The conference is addressed to scientists and professionals in order to share their expert knowledge, experience and research results concerning all aspects of navigation, safety of navigation and sea transportation.
The 13th edition of the most innovative World conference on maritime transport research designed to find solutions to challenges in waterborne transport, navigation and shipping, mobility of people and goods with respect to energy, infrastructure, environment, safety and security as well as to the economic issues.
Welcome by President The Nautical Institute
Dear Conference Colleagues,
As President of The Nautical Institute it is my pleasure to welcome delegates, speakers and panellists to the 13th International Conference on Marine Navigation and Safety of sea transportation here in Gdynia. It is a great honour and my pleasure to write this introduction to your 13th Conference and I would like to thank the Rector Prof. Dr. Janusz Zarebski and the Faculty of Navigation of the Gdynia Maritime University. The Nautical Institute represents over 7000 maritime professionals from over 120 countries in 50 branches. We work constantly within our industry to ensure the highest levels of professional standards and competency in those who go down to the sea in ships and do their business on the great oceans of this world. Our members contribute across these oceans in forums such as this to ensure the ongoing safety of Navigation. With an impressive list of speakers and panellists you have a fine collaborative chance to share your knowledge and experience to enhance navigation and safety across these oceans. The panel discussions and round tables are a vital part of this conference and allow us all to participate and gain the most from your excellent speakers and I do encourage you all take full advantage of these. Through this and other such conferences I do hope that we can influence all those ‘Who go down to the sea’ to ensure that they are well trained and competent. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I am also a serving shipmaster with Princess Cruises (part Carnival Corp.), I will be Navigating my ship – the ‘Royal Princess’ hopefully Safely through Alaska – during your conference dates, however I would again like to thank the organizers of this annual event to once again invite The Nautical Institute to participate and wish you all well. I would like to leave you with a great quote I recently saw while on my travels at a small nautical school on the Greek Island of Chios:
“Never fear to move with the times, but never lose touch with the past” Captain Panagiotis N Tsakos
Captain Nick Nash, MNM, CMMar, FRGS, FRIN, FNI
Opening Address for TransNav 2019 Message from Conference Chairman
Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, Dear Participants of TransNav 2019, It is my pleasure and honour to welcome you to TransNav 2019, the 13th International Conference on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation jointly organized by the Faculty of Navigation, Gdynia Maritime University and The Nautical Institute. Welcome to Gdynia. I am glad to see such a wide range of stakeholders today ready to debate and exchange views. Thank you all for coming. The delegates are from over hundred institutions from many countries around the world (66): Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela and Vietnam. As you can see more than 60 countries are involved in TransNav 2019 as the Scientific Committee members, reviewers, authors of papers, presenters, attenders, partners, exhibitors and sponsors. Among us are presidents and rectors of universities and academies, deans of faculties, directors of institutes, heads of departments, scientists, researchers, professors, lecturers and students, master mariners, skippers and yachtsmen, representatives of international organizations, maritime administration, maritime institutions in higher education, universities and academies, institutes of navigation, professional and scientific societies, hydrographic, meteorological and oceanographic offices, space and maritime safety agencies, ports, transport and logistics companies, shipping industry, shipowners, navy, coastguards, classification societies, and marine manning agencies. This time our special guest is Capt Duncan McKelvie, Vice-President of The Nautical Institute, who represents the President of The Nautical Institute, Capt. Nick Nash. Welcome to Capt. Simon Gaskin, Secretary General of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN), Prof. Krzysztof Czaplewski, Chairman of the European Group of Institutes of Navigation (EUGIN), President of Polish Navigation Forum (PNF) and Prof. Tadeusz Kaczorek, doctor honoris causa of our Alma Mater. Welcome to branch chairmen of The Nautical Institute from Philippines, Japan, Ukraine and Poland, presidents of the national navigation institutes, and many other excellent guests joined our Conference, especially members of the Scientific Programme Committee. To conclude, I believe that the 13th TransNav 2019 International Conference will serve as a good discussion platform for safety at sea, maritime security and protection of the maritime environment. I wish you an enjoyable and productive visit to Gdynia. I wish all participants fruitful discussions! Special thanks to our partners, sponsors, volunteers and members of the Organising Committee for their hard work, especially Dr. Tomasz Neumann, Executive Chair of TransNav Conference. With kindest regards Prof. Dr. Adam Weintrit, Master Mariner, FRIN, FNI Chairman of the Conference Head of Poland Branch of The Nautical Institute
Prof. Dr. Adam Weintrit, Master Mariner, FRIN, FNI Chairman of the Conference
13th International Conference on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation.
TransNav 2019 12th to 14th June Gdynia
It may be appropriate to commence this brief report on TransNav 2019 with a quote from the opening address by the Conference Chairman, Prof. Dr. Adam Weintrit, Master Mariner, FRIN, FNI and head of the Poland Branch of the Nautical Institute; “More than 60 countries are involved in TransNav 2019 as the Scientific Committee members, reviewers, authors of papers, presenters, attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors. Among us are presidents and rectors of universities and academies, directors of institutes, heads of departments, scientists, researchers, professors, lecturers and students, master mariners, skippers and yachtsmen, representatives of international organisations, maritime administrations, maritime institutions in higher education, universities and academies, institutes of navigation, professional and scientific societies, hydrographic, meteorological and space and maritime safety agencies, ports, transport and logistics companies, shipping industry, shipowners, navy, coastguards, classification societies and marine manning agencies.”
It was very obvious that a considerable number of attendees at this major event had made the trip before. There were in excess of 200 attendees and the most significant thing about this number was that it was composed of over 40 nationalities. Staff of the University and speakers made up a number of these, of course but many had travelled from as far afield as USA and Japan. We started the opening ceremony on day one with a welcome address from Prof. Adam, then Capt. Nick Nash FNI CMMar, President of the Nautical Institute‘s address [read by the undersigned as his stand-in], followed by Prof. Dr. Janusz Zarebski, Rector of Gdynia Maritime University who welcomed us all and declared the Conference opened. The formula seems well established and comprised of a plenary session at the beginning of each day and then parallel sessions, 15 on day one and 20 on day two. On day two there were also two poster sessions, one on Transport and one on Navigation, 22 and 25 posters respectively. I was particularly impressed by those, a great amount of work had gone into them and a huge amount of information was contained in one poster space, no doubt the result of many hours of work and research.
It was a genuine honour to be a part of this major event, to chair the first plenary session and say a few words of appreciation and congratulation at the closing ceremony. A bonus was the opportunity to attend the Poland Branch AGM which I am sure will be reported elsewhere in this issue including the award of the Ulysses award won by Capt. Szczepen Kowaleski FNI and Helvelius award won by Capt. Judzinski FNI. Ulysses as the Roman title for Odysseus ( a remarkable sailor if a bit long winded in his voyages) to mark a member who is; a) an NI member, b) Trans Nav attendee and c) who has been very active in the popularisation of the NI. No nationality restriction but must be proposed by a member of the branch. Helvelius to mark the Polish astronomer and contemporary of Newton who is known as the joint discoverer of the constellation ‘sextans’ and lunar topographer. This award is to recognise an individual for outstanding contribution to navigation. The recipient will be a branch member and will be nominated by a branch member.
It is always a good opportunity at industry events to meet other Nautical Institute members – not just from Poland and exchange views and news. The only criticism I could make in the 3 days was that there was so much I wanted to attend in the parallel streams and it was not possible to be in more than one place at one time! May I direct you to www.transnav.eu which is where you will see the monthly journal and you will find all the papers published there over the next year. See also http://transnav2019.am.gdynia.pl – Conference Programme – pdf Conference updated 209-06-06
Prof. Adam described the organisational task of the conference as being like 3 dimensional sudoku and it must take enormous effort to have such a complex organisation run so smoothly. On the first day, when the thermometer topped 35℃ and Poland was the hottest place in Europe we were slightly nonplussed to find that a gift to all delegates was a rather natty umbrella. Prof. Adam quickly declared it a multi-function parasol. Next day it rained heavily and we were all in awe at the prescience of the organising committee. Amazing.
TransNav in its present form, jointly organised by the Faculty of Navigation, Gdynia Maritime University and the Nautical Institute was established in 2005 after long discussion between Prof. Adam and the redoubtable Julian Parker as a means to bridge the gap between theory and practice in both Transport and Navigation i.e. between the academics and the practical mariner and to help to prevent any such perceived gap widening. Over the years it has evolved into what it is, a fascinating 2 days, rounded off with a day of tourist activities and I can easily see the attraction of this conference and why there were so many who lock it into their annual calendar. The organising committee try very hard to maintain the practical/academic balance and look very critically at the results of each successive year. Much congratulation must go to Prof. Adam and his team for an extraordinary achievement in not only co-ordinating the efforts of all speakers but the reviewers as well and the logistics of moving over 200 people around and keeping exactly to the timetable. Well done all round and special mention must be made of the 3rd day, the tourist trip to the ‘Molo’ in Sopot, then to Gdansk old town for an excellent farewell lunch by the Vistula via the Solidarity Centre. Visiting the centre was a very moving experience, highly recommended.
The discipline of organisation and timing may be acquired and taught but the warmth of the hospitality and welcome are innate characteristics of our Polish friends and those of us lucky enough to know Poland always look forward to a visit to the TriCity. This visit no less than any other and highlighted by the Gala Dinner on the evening of Day One, Friends Dinner at restaurant with a terrific view over the harbour and then the great day out on day three finishing with another superb meal. Well done all round and congratulations to all concerned in TransNav 2019 on your contribution to Nautical Science and to the aims of the Institute.
Capt. Duncan McKelvie FNI
VP The Nautical Institute