Weather logs in offshore marine operations - Stop disagreements and uncertainty

Importance of Weather Logs in Offshore Marine Operations

The concept of taking weather logs on a daily basis in offshore marine operations is nothing new. They are essential for operational planning because they allow operators to manage risks, maximize safety, and ensure efficiency as weather and sea conditions directly affect the feasibility, timing, and safety of such activities.

Contractual Significance of Weather Logs

Contracts for offshore marine projects often includes strict operational limits regarding factors like wave height and current, along with terms related to risk allocation, financial responsibility, compensation, liability, timelines, and even insurance and performance metrics. Weather logs serve a document and an official record verifying whether conditions fell within contractual limits or not. Such will play a key role in:

• Compensation for Downtime: Contracts typically specify how downtime due to adverse weather will be handled, often with provisions for paid standby or delay periods. When weather logs show conditions beyond agreed thresholds, operators or contractors can sometimes seek compensation.
• Documentation for Audits and Disputes: Reliable weather records offer critical support in cases of audits, disputes, delays, operational failures, and even damage assessments, providing a factual basis for resolving disagreements.

However, as valuable as weather logs are, reliability and accuracy can sometimes be lacking, leading to uncertainty, questions and disagreements.

Challenges of Reliability and Subjectivity in Weather Logs

Reliability of weather logs are often complicated by two major factors:

1. Subjective Interpretation of Conditions: Weather assessments can be highly subjective, especially regarding sea states. Variability in human perception leads to disagreements and discussion between the crew onboard, client rep(s), and the marine warranty surveyor who are all of different subjective opinions of what the Hs is for instance. Not to mention how this is even more challenging during the night shift.
2. Inaccuracy in Weather Forecasts: Forecasts used by stakeholders onshore may show conditions within operational limits, whilst the reality onboard can starkly differ. As we know weather forecast are not exact science and quite often they are simply incorrect. It doesn't take many incidents like this before tension and suspicion starts building up between the contractual parties and such may hamper the cooperation and trust between them.

The Need for Reliable, Real-Time, Cloud-Based Data Solutions

A set, accurate data input source onboard the vessel itself would resolve these issues by providing indisputable, real-time measurements. Such a solution would eliminate subjective interpretation and discrepancies in weather forecasting and fostering trust among all parties. The advantages of such being Cloud based are:

• Real-Time Access for Stakeholders: Cloud-based systems allow clients or third parties to access real-time data from their office or mobile device, eliminating communication delays and promoting transparency.
• Historical Data Storage: Cloud storage also means data is permanently stored and extremely accessible, removing the need to search through physical documents to find a specific weather log entry. Lets all agree that the time for the men and women onboard the vessel is better spent on other things that just that.

Resolution and Frequency: Enhanced Data for Better Decision-Making

Manual weather logs, often recorded only once or twice daily, lack the high resolution needed for effective decision-making in dynamic offshore environments. A real-time, automated logging solution could provide continuous measurements multiple times each hour, vastly improving the precision of weather data over days, weeks, and even entire project timelines.

Conclusion

Accurate, high-frequency weather logs are a valuable asset for offshore marine operations, supporting both operational and contractual needs. With real-time, cloud-based solutions, parties can avoid subjective interpretation, gain reliable access to historical data, and eliminate unnecessary disputes. This approach enhances collaboration, trust, and efficiency for all stakeholders involved. Win win for everyone.-