Table of content 

The paper presents the drift angle - nondimensional yaw velocity diagram for various manoeuvres of a single screw ship as the basic element of the hull hydrodynamics identification, optimisation, or validation. Empty ragions in this chart are reported. An attempt is made to provide conditions for the arbitrary manoeuvring moion with an emphasis on filling these gaps by means of fore and aft birtual lateral forces.

Benefits and limitations of onboard mooring ropes application to improve a ship manoevrability during berthing are discussed. A mathematical model of mooring rope forces is formulated. This has been incorporated in the general ship manoeuvring model for obtainning the real ship moions while a ooring rope is in operation. The simulation output is presented. It appears that the rotational enegry absorption performance is largely governed by the location of ship's instant pivot point in relation to he mooring fix point.

The paper presents a metod of ship's route selection due to roll prediction. The seakeeping - operability value of roll was applied as criterion. The selected variants of the ship's route have been analyzed on the basis of propsal method and the best variant has been selected.

The building of new ports is restricted by natural conditions of the sea water area and great financial outlay. This is why existing ports should handle ships bigger than those for which they are designed. The main restriction in handling such ships is the depth of port water areas and the resulting underwater clearance of the manoeuvring ship. In Polish ports the maximal keel cearance is a fixed value determined by port reulatrions, whereas it is possible the change the admissible maximal ship's draft depending on the present and predicted water level. The paper presents the possibility of changing the admissible maximal ship's draft when a creatin level of ship manoeuvring safety in port water areas is ensured.

The paper presents an analsis of ship traffic intesities in Szczecin Port and on the Świnujście - Szczecin waterway. The analyses are focused on mean ship intensities, its Seasonal and diurnal changes and changes in ship parameters. There are also analyzed ship traffic parameters at weekends. The research results can be applied as input data in traffic simulation models, for prediction of traffic intensities and for analysis of capacities of the waterway and Szczecin Port.

Using Portable Navigation Systems (PNS)requires specially constructed interface while navigating in confined areas. User interface must be optimal according to its layout and navigational information shown on it. There is also a need to analyze which information on the electronic chart is indispensable and which may be removed, without affecting the system's usability. Ergonomics and usability engineering gives appropriate tools to develop, veryfi and test optimal user interface. The paper presents main testing methods of user interface in PNS. Methods of electronic chart selection have been show. Before using the interface in real conditions, serval tests were conducted and the paper presents the respectively.

The author analyses the problems associated with people's evacuation from the ship in a emergency situation, especially passenger ships because of their arrangement and number of passengers. The state of the art connected with the influence of different parameters on people, their reactions, behaviour and evacuation process is presented. Especially the case of fire growth is taken under consideration. This konwledge could be useful for interior desingers in choosing safety furnushing, researchers who analyse the evacuation process when the fire spreafs

The article presents the error analysis of the method of determination the horizontal dimensions of safety maneuvering area for vessels, based on laser measurements. Some solutions of reducing these errors have been suggested as well.

One of the main tasks of the VTS is to prepare safe passage of the vessel and to control its execution. Sea traffic regulation made by shore centre of VTS is often based on criteria included in harbour regulations, which is not always an optimal solution. Conditions of safe vessel traffic can be based on the pilot's konwledge and experience.

The essence of comporative navigation is to match a dynamically registered image with the pattern and to plot the position on that basis. Radar images used in the research were registered on the Świnoujście - Szczecin fairway. Responses form different kinds of artifical neural network were ecxamined together with error analysis.

The paper presents process of formulation of intact ship stability criteria. The critical assemssment of present approach to stability assurance is made. Present intentions of International Maritime Organisation in this aspect are presented.

The paper presents an accuracy evaluation analysis of the ship;s heading measured between two GPS antennas of automatic GPS and code DGPS type. The usefulness of the above mentioned GPS techniques for the vessel's navigation and piloting systems in confined waters has also been evaluated.

Because of very freauent stormy weather conditions in the Baltic Sea causing short and steep wave and also heavy traffic of fishing units, a number of marine accidents happens in this area. The paper presents a short analysis of frequency of storms, poor visibility caused by fog and precipitation. Conclusions of the Marine Chamber in Szczecin indicating the weather conditions during particular accidents are quoted.

Waterways' parameters optimisation consists in determining the best relation-ships between the vessel and the body of water in spectific hydro-meteorological conditions. But building, modernisation or repair of a given waterway's element requires verification already on the design level. Such verification may be carried out using the efficiency evaluation of the project. The author of the article proposed the method of the efficiency evaluation of waterways' parameters using the cos benefit analysis.

The article presents a fire protection system on board ships staying in ports. The author attempts to show the possibilities of creating a model of procedures relating to the rescue-firefighting operation. This systemic approach allows to build a comprehensive rescue-firefighting system in Polish ports.

The paper presents a comparative analysis of the navigation safety criteria acquired by means simulation studies using non-autonomic and autonomic model of ship's motion. The simulation studies consisted of series of trials of the ship's entrances to Świnoujście harbour and were performed on one chosen type of ship in assumed hydrometeorological conditions. The results of trials performed on the model of ship's motion by experienced navigators were compared to results obtained form research conducted on the same model but by navigators supported with a decision system and to results obtained from research conducted by means of fast a decision system and to results obtained from research conducted by means of fast time model of ship's motion (FTS) with simplifield human decision algotithm implemented.