Proposals 2004-2005

• Radio Channel Noise Reduction
• Investigating Leeway and Drift in Ovatek Life Rafts
• CCGA-P Marine Simulator Program
• CCGA SAR Crew Manual French version)
• Liferaft Performance During Evacuation, Rescue & Recovery

Radio Channel Noise Reduction

It is proposed to develop and test a near real-time voice enhancement system that can be operated as a call-check system to aid in the interpretation of voice data over noisy MF, HF and VHF communication channels.  The Canadian Coast Guard has noted that in previous SAR incidents communication with persons in distress has been hampered by radio channel noise.

In the first phase of this project an algorithm for voice enhancement will be developed and tested on examples from previous recordings of SAR communications.  The algorithm will be implemented on a dedicated hardware system, and provide interpretation of radio transmissions over noisy channels.  Prototypes of this system will be provided to the five MCTS centres on the island of Newfoundland for evaluation by MCTS Officers over the course of the second year of the project.  Feedback from the MCTS Officiers will be considered for improvements during the evaluation phase of the project. A summary of the trials will be included in the final report.

Investigating Leeway and Drift in Ovatek Life Rafts

This submission seeks NIF funding support to carry out a leeway investigation of a relatively new type of SAR object (specifically, the Ovatek 4- and 7-person rigid life rafts: http://www.ovatek.com/  for which leeway speed and angle information is currently not available in the National Search and Rescue Manual (DFO, 1998) and the Canadian Search and Rescue Planning (CANSARP) program.  Ovatek life rafts; which have SOLAS, CCG, and USCG approval; are becoming a popular alternative to inflatable life rafts on board fishing vessels in Atlantic Canada and the West Coast of North America.

Since 1995, Ovatek has sold more than six hundred 4-person units and 7-person units.   In spring 2003, a SAR operation (Incident L2003-0034 Quebec Region) was conducted for a 7-person Ovatek life raft in the Quebec Region of the Gulf of St. Lawrence without benefit of leeway information for use in CANSARP.  The liferaft belonged to the MV Caboteur” that sank on April 4, 2003 at 1215 EST.  Fortunately, in this case a vessel, the MV Marie-Eve 2” was standing close by when the MV Caboteur” sank and the 6-man crew of the MV Caboteur” was recovered from the life raft within an hour with no injuries or deaths.  The life raft along with an EPIRB from the MV Caboteur” was not recovered until 2 days later on April 6, 2003.

The incident report prepared by the Operations Centre of the Marine Rescue Sub Centre Quebec states in its report that the position of the search objects was very different than the positions calculated by CANSARP.  Further it states that upon examination of the incident it is evident that the fibreglass survival capsule (Ovatek Life Raft) did not have the same rhythm of drift as a conventional life raft.  If it had not been for the close proximity of the MV Marie-Eve 2” the outcome of this sinking may have been quite different.

The proposed project seeks to address the concerns raised by this incident by conducting field experiments to establish a relationship between the observed wind velocity and the measured Ovatek life raft leeway velocity for inclusion in CANSARP.  The proposed approach will follow the general methodology successfully used in previous work by the proponents (e.g., Fitzgerald et al., 1994).

A two-phase project is proposed for FY 2004/2005 and 2005/2006.  In the first year, a field experiment will be conducted in coastal waters off eastern or northeastern Newfoundland using instrumented Ovatek 4- and 7-person life rafts.  For each SAR object, two configurations will be used: fully loaded and equipped with a drogue and lightly loaded without a drogue.  These configurations will provide minimum and maximum leeway speeds, respectively, for the given SAR object.  The free drifting objects will be fitted with an anemometer system to record relative wind velocity, a fluxgate compass, Global Position System (GPS), air and sea surface temperature probes and an InterOcean S4 current meter to measure leeway directly.  A directional wave buoy moored in the area of the experiment will provide wave data.   This array of instrumentation will provide all the data necessary to evaluate the relationship between wind velocity and SAR object leeway.  It is expected that leeway data will be obtained for wind speeds up to 25 to 30 knots during Phase I.

Following the 28-day field program, an analysis of the data will be conducted and an interim report issued.  Phase I work will serve as a trial and test program for a more ambitious Phase II program in FY 2005/2006.  In Phase II, two 4-person and two 7-person Ovatek rigid life rafts will be deployed on the Grand Banks for a month long field trial during the fall of the year.  The SAR objects will be configured as in Phase I.  The objective will be to collect leeway and drift data for the limiting load and drag configurations in wind speeds up to 50 knots, consistent with previous leeway work carried by the proponents.

Upon completion of the Phase II field program, an analysis will be carried out combining Phase I and Phase II data.  Regression relationships for leeway speed on wind speed will be derived in accordance with previous practice for which high correlations have been obtained.  In earlier work, the dispersion of leeway angle off the downwind direction was found, in general, to be quite large, possibly a consequence of positional errors from data recorded at relatively short time intervals.

An objective of the analysis of leeway angle will be to increase the precision of the leeway angular dispersion by investigating the effects of longer averaging periods under the time-varying wind conditions.  Increasing the precision of the leeway angular dispersion for SAR objects will serve to reduce search areas, search times, and SAR resource requirements.  The project final report will be delivered by the end of FY 2005/2006.

CCGA-P Marine Simulator Program

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Pacific Region (CCGA-P) would like to develop and implement a new volunteer search and rescue (SAR)training program that employs emerging technology to improve the safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of the existing SAR training program and the effectiveness of current marine SAR operations throughout Canada.

The technology that would be utilized in this program would also be used to educate the public in the fields of SAR prevention and boating safety. Further, by piloting this equipment which has not been used in this capacity in Canada, the CCGA-P will develop a detailed training program, work closely with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Central & Arctic Region (CCGA C&A) to implement their own simulator training program, and make this information available to the rest of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary throughout Canada, and any other interested SAR groups.

The CCGA-P is a marine search and rescue organization composed of 1,400 volunteers that respond to marine SAR incidents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Volunteers currently receive a limited amount of on-water training to prepare them for SAR response, but financial constraints limit the amount of training that can be provided. By purchasing a marine simulator and integrating it into the existing training program, the CCGA-P would be able to improve the quality and quantity of training that takes place, which in turn increases the SAR effectiveness and safety of SAR crewmembers. These valuable improvements would be made in a cost-effective manner, as costly on-water training hours would not need to increase.

The simulator would also be used in the CCGA-P boating safety program, and would allow CCGA-P members to educate the public with a dynamic and attractive interactive boating safety tool. Once the program has been piloted in the Paciifc region, it will be implemented in the Central & Arctic region of the CCGA, and then in any other interested CCGA regions. Finally, all of the information gathered through the simulation project would be compiled and made available to other interested marine SAR organizations, and the CCGA-P will be available to assist these groups when necessary.

CCGA SAR Crew Manual (French version)

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary has developed the English version of a manual to help CCGA volunteers survive their first year in the field of Search and Rescue. Skills and knowledge are presented together with scripted examples of how to work as a team to save lives. Common commands and signals are listed along with detailed descriptions of the duties involved in each type of incident.

The manual is written to accompany a competency-based training program and will therefore contribute to implementing training standards, establish consistency in service delivery and increase integration of volunteers into operations. CCGA crewmembers will be able to use this manual to recognise dangerous situations and implement the tools of two-way communication to avoid those dangers. This NIF Project is aimed at translating, printing and distributing the manual to the 850 French speaking members of the Auxiliary in Quebec and the Maritime provinces and make it available to future members joining the CCGA in coming years.

The project also addresses the need of making the English version available to 3000 English speaking CCGA members outside the Pacific Region (where it has already been distributed). A CD version of the manual will also be produced in both languages for distribution where a hard copy is not required.

Liferaft Performance During Evacuation, Rescue & Recovery

Liferafts are commonly used worldwide as primary or secondary means of evacuation from merchant ships, passenger vessels, fishing boats, and offshore petroleum installations. In many cases, liferafts are required by regulation or law whose explicit aim is to provide for the safety of life at sea.

Despite being almost universally prescribed for and carried by ships and offshore platforms, the actual performance that can realistically be expected of liferafts and the people who have to use them in practice is largely unknown. The absence of quantitative knowledge about liferaft performance - especially in different weather conditions - weakens rational decision-making processes governing a host of associated search and rescue operations and planning.

The proposed project will address this need by assessing liferaft operational performance in terms of technical capabilities in a range of weather conditions. The influence of external factors and mitigating measures on performance will also be evaluated. This includes the role of human factors and training.  The outcome of the project will be practical knowledge that can promote survival and support operational decision-making, with the ultimate goal being to improve the safety of personnel who work on or travel by sea.