Previewing Syroco Onwatch

A ship master is ultimately responsible for any and all decisions made onboard, especially as they relate to safety (of the ship, passengers/crew and cargo) and efficient operations (such as timely arrival). And yet, despite the sophistication of technologies available, and the ever-improving connectivity of the ship via satellite communications, the captain is often faced with complex decisions pertaining to routing, especially when weather situations are developing. 

Some companies operate round-the-clock fleet centres, staffed by experienced officers who can support their peers and help them analyse situations. But not every vessel benefits from such facilities. And yet, every single captain needs this type of support. 

For the past 6 months, Syroco has been operating a virtual fleet centre, internally dubbed Fleet Centre as a Service or FCaaS (after all, most of the team are software geeks, and the “as a service” concept resonates well with us).

Lately, we found a name we like and that speaks to our customers as well, and we started to officially market the service. Syroco Onwatch is the voyage monitoring and assistance service that complements Syroco Live. A team of dedicated professionals, experts in navigation, weather routing and data analysis, is available at any time to interact with vessel crews, support their decision making and analyse voyage performance, utilising primarily the simulation and reporting capabilities of the Syroco platform. 

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Here is where Syroco Onwatch comes into play:

  • Before the start of a voyage, Syroco Onwatch provides a pre-voyage briefing to the crew, covering the preliminary sea passage plan, high-level route optimisation options, and the overall metocean situation projected for the voyage. If needed, a Syroco Onwatch expert will arrange a phone or visio meeting to comment on the briefing and answer any questions. 
  • Once the voyage has started, Syroco Onwatch experts are monitoring the crossing and get alerted in case of any significant deviation or if en-route conditions change. Whenever warranted, they will proactively reach out to the crew to discuss the new situation and assist with any change in routing parameters, destination port, expected time of arrival, etc. 
  • On duty 24x7, the weather routing experts of Syroco Onwatch assess how changing situations can affect voyages of the vessels they monitor, especially the ones on long-distance oceanic crossings. They are also alerted of any quickly evolving system such as tropical storms or depressions, and of non-weather-related hazards (war zones, piracy, ship grounding, congestion, etc.). When needed, Syroco Onwatch proactively notifies vessel crews, and provides assistance in modifying the route and preparing new optimisations.

At the time of its official launch, Syroco Onwatch is monitoring and supporting over 30 vessels operating on all oceans of the world. The team is proud of the help they provide to captains, and is fully committed to delivering most relevant advice. 

They also know that at the end, every decision remains the captain’s responsibility.