Weather routing optimisation – challenges and rewards

The existing practice of weather routing has been analysed, as well as the problems of creating a rational ship route optimisation technique. The principal preconditions for successfully solving this complex optimisation problem are explained. A formalised technique has been developed for creating rational ship routes based on a local climatic database, intended to reduce the time needed to formulate weather scenarios during a voyage simulation exercise. It is based on the combined use of analytical geometry and features of computer graphics. An algorithm is presented for optimising a ship’s route based on using principles of dynamic programming. The results of field trials of using software based on the algorithm, which were conducted during voyages of a medium-tonnage tanker, are described.