Onboard weather systems are not made to check on vessel performance but to assist the staff onboard to achieve the results as agreed in the charter party. Avoiding speed claims is of great interest to the charterer so time can be spend on core activities and reduce unnecessary administrative work. Within the frame of the charter conditions, further optimisations with regard to time and fuel can be made. Time and fuel consumption reductions provide direct savings for the charterer.

When the master can see in SPOS that the forecasted weather is fine, he will not feel the need to build in a reserve by sailing at full speed first and slowing down when he is sees that he will arrive in time. SPOS provides the master with a comfortable level of security much earlier and it is known that a constant speed (as with driving a car) is more fuel efficient. For a vessel, this can save thousands of dollars per voyage. In the reference section, an example of fuel saving is reported by a master.

When the forecast indicates severe conditions on the planned route, it is important that the staff onboard can anticipate either by changing their route plan or by taking safety measures such as securing deck cargo to avoid damage (e.g. lost containers).

The goal of SPOS is to avoid bad weather whenever possible, while reducing transit time or fuel consumption. On ocean crossings this should be possible and that is also where weather can be the most severe. For short-sea shipping, where often smaller ships are chartered, weather plays an important role as well in ETA planning and potential fuel savings.

As a charterer, you can inform your ship manager about SPOS by clicking on this link.