A typical trace from the radar screen, the Superstar Express is marked on the right of the image passing the South Hunter buoy. Photo: Jimmy Dowey
Larne Port Control Centre
The new Larne Port Control Centre is situated adjacent to Continental Quay and occupies the former Larne to Cairnryan passenger terminal. When the conventional Cairnryan service switched to McKean Quay the building had become redundant, but it was completely refitted to house the Vehicle Traffic Service (VTS). This facility came on line on the 20th of February 2002 replacing Larne Harbour Radio previously manned by John McLoughlin & Son (Shipping) Ltd.
Larne Port Control (LPC) is the control centre for 2 high power radars and a high resolution CCTV camera system. The CCTV camera is mounted on Ferris Point lighthouse and can zoom in with the resolution to pick out ships features around 1 nautical mile away. Ferris Point lighthouse also plays host to one of the radars while the second is on the hill over looking Larne at F.G. Wilson's generator factory.
Within the LPC state of the art computer equipment supplied and installed by TRANSAS gathers data from the two Bridgemaster radars and constantly refreshes the information displayed on a pair of linked monitors. One screen shows a long range scan of the entire North Channel while the other is close range showing the harbour and surrounding area out to Hunters buoy.
When the radar acquires a trace, or in other words, detects a moving ship, it assigns the trace with a sequential number and continually monitors its course and speed. The system can also calculate the ETA of a ship at any point chosen by the operator. At Larne this point is generally chosen to be adjacent to the South Hunter buoy. At the minute when the radar acquires a trace it just gives it a number and the marine officer on duty can give it a name from the databank based on their knowledge of the shipping lanes and what ship should be where at what time. Soon though, every ship will carry a transponder by which a radar can identify the vessel. During my visit the radar detected the European Highlander on her way to Larne doing 18 knots while the European Causeway was going the opposite way with the handles forward speeding along at 23 knots. Also detected although not heading for Larne was the HSS Stena Voyager making waves for Belfast at 39 knots.
A typical trace from the radar screen, the Superstar
Express is marked on the right of the image passing the South Hunter
buoy. Photo: Jimmy Dowey
The working range of the radar system is out to about 3 miles west of Corsewall point and naturally Belfast Lough is shielded from view by Islandmagee. The range can be extended but at the expense of how often the information is updated on the screen. At the usual working range information is updated every couple of seconds.
Conventional VHF radio sets are used to contact the ships. VHF channel 14 is used as the port's calling channel and the distress channel, 16, is monitored round the clock. All the com traffic between ship and shore along with radar information is continuously recorded in the event of an incident occurring within the port's control area. A separate computer system supplies up to the minute weather and tidal information in the harbour. This is relayed to the ships when the call the port.
The LPC is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week by six marine officers working on a shift system. Five currently work there with another officer due to be appointed shortly. The installation also includes an office for the assistant harbour master. The CCTV system with its single camera is due shortly to be upgraded with additional cameras mounted on the light towers in the harbour. These will all be remotely controlled from the LPC like the current one.
Larne Harbour Port Control Centre with Marine Officer Jim
Rice at the helm. The double monitor to the left is the radar
information. The black monitor gives the weather and tidal information
while the monitor just behind Jim is the CCTV output
Larne Ferry Web would like to thank Jim Rice for explaining how all the equipment contained in the office works and also the assistant harbour master Captain Trevor Wright for proof reading this article
For further information, view this link to TRANSAS, for their own internal newsletter article about the installation of the Vessel Traffic Service at Larne Port Control Centre.