Skip Vaccarello

In these difficult economic times, it is easy for each of us to dwell on problems and not see the good that is also happening around us. Mercy Ships, which quietly helps thousands of the poor and disadvantaged, is a wonderful example of doing good in the world. It is a privilege for AWT to help Mercy Ships in a small way. You can see how we do this in the article below by Dave Callicott, an AWT VP with over 30 years experience in the industry. For more information on Mercy Ships, click here.

The second article in this newsletter, which is written by AWT’s Dr. Thomas Weber, talks about the problem of severe motions caused by roll resonance and wave impact. Dr.Thomas Weber is one of the world’s leading scientists, specializing in the field of route optimization and voyage planning. In addition to writing a thesis on the subject, Thomas is also a qualified deck officer and has more than 15 years experience in the field of Optimum Ship Routing. In this article, Dr. Weber shares how AWT addresses the problem of severe rolling in its BVS onboard software.

I hope you enjoy these articles, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

Thank you,
Skip Vaccarello

Dave Callicott

Recognizing Best Practices at Sea – Mercy Ships Protects Sensitive Medical Equipment on Board Hospital Ships with Help from AWT
by Dave Callicott

It’s been eight years since Mercy Ships, the organization world-famous for using its hospital ships to deliver free health care services to the poor, first approached AWT, searching for a way to stay better advised of the weather particularly during hurricane season. Mercy Ships asked AWT if we would provide our BonVoyage (BVS) marine voyage optimization system to help support the organization’s humanitarian cause, and we were honored to comply.

We're even more gratified that Mercy Ships has found BVS to be so beneficial that its captains and crew continue to use the system today to help ensure safety and avoid encounters with inclement weather that could damage sensitive medical equipment on board its hospital ships while en route between destinations. Mercy Ships also uses AWT to keep tabs on the weather while in port and alert doctors conducting surgeries on board to the potential for motion that could interfere with their operations.

We recently caught up with Africa Mercy's Captain Tim Tretheway, who used the latest version of BVS in February 2009… read more >

Dr. Thomas Weber

Routing and Severe Motions Avoidance
by Dr. Thomas Weber

In recent years, vessels have on a seemingly regular basis encountered the phenomena of sudden large roll amplitudes. These severe motions are particularly dangerous for vessels carrying high deck cargo, such as container or heavy lift vessels, and may cause loss of or damage to the cargo.

AWT assists their clients to predict the potential of severe motions by means of a tool for avoiding roll resonance and wave impact. This feature is valuable for both the strategic voyage planning and the tactical handling of the vessel. The implemented method, as proposed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), takes into account the vessel’s roll period, course and speed as well as the encountering wave trains as forecast by AWT, It then calculates the potential of heavy oscillations with high amplitudes, capsizing and sudden course deviations of the vessel. The results are depicted graphically in a polar diagram… read more >

BonVoyage System

Marine voyage optimization system provides 24/7 on-board weather…
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BonVoyage System & Ship Routing

The combination of BonVoyage System & AWT's ship routing services…more >

Fleet Management

Quickly monitor your fleet & ensure they are operating efficiently & safely…
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Ship Routing – Earliest Arrival

Our weather routing experts recomend the optimum route analyzing… more >

Ship Routing – Fuel Optimization

Improve schedule integrity & minimize fleet's fuel consumption… more >

Tracking/Polling

Tracking & automated satellite position polling service locates vessels…
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Offshore Support

Pre-departure route planning & forecasting en-route… more >

Arbitration Support &
Forensic Studies

AWT has prepared numerous reports for use in arbitration & legal venues…
more >

AWT (www.awtworldwide.com) is the leading provider of fleet optimization services, ship routing services and onboard voyage management software to ship owners, operators and charterers seeking the safest and most efficient routes for their fleets. Unlike companies that provide weather services for multiple industries, or companies which only offer onboard weather software, AWT is staffed by world-renown experts in ship routing, meteorology, IT, maritime science and former mariners who are focused solely on the maritime industry. Using the most sophisticated technology available, AWT routes more ships per month than any other company. Its superior customer service and integrity have made AWT the most trusted fleet optimization provider in the maritime industry. Founded in 1996, AWT is privately held and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with worldwide offices located in the UK, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Korea, Germany, New York, and New Jersey. More information is available at www.awtworldwide.com or by calling 1-408-731-8600.