A new concept for launching free-fall lifeboats, proposed by Yokohama National University is described in this paper. It has been pointed out that, using the conventional single-skid free-fall system, the potential for dangerous lifeboat motions (in which the lifeboat moves backward or jerks on the surface after entering the water) increases with the fall height of the lifeboat. One of the principal causes of this undesirable motion is vertical rotation of the lifeboat during its restricted fall at the edge of the launching skid. Thus a new "double-skid"launching concept is proposed to effectively eliminate the rotation of the lifeboat at the skid end and to enable the lifeboat to move smoothly after entering the water. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, a series of model experiments and numerical simulations is carried out in which two lifeboat models with overall lengths of 1 meter and 6 meters are used. The effects of design parameters such as skid angle and skid height are investigated, and an example of the implementation of this new system at the stern of a large merchant ship is illustrated.

In this paper, a motion identification method using neural networks is applied to automatic ship berthing to overcome disturbance effects. Motion identification is used to estimate the effect of environmental disturbance. Two rule-based algorithms have been developed to over-come disturbance. The first rule based-algorithm was designed to overcome lateral disturbance when a ship's lateral speed is affected by it. The second rule-based algorithm was also designed to overcome longitudinal disturbance when a ship's angular velocity is changed by it. Finally, numerical simulations for automatic berthing are carried out, and the suggested control system is proved to be more practical under disturbance circumstances.

Recently, the application of the electric propulsion system becomes popular because of its advantage over conventional propulsion. However, the complicated flow mechanism and interaction around the azimuth thruster are not fully understood yet, and the studies on the powering performance characteristics with azimuth/pod thrusters are now in progress. The experimental method developed in KRISO(Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering) is introduced and the results of the powering performance tests, consisting of resistance, self-propulsion and propeller open water tests for a cable layer with two azimuth thrusters are presented. For the analysis of powering performance with azimuth thrusters, it is necessary to evaluate the thrust/drag for components of a thruster unit, Extrapolation results could differ according to the various definitions of the propulsion unit; that is the pod, thruster leg and/or nozzle can be treated as hull appendages or as part of propulsion unit, The powering performances based on several definitions are investigated for this vessel. The results of the measurements for the 3-dimensional velocity distribution on the propeller plane are presented to understand the basis of the difference in propulsion characteristics due to the propeller rotational directions.

Numerical solution of the forward-speed radiation problem for a half-immersed cylinder advancing in regular waves is presented by making use of the improved Green integral equation in the frequency domain. The B-spline higher order panel method is employed stance the potential and its derivative are unknown at the same time. The present numerical solution of the improved Green integral equation by the B-spline higher order Kelvin panel method is shown to be free of irregular frequencies which are present in the Green integral equation using the forward-speed Kelvin-type Green function.