The identification of navigational risks of accidents in fairways is a basic principle for the construction or modernization
of waterways in restricted waters and when the conditions of safe operation change. The estimation
of navigational risk requires the evaluation of the consequences of accidents occurring in fairways: grounding,
impact against a vertical shore, port/offshore structure or moored ship. When determining the consequences of
these accidents, it is necessary to know the emergency maneuvering area and the speed of the ship at the time
of the accident. The method of ship movement simulation in real time was used to determine the parameters
of emergency maneuvering areas and the speed of vessels during the maneuvers. The results of the simulation
experiment include full form vessels (bulk carriers, tankers) with a capacity ranging from 5,000 DWT to
100,000 DWT. The presented results of simulation tests enabled the evaluation of probability and consequences
of ships’ accidents in fairways resulting from technical failures of ships’ steering equipment, allowing to assess
the navigational risk for ships sailing through different types of fairways (approach channels, port entrances
and inner port fairways).
