Marine Navigation & Communication

Keeping Your Crew Connected

When critical decisions have to be made, good communication between all involved in the maritime chain is essential. The telecommunications structure for those at sea is far removed from the networks we can tap into on land. Instead, advanced communication systems enable ship-land, land-land and ship-ship contact, using satellite, and land-based radio and telephone infrastructure. The state-of-the-art voice and data communications technology available today mean that ship owners, operators and crew can stay in touch, wherever they are.

Good communications on board the ship also serve another important role; that of keeping the crew in touch with often distant friends and family. Internet connectivity, part and parcel of channels of communication today, also allows access to email, weather and chart updates, position reporting, telemedicine and remote diagnostics, among other things. Seafarers also need to be able to communicate with other ships to receive and send urgent maritime safety information, and to send or receive distress alerts in an emergency to or from rescue coordination centres ashore and from nearby ships, wherever they are in the world.

Do you know what GMDSS stands for?

Maritime Morse Code slips gradually under the waves. Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is now an international system which uses land-based and satellite technology, aiming to ensure rapid, automated, alerting of shore based communication and rescue authorities, in addition to ships in the immediate vicinity, in the event of a marine distress. Under GMDSS, all ocean-going passenger ships and cargo ships of 300gt and above conducting international voyages must be equipped with radio equipment that complies with international standards. 

It includes 5 key elements:

  • INMARSAT: A Satellite operated system that includes ship earth station terminals. It provides telex, telephone and data transfer services between ship-to-ship, ship to shore, and shore to ship along.

  • NAVTEX: An internationally adopted automated system which is used to distribute maritime safety information, and includes weather forecasts and warnings, navigational warnings, search and rescue notices and other similar safety information.

  • Search and Rescue Locating Equipment: This is used to home Search and Rescue units to the position of distress which transmits upon interrogation.

  • Digital Selective Calling (DSC): A calling service between ship to ship, ship to shore or vice versa for safety and distress information.

  • Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB): An equipment to help determine the position of survivors during a SAR operation.

Safe Navigation and Ship Operations

An extensive variety of navigation and communications equipment designed for all types and sizes of merchant vessels.

  • Radar

  • AIS

  • ECDIS

  • Echosounder

  • Speedlog

  • Satellite Communications Equipment

  • Fish Finder

  • Scanning Sonar

  • Radiotelephone

  • GPS, Chart Plotter

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