Ship systems and the engineering behind them. Propulsion and boilers, AIS and navigation, shore power and cold ironing, alternative fuels, and naval architecture fundamentals such as stability, margin lines and hull form.
The sextant has guided mariners across open ocean for centuries, and it remains an essential skill and a required instrument on vessels where GPS alone can’t be trusted as the sole means of navigation. This guide covers the principles, components, error types, usage techniques, and maintenance practices every mariner needs to use a sextant with confidence and precision.
Shipping accounts for roughly 3% of global CO₂ emissions, and the pressure to decarbonise is intensifying. Hydrogen, ammonia, and wind-assist technologies are attracting investment, but nuclear power, with its near-zero emissions and exceptional energy density, is re-entering the commercial maritime conversation in ways not seen since the Cold War era.
When a vessel at berth shuts down its auxiliary engines and connects to the port’s electrical grid, it eliminates a significant source of local air and noise pollution at a stroke. Onshore Power Supply, cold ironing, has moved from a voluntary green initiative to a regulatory requirement, and the commercial and environmental case for early adoption is strengthening with every policy cycle.
Every vessel begins as a set of operational requirements and ends as a physical structure built to exact tolerances, but the journey between those two points involves four distinct design stages, each with its own scope, disciplines, and decision points. Understanding how ship design progresses from concept to production helps every maritime professional appreciate the rigour behind the vessels they operate, survey, or manage.
Onshore Power Supply allows vessels at berth to shut down their auxiliary engines and draw power from the port grid, eliminating a significant source of localised air and noise pollution at a stroke. With the FuelEU Maritime Regulation mandating OPS from January 2025 and European ports targeting net-zero gas emissions by 2030, the technology has moved from voluntary sustainability initiative to compliance imperative.
