July 2007 SPOS Coastal displays Visibility

Meteo Consult has implemented in the latest SPOS version (6) a special module for Short Sea vessels. Route optimisation in Short Sea Shipping is different from ocean crossing optimisations. The route is often fixed, but the ETA calculations may be used for more accurate planning and fuel savings when the desired arrival time allows for slower speeds en route. This short sea version can also be used to make navigation decisions with regard to e.g. the Kiel Canal when sailing from the Baltic to the North Sea.

One of the other navigation decisions can be the visibility. SPOS is the only onboard weather routing system that displays the visibility on the screen. This unique feature is not only available on the ocean crossings, but also in the coastal weather update.

The coastal version of SPOS is currently also used on offshore support vessels, coastguard and military patrol vessels in coastal areas. The reliable delivery of weather combined with the high quality of weather data makes this version a valuable tool for a wide scope of maritime operations. In Newfoundland for example the high-resolution forecasts are also applied on board shuttle tankers that have strict weather criteria for loading oil. It is without saying that also visibility is of crucial importance for a safe operation.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us, in case you need more information.