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The article defines the morphometric, hydrochemical, and hydrobiological parameters of the Ust-Kamenogorsk reservoir, located on the territory of Ablaketka and the Bukhtarma reservoir, formed in the zone of narrowing of the mountain valley (1960), 12 km below the confluence of the Bukhtarma River with the Irtysh River. When determining deviations in indicators of the reservoirs, data from gauging stations have been taken into account. The purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current state of two large reservoirs in the East Kazakhstan region during the specified time period. The novelty of this topic lies in its comprehensive approach to assessing various aspects of the reservoirs' condition in a specific region over a defined period. This approach enables the identification of current trends and issues and facilitates the proposal of practical measures to address them and enhance water resource management. As a result of this research work, after analyzing changes in indicators, the condition of the reservoirs was determined. During the research work, according to the results of hydrochemical studies, the Bukhtarma reservoir is favorable for the habitat of aquatic organisms, and in the Ust-Kamenogorsk reservoir, a positive change in hydrochemical parameters has been noted compared with 2020. In addition, after analyzing the research indicators, it was proposed to form specially protected areas in the Bukhtarma reservoir, suitable for use in connection with the distribution of valuable fish listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan. When demonstrating the location of gauging stations, methods of remote sensing of the earth and the method of geoinformation mapping were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous growth of global trade and maritime transport has significantly heightened the challenges of managing ship traffic in port waters, particularly within fairways. Effective traffic management in these channels is crucial not only for ensuring navigational safety but also for optimizing port efficiency. A deep understanding of ship behavior within fairways is essential for effective traffic management. This paper applies machine learning techniques, including Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting Regression, to model and analyze the behavior of various types of ships at specific moments within fairways. The study focuses on predicting four key behavioral parameters: latitude, longitude, speed, and heading. The experimental results reveal that the Random Forest model achieves adjusted R 2 scores of 0.9999 for both longitude and latitude, 0.9957 for speed, and 0.9727 for heading. All three models perform well in accurately predicting ship positions at different times, with the Random Forest model particularly excelling in speed and heading predictions. It effectively captures the behavior of ships within fairways and provides accurate predictions for different types and sizes of vessels, especially in terms of speed and heading variations as they approach or leave berths. This model offers valuable support for predicting ship behavior, enhancing ship traffic management, optimizing port scheduling, and detecting anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maritime industry is rapidly evolving with digital technologies, aiming to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Recent interest has focused on autonomous vessels and the digitalization of ports, yet fairway development has lagged behind. To effectively support the growing digital and autonomous marine traffic, it is essential that fairways are also upgraded and modernized. Addressing this need, this study examines key elements of Smart Fairways, with a particular focus on Finland's maritime infrastructure. This research contributes to the development of the Smart Fairways concept by identifying five foundational and ten advanced Smart Fairway service elements. The main finding highlights the foundational role of communication systems in the development of more advanced Smart Fairway services such as Enhanced Vessel Traffic Service, Port just-in-time Service, Remote Pilotage, and Digital Twin of the Physical Fairway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous growth of global trade and maritime transport has significantly heightened the challenges of managing ship traffic in port waters, particularly within fairways. Effective traffic management in these channels is crucial not only for ensuring navigational safety but also for optimizing port efficiency. A deep understanding of ship behavior within fairways is essential for effective traffic management. This paper applies machine learning techniques, including Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting Regression, to model and analyze the behavior of various types of ships at specific moments within fairways. The study focuses on predicting four key behavioral parameters: latitude, longitude, speed, and heading. The experimental results reveal that the Random Forest model achieves adjusted R2 scores of 0.9999 for both longitude and latitude, 0.9957 for speed, and 0.9727 for heading. All three models perform well in accurately predicting ship positions at different times, with the Random Forest model particularly excelling in speed and heading predictions. It effectively captures the behavior of ships within fairways and provides accurate predictions for different types and sizes of vessels, especially in terms of speed and heading variations as they approach or leave berths. This model offers valuable support for predicting ship behavior, enhancing ship traffic management, optimizing port scheduling, and detecting anomalies.

The Neva Bay is a body of water located between the delta of the Neva River and Kotlin Island. The goal of the study was to develop a method for numerical modeling of the shallow water equation in the Neva Bay, based on the finite element method. To achieve this goal, we solved a number of tasks. First, we selected characteristic periods in the history of the Neva Bay and formed numerical modeling options while determining boundary conditions. Secondly, we determined the geometric characteristics of the computational domain for modeling options and formed a finite element mesh for each of the options. Then, we found a numerical solution of hydrodynamic problems in terms of determining values of current velocity vectors. Finally, we conducted a comparative analysis of the results of solving the hydrodynamic problem of the structure of currents in the Neva Bay in different periods of history. The changes in the velocity field occurred because of the construction of the fairway and the dams for the Complex of flood protection structures (CFPS) in St. Petersburg. Today there is practically no water flow south of the Sea Canal. Water exchange between the Neva Bay and the Gulf of Finland is carried out due to culvert structures in the northern part of the CFPS and navigation facilities. The average flow of the Neva River during the calculation period did not change and was about 2500 m3/s (depends on the water level in Lake Ladoga); an increase in speeds occurs north of the Sea Canal.

The maritime industry is rapidly evolving with digital technologies, aiming to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Recent interest has focused on autonomous vessels and the digitalization of ports, yet fairway development has lagged behind. To effectively support the growing digital and autonomous marine traffic, it is essential that fairways are also upgraded and modernized. Addressing this need, this study examines key elements of Smart Fairways, with a particular focus on Finland’s maritime infrastructure. This research contributes to the development of the Smart Fairways concept by identifying five foundational and ten advanced Smart Fairway service elements. The main finding highlights the foundational role of communication systems in the development of more advanced Smart Fairway services such as Enhanced Vessel Traffic Service, Port just-in-time Service, Remote Pilotage, and Digital Twin of the Physical Fairway.

The paper presents the method of determining ships traffic stream parameters by means of regression method. The aim of the studies was to determine the correlation between the ship's parameters and the parameters of the fairway. Developing the presented model with information on the position of the vessel's antenna and information on the accuracy of position determination will allow creating a model for predicting the parameters of waterways.

This article presents a dedicated kinematic method of determining a safe fairway bend width with a specific turn angle and arc radius as the function of ship parameters and prevailing navigational conditions on the fairway. The assumed approach takes into consideration monoeuvring and navigational components of the safe fairway bend width. The method is based on an analysis of the results of numerical tests conducted on a model representing all physically possible movements of ship's centre of gravity in the bend. The developed method was initially verified on the Ińskie bend, part of the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway.

This article presents the use of a computer application codenamed "NEPTUN" to ascertain the waterway parameters of the modernised Świnoujście–Szczecin waterway. The designed program calculates the individual risks in selected sections of the fairway depending on the input data, including the parameters of the ship, available water area, and positioning methods. The collected data used for analyses in individual modules are stored in a SQL server of shared access. Vector electronic navigation charts of S-57 standard specification are used as the cartographic background. The width of the waterway is calculated by means of the method developed on the basis of the modified PIANC guidelines. The main goal of the research is to prove and demonstrate that the designed software would directly increase the navigation safety level of the Świnoujście–Szczecin fairway and indicate the optimal positioning methods in various navigation circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on marine mammal occurrence in ship channels often focuses on large cetaceans in offshore shipping routes, while nearshore research largely addresses small vessel strikes. Marine mammals, such as the West Indian manatee, that reside in or migrate through nearshore areas, have potential to travel through a wide range of channel types, encountering a greater diversity of vessels than previously recognized. We tested the extent and conditions of ship channel use by manatees along the north-central Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) coast by combining data from telemetry-tracked individuals, opportunistic citizen-sourced sightings, and environmental attributes linked to manatee movements. Manatees used both nearshore boat channels (130 and 300 m wide) and open water fairways but used nearshore channels much more frequently, consistent with habitat requirements. Satellite-tracked individuals swam faster and moved more directly in all channel types, indicating use of these channels as migratory and travel corridors. Accordingly, generalized additive models revealed that manatees used channels most often during spring/early summer and fall and at temperatures coincidental with entry to and exit from the nGoM during migration. Manatees also occurred in ship channels when freshwater discharges were low, likely because timing of peak manatee occurrence in the nGoM coincides with seasonally low discharge periods. Expanding shipping activity world-wide is likely to increase interactions between marine mammals and a variety of vessel types, and these effects may be particularly impactful to migratory animals like manatees that use nearshore habitats at the interface of recreational boating and commercial shipping. Linking near- and offshore ship channel use to migration and habitat use will better aid risk-assessment for vessel collision and other shipping related activities for migratory marine species globally.

This article presents the use of a computer application codenamed “NEPTUN” to ascertain the waterway parameters of the modernised Świnoujście–Szczecin waterway. The designed program calculates the individual risks in selected sections of the fairway depending on the input data, including the parameters of the ship, available water area, and positioning methods. The collected data used for analyses in individual modules are stored in a SQL server of shared access. Vector electronic navigation charts of S-57 standard specification are used as the cartographic background. The width of the waterway is calculated by means of the method developed on the basis of the modified PIANC guidelines. The main goal of the research is to prove and demonstrate that the designed software would directly increase the navigation safety level of the Świnoujście–Szczecin fairway and indicate the optimal positioning methods in various navigation circumstances.

Land application of biosolids is a primary means of recycling human waste products globally; however, because biosolids are also heavily enriched with nutrients and pollutants, it is necessary to consider the environmental impacts of land applications in various agro-ecosystems. To reduce costs and divert waste, biosolids from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a military installation south of Tacoma, WA, USA, are composted with organic materials derived from the base itself. The potential for turfgrass management using the composted biosolids was tested in a field study at the military recreation facility, Eagles Pride golf course. The composted biosolids were surface-amended to golf course fairways (n = 3) at a rate of 46 Mg ha−1, in split applications, fall and spring, over two years, 2015 and 2016. Soil bacterial and fungal community responses were evaluated in amended and unamended soils from each fairway, along with soil chemical properties, including soil pH, total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and the C:N ratio. Soil microbial community analysis on soils sampled pre- and post-amendment did not demonstrate changes in community structure as a result of the composted biosolids application. Differences observed in soil microbial community structure appears to reflect edaphic and vegetative differences between fairways. Generally, correlations between soil properties and bacterial community OTUs were stronger than those with fungal OTUs, and predicted bacterial community functional analysis revealed several KO term groups were significantly correlated with soil TC and TN. Turfgrass biomass was unaffected, while leaf tissue N was increased by 4.5 and 10.6% in 2015 and 2016, respectively. These results suggest that amendment with composted biosolids does not strongly impact microbial communities across two years; however, long-term amendment could have affects that are not detected during this short-term study. • Golf course biosolids land applications may be a viable new disposal route. • Composted biosolids efficiently supplemented golf course N fertilizer applications. • Fairway turfgrass readily accumulates N available in composted biosolids. • Microbiome structure in fairways was most strongly impacted by edaphic factors. • Microbial nutrient cycling was predicted best by soil total C and N content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the influence of air mass movement on moving (the leeway) surface water in the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway region on the Szczecin Lagoon. The Szczecin Lagoon includes waters of the Odra River estuary (Poland's second largest river) and the southern Baltic Sea. To calculate the leeway parameters, a relevant surface drifter was outlined and constructed. The data on the leeway of the drifter was obtained from in-situ experiments conducted on the Szczecin Lagoon in the summer of 2018. In turn, the air mass movement data was recorded at meteorological stations in Trzebież and Świnoujście. A statistical analysis of the leeway parameters of the drifter was also presented. Distributions of the leeway and wind speeds in the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway regions were established. Moreover, linear regressions between the leeway and wind parameters were performed by decomposing the leeway into its downwind and crosswind components for each 10-minute sample. It is worth highlighting that relationships between these components of the leeway and wind parameters were studied for weak, medium, and stronger winds. This research may be useful for increasing navigation safety in the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway regions on the Szczecin Lagoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passenger Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) shipping plays an essential role in short–distance waterway transport. An increasing number of RoRo passenger terminals adopt the layout of jetty berths in the restricted harbor basin surrounded by breakwater for the purpose of saving sea area, but ships cannot meet in the harbor basin due to inadequate water area. For the benefits of port authority, shipping company and maritime safety administration, it is an urgent problem to make a safe and efficient ship scheduling scheme in the busy RoRo passenger terminal with the restricted harbor basin. This paper formulates a multi-objective mathematical model for the integrated scheduling optimization of fairway and turning basin, with the minimum total scheduling time and total waiting time as the objective functions. Meanwhile, an adaptive ant colony optimization algorithm (AACO) is provided aimed at the proposed model, where minimizing the total waiting time is the fitness function. And the other one goal is reflected in heuristic information values, and then the selection process is affected. Numerical experiments on Xuwen terminal, the largest passenger RoRo terminal all around the world, indicate that the model has shorter total scheduling time and total waiting time compared with actual operation data. Effective solutions obtained by the proposed model and algorithm not only fundamentally increase safety and efficiency, but also improve the availability of turning basin and fairway. This study hence comes up with management insights to help port authority, shipping company and maritime safety administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qi, J.; Xu, C., and Ai, W., 2018. The evaluation of navigation conditions in Zhoushan Qushan port. In: Liu, Z.L. and Mi, C. (eds.), Advances in Sustainable Port and Ocean Engineering. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 83, pp. 465–468. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Qushan port is an important port for ore carrier berthing in China in future. At present, there is less research on the navigation safety evaluation of this port, so it is necessary to study the navigation safety evaluation there. In the present paper, the navigation conditions of Qushan port is evaluated by using navigation knowledge and relevant countermeasures are put forward. The research results show that the width of the annex waters can meet the requirements of 400000 DWT ship's navigation, but the water depth condition is limited, and the 400000 DWT ships must use the tide to enter the harbor in order to ensure the ship safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vessel passage speed is one of the parameters describing the vessel traffic stream on a selected waterway. Knowing the probability distribution of vessel passage speeds is essential for modeling vessel traffic streams on a waterway. This article undertakes probabilistic modeling for vessel speeds in restricted areas, where the distribution of the vessel passage time of the waterway section is known. The probabilistic procedure of the inverse random variable is used. Four different cases are considered. First, the probabilistic distribution of the vessel passage speed is given, where the vessel passage time is described by the normal distribution in certain restricted areas. The next three cases present the probabilistic distribution of vessel passage speeds on the Szczecin-Świnoujście fairway, where the vessel passage time is described by the extreme value distribution, the Frèchet distribution and the Weibull distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous investigations, controllers for the track-keeping of ships were designed with the assumption of constant ship speed. However, when navigating in a fairway area, the ship’s speed is usually decreased to prepare for berthing. The existing track-keeping systems, which are applied when the ship navigates in the open sea with a constant ship speed, cannot be used to navigate the ship in the fairway. In this article, a support system is proposed for ship navigation in the fairway. This system performs three tasks. First, the ship is automatically controlled by regulating the rudder to follow planned tracks. Second, the ship’s speed is reduced step by step to approach the berth area at a low speed. Finally, at low speed, when the ship’s rudder is not effective enough to control the ship’s heading to a desired angle, the ship’s heading is adjusted appropriately by the bow thruster before changing the control mode into the automatic berthing system. By the proposed system, the automatic systems can be combined to obtain a fully automatic system for ship control. To validate the effectiveness of this proposed system for automatic ship navigation in the fairway, numerical simulations were conducted with a training ship model.

Problems of congestion and road damage due to traffic density and excessive vehicle loads can be solved by shifting the traffic load of the highway to river transport. For regional areas in Indonesia, which are traversed by rivers with water levels and width navigable by various types of vessels, river transport can be the main alternative transportation of goods other than highways. South Sumatra is one of the provinces in Indonesia which has a network of rivers that can be traversed by large cargo vessels. Musi River with its tributaries network is the main fairway in South Sumatra where water levels of the river are affected by the environment, especially tides, seasons and sedimentations. This environmental influences have led to vessels being unable to sail safely and smoothly all the time. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to determine the fairway capacity as a riverway performance indicator that takes into account environmental influences, especially tides. Various research on capacity of inland waterways previously conducted have not specifically considered the effect of tides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This publication describes the factors governing the development of containerization in Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority, together with their organizational infrastructure and economy. These factors include port access to transportation facilities, which has a major influence on economic development and strengthens the position in the Polish market. Geographic location of both the port and the status and functioning of the Szczecin-Świnoujście fairway were taken into account. The amount of container handling in the ports described in the years from 2004 to 2015 was examined. The Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority is discussed in terms of size and progress of its changes, and handling capacity compared to other marine container terminals in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article addresses the issue of crossing time on the fairway, modeling in restricted areas, where vessel traffic flow is disturbed. Data of movement time on the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway was grouped according to ship type. The probability distributions describing the crossing time of different ship groups were analyzed. Using the Pearson chi-square goodness-of-fit and Cramer-von Mises tests it has been shown that the best distributions describing traffic time of all ship groups are the generalized extreme value distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a goal of the turf industry to reduce fungicide use, maximize fungicide efficacy, and minimize the risk of fungicide resistance. Based on these integrated pest management principles and current fungicide labels, our objective was to elucidate the optimal use of propiconazole (Banner Maxx, 156 g a.i. L–1), azoxystrobin + propiconazole (Headway, 62.5 + 104 g a.i. L–1), and fludioxonil (Medallion TL, 104 g a.i. L–1) for the control of the winter-active pathogensMicordochium nivaleandTyphula incarnata. Five experiments were conducted on greens and fairways at four sites in Norway and Sweden during the winter seasons of 2011–2012 and 2012–2013. Iprodione (Chipco Green, 250 g a.i. L–1), which was used in Scandinavia until 2009 and is still a widely used fungicide internationally, was included in two experiments. One application of propiconazole (468 g a.i. ha–1) or azoxystrobin + propiconazole (187.5 + 312 g a.i. ha–1) in October controlled 80% of the microdochium patch, and the control of both microdochium patch and typhula blight usually exceeded 90% if the first application of one of these fungicides was followed by at least one application of fludioxonil (375 g a.i. ha–1) before snow cover. After an initial application of propiconazole or azoxystrobin + propiconazole in October, two applications of fludioxonil in late autumn were more efficient in improving visual turf quality in spring than one application of fludioxonil in autumn plus one application of propiconazole just after snow melt in spring. Fludioxonil gave the same level of control of microdochium patch as iprodione despite a much lower use of the active fungicide ingredient. In conclusion, one application of propiconazole or azoxystrobin + propiconazole while the turf is still growing, followed by one applications of fludioxonil after growth cessation, will usually provide adequate control of the winter diseases in turfgrass. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This author presents models of processes taking place at a waterway intersection. The measures of traffic processes under consideration are the number of vessels waiting to enter an intersection and delay time of these vessels. The applicability of specific models is discussed along with their usefulness as a function if input intensity of vessel stream flowing into a waterway intersection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrodynamic forces from ships operating in sheltered, confined fairways can result in increased wave impact and sediment transport leading to loss of land and habitats. Nature-based solutions (NBS) offer the potential to mitigate ship-induced erosion and increase biodiversity and ecosystem services. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of NBS in a sheltered, confined fairway located in a cold, temperate region. The case study presents the results of a 2.5-year study of the morphologic response at two sites where NBS was implemented to mitigate bluff erosion and at one site where NBS was implemented to mitigate the retreat of a reed belt. Moreover, a qualitative assessment was made of the vegetation development at the sites. The results showed that fine sediments with planted vegetation could not withstand the hydrodynamic forces induced by the ships. However, by adding sills as stabilizing structures, the forces were sufficiently attenuated for the vegetation to establish. The vegetation, which reduced the ship-generated waves and currents, was especially important during high water-level events when the energy dissipation by the sill decreased. Moreover, a small-scale nourishment was successfully applied to mitigate bluff erosion without negatively affecting sediment supply to an adjacent sandy beach. This study demonstrates that NBS can be implemented to retain erodible sediment and favour vegetation growth in fairways experiencing primary and secondary waves produced by large, ocean-going ships. • Five prototypes of NBS at three sites were tested in full scale in a sheltered, confined coastal fairway. • The study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of NBS against ship-induced erosion at bluff escarpments and reed-belts. • The morphologic response, vegetation development, and durability of the implemented NBS were studied for 2.5 years. • A stone-based sill combined with vegetation was most effective in reducing bluff erosion and promoting reed growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delpeche-Ellmann, N.C., Soomere, T., 2013. Using Lagrangian models to assist in maritime management of Coastal and Marine Protected Areas Several previous attempts to mitigate current-driven environmental risks to the nearshore via a concealed structure of surface Lagrangian transport have assumed a constant value to the entire nearshore. We extend these attempts towards more realistic accounting for the Coastal and Marine Protected Areas (MPA). We investigate the effects shifting the present fairway would have on the amount of current-driven pollutants the MPA may receive. The Rossby Centre Ocean circulation model, the TRACMASS Lagrangian trajectory model and statistical methods were employed to identify patterns of current-driven transport in the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea, for the period 1987-1991. Pollution point sources were assumed to occur along the fairway. An analysis was made on how much of the pollution travelled to each of the MPA and the time frame involved. The existing fairway passes extremely close to one of the MPA. Shifting the fairway by a small distance to the south leads to a huge decrease in the amount of pollution. However deciding to shift a fairway requires several other factors to be considered, for this may also increase the risk of pollution for other MPAs or be incompatible with the national legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enskär, the island furthest out in the Södermanland archipelago, has a number of sites with remains from activities with a marine connection. On the strength of written sources, archaeological investigations and argument by analogy, these remains have been divided into three groups. The remains of pilot stations, pilot houses and a major navigation mark have been dated to the 19th century. Adjacent to a bay which is now half silted up there are several house foundations and a number of other traces of a seasonal fishing settlement whose history can hardly go further back than the 16th century. Finally there is a stone-walled foundation which there is good reason to believe constitutes the remains of a chapel. This has been C14 dated to the 14th or 15th century. Taken together, these remains testify that Enskär has been a central locale for various kinds of marine activity. It has been a centre for the archipelago inhabitants' fishing activities in the outer archipelago, and it has been an important place for shipping in a wider perspective. The traces of pilotage activities and of a chapel should be relatable to shipping as part of the infrastructure built up round trading activity at interregional and national levels. Despite Enskär's presumed importance for shipping, historic wrecks of its coast are unknown, with one or two exceptions. We know that tradition is powerful, and the remains on Enskär, together with written records from the 17th and 19th centuries about the waters west of the island being a shipping lane for vessels coming in from the sea, suggest that there ought to be remains of wrecked ships in the area. Their absence may be due to the fact that no systematic search has been made for wrecks in the area with a view to also finding merchant vessels from earlier times. If so, the balance of knowledge presented in this article on the marine environment adjoining Enskär may provide a starting point for such an enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If you are thinking of taking up golf this article will be a great introduction for you. If you digest the lessons in this you will halve the number of lessons you will have to purchase from your golf professional. You will learn how golfers speak to one another on the green; you will learn most of the vocabulary surrounding the basically simple idea of hitting a small ball into a distant hole. Hopefully reading the article will take away some of the mystery you might encounter when out on the course. You will learn of the wide variety of competitions in which you can compete with your fellow golfers and finally you will dip your toe into the waters of the history of golf when you discover the names and types of clubs that the golfers of yesteryear used. Don't be put off trying the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous investigations, controllers for the track-keeping of ships were designed with the assumption of constant ship speed. However, when navigating in a fairway area, the ship's speed is usually decreased to prepare for berthing. The existing track-keeping systems, which are applied when the ship navigates in the open sea with a constant ship speed, cannot be used to navigate the ship in the fairway. In this article, a support system is proposed for ship navigation in the fairway. This system performs three tasks. First, the ship is automatically controlled by regulating the rudder to follow planned tracks. Second, the ship's speed is reduced step by step to approach the berth area at a low speed. Finally, at low speed, when the ship's rudder is not effective enough to control the ship's heading to a desired angle, the ship's heading is adjusted appropriately by the bow thruster before changing the control mode into the automatic berthing system. By the proposed system, the automatic systems can be combined to obtain a fully automatic system for ship control. To validate the effectiveness of this proposed system for automatic ship navigation in the fairway, numerical simulations were conducted with a training ship model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]