Port Planning Considering Ship Operation under Strong Tidal Currents at Isolated Islands in the Seto Inland Sea

Abstract

The Seto Inland Sea is located among the main land, the Shikoku and the Kyushu. There are many isolated islands there, so it makes very complicated tidal conditions. Many of those isolated islands still depend on the maritime transportation. In this study, the difficulty of berthing due to strong currents is researched from viewpoint of port planning. At first, the influence on ferry operations due to oceanographic conditions is interviewed to the local ferry operators. Then, tidal currents and some other parameters have observed around the ferry port which the ferry berthing is difficult. The numerical simulation of ship motions is constructed to reproduce the situations under strong tidal currents. Simulated results can almost explain the difficulty of berthing caused by tidal currents. Finally, the new evaluation method of the port planning is proposed as the safety of ferry berthing in the Seto Inland Sea.