Navigation

As announced the day before yesterday here is the report about the modern navigation of seafaring.

A look at the bridge: Where is the steering wheel? The lever on the right side to the front moves the rudder. The two screens on the right are radar screens, the third is the navigation screen.

The navigation works with GPS (Global Positioning System). 24 satellites circle around the earth and are constantly sending out signals. With the data the position of the ship can be calculated very precisely. In the picture: The 'Bruarfoss' on the way up the south Norwegian coast. The ship can be seen in the small black circle and the arrow on the line shows the direction, or rather the programmed course. Most of the time the ship is controlled by an autopilot, like a plane.

Only the slowly ticking weather fax is probably a relic. The ship has a connection to all the other ships of Eimskip (network), to the shore and to the internet. Every one gets e-mails like at home. Even SMS are transferred. An exception are, of course, the passengers.

In case of an accident it would even be possible to send a picture to the hospital in Reykjavik and get medical advice online.

And this is the view of the helmsman over the containers.

Isn't this a Viking ship? Yes - and it is going to be transported onward to New York, where it will be part of a big Viking ship parade in October. In total there are 4 Viking ships on board; two visible on top and two in containers. A fith ship was put to sea in Reykjavik on July 17 and is now en route to Greenland, Newfoundland along the discovery route of the Vikings.

At 9 p.m. the 'Bruarfoss' passed the north point of the Shetlands. The weather got worse and the wind stronger and stronger. Exactly at the time when I wanted to send the daily report the mobile phone connection broke down. A little late, but here it is at least.