Keeping tabs on the Spirit of Adventure
Established to provide the youth of New Zealand with access to a character development programme through sail training, the Spirit of Adventure Trust is responsible for between 1,000 and 1,200 young people every year.
Aged between 15 to 19 years of age, youths come from a wide range of backgrounds to participate in the Youth Development Programme; a course consisting of a ten-day voyage aboard the tall ship, Spirit of Adventure.
The very nature of the sea-based programme, and the age group of the participants, demands that the Spirit of Adventure team be well equipped for any eventuality.
So in December 2008, the Spirit of Adventure Trust installed an Automatic Identification System (AIS) terminal on its ship and signed up to Kordia’s AIS service.
As Kordia is responsible for maritime communications covering nearly a quarter of the world's oceans, the Kordia national Automatic Identification System (AIS) draws on its marine radio infrastructure and network of high sites to receive location data transmitted via terminals within the national coverage area.
That location data is then transported over Kordia’s IP network and processed on high availability server and storage systems before being presented to customers in various formats.
The result is a reliable national Automatic Identification System network that effectively provides coverage of New Zealand’s coastal waters, harbours and ports.
“The tracking and identification capabilities of the Kordia Maritime AIS system are invaluable,” says Sue Janett, operations director for The Spirit of Adventure.
“It gives the land-based team a real-time position of where the ship is at all times, which means they can advise parents of its exact location. This is especially important when the weather is bad and the ship is out of cell phone range.”
Able to be integrated with a vessel’s existing management systems, Kordia’s Automatic Identification System can also display data for land-based users via a standard Google Earth application utilising the Kordia EarthVTS service.
“Kordia AIS gives boat operators the ability to monitor and manage a vessel’s location,” says Aaron Olphert, Business Manager of Kordia. “But the AIS system can also be used for vessel traffic management, collision avoidance, maritime search and rescue, marine fishing management and port security.
“Not only does the Kordia AIS system provide added peace-of-mind for the Spirit of Adventure team; it is also a key operational tool for any recreational or commercial vessel operating in New Zealand waters.”
CONTACT US
For more information about Kordia Maritime AIS please contact:
Aaron Olphert