e-Navigating in highly-constrained waters: a case study of the Vistula Lagoon

Abstract

In recent years the transition of marine navigation to the digital era has been gaining momentum. Implementation of e-Navigation solutions varies from country to country in terms of their priorities, goals, levels and effects. Maritime authorities in Poland have been setting the pace in this transition process, not only in Poland but also in general as a global solution. The most recent example is the planned deployment of a variety of e-Navigation tools in the Vistula Lagoon: from GNSS-RTK Ground-Based Augmentation System, to virtual and synthetic aids to navigation, high-resolution bathymetry and advanced navigational software for piloting. The major objectives of this paper are, first, to summarise recent dynamics in the e-Navigation field, and second, to present a practical implementation of the e-Navigation concept in the Vistula Lagoon area.

Analysis of Traffic and Navigation Conditions on Nowy Świat Canal

“…The specifications of the final design outlined: the total length of the new waterway (22,880m) and the width of the channel (designated for 60m with some areas reaching 120m). From the navigational perspective, passage along the Nowy Świat-Elbląg waterway can be divided into three legs: Vistula Spit and locks, Vistula Lagoon, and the Elbląg River [2,8,9]. Furthermore, for all new routes, navigational buoyage was situated: 50 lateral marks and navigational lights at the entrance to the canal.…”

“…Ice cover appears almost yearly; ice condition is differential and fluctuates from some days to even 140 days. The mean length of ice season equals approximately 100 days [9,11,12].…”