Comparison of master’s route selection criteria of vehicle carriers in North Pacific and North Atlantic using satellite AIS and Ocean wave data

The operational measures in which a ship needs to avoid specified areas to escape ship stability failures were discussed at the International Maritime Organization as a part of the second generation intact stability criteria. It is necessary that the rationality and practicality of the operational measures are carefully investigated. In this study, master’s route decision-making criteria of trans-ocean vehicle carriers have been clarified by comparing the Pacific and the Atlantic data, derived from Satellite AIS and ocean wave data. Features of voyage routes of each ocean were discussed, followed by analysis of the encountered wave direction and height during a voyage. The master’s route selection criteria were defined by comparing the probability densities of the wave heights that occurred in the navigable area and that of the actual encountered waves. The navigation hours in a stormy area were also studied.