Red Funnel trials new Azurtane vessel positioning system

Tool accelerates berthing process by putting ferries within four centimetres of the wharf 

Red Funnel trials new Azurtane vessel positioning system
Red Jet 7 is trialling Azurtane's new advanced vessel positioning system when berthing (Image: Azurtane)

By Rebecca Gibson |


UK-based marine technology firm Azurtane is developing an advanced vessel positioning system in partnership with Isle of Wight-based ferry operator Red Funnel.

Azurtane’s technology is designed to make high-speed ferry operations faster and safer by positioning vessels within four centimetres of a given location. The tool will enable captains to identify the exact position of their vessels in relation to the wharf. It will also reduce the ferries’ carbon emissions.

“Governed by a strict timetable, the craft must reach their way points, notional interim destinations, with only a few seconds’ leeway if they are to arrive on time,” said Don Gregory, Azurtane’s managing director. “Achieving that is not as simple as putting your foot down and catching up lost time. That would just add to fuel cost and carbon emissions. The secret is to be aware of the external factors that may delay the ferry such as tides, currents, wind and other vessels in the Solent. Minimising the fuel burn to each way point is a skill developed over years of command. Azurtane’s technology can assist commanders to be even more efficient and furthermore act as a training tool for less experienced officers.”

Red Funnel began trialling the technology on its newest high-speed ferry, Red Jet 7, this April.

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