# GPS Spoofing



## Lurch

Looks like Mother Russia has some serious capabilities


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## Varley

If one were to be genuinely worried about this I believe the following will go a long way towards an effective defence for proper ships.

Install a two receiver GPS compass (not one that merely calculates direction from two time separated positions on a single channel).
Use a comparator to compare the heading with the gyro compass.

Should the spoofifiers be clever enough to spoof both GPS receivers they would have to do so in such a way as to make their heading output match the actual course of the vessel.

Perhaps not a perfect defence but one for most seasons and, perhaps, the vetting inspectors!

It would offer a most appropriate technique for alarming off course to boot.

(I have had kind words on the idea from RIN).


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## Winmar

Hi Varley, Now that our pirate friends are no longer finding it so easy to board vessels due to the presence of armed guards they have taken to jamming Gps signals etc. As somebody involved in vetting, you should see the commotion and panic that sometimes ensues when I ask the 2nd officer to show me how to disable the Gps feed to the ECDIS and run it on DR/EP mode like we used to in the good old days!


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## Varley

GM W. Interesting to hear that from an auditor. Following the systems failure instigated by a corrupt AIS signal fed to a VisionMaster display (long since softwared out, for those that heed the makers' advice anyway) it might well be an idea to know how to connect one sensor at a time to a display to eliminate a rogue. Not sure if people would not automatically assume the display to be at fault and follow the wrong trail from the outset. Although all of type failing together (as would have happened in this case) would have been the clue.

My solution is bolder but conflicts with practice. I would have the displays and duplicated sensors from different manufacturers. In this way one gets military/aircraft style diversity of software engineering for the same price as commercial outfitting.


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## Basil

> I would have the displays and duplicated sensors from different manufacturers.


Good idea, and, of course, checking that they weren't differently badged units from the same Shenzhen factory.


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## Varley

True. We also have to contend with an almost universal use of Microsoft operating system and their unwillingness to see our industry as one large enough to engage with users at the machine level. (I understand the VisionMaster issue was with the operating system and handling of the calendar rather than the maker's applicationware).


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## Winmar

Varley said:


> GM W. Interesting to hear that from an auditor. Following the systems failure instigated by a corrupt AIS signal fed to a VisionMaster display (long since softwared out, for those that heed the makers' advice anyway) it might well be an idea to know how to connect one sensor at a time to a display to eliminate a rogue. Not sure if people would not automatically assume the display to be at fault and follow the wrong trail from the outset. Although all of type failing together (as would have happened in this case) would have been the clue.
> 
> My solution is bolder but conflicts with practice. I would have the displays and duplicated sensors from different manufacturers. In this way one gets military/aircraft style diversity of software engineering for the same price as commercial outfitting.


Good Morning Varley, I hope you are well? Your post is very interesting. I do some external Navigation audits for various shipping companies and a bit of coaching were required. Would you have any objection to me quoting your post during these sessions as it is a new angle to me? Kind regards


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## Varley

GM W,

Any idea or experience of mine you are free to use. Just remember I am no longer covered by PI insurance - you hit the iceberg and it's all yours, every last poorly reflecting nugget of it.

These proposals will hit two immediate objections. OCIMF and the oil majors require radar interswitching. This is because their specifiers are navigators who do not understand that this was developed as a servicing aid and that in terms of reliability it takes points away and were it to improve redundancy at all its use would require operational procedures to cover things like PRF and PL conflicts on a slave display to be safe and yet I have never seen any (mine were to not use it).

The other is the growing demand for model specific training or standardized MMI across manufacturers. The first would cost. The second remains a pipedream.

(I don't think the proposal to counter GPS spoofing could raise any objections. In the event of gyro failure one would have another type approvable heading reference - just as long as there were no pirates about anyway)


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## George Bis

Navigation has certainly changed since 1979!


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## Dartskipper

Time to take the sextant out of the box again.

Don't need GPS or electronics with one of those.


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## George Bis

Dartskipper said:


> Time to take the sextant out of the box again.
> 
> Don't need GPS or electronics with one of those.


Sounds good to me.


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## Farmer John

Whip out your backstaff, that'll make them jump.


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## Dartskipper

Anybody got a spare Astrolabe in their loft?


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## Stephen J. Card

Dartskipper said:


> Time to take the sextant out of the box again.
> 
> Don't need GPS or electronics with one of those.




In a real conflict we would be worth a fortune. All we need is to turn up at the US Navy or RN and offer your expertise as a 'Navigator', might get even a 2 and 1/2 stripes and call the rank as 'Sailing Master'. Big money! ;-)


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## Samsette

Many years ago I read a book "The Navigators" I believe. It featured, in its early examples, a voyage around North Africa and down the West Coast, by early Arab adventurers. They used a simple wood rectangle with a slot and a aperture. There was a weighted string centered at the top but, can't remember how it was used. I also remember it was call an Al-Kemal but, not sure of the spelling. 

Maybe some of you ex-EDs or Moss's may have come across it?(*))


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## Winmar

George Bis said:


> Navigation has certainly changed since 1979!


And not always for the better George! I did a vetting inspection on a Marshall Islands flagged vessel in Donges on Thursday last. The 2nd mate was Portugeuse and held what we used to call a Mate Foreign Going ticket! I asked to see his compass observation book. In the column for deviation were a series of plus and minus symbols. I said that I hadn't sailed for a while and what happened to good old East and West then? The response and I quote, "College is teaching plus and minus as East & West confusing", ?????? The whole experience left me thinking 1) what the hell are they doing to our industry, 2) How dumbed down was that mates ticket? And 3) Portugal produced some great adventurers and navigators like De Gama, Magellan, Columbus and Cabot and believe me all 4 would be spinning in their graves just now. I told him so as well!


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## Stephen J. Card

Just as bad as 'left' and 'right' instead as 'port' and 'starboard'.


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## Varley

Remember to bring a chronometer from its cell as well the ham bone. With the GPS relied upon for precise time keeping (which it does relativistically and requires 'correction' before being properly UTC, or more properly GMT) you can't be relying on it for meridian noon either.

Our US staff had a solution to handed confusion. Bridgeton had two huge overhead signs swinging from the wheelhouse deckhead either side of the steering stand. Complete with explanatory arrow and colouring. "Starboard=Right" and "Port=Left". It would not surprise me if there wasn't a CFR requiring it.


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## Winmar

Stephen J. Card said:


> Just as bad as 'left' and 'right' instead as 'port' and 'starboard'.


Spot on Stephen! What will be next? Little coloured farm animals on the Gyro to indicate headings, ie, steer little black sheep because "steer 270" is confusing????. I asked him to show me plus and minus on the gyro for 090 and 270 and the worrying thing was he didn't even appear to understand were I was coming from?

Still I will be submitting my full report to Sire this morning with the observation that " The navigating officer did not use standard industry terminology when completing his compass observation records in that plus and minus were used in place of East and West " and that will allow the screening department at Shell to decide wether East or West is "confusing" or not! Thank god I am no longer sailing!


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## Stephen J. Card

Playing on my old Tamaya NC 22.

Find course from: Lat 0 00.00 Long 0 00.00 to Lat 0 00.00 Long 180 00.00 come out with ERROR. ;-)


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## George Bis

Winmar said:


> And not always for the better George! I did a vetting inspection on a Marshall Islands flagged vessel in Donges on Thursday last. The 2nd mate was Portugeuse and held what we used to call a Mate Foreign Going ticket! I asked to see his compass observation book. In the column for deviation were a series of plus and minus symbols. I said that I hadn't sailed for a while and what happened to good old East and West then? The response and I quote, "College is teaching plus and minus as East & West confusing", ?????? The whole experience left me thinking 1) what the hell are they doing to our industry, 2) How dumbed down was that mates ticket? And 3) Portugal produced some great adventurers and navigators like De Gama, Magellan, Columbus and Cabot and believe me all 4 would be spinning in their graves just now. I told him so as well!


A long way from the "four L's" i.e. Log, Lead, Latitude & Lookout.
As a slightly more positive note earlier this year I was a passenger on a Celebrity liner and found that although they had about every electronic navigation aid imaginable all officers had to take sights with a sextant once a month. I was told that they had to stand on the monkey island to do this!


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## Stephen J. Card

George Bis said:


> . I was told that they had to stand on the monkey island to do this!


Monkey Island? They don't even have one of them! Might have to climb another four decks to get up to the 'stump'.... mast. No compass repeater, no little chart table. You might have to bring sextant and all the gear up with it and even then it will be hard job to take sights because all of the obstructions around the 'island'... wind screens etc etc.

Don't worry about it. USCG & Co. etc will tell us that it will all just fine and don't worry about lifeboats... there won't be enough of them either!

Stephen


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## George Bis

If it is not called a Monkey Island ( the ships Greek captain didn't say) it where a Monkey Island would have been when I was at sea. The bridge was enclosed to the ships side so "on top" was the only way.
I would have liked to have seen all the Greek officers taking these sights (love to think they used for a chronometer, bet it didn't need winding) but they didn't take me up on this!


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## Stephen J. Card

Next time on cruise, take your sextant, tables, 'watch', chart etc. You can work out your DR position because you can check on the telly on you cabin.... position, course, speed etc. Come out on deck at 0900. In front of the bridge on these ships usually have a helicopter pad. Start taking some sights. Would love to see what the 'watchkeeping' certified 'mates' are thinking!


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## Engine Serang

Should you do anything that reflects on the competency of the crew or causes the other passengers to talk about the incident you and your family will be confined to your cabin (stateroom) and be unceremoniously chucked off at the next port. You will then pay the local agent many pounds to get you home.
And serve you right for being a smartass.


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## George Bis

Engine Serang said:


> Should you do anything that reflects on the competency of the crew or causes the other passengers to talk about the incident you and your family will be confined to your cabin (stateroom) and be unceremoniously chucked off at the next port. You will then pay the local agent many pounds to get you home.
> And serve you right for being a smartass.


If it is a dull party leave it that way!


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## Winmar

George Bis said:


> A long way from the "four L's" i.e. Log, Lead, Latitude & Lookout.
> As a slightly more positive note earlier this year I was a passenger on a Celebrity liner and found that although they had about every electronic navigation aid imaginable all officers had to take sights with a sextant once a month. I was told that they had to stand on the monkey island to do this!


George, there is also a lot of positive stuff going on. I have carried out more than 350 Sire Inspections, 100 Navigation Audits, 150 CDI inspections and 42 TMSA Audits of Oil, Gas & Chemical Vessels and Operators since starting this work some 8 years ago. I would safely say that the Oil, Gas & Chemical vessels have the best safety standards by a long way with LNG vessels leading from the front based on my own experience. My main criticism is the standards of training and "Dumbing Down". I have also done some Navigation audits for a well known Cruise ship company were an old friend was the head of the safety department and he became concerned following some of the high profile incidents on cruise ships about their own standards. These ships have the best equipment levels I have ever seen and the highest officer qualifications possible(one ship I did, every single deck officer had a Masters Foreign Going licence). But the main conclusion I drew from the experience was that on tankers, The master and his bridge team are a team. The junior officers are openly encouraged to question senior officers with impunity if they think orders are incorrect and every process is geared to believe that it is always possible for things to go wrong so proactive preventative barriers are in place. They are all geared to preventing single person errors. In Cruise ships from what I see, the attitude is, " Nothing can go wrong", one senior officer told me at the debriefing after I watched him and his colleague sit in the bridge chairs for the whole of their 4 hour watch that, "She is all singing and dancing and the amount of redundancy means we don't have to crosscheck anything. I will keep my own counsel on this and leave you all to think what you want! It is all down to attitude.


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## George Bis

Stephen J. Card said:


> Next time on cruise, take your sextant, tables, 'watch', chart etc. You can work out your DR position because you can check on the telly on you cabin.... position, course, speed etc. Come out on deck at 0900. In front of the bridge on these ships usually have a helicopter pad. Start taking some sights. Would love to see what the 'watchkeeping' certified 'mates' are thinking!


Unfortunately my wife would leave me in little doubt about what she was thinking!
Still nice to think of days when we did all this. During the last voyage at 1545 I remember saying to her that at this point I would have been writing up the log and what would have gone in.
I suppose it is all done by computer these days.
I suppose everything is relative. The sea is the sea and the job must have as many pressures to deliver as in my/our time


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## Winmar

George Bis said:


> Unfortunately my wife would leave me in little doubt about what she was thinking!
> Still nice to think of days when we did all this. During the last voyage at 1545 I remember saying to her that at this point I would have been writing up the log and what would have gone in.
> I suppose it is all done by computer these days.
> I suppose everything is relative. The sea is the sea and the job must have as many pressures to deliver as in my/our time


Even though modern vessels have course recorders, VDR's and Playback functions on the ECDIS et al, The log, movement book and noon reports are generally still done by hand, together with the masters standing orders and night orders so in some ways your nostalgia is still valid George! Speaking of wives, when I went on leave or even now when I come home, her first sentence after hello dear is always" Just remember matey, you are not master on this ship" so thread warily. I know my place but there is no doubt who wears the trousers........................and very fetching she looks in them as well!


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## Stephen J. Card

"O'cast with scattered rain. Slight sea, low swell. V/l rolling easily." !!!!!


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## Winmar

Stephen J. Card said:


> "O'cast with scattered rain. Slight sea, low swell. V/l rolling easily." !!!!!


Looks good to me Stephen, have a good watch?


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## Stephen J. Card

1605 hrs. Logbook written up. Handover to the Mate. Wish him, "Good watch!" Some down the stair and shout out to the Sparkie in his shack, "GIN TIME!"


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## Barrie Youde

#29 

How refreshing to learn that anything might still be logged by hand!


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## Engine Serang

As a DPA and Internal Auditor I write all my audit reports by hand, and follow up with the typed copy. Flag and Port State always pay more attention to the hand written copy. I think they regard it as more thorough and searching and not a box ticking exercise.
Most in the industry sort of agree that ISM et al. has led everyone to automatically reach for the Company Pro-Forma and tick the boxes for everything from Port Departure to securing the ship for a Tropical Storm. Hard earned experience and initiative count for little if the paperwork is not ready for inspection.


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## Winmar

Engine Serang said:


> As a DPA and Internal Auditor I write all my audit reports by hand, and follow up with the typed copy. Flag and Port State always pay more attention to the hand written copy. I think they regard it as more thorough and searching and not a box ticking exercise.
> Most in the industry sort of agree that ISM et al. has led everyone to automatically reach for the Company Pro-Forma and tick the boxes for everything from Port Departure to securing the ship for a Tropical Storm. Hard earned experience and initiative count for little if the paperwork is not ready for inspection.


There is an element of truth in this. I go on some ships and when I see the perfectly manicured checklists and tick boxes it makes me very wary of how the ships are run. I always dig deep. I cannot put my finger on it other than anyone can tick a box!


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## Basil

Suspected mass-spoofing of ships’ GPS in the Black Sea

Recollect problems with INS around the Caribbean which we thought could have something to do with USN VLF comms.


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## Varley

I don't see how INS would be affected in regard to the accelerometer technology however badly screened electronics can be upset from an RF source of suitable frequency (not so long ago X channel ferry blackout caused by OMD upset by gingerbeer carrying radio pager/intercom). Nice vertical leading and trailing waveform edges ("harmonic rich" as if that description is benign!) usually best at hunting for susceptible kit.


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## Basil

We thought it may be due to VLF submarine comms interfering with the the INS processor. No proof, of course, so it could have been caused by the idling gravity drive of the Vegan survey and mining vessel cunningly disguised as Jamaica 

We were OK so long as we left the system running on the ground but if, as per normal ops, we shut down and restarted that's when there were problems so we didn't. I'm guessing it didn't affect the INS installed in the subs.

For info, we planned on a max error rate of 3nm per hr of operation plus 3nm so, following a 7hr flight the INS could have been 24nm out. Never saw one anything approaching that bad but, for a sub on a long patrol, inertial drift would clearly have been a problem both for navigation and weapons. How they updated without giving away their position I don't know.
Guesses are:
Periscope star shot. Most likely IMHO.
Ping known seabed mountain. Make a heck of a lot of noise.
I think we may be assured that our dolphin badged members will not be along to enlighten us


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## Engine Serang

This website would be fairly blank if it relied on dolphin badged members. Talkitive Sparkies and Leckys with plenty of time on their hands are the stalwarts of the game.
Regarding GPS would Uncle Sam let N Korea have unfettered access to a pristine signal when a missile is in the air? If it corrupts the signal will it affect all users in the Pacific Basin?


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## Varley

Basil said:


> We thought it may be due to VLF submarine comms interfering with the the INS processor. ....
> 
> We were OK so long as we left the system running on the ground but if, as per normal ops, we shut down and restarted that's when there were problems so we didn't. I'm guessing it didn't affect the INS installed in the subs.
> 
> ...QUOTE]
> 
> Wasn't there an Aircrash investigation episode about setting INS once aircraft already moving?


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## Varley

Are you calling us gas-bags ES?


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## lakercapt

On one occassion when we were getting worked over by the US coast Guard doing an inspection of our navigational equipment and charts etc. the person I was dealing with asked me to show him the laminated compass. Don't have one I responded and he was about to enter this as a defect when I asked him to show me his check off list. It was a poor photocopy and part was missing. What was required was an illuminated compass.


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## 5036

Engine Serang said:


> This website would be fairly blank if it relied on dolphin badged members. Talkitive Sparkies and Leckys with plenty of time on their hands are the stalwarts of the game.
> Regarding GPS would Uncle Sam let N Korea have unfettered access to a pristine signal when a missile is in the air? If it corrupts the signal will it affect all users in the Pacific Basin?


Operation Joint Warrior, the twice annual NATO exercise off the West Coast of Scotland, started today. In 2011 the US warned that they were going to jam GPS over an area around the Outer Hebrides and despite publishing warnings and radio announcements it caused carnage, especially with the fishing fleet and jamming had to be to be stopped. It also affected leisure industries such as hillwalkers, mountaineers and yachtsmen who actually started experiencing it locally in the Clyde Estuary.


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## Basil

Varley said:


> Basil said:
> 
> 
> 
> We thought it may be due to VLF submarine comms interfering with the the INS processor. ....
> 
> We were OK so long as we left the system running on the ground but if, as per normal ops, we shut down and restarted that's when there were problems so we didn't. I'm guessing it didn't affect the INS installed in the subs.
> 
> ...QUOTE]
> 
> Wasn't there an Aircrash investigation episode about setting INS once aircraft already moving?
> 
> 
> 
> I don't know but it certainly was a requirement that the aircraft be stationary when initialising the INS. IIRC it could calculate its own latitude from whether the platform was yawing (at a pole) or rolling (at the equator) or any combination thereof.
Click to expand...


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## charding

I have not taken taken a sight for 40 years and it would be interesting to do it today and compare my calculated position with the GPS. Wonder how close I might be to the GPS position.


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## borderreiver

See to day daily telegraph 12/03/2018 leading line on GPS spoofing already we have seen HMS QE position in the middle of middle east land then of the Malta anchorage.
Again i wounder if they will have to call us old boys out who still can do sights and calculate noon and positions from stars . I still have my Nories . And then basic position from vertical heights or running fix doubling the angle on the bow. horizontal sexton angles. using light house dipping light.


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## Engine Serang

Do you still have your Log Tables?


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## borderreiver

Engine Serang said:


> Do you still have your Log Tables?


yes a nories table index (thumbs) version. might have trouble the c correction at noon.


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## Varley

Garden furniture?

To position any ship anywhere in the world with respect to those seeking her on AIS would be very much easier and more precise that spoofing her own GPS.

A 14 year old could change the 'fixed' data as well as feed it bogus track and positions information. I am fairly confident that with a bit of time division multiplexing same 14 year old could have a whole virtual fleet pop into existence wherever one would like. Possibly wherevers one would like.

However, I doubt the military would pay them much attention.


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## George Bis

I think that I still have my old sight book somewhere along with an old Movement Book. Think of the day's using Long By Chron. or Marc St. Hilaire.


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## 5036

George Bis said:


> I think that I still have my old sight book somewhere along with an old Movement Book. Think of the day's using Long By Chron. or Marc St. Hilaire.


You kept a log of all your movements? Now, there is attention to detail.

Just out of a low level interest, what details were logged?


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## Anabasis

Varley said:


> Remember to bring a chronometer from its cell as well the ham bone. With the GPS relied upon for precise time keeping (which it does relativistically and requires 'correction' before being properly UTC, or more properly GMT) you can't be relying on it for meridian noon either.
> 
> Our US staff had a solution to handed confusion. Bridgeton had two huge overhead signs swinging from the wheelhouse deckhead either side of the steering stand. Complete with explanatory arrow and colouring. "Starboard=Right" and "Port=Left". It would not surprise me if there wasn't a CFR requiring it.


1) That's what time ticks are for no? Most ships don't bother keeping chronometer logs even if they carry the actual time pieces. Many GPS's display GMT instead of GPS time, but you have to watch for it.

2) 46 CFR 35.40-35


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## Anabasis

A few comments:

My ship has a chronometer log and compass observation book, both hand written and up to date. I also hand write my night orders and the main deck log is also hand written.

Last week I swung the ship to check the deviation card and had a fairly nice twilight and shot 6 stars plus Venus. For the curious the fix was 0.7 NM off GNSS fix (horizon wasn't too good). I used the radio time tick at 10 MHz to correct my wrist watch. I used the ship's sextant, but my own 7x35 scope and shot from the ship's open bridge wings.

As far as spoofing, there is an app for that. The app gives the sextant altitude of a variety of bodies in real time, so you just take a raw sextant sight to know if you are close or not. Not for fixes, but a quick check if you think the machines are lying to you.

In any case, the old school isn't quite dead out here, at least while I'm still sailing Master.


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## callpor

Just left the suezmax Maran Homer OPL Singapore after a 5 day Navigational Assessment from Galle. The Master & Mates on the ship were telling me that they suffered a serious GPS Spoofing event in the Black Sea off Crimea late last year. Positions were about 12 nmiles out and located the vessel well ashore. Fortunately this vessel carries a sextant and routinely practices celestial position fixing so had an alternative to GPS.
Chris


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