Retired University of South Carolina professor emeritus Ted Moore, who put a model of the oceangoing tug named after him on long-term loan with the Savannah International Trade Center, has agreed to take over the job of procuring and coordinating the growing exhibit of scale models of modern vessels calling on Savannah’s port.
In fact, Moore, who lives in Savannah, has proposed expanding the exhibit beyond the composite of scale-model ships and other commercial vessels to photographs, artifacts and a self-guided walking tour of the waterfront aided by modern electronic software that identifies and tracks vessels entering and leaving the port.
The program, whose working title of “The Port of Savannah — Gateway to the World,” would describe the role of our ports in peacetime and in war.
“While cargo ships will be a key component of the exhibit, emphasis will also be given to tugs and pilot vessels that make transit of the port possible, the U.S. Coast Guard that serves to protect shipping and other auxiliary vessels,” Moore said.
With the exhibition at the Trade and Convention Center already growing, Moore is turning his attention to creating a self-guided walking tour of the riverfront, complete with live tracking of marine traffic coming in and leaving the port.
“The software is already out there,” he said. “You can download the basic program for free or get a version with more features for a one-time fee.
While several vendors provide this type of application, and Moore would not endorse one over the other, he used the program “Ship Finder” to illustrate what he would like to do.
“Ships, other commercial vessels such as tugs and pilot boats, and many large pleasure craft transmit information by radio signal as part of the Automated Identification System or AIS,” he said. “This important system is intended first and foremost to allow mariners to avoid collisions, but it also provides a valuable and interesting educational tool.”
I’ve used Ship Finder a number of times when ship watching, and it’s a great way to learn about what you’re looking at through binoculars or seeing come up the river.
Here’s how it works:
When you download the shipfinder app or go to shipfinder.co/ on your computer, you’ll see the port of Savannah and the various vessels represented in real time.
Begin at the mouth of the Savannah River. Pink icons represent the pilot boats that go out to put river pilots on or take them off transiting vessels. The Savannah River Pilots have two such boats, the “Savannah” and the “Carolina”
Vessels at rest, either at anchor or dockside, are represented by balloon shaped icons. Those underway are represented by ship figures. Yellow icons represent cargo vessels, which may be carrying bulk, breakbulk or containerized goods, while the dark gray icons are tankers.
Blue icons represent passenger vessels and tour boats, red represents military vessels — most often the Coast Guard — and green represents dredges. Some large pleasure boats transmit AIS information too; they are represented by orange icons.
Like the pilot boats, tugs are also pink. There are two tug companies in Savannah devoted to docking and assistance of ships.
Moran Towing is a New York company, among the largest and oldest in the United States. Their five tugs assigned to Savannah are the James A. Moran, Edward J. Moran, Cape Charles, Cape Henlopen, and Cynthia Turecamo.
Crescent Towing is a subsidiary of the Cooper Group. Their Savannah tugs are Bulldog, Savannah, Florida, Georgia and General Oglethorpe.
If you click on an individual icon, it will give you information, such as the vessels name, type, destination and size.
Most folks associated with the maritime industry here are familiar with one or more software applications such as Ship Finder, but Moore would like to share it with our visitors, too.
“A computer display, installed in the exhibition area at the trade center, would allow visitors to identify and track ships entering and leaving the port in real time and learn a little more about our maritime commerce,” he said.
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
SHIPPING SCHEDULE
These are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean Terminals in the next week. Sailing schedules are provided by Georgia Ports Authority and are subject to change.
Terminal Ship name Arrival
GCT MSC YOKOHAMA Today
GCT MSC NURIA Today
GCT MSC BUSAN Today
GCT AERSK IDAHO Today
GCT N CHANG SHA Today
OT RICKMERS NEW ORLEANS Today
GCT MA CGM MATISSE Saturday
GCT COSCO VENICE Saturday
GCT MERKUR BAY Saturday
GCT CMA CGM FIGARO Saturday
GCT SAIGON EXPRESS Saturday
GCT YORKTOWN EXPRESS Saturday
OT ENDURANCE Saturday
GCT APL AGATE Sunday
GCT EVER DECENT Sunday
GCT OOCL SOUTHAMPTON Sunday
GCT FOWAIRET Sunday
GCT VECCHIO BRIDGE Sunday
GCT ZIM ONTARIO Monday
GCT MSC CHARLESTON Monday
GCT LADY MALOU Monday
GCT NYK REMUS Monday
GCT HOECHST EXPRESS Monday
GCT AERSK CHICAGO Monday
GCT DUESSELDORF EXPRESS Monday
GCT FRISIA ROTTERDAM Monday
OT TAMESIS Monday
GCT KEA Tuesday
GCT APL GARNET Tuesday
GCT MSC DYMPHNA Tuesday
GCT GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE Tuesday
GCT HANJIN SHANGHAI Tuesday
GCT ZIM RIO GRANDE Wednesday
GCT HANJIN DUESSELDORF Wednesday
GCT RANJAN Wednesday
GCT MOL PARAMOUNT Wednesday
GCT NYK RUMINA Wednesday
OT BBC FUJI Wednesday
GCT ZIM CALIFORNIA Thursday
GCT MAERSK OHIO Thursday
GCT VENICE BRIDGE Thursday
GCT JPO CAPRICORNUS Thursday
GCT WARNOW ORCA Thursday
OT MANDARIN EAGLE Thursday