Navigation Live
Watchkeeping, COLREG in practice, Bridge Resource Management, pilotage, restricted visibility, anchoring, VDR, Passage Planning in polar waters, GNSS resilience, VTS traffic management, BNWAS, icebreaker-assisted convoy navigation, datum shift and ECDIS chart reference, the STCW review on simulator training, the MASS Code for autonomous ships, VDES and NAVDAT, the Next-Generation ECDIS S-100 Framework.
Each topic below brings together, in a single place: an operational explanation, the regulatory reference, scope of application, procedure, practical example, real cases, common mistakes, PSC observations, operational tips, a checklist and FAQ — regulations verified as of July 2026.
Watchkeeping
The STCW principles for bridge watchkeeping: when to leave the bridge, what to check at the start of a watch, and why fatigue remains the least recognised risk factor on board.
COLREG in Practice
The rules for preventing collisions have not changed substantively since 1972: yet Rule 10, on traffic separation schemes, remains the single most misunderstood rule of all.
Bridge Resource Management (BRM)
It is not a course to complete once and forget: it is the discipline that explains why most navigational incidents originate from a team that fails to communicate, not from an unknown rule.
Pilotage and Under Keel Clearance in Restricted Areas
The presence of a pilot does not transfer responsibility for the ship: how to maintain effective pilot-crew cooperation during the most delicate manoeuvres.
Navigation in Restricted Visibility
COLREG Rule 19 applies regardless of what the radar shows: why instrumental detection of another ship alone is not enough to decide the correct manoeuvre.
Anchoring and Anchor Watch
Anchoring is not a pause from navigation: the choice of chain to pay out, monitoring for dragging, and the anchor watch itself remain safety activities in their own right.
VDR (Voyage Data Recorder)
The ship's 'black box': what it actually records, when it must be checked, and why its proper maintenance is often neglected until it is needed — too late.
Passage Planning in Polar Waters (Polar Code)
From 1 January 2026, amendments to the Polar Code extend mandatory voyage planning to fishing vessels, pleasure yachts and small cargo ships too: generic planning is no longer enough.
Electronic Navigation and GNSS Resilience
Satellite positioning can no longer be taken for granted: GNSS jamming and spoofing have grown to the point of prompting an unprecedented joint warning from IMO, ICAO and ITU.
VTS Traffic Management
The VTS provides information, assistance and sometimes traffic organisation, but never replaces the Master's authority over the conduct of their own ship.
BNWAS and Anti-Collision Alert Systems
The Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System verifies that the officer of the watch is genuinely present and alert, with an escalating alarm sequence up to the Master: mandatory since 2011 for cargo ships ≥150 GT, yet still often poorly understood in day-to-day operational use.
Icebreaker-Assisted Convoy Navigation
In winter 2025-2026 the Baltic surpassed its historical median ice coverage as early as the beginning of January: icebreaker-assisted convoy navigation requires operational protocols distinct from ordinary independent navigation.
Datum Shift and Chart Reference in ECDIS
A 2026 analysis of 5,000 bridge team assessments found recurring gaps in understanding of datum: a silent error, because the GPS position still appears plausible on the ECDIS screen.
Simulator Training: the Ongoing STCW Review
Up to three months of sea service replaced by shore-based simulator training: the proposal discussed by more than 37 flag States could change the path to the first certificate of competency.
MASS Code: the New IMO Framework for Autonomous Ships
Adopted in May 2026, the first IMO Code for autonomous ships is still non-mandatory: but the path towards mandatory status in 2032 has already been mapped out, stage by stage.
VDES and NAVDAT: the Next Generation of Digital Maritime Communications
The VHF channel we knew as voice-only becomes a data channel too: two new systems enter the SOLAS framework for ship-shore digital information exchange and safety broadcast transmission.
Next-Generation ECDIS: the S-100 Framework
The electronic charts we know today (S-57) have a technical expiry date: the new S-100 standard promises more information layers and richer data, but requires a planned, not improvised, transition.