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VTS, Navigation, Mooring and Berthing

Piloting challenges for Neo- ships on the Houston Ship Canal

Captain Jonathan Samuell, eNavigation Committee Chairman, Houston Pilots Captain JJ Plunkett, Port Agent for the Houston Pilots

Many experts believe that the opening of vessel on the HSC and vessel length emergency ship-handling, bridge resource the improved in December is restricted to 304.8m in . management for pilots, and fatigue 2015 will bring ever larger container To safely handle these vessels in a 24/7, mitigation. vessels to Gulf Coast ports in general, and two-way traffic environment, various Houston, US, in particular. The potential navigational and safety guidelines are in Electronic navigation tools economic bounty that these ships could place. These include daylight restrictions Each of the Houston Pilots carries a bring has prompted terminals and port in some instances and maximum combined Portable Pilot Unit (PPU) when boarding authorities to plan, identify funding and and limitations for ships a vessel. For safety reasons they do not invest in an infrastructure to accommodate meeting on the HSC. The Houston Pilots depend upon the ship's electronics alone. this next generation of container ships. act as defacto harbour master or port Instead, they carry their own hardware Likewise, the Houston Ship Pilots, as scheduler; its 24/7 dispatch officer adjusts and software. Because they carry the same leaders in navigation safety and innovation, sailings and arrivals to prevent these wide- equipment every day, they are familiar began planning nearly four years ago to body ships from meeting in critical areas of with how to use it, its accuracy, and its overcome the challenges to navigational the 161.5m-wide main channel. limitations. The PPU system consists safety that the next generation of container As state licensed pilots, the Houston of a rugged laptop, software specifically ships will present. Pilots accomplish their mission of safely written for ship pilots, a GPS, a rate-of- navigating these wide-body ships to and turn sensor, and an AIS device. The PPU Overview of Houston Ship from their desired berths by striving to be is a more advanced version of the ship’s Channel the best trained and equipped mariners in ECDIS, providing the pilot with updated The Port of Houston is no ordinary port. the world. navigation charts and a plethora of traffic It is consistently ranked first in the US management and ship-handling tools. The in foreign water-borne , first in Pilot training PPU benefits the pilot by increasing safety, US imports, first in US export tonnage, Initial training to become a Houston situational awareness, and decision speed. and second in the US in total tonnage; it Pilot is a gruelling three-year process. To make these features effective in also has the second-largest petrochemical The first six months includes piloting a narrow channel, you need to utilise complex in the world. While there are vessels under a senior pilot’s supervision. an accurate positioning system. The over 20,000 ship movements along the After this time period, new pilots start Houston Pilots utilise DGPS with these 83km of the Houston ship channel off with smaller vessels and are gradually PPUs to gain sub-meter accuracy when (HSC) every year, there are over 125,000 increased to a larger and navigating. Each pilot carries his/her own inland tow movements as well. The larger draft incrementally each month. During DGPS/GPS antenna that is temporarily beam vessels generally utilise the first 43 their time off, they handle larger vessels mounted outside with a clear view of the nautical miles of the HSC. This section (over their assigned tonnage) under the sky. In addition, each pilot is equipped has a channel width of 161.5m, making supervision of senior pilots again, being with a rate-of-turn (ROT) device (also the HSC a unique shipping environment evaluated every time. Two senior pilots referred to as a swing meter) that provides that combines a narrow channel with a are utilised to supervise training on the accurate ROT information to the PPU substantial shipping and high inland tow- wide-body ships. Trainees are also required (along with an AIS interface) utilising traffic density. to complete a training trip to every wide- professional-grade gyro technology. body berth in Houston. The Houston This enables the pilot to fine-tune his How Houston pilots handle Pilots have a comprehensive, continuing ship handling skills during a turn or large vessels education programme that allows them to bend in the channel and assists the PPU Presently Panamax, , and the seek out training worldwide at a multitude software in generating an accurate, future- larger (50m-beam ship) call of maritime training centres. Refresher predicted position of the vessel. on the Port of Houston. Any vessel over ‘core classes’ can be taken every four years The pilots utilise a secure, cloud- 36.6m beam is considered a widebody including manned, model ship handling, based network solution over the internet

1 Edition 63: September 2014 www.porttechnolog y.org VTS, Navigation, Mooring and Berthing

A large container vessel on the Houston Ship Channel.

that publishes the positions of pilots in introduction of newer, larger vessels (up to more initiatives that included funding the Houston to the other pilots, independent 335.3m length and 45.7m beam) calling development and construction of a Neo- of AIS. This provides for accurate on the Port of Houston. Simulations have Panamax 1/25th-scale ship model. This positioning between two vessels with been funded and completed on full mission model ship not only accurately exhibits pilots aboard, with update rates of about bridge simulators at the US Army Corps the same manoeuvring characteristics one second. This is crucial when vessels of of Engineers Waterways Experiment of a Neo-Panamax in a this size are caught in unexpected periods Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at shallow confined channel, but also reveals of restricted visibility. This also enhances the Maritime Institute of Technology and the obstructed visibility from the conning pilotage operations while addressing Graduate Studies in Baltimore, Maryland. bridge common with this type of ship. privacy concerns. These simulations included meeting The auxiliary channel to one of the situations on the channel and surge-and- container berths in Houston has also Preparing for Neo-Panamax sway simulations for vessels moored nearby been modelled at the training lake in vessels while these larger ships pass. Covington, Louisiana. Pilots are able Although Neo-Panamax vessels exceed Considering the 335.3m x 45.7m-size to conduct manned model training in the current widebody and length criteria vessels would eventually be eclipsed by this scaled version of the Houston Ship discussed previously, the Houston Pilots the Neo-Panamax vessels (365.7m x Channel with a Neo-Panamax-size have been aggressively preparing for the 48.7m), the Houston Pilots started two vessel. To enhance pilot training and

Edition 63: September 2014 2 VTS, Navigation, Mooring and Berthing Left: A manned model of a neo-Panamax vessel; Right: Navigating the narrow Houston Ship Channel.

analysis of manoeuvres, the model is also minimally impacted by the arrival/ their mission of protecting the public fitted with a centimetre-accuracy RTK departure of these vessels. interest by considering all safety aspects for positioning system. As state licensed Pilots, the Houston the arrival of any large vessel – even if that In addition to the manned model, the Pilots remain committed to accomplish may be contrary to economic interests. Houston Pilots initiated a collaborative agreement with a local college to purchase and operate a full-mission ship bridge About the authors simulator. The simulator, along with the manned model, will be used for both pilot Captain Jonathan Samuell currently serves as eNavigation committee chairman for the training and to provide data for the future Houston Pilots. He is also the representative for the Houston Pilots on the American HSC and container terminal dredging so Pilots Association NAVTECH committee. He is also an active Houston Pilot, conning that they may eventually receive the Neo- vessels in and out of the Port of Houston on a regular basis. Captain Samuell holds an Panamax vessels. The tested data will help unlimited Master Mariner’s license as well as an endorsement as offshore installation to produce new channels that are safe, and manager – unrestricted. He has more than 22 years working at sea. cost effective for the Port of Houston. The Houston Pilots Rules & Safety Captain Plunkett graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1987 and has Committee members have travelled to Masters degrees in Chemical Engineering, and National Security and Strategy. His Savannah, Georgia, where some of the 24 years in the US Coast Guard include serving as part of the US delegation to the Neo-Panamax-size vessels have already IMO, responding to numerous high consequence oil and chemical spills as Federal started arriving. They have conducted ship On-scene Commander, and acting as captain of the port in Port Arthur, TX. He rides on these vessels and interviewed both retired from the Coast Guard in 2011 and currently serves as port agent for the onboard masters and local pilots to help Houston Pilots. ascertain manoeuvring aspects of these vessels, as well as increased mooring tug About the organisation requirements for vessels of this size in restricted waterways. The Houston Pilots serve a crucial role in ensuring safety of vessels at the Port of Houston by boarding all ships departing or bound for Houston. They take direct Going forward command of these vessels or transfer directions to a ship’s captain while navigating the The Houston Pilots have invested 83km-long Houston Ship Channel. The primary responsibility of a Houston Pilot is significant funds and man-hours to to protect the public interest by facilitating the safe and efficient movement of vessels prepare for the eventual arrival of Neo- in State of Texas waters along the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bar. This Panamax vessels. Ideally, the 161.5m main includes not only the safety of the vessel they are conning, but also safeguarding all of channel should be widened (dredged) to the port’s assets, including the docks, linemen, lineboats, tugboats utilised in docking/ accommodate these extremely large vessels. undocking, and facilitating the safe flow of commerce along the Houston Ship Channel. Interim dock modifications and dock dredging are already underway at some of Enquiries the container berths in Houston, however there are no plans to widen the main Captain Jonathan Samuell channel at this time. Telephone: +1 713 645 9620 Further study will be required to see [email protected] if safety restrictions can be put in place at all to receive these vessels at the Port Captain JJ Plunkett of Houston. This may include updated Telephone: +1 713 645 9620 weather criteria and further, maximum, [email protected] combined beam restrictions between larger vessels; and possibly one-way Houston Pilots traffic. Traffic management may also be 203 Deerwood Glen Dr, Deer Park, TX 77536, US required so that all commerce will be

3 Edition 63: September 2014 www.porttechnolog y.org