[ 74 ] THE SHIP OF THE FUTURE The bridge — or bridges — of the Fusion-class represent a radical change in design, being more akin to that of navigation bridges found in the offshore industry. Captains and officers are offered all mission-critical controls within arm’s reach, which is no mean feat. Specifying two navigation bridges is by no means a cheap solution. The initial idea was for a single central bridge, although that entailed a great deal of duplication. There were several reasons to opt for a two-bridge arrangement, with one on the Dover-end, the other on the Calais-end. Firstly, there were several practical objections such as where to place the Safe Return to Port (SRtP) bridge and where to locate the helideck? Also, ferry captains prefer to ‘drive’ from the bow, especially on the intensive Dover–Calais route. The sightlines from a central bridge would be very poor, which was the ultimate reason for implementing the double bridge design. So, thanks to oversized slim frame windows, the bridge crew has unrestricted viewing angles at all times, not an unnecessary luxury when crossing the world’s busiest international seaway ten times per day. The central integrated console follows the typical ‘cockpit’ layout with officers seated in ergonomic pedestal-mounted high back chairs, facilitating a better grasp of the situation around the ship. P&O Ferries chose Kongsberg’s K-Bridge integrated navigation system (INS), providing a single-user interface to multiple connected systems, and enabling deck officers to focus on primary navigation tasks without having to switch their attention between different instruments. Whether the focus is K-Bridge Radar, K-Bridge ECDIS (electronic chart display information system) or K-Bridge Conning — which can also be used to view CCTV from cameras mounted around the vessel, including thermal imaging cameras (to avoid collision with migrant boats) — all 18 screens are interchangeable. To offer the best of both worlds, the higher-frequency X-band radar scanner can be combined on a single radar display with the lowerfrequency S-band radar scanner, eliminating blind arcs. The seamless overlap of X-band and S-band radars on a single radar display guarantees a 360-degree picture, showing both nearby and far-off targets. The bridge’s central control desks and consoles are height adjustable as is the helm station. The ABB Azipod® podded propulsion and steering system is a departure from the conventional propulsion hitherto favoured by P&O Ferries. Manoeuvring the conventional “ The higher-frequency X-band radar scanner can be combined on a single radar display with the lower-frequency S-band radar scanner, eliminating blind arcs. The seamless overlap of X-band and S-band radars on a single radar display guarantees a 360-degree picture, showing both nearby and far-off targets”
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