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International Maritime Organisation turns salty gaze on regulating robotic shipping

Asterix the Gaul

All that ship owners care about is money.

'Flags of convenience' killed of the Merchant Navy, making the 'Red Duster' history.

Back in the early- late 60's, I did my time in the North Atlantic, the Arctic Ocean, North Sea & English Channel.

The last of which, apart from one storm in '68, whilst serving on Light-vessels as a Lights-man 1st Class, we dragged anchor for one mile, led to the vessel becoming off-station & issued the relevant 'Notice to Mariners.

Trinity House, my then employer, in existence since Henry 8, is funded by ''Light Dues', paid by ship owners using UK ports, which funds all Lighthouses & Light-vessels(now redundant).

Pilots are self-employed.

The ship owners always resent paying their 'dues', which led to 'automation' of light stations around the coast.

I am long retired, possibly the last of any Light-vessel crew alive, our duties were primarily the safety of mariners at sea, an honourable tradition, of which I am proud to have served my part in the provision of.

The interest of ship owners stands in sharp contrast to everyone else in the marine environment & governments operate too closely with the interest of the ship owners as opposed to other mariners.

With the automation of Light-vessels, it was only to be expected that the navigation & propulsion of sea going ships would follow the path of automation.

I wonder how long before the loading\unloading of container ships will be fully automated in ports?

'Capitalism' is blind, it knows the price of everything, the value of nothing.

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