm, an EEG-based classification method of deck officers’ fatigue level, which combines a video-based approach to record the officer’s eye closure time for each time window. This paper uses a Discrete Wavelet Transformer (DWT) and decomposes the EEG signals into six sub-signals, from which we extract various EEG-based features, e.g., MAV, SD, and RMS. Unlike the traditional video-based method of calculating the Eyelid Closure Degree (ECD), this paper then obtains the ECD values from the EEG signals. The ECD-EEG fusion features are then created and used as the inputs for a classifier by combining the ECD and EEG feature sets. In addition, the present work develops the definition of “fatigue” at the individual level based on the real-time operational reaction time of the deck officer. To verify the efficacy of this research, the authors conducted their trials by using the EEG signals gathered from 21 subjects. It was found that Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (Bi-GRU) networks outperform other classifiers, reaching a classification accuracy of 90.19 percent, 1.89 percent greater than that of only using EEG features as inputs. By combining the ADTIDO channel findings, the classification accuracy of deck officers’ fatigue levels finally reaches 95.74 percent.

Autonomous ships and the collision avoidance regulations: a licensed deck officer survey

International interest in Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) is on the rise. This exploratory research presents insights of a sample of licensed deck officers (LDOs) regarding the potential future of the Collision Avoidance Regulations (COLREGs) with the implementation of MASS. At present, there is much discussion in the maritime industry on if and how the COLREGs will need to be amended to be able to be applied to MASS. Limited research is published from the key perspective of the LDO. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used, including a literature review and a multiple-choice survey. Data is analyzed via descriptive statistics, and commonalities within the results are investigated as well as years of experience with practicing the COLREGs. Results show that many barriers exist when applying the COLREGs to MASS, and minor amendments to certain terms and definitions are recommended. Moreover, the COLREGs should not be quantified, and MASS should be identifiable from other vessels. LDOs with more experience with practicing the COLREGs are found to be slightly more open to changing the rules versus LDOs with less experience. When compared to the results of the International Maritime Organization’s regulatory scoping exercise, the results of this study are found to be in congruence. This research provides valuable insights for the ongoing discussion of the future of MASS operation in the maritime industry.

Analysis of safety climate effect on individual safety consciousness creation and safety behaviour improvement in shipping operations

ABSTRACT Unsafe acts of ship officers have been a direct cause of many maritime accidents. In the maritime industry, much effort has been made to prevent unsafe acts and to improve safe behaviours of ship officers. The positive effect of organizational safety climate on human behaviour has been well documented in the literature. Within this context, this paper aims to pioneer the development of the measurement constructs of safety climate in shipping operations and analyze its impact on safety consciousness and behaviour of ship officers. Using primary data collected from 284 deck officers and captains, an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model are used to reveal the relationship among the constructs of safety climate, safety consciousness and safety behaviour. The research results show that (1) safety climate generates a direct positive effect on safety consciousness and behaviour; (2) safety consciousness has a positive effect on safety behaviour; and (3) safety consciousness acts as a mediator between safety climate and safety behaviour. Its managerial implications and practical contributions lie in the provision of useful insights on how ship managers can effectively gain the improved safety behaviours of ship officers by appropriate introduction of safety climate and consciousness.

A model of factors influencing deck officers’ cyber risk perception in offshore operations

Offshore operations onboard vessels are increasingly reliant on digitalization, integration, automation, and networked-based systems, which creates new dimensions of cyber risks. The causes of cyber incidents often include complex relationships between humans and technology, and in offshore operations, the onboard crew can be both a cyber security risk and a vital resource in strengthening the cyber security. This makes the behaviour of the decisionmakers onboard important in both preventing and handling cyber risks at sea. By use of in-depth interviews and the constant comparative analysis (CCA), this paper investigates factors influencing deck officers’ cyber risk perception in offshore operations and presents a contextual model of these factors. The model indicates that deck officers’ cyber risk perception can be affected by a feeling of distance towards cyber risks, being more restricted in their working environment because of digitalization, and trust in their reliable cyber-physical systems and suppliers. Further, targeted cyber risk mitigation measures should be implemented on multiple levels in shipping companies. The measures may benefit from focusing on increased risk communication, operational training, awareness campaigns, vessel-specific procedures, and policies, in addition to increased communication from management regarding the demand for digitalization. With this approach, the contextual model can contribute to the ongoing work of developing targeted measures for cyber risk mitigation in the maritime domain and can be used as a point of departure for further studies to discover additional nuances and factors within cyber risk perception in this domain.